The great Australian survey

Just what is it to be an Australian in 2007? What is our national identity and how has it changed?

For the first time since settlement, all Australians are being asked to describe our national identity. It's the first survey of it's kind, three years in the making.

Angry Anderson believes we've been shaped by the land.

"It's the country itself that's produced the kind of person that we are and that's a resilient person, a generous person, and it's a person who has no problem giving anybody else a fair go," he said.

Professor Rhonda Craven from the University of Western Sydney is behind the survey into our national identity.

"What we want to do is establish a more up to date and accurate picture of what it really means to be an Australian today," Rhonda said.

"It's no longer football, meat pies, kangaroos and Holden cars. We've grown to become a very diverse nation. I think we have also matured into one of the most successful multi cultural countries in the world," she added.

"I think we also have to remember that this is not just about flapping flags and coming up with new stereotypes. Because defining who we are, our identity is fundamental to things like social cohesion, political and economic policy what we want to set to do in the future."

In his latest book, Advance Australia Where? Australia's best recognised social researcher, Hugh Mackay says our notion of national identity is forever changing but some changes have not been for the best, especially the use of the word "un-Australian".

"One of the ugliest words in the language - its a very scary development that some people pollies, commentators, people in their own backyards are using this word as if they've got the formula, they've got the code" adds Hugh.

There's no doubt certain traditions have been key to forging our identity here and overseas. Gallipoli, Kokoda, the ANZAC legends forged in the cauldrons of war.

What the survey is aimed at finding is how new images of ourselves will blend with the old. Hugh Mackay's predictions highlight many of those new Aussie trends, including how we will live in the years to come.

But how close Hugh Mackay's predictions will come to how we see ourselves will not be known until the end of the year. That's when the results of the national survey will be released.

To be part of re-defining Australia's identity complete the online survey at:

www.aussiehaveyoursay.com

or call 02 9772 6661