24 January 2014

Australia Day stuff

24 January 2014 | johnboy

Australia was founded in a drunken convict orgy in 1788 and today we encourage our youth to remember that spirit and intent.

To that end the Police have sent forth word that they’ll be keeping an eye on things:

ACT Policing will have a highly visible presence at the Australia Day Live concert on (Saturday, January 26) to ensure a trouble-free event.

This year, as in previous years, ACT Policing will place a particular focus on identifying alcohol-affected juveniles, with event security instructed to turn away young people who appear to be affected by alcohol.

Proactive patrols will operate around Parliament House from midday on Saturday and will include known locations where young people consume alcohol.

ACT Policing is also urging motorists to drive safely over the Australia Day long weekend and warns that double demerits will apply for speeding and seatbelt offences, with an extra point for all other traffic offences.

Double demerit points are effective from the first instance of Friday, January 24 until midnight January 27, 2014.

Meanwhile Mayor Rattenbury advises he’s laying buses on to help folk participate in full:

Take an ACTION bus to and from Australia Day events this long weekend, with a variety of additional services available, including some free chartered services following events, said Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, Shane Rattenbury.

“The Australia Celebrates Live concert kicks off at 5pm until10:30pm on Saturday, 25 January 2014 on the lawns of Parliament House,” Mr Rattenbury said.

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Aeek11:09 pm 28 Jan 14

and as a South Australian I could care less about the landing in NSW, and don’t get the convict thing – tho “free” bonded servants could have it worse – luck of the draw.

vulpior4:10 pm 28 Jan 14

tuco said :

maniac said :

The colony of New South Wales was founded in 1788 and originally comprised much of the Australian mainland, as well as Lord Howe Island, New Zealand, Norfolk Island and Van Diemen’s Land in addition to the area currently referred to as the state of New South Wales, which was formed during Federation in 1901. During the 19th century, large areas were successively separated to form the British colonies of Tasmania (established as a separate colony named Van Diemen’s Land in 1825), South Australia (1836), New Zealand (1841), Victoria (1851), Queensland (1859) and the Northern Territory (1863). Smaller areas of territory were ceded to the new federal government of Australia (1901): Norfolk Island and the Australian Capital Territory (1911).

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_south_wales

Betcha Western Australia is following this quotation with interest.

The area defined as New South Wales never included any of Western Australia. The western boundary was about halfway across the continent, shifted west to the current WA border when WA was established, and eventually cut back as other colonies were established.

EvanJames3:47 pm 28 Jan 14

karen12 said :

The Australia spirit is about lending a hand and supporting each other, not ruining other people’s Australia day celebrations by treating them with disrespect.

Like the well organised group of Aboriginal representatives who turned up to the War Memorial in hired minibuses and a couple of chopper motorcycles, held up placards and chanted, and lit a fire at the front entrance.

A friend happened to be there taking photos for something else, and caught it all.

Chop713:14 pm 28 Jan 14

I hear they are packing up the tent embassy.

karen122:26 pm 28 Jan 14

“What we need to do is get rid of the white trash bogans who think its all about getting drunk and yelling racist abuse. I’d have thought for Australia day we could have had a mini multicultural festival/feast!”

Well said. We also need to add. The assaults that occur and that these people ARE NOT AUSTRALIAN, they are trash. The Australia spirit is about lending a hand and supporting each other, not ruining other people’s Australia day celebrations by treating them with disrespect.

davo10112:47 pm 28 Jan 14

IrishPete said :

In this instance, it’s hard to see how NSW in 1788 comprised all those places, much of which had never been seen by Whitefellas – presumably Cook or Phillip or someone waved their hand in a general direction and said “it’s all mine” (or England’s).

Yes, that’s exactly how it happened. Note the definition of “Our Territory New South Wales” in Governor Philip’s instructions.

IrishPete said :

It represents the foundation of a colony, which much later became a State which later became incorporated into a country.

Not quite how it happened, NSW went straight from colony to state at federation.

IrishPete said :

Perhaps the best chance of resolving this one is when Australia finally cuts the apron strings

Strings already well and truly cut. The UK cut off their end of almost every string in 1931 and Australia accepted this in 1942. In 1986 both Australia and the UK formally cut the remaining fragments.

Nylex_Clock8:52 am 28 Jan 14

I should add, I’ve always thought that Australia has lacked a real defining moment in history. We have never had civil war, we have never (as Australia) been invaded. We do not have that singular defining moment (or moments) that pulls us all together and as such we ‘invented’ Gallipoli …

I’m sorry, we had
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eureka_Rebellion
…which started something that hasn’t yet come to fruition. There’s no rush, but having an unelected hereditary ruler who is by law the head of a Religious sect is clearly something that still needs to be addressed.

As for Gallipoli – I think you don’t understand what it means. Nobody “invented” it. Large numbers of young men from several nations were killed for no good reason by Imperialism and their callous and incompetent puppet-masters. *That*s what ANZAC Day is all about.

IrishPete5:29 am 28 Jan 14

ANZAC Day is ANZAC Day. For you, it obviously has no more significance than a day off work. For me (and a lot of people), it’s not a public holiday, it’s far more significant.

I know you hate authority and the armed forces (and apparently everything Australian, and indeed sometimes I wonder why you live here as you never have anything good to say…), however, I digress, ANZAC Day can never be Australia day.

ANZAC Day is for serving and ex serving soldiers, sailors and airmen and their families, whatever their background, not boozed up bogans with Australian flags draped over their shoulders…

In fact, if anything, I wish ANZAC day was not a public holiday. That would ensure the boozed up bogans went to work instead of infesting the day with their fake patriotism.

And yes, if you were wondering, I did serve a number of years in the Army and Air Force.

It’s almost amusing to see someone in apoplectic agreement with me.

Mate, if you didn’t know what sombre means, you should have looked it up.

The rest of your howitzer barrage says much about you, nothing about me. Try searching for the courage to apologise for your stuff-up.

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd10:30 pm 27 Jan 14

IrishPete said :

watto23 said :

What annoys me is while I understand some indigenous people don’t like the date and some people who like to cause controversy have latched onto that also, it is history and its the foundation of this country. Most of us don’t approve of anything bad that happened to the aboriginals, but we can’t change that, only make sure it doesn’t happen again.

What we need to do is get rid of the white trash bogans who think its all about getting drunk and yelling racist abuse. I’d have thought for Australia day we could have had a mini multicultral festival/feast!

But the point is that this particular date does NOT present foundation of the country. It represents the foundation of a colony, which much later became a State which later became incorporated into a country. Every country wants a date to celebrate (whether it needs one, is another discussion), and 26th January is not a great choice. The anniversary of Federation would be a better choice, but being 1st January is probably not going to stand out.

Perhaps the best chance of resolving this one is when Australia finally cuts the apron strings and becomes a Republic. Then we can choose a day, 26th January if we want, and that will be the national day. It might be better to choose a date that doesn’t clash with the billion-plus Indians; it isn’t even the date they became independent, but the date their constitution came into effect.

We could even move it to the 18th January when Philip made his first landfall, or the date in April that Cook landed in Australia, though that’s very close to ANZAC Day. I’d suggest ANZAC Day itself, but that would mean losing a public holiday, and also that’s supposed to be a more sombre day rather than a celebration.

I like the idea of a multicultural festival day, though if indigenous people aren’t going to join in, that would be a problem.

ANZAC Day is ANZAC Day. For you, it obviously has no more significance than a day off work. For me (and a lot of people), it’s not a public holiday, it’s far more significant.

I know you hate authority and the armed forces (and apparently everything Australian, and indeed sometimes I wonder why you live here as you never have anything good to say…), however, I digress, ANZAC Day can never be Australia day.

ANZAC Day is for serving and ex serving soldiers, sailors and airmen and their families, whatever their background, not boozed up bogans with Australian flags draped over their shoulders…

In fact, if anything, I wish ANZAC day was not a public holiday. That would ensure the boozed up bogans went to work instead of infesting the day with their fake patriotism.

And yes, if you were wondering, I did serve a number of years in the Army and Air Force.

That is the problem though, ANZAC day has been 100% hijacked by bogan trash. They have no idea about any meaning. All they care about is FUCKENSTRAYACUNT.

Sadly, personally I have given up on ANZAC day and Australia Day and pretty much any type if Australian patriotism.

Yes we are a lucky country, we have great lifestyle. Having said that, historically, Australia has had it easy. So easy. Aboriginals never got the mongol invasion. The loss of the ANZAC soldiers is a drop in the pond. We never had a war of Leningrad or a sack of Berlin. Never had a Punic war or a sacking of Baghdad.

Australia Day and and ANZAC day should be about how lucky we are, not about patriotism.

Mysteryman7:26 pm 27 Jan 14

IrishPete said :

watto23 said :

What annoys me is while I understand some indigenous people don’t like the date and some people who like to cause controversy have latched onto that also, it is history and its the foundation of this country. Most of us don’t approve of anything bad that happened to the aboriginals, but we can’t change that, only make sure it doesn’t happen again.

What we need to do is get rid of the white trash bogans who think its all about getting drunk and yelling racist abuse. I’d have thought for Australia day we could have had a mini multicultral festival/feast!

But the point is that this particular date does NOT present foundation of the country. It represents the foundation of a colony, which much later became a State which later became incorporated into a country. Every country wants a date to celebrate (whether it needs one, is another discussion), and 26th January is not a great choice. The anniversary of Federation would be a better choice, but being 1st January is probably not going to stand out.

Perhaps the best chance of resolving this one is when Australia finally cuts the apron strings and becomes a Republic. Then we can choose a day, 26th January if we want, and that will be the national day. It might be better to choose a date that doesn’t clash with the billion-plus Indians; it isn’t even the date they became independent, but the date their constitution came into effect.

We could even move it to the 18th January when Philip made his first landfall, or the date in April that Cook landed in Australia, though that’s very close to ANZAC Day. I’d suggest ANZAC Day itself, but that would mean losing a public holiday, and also that’s supposed to be a more sombre day rather than a celebration.

I like the idea of a multicultural festival day, though if indigenous people aren’t going to join in, that would be a problem.

It wouldn’t matter what date was chosen, the “invasion day” crew would still be grinding the same axe. The simple fact, as pointed out, is that what happened when Cook arrived, happened. I don’t think it was right and I would never support that behaviour. But it’s very easy to judge history in hindsight. There will always be people holding onto the fact that 200 years ago this land was taken from its inhabitants. I think it’s important that we remember that. But what they are hoping to change by racially vilifying those of us who are Anglo and yet had nothing to do with terra nullius, I don’t know. Claiming the “white man” is a thief seems to only serve to create division and separation between people from different backgrounds. And, yes, I’ve been at two “invasion day” gatherings on the lawns of OPH and both times that’s exactly what was said/claimed. I was astounded at the more recent event at just how close to “hate speech” some of the speeches were. But I guess it’s not hate speech if it comes from a minority…

Regarding the choice of date, well, I disagree that it’s not a great choice. The simple fact is that this country would not exist as it does now without the land being claimed by the British. That happened on the 26th. The country as we know it now spawned from that day – whether or not the actions of the colonists were appropriate.

What we have now is a great country, full of great people from all walks of life and all manner of cultures, that seems to genuinely be trying to make things better for its people. And I think we should celebrate that. Watto23’s suggestion of a multicultural festival style event is a great one.

What we need to do is get rid of the white trash bogans who think its all about getting drunk and yelling racist abuse

In the last 4 years and during my attendance at various “invasion day” rallies, I’ve seen a lot of “trash bogans” who were drunk and yelling racist abuse. They were black, though. Funny how it seems to be ok to label people “white trash”, but not “black trash”. I guess we’ve still got a long way to go before we treat everyone the same.

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd5:00 pm 27 Jan 14

IrishPete said :

watto23 said :

What annoys me is while I understand some indigenous people don’t like the date and some people who like to cause controversy have latched onto that also, it is history and its the foundation of this country. Most of us don’t approve of anything bad that happened to the aboriginals, but we can’t change that, only make sure it doesn’t happen again.

What we need to do is get rid of the white trash bogans who think its all about getting drunk and yelling racist abuse. I’d have thought for Australia day we could have had a mini multicultral festival/feast!

But the point is that this particular date does NOT present foundation of the country. It represents the foundation of a colony, which much later became a State which later became incorporated into a country. Every country wants a date to celebrate (whether it needs one, is another discussion), and 26th January is not a great choice. The anniversary of Federation would be a better choice, but being 1st January is probably not going to stand out.

Perhaps the best chance of resolving this one is when Australia finally cuts the apron strings and becomes a Republic. Then we can choose a day, 26th January if we want, and that will be the national day. It might be better to choose a date that doesn’t clash with the billion-plus Indians; it isn’t even the date they became independent, but the date their constitution came into effect.

We could even move it to the 18th January when Philip made his first landfall, or the date in April that Cook landed in Australia, though that’s very close to ANZAC Day. I’d suggest ANZAC Day itself, but that would mean losing a public holiday, and also that’s supposed to be a more sombre day rather than a celebration.

I like the idea of a multicultural festival day, though if indigenous people aren’t going to join in, that would be a problem.

Sadly, the trash will not understand this either.

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