Australia Day

Subject: Australia Day
From: jup
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 02:41 PM

Today; 26 Jan. is Australia Day ! What should we celebrate? Jup.

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: MMario
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 03:16 PM

Why don't some of the Aussies here tell us?

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 03:26 PM

Wow, you're way ahead of us. We're still arguing about whether Mudcat should take any notice of Burns Night - see the "Am I missing something" thread!

Kitty

PS Have a nice Australia Day

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: Ron Olesko
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 03:27 PM

I have my haggis for Burns night, but I didn't think of buying anything for Australia day. What is the national dish?

Ron?

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: paddymac
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 03:40 PM

I'g glad to be reminded that today is Rabbie Burns' Day. I'm sure we'll have some fun with that at session tonight. I've had my haggis, once, and glady dedicate my share of the rest of it to those who can say with a straight face that they really like the stuff. And, I'm glad to know that today (well, tomorrow here) is Australia Day. Hmm, do Foster's and a good single malt Scotch go together well? maybe a bit of experimentation is in order.

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: NicoleC
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 03:51 PM

AUSTRALIA GETS DRUNK, WAKES UP IN NORTH ATLANTIC Tired of Being Isolated and Ignored, Continent Isn't Bloody Moving

Sydney, 800 miles S. of Nova Scotia (SatireWire.com) — After what witnesses described as an all night blinder during which it kept droning on about how it was always being bloody ignored by the whole bloody world and would bloody well stand to do something about it, Australia this morning woke up to find itself in the middle of the North Atlantic.

"Good Lord, that was a booze up," said a bleary-eyed Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, speaking from his residence at Kirribilli House, approximately 600 nautical miles east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

According to Australians and residents of several countries destroyed or lewdly insulted during the continent's nearly 7,000-mile saltwater stagger, the binge began just after noon yesterday at a pub in Brisbane, where several patrons were discussing Australia Day (Jan. 26) and the nation's general lack of respect from abroad.

"It started off same as always; coupla fossils saying how our Banjo Patterson was a better poet than Walt Whitman, how Con the Fruiterer is funnier than Seinfeld, only they're Aussies so no one knows about 'em," recalled witness Kevin Porter. "Then this bloke Martin pipes up and says Australia's main problem is that it's stuck in Australia, and everybody says 'Too right!'"

"Well, it made sense at the time," Porter added.

By 2 a.m., powered by national pride and alcohol, the 3-million-square-mile land mass was barging eastward through the Coral Sea and crossing into the central Pacific, leaving a trail of beer cans and Chinese take-away in its wake.

When dawn broke over the Northern Hemisphere, the continent suddenly found itself, not only upside down, but smack in the middle of the Atlantic, and according to most of its 19 million inhabitants, that's the way it's going to stay.

"We sent troops to Afghanistan. You never hear about it. We have huge government scandals. You never hear about it. It's all 'America did this,' and 'Europe says that,'" exclaimed Perth resident Paul Watson. "Well, we're right in the thick of things now, so let's just see if you can you ignore us."

Officials on both sides of the Atlantic conceded that would be difficult. "They broke Florida," said U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher. "And most of Latin America is missing."

Meanwhile, victims of what's already been dubbed the "Australian Crawl" are still shaking off the event.

"Australia bumped into us at about midnight local time," said Hawaii governor Ben Cayetano. "They were very friendly — they always seem friendly — but they refused to go around unless we answered their questions. But the questions were impossible. 'Who is Ian Thorpe? Do you have any Tim Tams? What day is Australia Day?'"

"Fortunately, somebody here had an Unimportant World Dates calendar and we aced the last one," Cayetano added.

Panama, however, was not so lucky.

"Australia came through here screaming curses at us to let them through," said Ernesto Carnal, who guards the locks at the entrance to the Panama Canal. "We said they would not fit, so they demanded to speak with a manager. When I go to find Mr. Caballos, they sneak the whole continent through."

When Caballos shouted to the fleeing country that it had not paid, Australia "accidentally" backed up and took out every nation in the region, as well as the northern third of Venezuela. They then made up a cheery song about it.

By late morning today, however, not everyone in Australia was quite so blithe. "We've still got part of Jamaica stuck to Queensland," said Australian army commander Lt. Gen. Peter Cosgrove. "I think we might have declared war on it. I don't bloody remember. Maybe it's time to go home."

Cosgrove, however, is not in the majority, and at press time, U.S., African, and European leaders were still desperately trying to negotiate for Australia's withdrawal. But the independent-minded Aussies were not making it easy. In a two-hour meeting at midday, Australian representatives listed their demands: immediate inclusion in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a permanent CNN presence in all 6 Australian states, a worldwide ban on hiring Paul Hogan, a primetime U.S. television contract for Australian Rules Football, and a 4,500-mile-long bridge between Sydney and Los Angeles.

U.S. negotiators immediately walked out, calling the Australian Rules Football request "absurd."

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: Mark Clark
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 04:32 PM

Happy Australia day, everyone there. Maybe some day I'll find a way to get there and share the fun.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: MMario
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 04:37 PM

Thank you! a marvelous chuckle.

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: DougR
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 04:40 PM

Happy Australia Day folks. When I meet my buddies for our weekly happy hour at the Dubliner Pub, I'll propose a toast to you our Mudcat friends, and to your country.

DougR

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 04:42 PM

Nicole

Big thank you. It's been a long week and I needed cheering up!

Kitty

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: artbrooks
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 06:55 PM

{{{chuckle}}}

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: John Gray
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 06:57 PM

What should we celebrate. Well, for starters, how about being one of the few countries in the world to achieve democracy by popular vote and not war. Maybe the only one. Unfortunately our aboriginal peoples weren't part of the vote.

JG/FME

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: SINSULL
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 07:47 PM

Pavlova - a yummy concoction of meringue, fresh fruit and whipped cream. As far as I know this and Foster's make up the only true Australian cuisine. Oh...and Marmite.

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: John Gray
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 08:32 PM

SINSULL.
Gee, give us a break, we're one of the youngest countries on earth. Most of the big shit was already invented before we hit the scene. You know, the wheel, words, war etc. but in the microsecond we've been around here is a short list of some of our inventions;
Refrigeration.
Heart pacemaker.
Black box flight recorder.
Inflatable escape slide.
Pick-up truck.
Bionic ear, cochlear implant.
Car radio & police car radio.
Invitro fertilisation and embryo implant. Exploding bullets ( we must have a lot of bad shots ! )
Unfortunately I cannot do the blue clicky but a comprehensive list can be viewed at;
www.maths.uwa.edu.au/~adrian/ozinvent.html
And marmite is English, ours is vegemite. And what about the boomerang, the didgeredoo, teflon coated paper money ....
JG/FME

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: GUEST,Sandra
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 09:55 PM

MARMITE!! - we are Vegemite eaters - good to see the mistake corrected

It's lunch time & I'm sitting looking out my window at a small bit of beautifully blue Sydney sky (& neighbours windows) waiting for the eggs to boil to start making sandos (sandwiches) for supper for the special Australia Day edition of the Loaded Dog folk club. We are also having another Australian invention, lamingtons (butter cake covered in chocolate icing & coconut)

I normally collect the money (& Bob Bolton always takes the pics) but occasionally I take over when Greg is away & run the show with the aid of a great team. I am listening to the soothing voice of John Broomhall who writes & sings about Australia. One day I'll have John at the Dog but he has a busy schedule & hasn't been available when I've been running it.

Tonight I'e booked 3 diverse Australians - Alan Chinn who left Sydney at 16 to become a jackeroo (not jackass as spellcheck decided!!)out west at Coonabaraban (spellcheck was dumbfounded)where he started singing & writing songs about Australia & Austalians. Second act is English born Margaret Essex who sings traditional British songs in a beautful clear soprano. Third act is South African born Leon Rabin who has entertained the singing Dog audience in the past with the great classics of the 60', the period he started singing. Floor acts include an Americn born local & a visiting Western Australian, & Mudcat's Callie. Folk is diverse - my preferred type is australian/anglo/celtic/american & the folks I know who sing in these traditions don't just come from these cultures, and that's Australia - a migrant destination for several centuries.

Normally on Australia Day I head for a Celtic celebration (love those massed bagpipes!), meet up with friends & see Scottish, Irish, English dancers & performers, but I have too much on today.

happy Australia Day

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: allie kiwi
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 10:12 PM

Happy Australia Day!

(But we're keeping the Pavlova, you can have the vegemite)

Allie

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: catspaw49
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 10:41 PM

VEGEMITE RULES!!!

But John, I gotta' tell ya'.......Y'all added a lot to the world, no two ways about it. Even beyond the socio/scientific...........I mean I still have a portrait of Australia II on the wall of my family room. But with all of that and such a hardy bunch of folks, how could you choose this complete lyrical and tonal abortion as a National anthem?

Okay........Show of hands here. How many times was AAF sang today? How many times was "Waltzing Matilda" sung?................Uh-huh................That's what I thought..........

Spaw

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: alison
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 10:48 PM

nice plug for the Loaded Dog Sandra... *grin*

I've just finished playing at a big shopping centre... now I'm off up the Central Coast to play for a bush dance........

I have a piece of paper that says I'm an Ozzie.... but there's no chance of me eating vegemite!! I guess you ahve to be brought up with it.....

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: catspaw49
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 10:49 PM

Nope alison....I swear to you I love the stuff!! Believe I'll have a little on toast right now!!!

Spaw

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: alison
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 10:58 PM

yeah.. but face it.. you are a bit strange aren't you???? (and face it (again) that's probably the best compliment you'll get today...lol)...... I think they may have removed your taste buds when they had you under a GA.... *grin*

slaine

alison

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: NicoleC
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 11:28 PM

I take exception to one or two of those items on the list of Oz inventions unless perhaps the word "modern" were inserted before them. But it would be rude to argue about it today :)

Eventually that lazy bum of a fiancee in Melbourne will get off his butt and get a job. Then I'll get to sample Oz for myself! (No doubt just in time to have ANOTHER winter.)

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: JennieG
Date: 26 Jan 02 - 12:05 AM

Well it's a lovely day in my part of Sydney, I have been to the local council's Australia Day stuff - they added some more new Aussies - gave awards to the locals who have done good things - the mayor rambled on and on - and on - and on - (jeez I wish that being elected mayor and having lessons in public speaking went hand in hand!) - there is more this afternoon at a local park by the river with rock groups and stuff like that. Real dinkum Aussie kulcha. There is a folk club in Sydney tonight, as Sandra has said, and also a dance - the dance might win as I need the exercise.
I love that story Nicole!!
Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: Hrothgar
Date: 26 Jan 02 - 05:15 AM

Sandra / Alison

If you really want to get these foreigners in, tell them where the name of The Loaded Dog came from.

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: John Gray
Date: 26 Jan 02 - 07:06 AM

Spaw,
Completely agree with the term abortion to describe Advance Australia Fair. I detest it so much I won't even learn the words, some of which are are so outdated that our young people have to look up a dictionary to determine their meaning. The song stirs so little passion in me that I don't even stand when its played. this gets some hostile stares but what the heck.
Quite some time ago we achieved ZPG ( we forgot how to screw ) an now we have an ageing, and extremely conservative, block of voters. Hence that god awful shit song and why we still have a constitutional monarchy and not a republic.
I always thought God Save The Queen was okay because I'm a fan of Freddie Mercury. Seriously though, there are 2 or 3 much better songs, including Waltz. Matilda.
And don't forget the rotary clothes hoist, and Milo, and a machine gun that can fire a hundred thousand bullets in a millisecond, and the stump-jump plough, and the .....
Nicole, that's why I added the boomerang & didgeredoo.

JG/FME

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: GUEST,Susan
Date: 26 Jan 02 - 07:07 AM

We always celebrate by listening to Triple J radio station "Hottest 100" of the previous year and taping it all!!! Always have a barbeque and in the meantime watch bits of the Australia Day cricket match (this year between Australia and NZ) - oh yes and life just would not be the same without vegemite - on toast every morning. Yum

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: GUEST,branno (lost me cookie!)
Date: 26 Jan 02 - 08:23 AM

Yairs mate 'straylya day, the anniversary of the invasion! All the cobber bluey anzac digger sports (and sheilas)are having a jar or two, public holiday Monday, you beaut!

Still it's quite pleasant in the old Melbourne town tonight after a cooling shower( had to do the barbie under umbrellas ) but the Kiwis won the flamin' cricket! But that's ok really- it's the aNZac spirit after all.

And rest assured, nobody I know likes that trite jingo nonsense, 'the anthem' (seen the other verses? cringe cringe) Waltzing matilda is too good a song to be 'official', and anyway it's about an anarchist who committed the ultimate social protest. Too much wild colonial boy there for jingo johnny h and his boofhead mates hoo bloody ray

Meself spent most of last night singing Henry Lawson songs (cheer anyone up, that would) and tnight riding herd on a bunch of rowdy teenagers (big sigh)

We're happy little vegemites, as bright as bright can be, just have a beer and toast world peace, eh?

regards dave branno, 3 parts pissed and couldn't give a rats arse

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: Charley Noble
Date: 26 Jan 02 - 09:54 AM

Lovely story, Nicole, and best wishes to the good folks at the Loaded Dog. Sing a chorus of "Dead Dog Cider" for me if there's a quiet moment.

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: SINSULL
Date: 26 Jan 02 - 10:03 AM

Does the whole city of Melbourne still come to a halt for the running of the Melbourne Cup? That was an interesting experience. The only thing we have that comes close is the Boston Marathon - a city wide holiday.

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: John Gray
Date: 26 Jan 02 - 05:56 PM

SINSULL,
The state of Victoria, of which Melbourne is the capitol, celebrates Melbourne Cup Day with a public holiday, and the rest of the nation stops for the 5 minutes or so that it takes to run and listens to it on the wireless or TV.
People who never gamble on anything will have a bet on the M/Cup. A lot of businesses / groups / families run a "sweep" in which everyone puts in a dollar or so to pick a horses name out of a hat. The money is divided up into 1st. 2nd. 3rd. and last.
The promo for the race is - the race that stops a nation - and it bloody well does.

JB/FME

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: jup
Date: 26 Jan 02 - 05:57 PM

You guys are great! I couldn't have put it better,in fact I know I couldn't have. I KRINGE with a capital K every time the "anthem' is sung.I remember I voted for Matilda at the time ,but Gough had his way with us all.

Nicole,you are great. I needed a good laugh! We played an Aussie. day doo for a great bunch yesterdey to ya drongos an jees we ad I a triffic arvo!

I couldn't help think as I sang the words of "Dressed in Green and Gold" of others trying to join us.

G D7 G
To the homeless and the hungry
C G
may you allways open doors
C G
may the restless and the weary
D7
find safe harbour on your shores

seeya, Jup.

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: jup
Date: 26 Jan 02 - 06:03 PM

Sorry I messed that up. How do I get the verses and lines to come out. It looked good on the screen. Shit, I hate computers.Wish I knew What I was doing. Anyway you get the idea.

Jup.

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: allie kiwi
Date: 26 Jan 02 - 06:27 PM

When you think of Advance Australia Fair... well there ARE worse national anthems. I wont offend anyone by mentioning which ones. *grin* But the New Zealand one has to be up there somewhere - especially when sung too slow.

I ventured into an Aussie school assembly one time to hear all the kiddies singing enthusiastically 'Australian's all are ostriches...' which seemed to me a great parody, if it weren't for the fact they seemed to truely think that's what the words were. *wink*

Allie

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: Paul from Hull
Date: 26 Jan 02 - 07:43 PM

I have 'Green & Gold' sung by Martyn Wyndham-Read... FANTASTIC.. Never heard anyone else do it, but frankly, wuld be difficult to top him....I.M.(V)H.O. of course.

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: jup
Date: 26 Jan 02 - 08:00 PM

Paul,I can't remember where I got it from but I did copy it down from a tape and put my own cords in and they seme to work ok. Might have been a Judy Small tape, I'm not sure. I finger pick and sing it in a folkie style fairley slow. sort of misty eyed pace. Seeya ,Jup.

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 26 Jan 02 - 08:14 PM

G'day Jup,

You have to write a bit of html to make mudcat work with such 'economical' resources.

Line break ... mainly important for lyrics need you to type "left arrow bracket then br then a right arrow bracket". I can't just type it on screen ... or it would turn into a line btreak and vanish ...! It is probably completely (and better) described in the Mudcat FAQ thread.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: NicoleC
Date: 27 Jan 02 - 01:42 AM

fevsdfv .

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: NicoleC
Date: 27 Jan 02 - 01:46 AM

Ooops, that last post was from my cat. I have officially spent too much time in front of the computer now -- she lets me know by laying on my laptop and getting fur in the keyboard.

Whenever in need of a good laugh, SatireWire.com usually has some funny stuff, but this one brought tears to me eyes.

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: GUEST,Sandra
Date: 27 Jan 02 - 06:20 AM

Charlie - John Warner was MC and it was such a full evening he didn't sing Dead Dog Cider but I'll remind him Tues at the Shannon session. Lots of good songs & a fantastic singing audience (as always)

Alison - sounds like you had a busy day - you're excused for not coming to the Dog!! Not that I can ever get to your far distant club. Glad to know you're back to the normal slog of life after all that STAGnant partying.

re our National Anthem - well, I think I know the first verse, but we can't have Waltzing Matilda in it's place cos somebody in USA has copywrite on the tune!! Being very new at this game I don't know how to create a URL to the Waltzing Matilda website (I can do them easily at work, but here ...) It's either a link on the Bush Music club site (folk.mountaintracks.com.au/bushmusic) or the NSW Folk Federation site (www.newsouthfolk.com/ffnsw) Anyway it makes interesting reading.

Now for Hrothgar's suggestion to explain the name of our club.

"The Loaded Dog" is an Australian classic short story of life in the miner's camp & the consequences of a very friendly young pup carrying a lighted charge of dynamite (which his owner was going to use to catch fish!!) & wondering why all his friends won't play with him. They do things like jump down mines, climb trees & run in all directions. Eventually he drops it (the nasty stray dogs in the camp decide they want what he has). Some of these muts aren't ever seen again (some come slinking back) & great fun is had by folks (when they recover from their hysterical laughter) asking the miner if he's planning to fish & making explosive noises behind dogs. But Henry Lawson tells it better than I can. I used to have a beautifully illustrated version (lent out & never returned, I must get it back) Sandra

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: pavane
Date: 27 Jan 02 - 03:43 PM

I always celebrate on Australia day, even here in Wales (Actually, that's because it is also my birthday)

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: alison
Date: 27 Jan 02 - 08:03 PM

Here is my vote for the National Anthem.... someone up above called it "Dressed in green and gold".... it is called Shelter - by Eric Bogle.........

thanks for excusing me Sandra...... I did indeed have a busy night.. lots of people dancing in Woy Woy... then I spent Sunday camping in the bush, swimming in a creek and having a lovely massage by a little waterfall........... mmmmmmmmmmm..... so I'm nice and relaxed now...

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: Alice
Date: 27 Jan 02 - 09:31 PM

I missed posting on the appropriate date for this, but I hope you all had a great time. Alison, that sounds like you had a fun gig.

Alice

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: BH
Date: 28 Jan 02 - 08:32 PM

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY -belatedly. Just to let you know that I rcvd a few nice phone calls from some Australian ex-patriates on my program this past Sunday to say how happy they were that the holiday was remembered and celebrated on the air in Metro NY/NJ/CT Dennis Okeefe,Eric Bogle were the artists. And our live guests in the studio also made mention of the event.

Ah---to be at the Great Barrier Reef at this time of year here---though it is warm here. Global warming I guess.

Bill Hahn

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: goatfell
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 12:16 PM

happy australia day

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: Rowan
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 09:55 PM

It used to be traditional, in Oz, for the national anthem to be played at the end of any public performance. I grew up at a time when God Save The Queen was the official anthem and found the tune so boring that I sang the part of the Eb cornet (in the school's cadet band) every Monday morning; I couldn't be bothered with AAF.

But, after learning to play the concertina (as well as being an MC and caller for bush dances) I realised that the opening bars for AAF were exactly the same notes as for the Waves of Tory. It was my usual stir, at the end of a dance, to start playing the tune at anthemic tempo and then ripping into the dance tune. Oz audiences loved it.

Happy Sydney Day!

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: Bruce from Bathurst
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 04:33 AM

I'm with Rowan! That song needs help. Our band has also been known to slip into Waves of Tory and, just for extra confusion, I recommend singing "With a nick-nack paddy-whack, give a dog a bone, This old man comes rolling home" in the appropriate part of the melody. You'll see where it fits.

I'm sorry if some people can't cope with the Australian lack of reverence regarding AAF. We're a very complex community - we even have another country's flag occupying a sizeable portion of our own flag. It messes with our heads.

Bruce

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: maeve
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 07:15 AM

For some reason our calendar has Australia Day marked for the 28th. I'm very glad to celebrate, and will enjoy listening to Kell Watkins' storytelling and some Lawson songs from Gordon Bok to do so.

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: Andrez
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 08:15 AM

The new Australian Government has reverted to a more traditional citizenship test in 2008. Anyone scoring 100% or more can come on over and stay at me mate Kev's Lodge in outback Canbra for as long as they like! Any "locals" who get less than 100%, piss off back to New Zealand or Tasmania if you cant row that far.

2007 Australian Citizenship Test

1. Do you understand the meaning, but are unable to explain the origin of, the term 'died in the arse'?

2. What is a "bloody little beauty"?

3. Are these terms related: chuck a sickie; chuck a spaz; chuck a U-ey?

4. Explain the following passage: 'In the arvo last Chrissy the relos rocked up for a barbie, some bevvies and a few snags. After a bit of a Bex and a lie down we opened the pressies, scoffed all the chockies, bickies and lollies. Then we drained a few tinnies and Mum did her block after Dad and Steve had a barney and a bit of biffo.'

5. Macca, Chooka and Wanger are driving to Surfers in their Torana. If they are travelling at 100 km/h while listening to Barnsey, Farnsey and Acca Dacca, how many slabs will each person on average consume between flashing a brown eye and having a slash?

6. Complete the following sentences:
a) 'If the van's rockin' don't bother ?
b) You're going home in the back of a ?
c) Fair crack of the ?

7. I've had a gutful and I can't be fagged. Discuss

8. Have you ever been on the giving or receiving end of a wedgie?

9. Do you have a friend or relative who has a car in their front yard 'up on blocks'? Is his name Bruce and does he have a wife called Cheryl?

10. Does your family regularly eat a dish involving mincemeat, cabbage, curry powder and a packet of chicken noodle soup called either chow mein, chop suey or kai see ming?

11. What are the ingredients in a rissole?

12. Demonstrate the correct procedure for eating a Tim Tam.

13. Do you have an Aunty Irene who smokes 30 cigarettes a day and sounds like a bloke?

14. In any two-hour period have you ever eaten three-bean salad, a chop and two serves of pav washed down with someone else's beer that has been flogged from a bath full of ice?

15. When you go to a bring- your-own-meat barbie can you eat other people's meat or are you only allowed to eat your own?

16. What purple root vegetable beginning with the letter 'b' is required by law to be included in a hamburger with the lot?

17. Do you own or have you ever owned a lawn mower, a pair of thongs, an Esky or Ugg boots?

18. Is it possible to 'prang a car' while doing 'circle work'?

19. Who would you like to crack on to?

20. Who is the most Australian: Kevin 'Bloody' Wilson, John 'True Blue' Williamson, Kylie Minogue or Warnie?

21. Is there someone you are only mates with because they own a trailer or have a pool?

22. What does "sinkin piss at a mates joint" and "getten para" mean?

23. How far would you wear your mockies?
Inside only?
Back yard only?
To the letter box?
To the milk bar for a packed of winni blues?
To the movies?
To shoppo? (large shopping centre)
To the pub?

Happy Oz Weekend to all!

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: goatfell
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 10:21 AM

I'm from Scotland and I have been to Australia many times and I also like Australia day, we here in Scotland on the 25th of January celebrate the birth of Robert Burns.

so to everyone in Australia Happy Australia day

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: Rowan
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 06:12 PM

Maeve, your calendar has marked the public holiday, but you might need some help to clear the confusion.

The 26th January marks the anniversary of the day Governor Phillip planted the Union Flag at what became known as Sydney Cove in Port Jackson; despite Joseph Banks' 1770 enthusiasm, Botany Bay was a bit unappealing as the site for a settlement when they arrived in 1788. The 26th has been celebrated as an anniversary ever since 1838 and maybe even earlier, although "Australianness" didn't really develop as a distinctively identifiable trait until 1838.

While Sydney was the focal point from which settlements were founded in what is now Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania, the settlements that gave rise to South and Western Australia came direct from London those states celebrate other "Foundation" Days that don't receive the same recognition as the 26th January. Australia was federated on 1st January 1901 but that day already had its own celebration so the 26th January was gazetted as "Australia Day" and, if the day landed on a Saturday or Sunday, the nearest Monday was declared a public holiday.

Until Nick Greiner became Premier of NSW. He had attitude about Australian workers having it too easy and declared that the Australia Day long weekend was not to be honoured; the public holiday would be taken on the 26th. Those of us who came from outside NSW (ie Newcastle, Sydney & Wollongong, inside the "Sandstone Curtain" surrounding those who think Sydney is the centre of the relevant universe) came to regard this as a bit Sydney-centric; hence "Sydney Day". It certainle stuffed up the Numeralla FOlk Festival a bit; this had been a festival that drew people from as far west as Adelaide and as far north as Sydney, because the long weekend was automatic, but an ordinary weekend limited the attendees mostly to folkies from Canberra. Many indigenous peoples in Oz regard the 26th January as Memorial Day and Sydney witnesses large events organised to "celebrate" that aspect.

But there is a long tradition in Oz industrial relations such that a "holiday" that falls on a weekend requires a public holiday to be declared for the adjacent Monday. That's what your calendar is indicating. All the official events (gongs and honours lists etc) were done on Saturday and today (it's currently Monday in Oz) the partying, bushwalking, Numeralla Folk Festivalling etc continue.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: Snuffy
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 08:51 AM

Bruce,

I think it was a nice friendly gesture by you Aussies to let us Poms have a bit of your flag for our own use.

Subject: RE: Australia Day
From: Peace
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 02:02 PM

Sorry to have missed this thread. Happy Australia Day.