In the film Australia, directed by Baz Luhrmann, Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) is an outsider trying to assimilate into a foreign country. She finds belonging by understanding and accepting the indigenous people’s way of life. Along her journey, she is helped by a cattle drover (Hugh Jackman) to save her isolated cattle station.
Sarah was able to fit into the aboriginal society due to her acceptance and understanding. However, she was also influenced by the drover. Being an English noble, she did not fully side with the aboriginal society for two reasons. Firstly, the drover did not want to join the English noble group. Secondly, Sarah believed that when a person belongs to a group, they understand their thoughts and support them. This is evident in how Sarah accepted the aboriginal kid as her own child in the white man society.
The text highlights the connection between Peter Skrzynecki’s experiences in “Migrant Hostel” and Australia. Both the poet and the protagonist in the country face a lack of belonging due to their limited understanding of their surroundings. However, Sarah Ashley in Australia manages to comprehend and embrace Aboriginal culture, which eventually allows her to truly belong to the continent. Unlike other white inhabitants who only physically reside in Australia, Sarah forges a spiritual connection with the land. This sense of belonging becomes evident in the movie’s final scene, where Sarah liberates an Aboriginal child and allows him to return to his roots with his grandfather. This act showcases acceptance towards a new culture and signifies a way of belonging.
