Does anyone know where the Canberra “rule” about heating staying off till after Anzac Day comes from?
It’s one of those things I’ve always known but can’t remember how I came to know it.
A comment on an earlier RiotACT post on how to survive your first winter here indicates that Canberrans have stuck to the rule since oil heaters warmed our homes.
Personally I’m not a believer in the rule anyway. I can’t think straight when I’m cold, and I start work before the sun comes up. The heating has been on more than once in recent weeks. I switched it from aircon to heat on March 19, when the temperature fell to zero, and haven’t looked back.
I wondered whether the average temperatures for April backed up the Anzac Day theory, and found some charts on San Francisco-based Weatherspark.com’s website that answered that question instantly (and made me shiver a little too).
So, what happens at your place? Have you turned the heater on yet? Is the Anzac Day rule cruel or cool with you?
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My housemate has certainly been running the heating (until I point out how ridiculous that is and switch it off) almost every day since it dropped down below 15 overnight. Then again, she also runs it to dry clothes (hanging them outside or doing washing before 4pm is too hard apparently) and has no concept of closing windows or doors while the heating/air con is on (but will close all doors/windows when she smokes in the laundry for some reason).
Me personally, I’m still sleeping with the window open most nights and won’t be touching the heater for at least a few weeks. Our house hasn’t dropped below 21 inside yet, and that’s more than warm overnight.
Well, that’s a new one on me. I was born there and lived there until 1988 and the only “rule” relating to Anzac day and heaters was they usually went on full time after Anzac day. I don’t remember any rule about not putting heaters on before Anzac day as there was always a night or two where it got cold enough to have a fire/heater.
If there was such a rule it probably had something to do with the fact that most heating back in the 40s and 50s was wood consumed in Rayburn slow combustion heaters or oil burning heaters. When the fires started so did the fogs due to the fact that Canberra is in a valley and there is a temperature inversion when heaters go on and the smoke can’t get away due to the blanket of cold air covering the valley.
rommeldog56 said :
There’s always one. Cue Monty Python’s Four Yorkshiremen sketch.
It’s not so much that they have to stay off until Anzac Day but that’s when they historically need to come on for comfortable living. It’s simply a response to the usually prevailing weather and uncanny in its accuracy – last year, for example. This year is an obvious, pleasant exception so we’re in the ‘bonus’ period now, though we’ve had occasional years like this before.
gooterz said :
I think you’ll find Tasmania’s problems are the result of (a) the broken electricity link to the mainland (Bass-link) and (b) the fact they chose to generate and sell excess hydro electricity – which has left them stranded.
heater on anzac day? blimey….
i try to hang out to the june long weekend…. last week i gave in in the last week in may though. must be getting soft in my old age….
I am a Rabbit™ said :
September with protection for tomatoes.
I certainly grew up with this lore as law in our house! Made for some very chilly Aprils back in the day.
I was told quite recently that it was to do with ACT public housing and shared heating facilities, when residents had to agree to turn the heating on.
I guess it’s “a thing”, like the US thing about not wearing white after Labor Day. No one’s sure where it came from, everyone has a theory, and everyone knows about it.
I am a Rabbit™ said :
Could that have something to do with climate?
JC said :
Melbourne Cup is for planting tomatoes, but everything is shifting.
Floriade may no longer last until the Labour Day long weekend. My garden starts greeing and flowering earlier each year, last year my bulbs popped up weeks early.
Melbourne Cup day is when Canberrans plant tomatoes as generally, there are no more frosts by then.
Most Canberrans would not be aware that tomatoes actually grow on a vine before they appear at the supermarket.
The tomato is a fruit (not a vegetable) but it doesn’t go to well in a fruit salad.
gooterz said :
Coca Cola are also buying up artesian water rights in South America.
dungfungus said :
Nah, it’s Anzac Day to October long weekend, not Melbourne Cup day
I’ll start obeying “the rules” when the weather does 😉 I hadn’t heard that one before, only that we usually have our first frost by ANZAC Day.
It has been unseasonably warm this April, but we’ve had some chilly mornings and we’re early risers here. And sometimes some dingus leaves the kitchen window open overnight.
dungfungus said :
Hadn’t heard of Melbourne Cup being used in relation to heating before. Does it correlate with the average climate stats?
Kalliste said :
It is even stuffing up the bolt hole that we hoped might actually benefit, Tasmania. Their fisheries were savaged this year and their protracted drought has lead to massive fires and energy shortages from the Hydro due to lack of water.
Best current financial advice is sell oil, buy water futures. The Chinese are not as thick as some, and are grabbing arable land and water rights wherever they can.
Kalliste said :
Your first paragraph is fact.
Your second paragraph is fantasy.
rubaiyat said :
That’s a very interesting theory. Our kids switch to winter uniform on Tuesday as well.
When did we get down to 0? I certainly don’t remember that this year.. all I remember from March is the record for days above 30. Checking the bureau it shows the coldest day minimum was the 19th but it only got down to 5.
Around the start of April I changed to our winter doona and started wearing long pants and jumpers more often but never felt any need for the heater. I’m currently wearing a jumper and considering taking it off because it’s too hot!
Anyway, I have no idea why that rule exists and I think last year we turned ours on the week before but haven’t felt any need to do it this year. In our house we try to not use the AC or heating for as much time as possible and the heater usually only goes on when it starts to get quite cold.