Newsgroups: soc.culture.australian,soc.answers,news.answers Path: bloom-beacon.mit.edu!nic.hookup.net!swrinde!sgiblab!brunix!aen From: aen@cs.brown.edu (Ann Nicholson) Subject: soc.culture.australian FAQ (Part 2 of 2) (monthly posting) Message-ID: <1994Feb11.165301.27811@cs.brown.edu> Followup-To: soc.culture.australian Summary: This posting contains a list of Frequently Asked Questions (and their answers) on soc.culture.australian, mainly information about Australia, including studying in Australia, immigration, songs, recipes, where to find Australian things overseas, and so on. It should be read by anyone who wishes to post to the soc.culture.australian newsgroup. Sender: news@cs.brown.edu Reply-To: aen@cs.brown.edu (s.c.a. FAQ maintainer) Organization: Brown University Department of Computer Science Date: Fri, 11 Feb 1994 16:53:01 GMT Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu Expires: Fri, 11 Mar 1994 00:00:00 GMT Lines: 3298 Xref: bloom-beacon.mit.edu soc.culture.australian:9150 soc.answers:876 news.answers:15076 Archive-name: australian-faq/part2 Last-modified: 4 Feb 1993 Version: 1.1 Contents: ----------------------------------------------------------------- PART I (separate posting) 1. About soc.culture.australian 2. How to find Australians, Australia Information 2.1 on the net 2.2 elsewhere 3. Studying in Australia 3.1 Postgraduate Study 3.2 Miscellaneous Questions 3.3 "Classification" of Australian Universities 3.4 Addresses of Australian Universities 4. Coming to Australia 4.1 Immigration Addresses 4.2 Immigration Criteria 4.2.1. Getting a Job in Australia 4.2.2. Academic Addresses 4.2.3 Immigration Points System 4.3 Quarantine 4.4 Standards 4.5 Prices 4.6 Cars 4.7 Shipping Information 4.8 Spouse/fiance(e) immigration 4.9 Re children 4.10 Housing 4.11 Public Transport 4.12 Roads 4.13 Shopping Hours 4.14 Crime 5. For Australians Overseas 5.1 Radio Australia 5.2 Public access sites 5.3 Newspapers: 5.4 Australiana in the USA 5.5 Video Conversion 5.6 Expatriate organisation PART II (this posting) 6. Information about Australia 6.1 Australian (Dual) Citizenship 6.2 Political System; Current governments 6.3 National Holidays 6.4 Geographic Facts and other statistics - including weather reports via ftp and gopher 6.5 Sport 6.6 Travel - Answers to Questions - A view on Travel in Australia 6.7 Health Care 6.8 Miscellaneous - spelling of Sydney - Tasmanian aborigines (who was Truganinni?) - What is Mabo? - Tasmanian devils and Tasmanian Tigers - Australian Flag - Why is Australia called Australia? - What is the source of ".oz" in internet addresses - Viller-Bretonneuve - What visas do you need for France? - What is vegemite? - skin cancer 7. Culture 7.1 Songs - "Waltzing Matilda", by Banjo Paterson (3 versions :-) - "Advance Australia Fair", National Anthem 7.2 Recipes and food 7.3 Language - pronounciation of "Aussie" - origin of "Pom" 7.4 National heroes 7.5 Literature 7.5.1 Fiction 7.5.2 Poetry - "My Country" by Dorothea McKellar - "The Man From Snow River" by A.B. (Banjo) Paterson 7.5.3 Children's Literature 7.5.4 Non-Fiction 7.6 Films 8. Contributors ----------------------------------------------------------------- 6. Information about Australia 6.1 Australian (Dual) Citizenship [CW] Here are some excerpts form the "Hints for Australian Travellers" booklet produced by the Dept. of Foreign Affairs - its the little booklet you get when you get your passport (at least it was a year ago...) I had a part- icular interest in this as when I became an Australian Citizen I wanted to keep my NZ citizenship (which fortunately I could...). I don't have any details on exactly what the requirements for gaining Asutralian citizenship are, but I know that 21 years of permanent residency was good enough... Portions in [...] are my comments. [CW] Nationality or Citizenship Each country is free to determine who it will regard as its citizens, and under what conditions its citizenship can be aquired or lost. Citizen- ship laws are often complex and they can be quite different from Australiann laws. In many countries, for example, citizenship is not considered to be lost simply because the person has acquired Australian citizenship. The laws of some countries require people who wish to renounce their citizen- ship to make formal written application to do so. Because of such laws many Australian citizens are also citizens of other countries and therefore, possess what is internationally referred to as "dual nationality". [translation - dual citizenship is possible; whether or not you retain your original citizenship upon becoming an Australian depends on the laws of the original country.] Dual Nationality Australian citizens who hold another citizenship are likely to be those who: o were not born in Australia; o were born in Australia but had one or both parents or grandparents who were not born in Australia; o are married to a person with another citizenship. [stuff deleted about being citizen of certain countries may make you subject to certain laws if you return...] Loss of Australian Citizenship Australia provides in its own citizenship law that an Australian citizen, who is 18 years of age or over, who does an act or thing, the sole or dominant purpose of which is to acquire the citizenship of another country, ceases to be an Australian citizen from the date he or she becomes a citizen of that country. If you marry a citizen of a foreign country you may, under the law of that country, automatically become a citizen of that country. Under these circumstances you will not lose your Australian citizenship provided you are not required to take any further action yourself (eg. registration) to acquire your spouse's citizenship. If you lose Australian citizenship as a result of doing an act or thing to acquire another citizenship, you can apply to regain it by grant any time after 12 months from the date of loss, provided you are in Australia and have been present there as a resident for 12 months in the 2 years immediately prior to lodging your application. Alternatively, you can apply to resume Australian citizenship by making a declaration to the Minister for Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs that at the time you did the act or thing: 1) you did not know that by doing it you would cease to be an Australian citizen; or 2) if you had not done it, you would have suffered significant hardship or detriment. The person making the declaration must: 1) have been legally present in Australia for a period, or periods, amounting in aggregate to not less than 2 years; and 2) intend to continue to reside in Australia or, if living overseas, intend to return to reside in Australia within 3 years of making the declaration; and 3) have maintained a close and continuing association with Australia whilst abroad. If the Minister believes the statement is true, he may register the declaration and you may become an Australian citizen again. Persons needing up-to-date information should consult the Department of Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs or an Australian mission overseas. A child under 18 years of age loses Australian citizenship if his/her responsible parent or guardian ceases to be an Australian citizen, and o he/she possesses another citizenship at the time, and o his/her other responsible parent is not an Australian citizen at the time. Should you lose Australian citizenship before your 18th birthday, as a result of a responsible parent ceasing to be an Australian citizen, you can, within one year after your 18th birthday (or later if special circum- stances apply), make a declaration that you wish to resume Australian citizenship on the date the declaration is registered. Anyone who loses Australian citizenship is no longer entitled to hold an Australian passport. If you think you may acquire another nationality in some way, you should seek advice about the effect this would have on your Australian nationality from Australian authorities. Children born overseas A child born outside Australia may be registered as an Australian citizen by descent at the time of birth of the child. Registration must be made within 18 years of the child's birth by a responsible parent or guardian. Applications can be obtained from any Australian mission overseas or the department of Immigration (etc.) in Australia. [translation - if an Australian deliberately acquires citizenship of a foreign country, they lose citizenship for at least a year... if it is involuntary then there is no problem...] [SW] Personal experience on dual citizenship for Australians with children born abroad. The child automatically has the citizenship of the foreign country. To register as an Australian by descent, you have to provide originals of both parents birth certificates, the child's birth certificate, the parent's marriage certificate (if appropriate) and parent's passports. Send all of this plus the correct form and $80 USD (in the USA) to the appropriate consulate for the region you live in and then eventually you get a Certificate of Australian Citizenship by Descent for the child. To get a five (5) year child's passport you must present yourself (in Person) at a consulate with the passport photos, the application form and the appropriate endorsement on the photos. They'll then give you the passport. 6.2 Political System; Current governments Australia is an independent commonwealth of 6 states, 2 territories and a number of island and territorial dependencies. It is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, United Nations, ANZUS, OECD. The form of government is a constitutional monarchy. The Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain is also Queen of Australia, and Head of State. Her representative in Australia is the Governor-General, Bill Hayden since 1989. The federal parliamentary system consists of two houses of Parliament. The lower house is the House of Representatives. The party which has the most representatives in the lower house forms a government. The leader of that party becomes Prime Minister, and he (no women PMs as yet) forms a Cabinet. The current Prime Minister is Paul Keating, and we have a Labor government. They have been in power since 1983 (mostly with Bob Hawke as PM). The usual term of office is 3 years, although the PM may call an election early. The Upper House is the Senate, consisting of 12 senators from each state and 2 from each territory. They have 6 year terms and half face re-election every 3 years. The upper house is generally a house of review. The main parties are the Labor Party, the Liberal Party (who are actually conservatives) and the National Party (formerly the Country party) who represent mainly rural electorates and are also conservative. The Liberal and National parties usually form some sort of coalition. The current leader of the Liberal party is Dr. John Hewson (a New Right person); current lead of the National Party is Tim Fischer. The most recent federal election was held on March 13th, 1993. The Labor Party, lead by Paul Keating was returned with an increased majority, to the surprise of many. The unpopular GST tax being proposed by the Opposition was considered a major factor in the outcome, as Labor came from behind in the polls at the start of the campaign. Hewson is still the leader of the Liberals, but the GST has been dropped from their platform. State Goverments (Length of Term 4 years, except Qld 3 years)) State Party Premier Election due by Vic. Lib/Nat Jeff Kennett Nov '96 NSW Lib/Nat John Fahey 25 March 1995** Qld Labor Wayne Goss 1996 SA Lib/Nat Mr Brown late 1997 WA Lib/Nat Richard Court Feb 1996 Tas. Lib Ray Groom late 1995 **NSW now has fixed 4 year parliamentary terms. The next election is to be held on Saturday 25 March 1995. Subsequent elections will be on the last Saturday in March every four years thereafter. To cast a postal vote. Write to the nearest embassy or consulate, or call them. They will send you a form to fill in (which has to be witnessed by an Australian citizen). They then send you the postal vote slip, which you have to return by a date usually before the election. The Australian Republican Movement is a non-political organisation. Membership is $35. They can be contact at: Australian Republican Movement GPO Box 5150 Sydney, NSW 2001 (02) 234 4726 Peter Butler (peter_butler.its_2_po@central-gw.uow.edu.au) and James Mullens (jmullens@tansu.com.au) have part of the Constitution online. The House --------- State of the parties in House of Representatives: State Labor Lib Nat Ind Total NSW 33 8 8 1 50 Victoria 17 17 3 1 38 Queensland 13 7 5 - 25 Western Aust. 6 8 - - 14 South Aust. 4 8 - - 12 Tasmania 4 1 - - 5 ACT 2 - - - 2 N.T. 1 - - - 1 Total 80 49 16 1 147 The Sentate ----------- State of Parties in the Senate from July 1: Party NSW VIC QLD WA SA TAS ACT NT TOTAL ALP 6 5 4 4 4 5 1 1 30 LIB 3 5 4 6 6 5 1 - 30 NAT 2 1 2 - - - - 1 6 DEM 1 1 2 - 2 1 - - 7 OTHER* - - - 2 - 1 - - 3 Total 12 12 12 12 12 12 2 2 76 * Includes two WA Greens (Chamarette and Margetts) and Tasmanian Independent Brian Harradine. (Other tables indicate that only 36 out of the 76 senate seats were contested this election (the senate term is twice the length of the house of reps term BA). * History of Australian "Independence" [ZS] 1-Jan-1901 - Federation: The UK creates a British colony, the Commonwealth of Australia, as a federation of six existing colonies. This just means that now there are seven colonies instead of six. 1931 - The UK passes the Statute of Westminster act. This grants independence to Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa; it also authorises the Australian Parliament to declare independence whenever it feels like it. However, the Australian States are specifically excluded from the act. 3-Sep-1939 - WWII breaks out; nothing directly significant to independence happens, but this date will become significant later. 1942 - Australia passes the Statute of Westminster Acceptance Act, thus declaring independence; the Act is backdated to 3-Sep-1939. However, as mentioned before, the States remained colonies. From 3-Sep-1939, the Commonwealth of Australia is an independent country made up of a federation of six British colonies! The UK no longer has the power to make laws, give orders, or in any other way interfere with the Commonwealth of Australia; but it can, and occasionally does, interfere with the States. 1986 - Australia, the UK, and all six States pass the Australia Act, and the Queen comes out here to sign it. Among other things, this act finally grants independence to the States. 6.3 National Holidays (a) General Descriptions. Australia Day: January 26th (holiday often taken on the nearest Monday to this date to make a long weekend.) Jan 26th 1788 was the day the First Fleet arrived in Sydney Harbour to establish European settlement. Religious holidays: Good Friday, Easter Monday, Christmas (Dec 25th), Boxing Day (Dec 26th) Anzac Day: national holiday, April 25th (if it falls on a Sunday some states move it to Monday, most don't [JB]?). To remember those who died serving their country. April 25th, 1915 was the date of the first landing of ANZACs at Gallipoli. Other holidays (varies depending on State): New Year's Day (Jan 1st), - Queen's Birthday (June), Labour Day. Each state also has "Show Day". (b) Holidays for 1993 (as posted by DE) Jan 1: New Years Day Jan 26: Australia Day in the states of Qld, WA, NT and NSW Feb 1: Australia Day in the states of SA, Vic and Tas. March 1: Labour Day in WA, Eight Hour Day in Tas. March 8: Labour Day in Vic. April 9: Good Friday April 12: Easter Monday April 13: Easter Tuesday in Vic. April 25: ANZAC Day April 26: ANZAC Day holiday everywhere except Tas and Vic. May 3: Labour Day in Qld, May Day in NT May 17: Adelaide Cup Day in SA June 7: Foundation Day in WA June 14: Queen's Birthday everywhere except WA August 2: Picnic Day in NT Sept. ?: Melbourne Show Day in Melbourne only, (probably only in afternoon). Oct. 4: Labour Day in SA, Queen's Birthday in WA Nov. 2: Melbourne Cup Day in Melbourne only (same as election day in US) Dec. 25: Christmas Dec. 26: Boxing Day Dec. 27: Christmas Day holiday (Monday) in SA, Tas, Vic, WA. Boxing Day holiday in NSW and Qld. Dec. 28: Boxing Day holiday (Tuesday) in Tas, Vic, WA, NT. Proclamation Day in SA. 6.4 Geographic Facts and other Statistics AUSTRALIA - POPULATION ====================== Source for all the following data: Australian Bureau of Statistics 1994 Year Book. n/a = not available. State and territory populations are estimates as at June 1992. City populations are estimates as at June 1990. State/Territory Population Capital Population -------------------------------------------------------------------------- AUSTRALIA 17 528 982 Canberra 310 000* New South Wales 5 974 146 Sydney 3 656 500 Victoria 4 458 895 Melbourne 3 080 900 Queensland 3 037 405 Brisbane 1 301 700 Western Australia 1 662 777 Perth 1 193 100 South Australia 1 459 622 Adelaide 1 049 800 Tasmania 471 118 Hobart 183 500 Aust. Capital Territory 296 376 Canberra 284 000 Northern Territory 168 643 Darwin 73 300 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- EXTERNAL TERRITORIES Norfolk Island 2 000 Kingston n/a Christmas Island 1 275 Flying Fish Cove n/a Cocos Islands 586 Bantam n/a Aust. Antarctic Terr. c. 100 Mawson n/a Coral Sea Islands Terr. 3 South Willis 3 Heard and McDonald Is. 0 - - -------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Includes Queanbeyan in NSW. AUSTRALIA - AREA, COASTLINE and HIGHEST POINTS ============================================== State/Territory Area (sq km) Coast (km) Highest Point (m) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ AUSTRALIA 7 682 300 36 700 Mt Kosciusko (2228) Western Australia 2 525 500 12 500 Mt Meharry (1251) Queensland 1 727 200 7 400 Mt Bartle-Frere (1611) Northern Territory 1 346 200 6 200 Mt Zeil (1510) South Australia 984 000 3 700 Mt Woodroffe (1440) New South Wales 801 600 1 900 Mt Kosciusko (2228) Victoria 227 600 1 800 Mt Bogong (1986) Tasmania 67 800 3 200 Mt Ossa (1617) Aust. Capital Territory 2 400 35 Mt Bimberi (1912) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EXTERNAL TERRITORIES Aust. Antarctic Terr. 6 119 800 n/a spot height (4270) Heard and McDonald Is. 412 102 Mawson Peak (2745) Christmas Island 135 139 Murray Hill (356) Norfolk Island 35 32 Mt Bates (319) Cocos Islands 14 43 Horsburgh (6) Coral Sea Islands Terr. 3 3095 South Willis (7) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ STATE TERRITORIES ----------------- Lord Howe Island is administered by New South Wales. Macquarie Island is administered by Tasmania. Ashmore and Cartier Islands are administered by the Northern Territory. Jervis Bay Territory is administered by the Australian Capital Territory. ORDER OF FOUNDATION ------------------- The foundation date given for the states is the date of formal proclamation of the original colony as a self-governing political division in its own right. For territories, it is the date of proclamation as a Commonwealth territory. Order State/Territory Foundation Date ----- ----------------------------- ------------------------- 1 New South Wales 7 February 1788 2 Tasmania 14 June 1825 3 Western Australia 18 June 1829 4 South Australia 28 December 1836 5 Victoria 1 July 1851 6 Queensland 10 December 1859 7 Northern Territory 1 January 1901 8 Australian Capital Territory 1 January 1911 ----- ----------------------------- ------------------------- * Climate Information for each city [JO] January Temperature Rainfall (mean in Celsius) (mean in mm) ____________________________________ Sydney 22 102 Melbourne 20 47 Brisbane 25 164 Adelaid 23 20 Perth 24 8 Hobart 17 48 Darwin 28 409 Canberra 20 60 ____________________________________ July Sydney 12 101 Melbourne 10 48 Brisbane 15 57 Adelaid 11 66 Perth 13 174 Hobart 8 53 Darwin 25 1 Canberra 5 39 Sydney in September October (useful for Sept Sydney 2000) Quoting from the 'Australian Weather Calendar':[MJ] September October av max temp 20.2 22.3 av min temp 9.8 12.8 days > 35C 0 0 days < 2.3C 0 0 (no frosts) av hrs/day of sunshine 7.8 8.0 av monthly rainfall (mm) 60 76 no of rain days (av) 10 11 [MJ] The following climate data was copied from the Australian Weather Calendar. If you see a number that is clearly wrong it is because I mistyped it. Please note that these are statistical averages over (long) records (more than 100 years for the state capitals). As such they do not indicate what you may necessarily expect. Much of Australia has variable weather, particularly the south (e.g. Melbourne in January has an average maximum temperature of 25.7 but can expect 4 days over 35). Also note that over the 100+ years of data there have been "cool" and "warm" decades. Average temperatures for the last 20 years will, for several cities at least, be a little higher than the figures quoted here. Finally, the column giving number of days > 35 refers to maximum temperature, and the column of days < 2.3 refers to the minimum temperature. This corresponds to an expected number of days of frost. A "rainday" is any day on which at least a trace (0.1mm) of rain is recorded in a standard rain guage. January Where av max av min days>35 days<2.3 Sun rainfall raindays C C # # hrs/day mm # Adelaide 28.5 16.6 5 0 10.6 20 4 Alice Springs 36.0 21.2 21 0 10.2 35 5 Brisbane 29.1 20.9 0 0 8.3 164 13 Canberra 27.7 12.9 2 0 9.7 58 7 Darwin 31.7 24.8 0 0 5.7 414 21 Hobart 21.5 11.7 0 0 8.0 48 11 Melbourne 25.7 14.0 5 0 8.6 48 8 Perth 31.5 16.7 9 0 10.7 8 3 Port Headland 36.3 25.3 19 0 10.5 56 5 Sydney 26.2 18.4 1 0 7.5 100 11 Townsville 31.2 24.1 1 0 7.8 283 15 Weipa 31.9 23.9 1 0 5.5 448 21 February Where av max av min days>35 days<2.3 Sun rainfall raindays C C # # hrs/day mm # Adelaide 28.5 16.8 4 0 10.3 21 4 Alice Springs 34.9 20.6 16 0 9.9 42 5 Brisbane 29.0 20.8 0 0 7.7 174 14 Canberra 27.0 12.9 1 1 9.3 56 7 Darwin 31.4 24.6 0 0 5.9 349 20 Hobart 21.6 11.9 0 0 7.2 39 9 Melbourne 25.7 14.3 3 0 8.5 47 7 Perth 31.7 17.4 7 0 10.2 14 3 Port Headland 36.2 25.3 17 0 10.2 98 7 Sydney 26.2 18.7 1 0 7.4 111 11 Townsville 30.9 23.8 0 0 7.1 296 16 Weipa 31.4 23.9 0 0 4.8 410 20 March Where av max av min days>35 days<2.3 Sun rainfall raindays C C # # hrs/day mm # Adelaide 26.0 15.2 2 0 8.4 24 5 Alice Springs 32.5 17.4 9 9 9.7 37 3 Brisbane 28.2 19.2 0 0 7.6 142 14 Canberra 24.4 10.7 0 0 7.9 55 7 Darwin 31.8 24.4 0 0 6.7 312 19 Hobart 20.1 10.7 0 0 6.3 47 11 Melbourne 23.8 13.0 1 1 6.8 52 9 Perth 29.5 15.7 4 0 9.1 15 4 Port Headland 36.7 24.4 22 0 9.8 44 4 Sydney 25.2 17.2 0 0 7.0 127 12 Townsville 30.4 22.8 0 0 7.3 212 14 Weipa 31.6 23.5 0 0 5.3 337 20 April Where av max av min days>35 days<2.3 Sun rainfall raindays C C # # hrs/day mm # Adelaide 22.1 12.7 0 0 7.2 44 9 Alice Springs 27.9 12.5 1 0 9.4 14 2 Brisbane 26.4 17.1 0 0 7.4 94 11 Canberra 19.7 6.7 0 4 6.9 52 12 Darwi 32.6 23.9 1 0 8.7 99 9 Hobart 17.2 8.9 0 0 5.2 52 12 Melbourne 20.2 10.6 0 0 5.6 58 12 Perth 25.2 12.7 0 0 7.3 46 8 Port Headland 35.1 21.1 17 0 9.8 22 2 Sydney 22.8 13.9 0 0 6.6 109 11 Townsville 29.4 20.4 0 0 7.7 68 8 Weipa 31.9 22.6 0 0 7.1 112 10 May Where av max av min days>35 days<2.3 Sun rainfall raindays C C # # hrs/day mm # Adelaide 18.6 10.4 0 0 5.3 68 13 Alice Springs 22.9 8.3 0 2 8.4 18 3 Brisbane 23.5 13.8 0 0 6.4 87 11 Canberr 15.2 3.1 0 13 5.5 49 9 Darwin 31.9 22.1 0 0 9.5 21 2 Hobart 14.3 6.9 0 1 4.2 49 14 Melbourne 16.6 8.5 0 1 4.4 58 14 Perth 21.4 10.3 0 0 6.0 108 13 Port Headland 30.3 17.1 2 0 8.9 29 3 Sydney 19.9 10.5 0 0 5.8 98 11 Townsville 27.4 17.5 0 0 7.3 37 6 Weipa 31.5 21.3 0 0 7.5 16 3 June Where av max av min days>35 days<2.3 Sun rainfall raindays C C # # hrs/day mm # Adelaide 15.8 8.5 0 0 4.6 72 15 Alice Springs 19.8 5.2 0 9 8.4 14 3 Brisbane 21.2 11.0 0 0 7.3 76 8 Canberra 12.0 0.9 0 18 5.0 38 9 Darwin 30.5 19.9 0 0 9.9 1 1 Hobart 11.9 5.2 0 4 3.9 56 14 Melbourne 13.9 6.7 0 3 4.0 50 14 Perth 18.7 9.0 0 1 5.0 177 17 Port Headland 27.4 13.9 0 0 8.7 19 3 Sydney 17.4 8.2 0 0 6.1 129 11 Townsville 25.4 14.3 0 0 7.9 22 4 Weipa 30.6 19.6 0 0 7.4 4 1 July Where av max av min days>35 days<2.3 Sun rainfall raindays C C # # hrs/day mm # Adelaide 14.9 7.5 0 0 4.8 67 16 Alice Springs 19.4 4.0 0 12 9.0 15 3 Brisbane 20.6 9.5 0 0 7.5 66 7 Canberra 11.1 -0.2 0 22 5.6 42 10 Darwin 30.4 19.3 0 0 10.0 1 0 Hobart 11.5 4.5 0 6 4.4 54 15 Melbourne 13.3 5.8 0 4 4.5 49 15 Perth 17.6 8.0 0 1 5.4 163 18 Port Headland 26.9 12.0 0 0 9.1 10 2 Sydney 16.8 6.6 0 1 6.6 69 9 Townsville 24.8 13.6 0 0 8.4 15 3 Weipa 30.5 18.9 0 0 7.5 2 1 August Where av max av min days>35 days<2.3 Sun rainfall raindays C C # # hrs/day mm # Adelaide 16.1 8.0 0 0 5.8 62 16 Alice Springs 22.3 6.1 0 7 9.7 11 2 Brisbane 21.7 10.1 0 0 8.5 43 7 Canberra 12.7 1.0 0 19 6.6 48 12 Darwin 31.2 20.6 0 0 10.2 7 1 Hobart 12.9 5.1 0 4 5.0 52 15 Melbourne 14.8 6.5 0 2 5.2 51 16 Perth 18.3 7.9 0 1 6.4 116 16 Port Headland 28.9 13.0 0 0 10.2 4 1 Sydney 18.0 7.7 0 0 7.9 80 10 Townsville 25.9 14.7 0 0 8.3 2 1 Weipa September Where av max av min days>35 days<2.3 Sun rainfall raindays C C # # hrs/day mm # Adelaide 18.4 9.2 0 0 6.6 51 13 Alice Springs 26.6 9.9 1 1 10.0 9 2 Brisbane 23.8 12.6 0 0 9.1 32 7 Canberra 15.9 3.0 0 13 7.4 51 10 Darwin 32.4 23.1 2 0 9.8 17 2 Hobart 15.0 6.3 0 1 5.9 52 15 Melbourne 17.1 7.8 0 1 5.7 59 15 Perth 20.0 8.8 0 0 7.4 68 13 Port Headland 32.2 15.2 5 0 10.8 1 1 Sydney 20.2 9.8 0 0 7.8 60 10 Townsville 27.5 17.1 0 0 9.5 10 2 Weipa 33.3 20.0 4 0 8.6 6 1 October Where av max av min days>35 days<2.3 Sun rainfall raindays C C # # hrs/day mm # Adelaide 21.3 11.1 0 0 8.4 44 11 Alice Springs 30.8 14.7 7 0 10.0 21 5 Brisbane 25.7 15.7 0 0 8.5 98 10 Canberra 19.2 5.9 0 6 8.7 66 11 Darwin 33.1 25.0 2 0 9.5 71 6 Hobart 16.9 7.7 0 0 6.4 64 16 Melbourne 19.6 9.3 0 0 6.8 68 14 Perth 22.3 10.1 0 0 8.8 48 10 Port Headland 34.5 18.0 15 0 11.5 1 1 Sydney 22.3 12.8 0 0 8.0 76 11 Townsville 29.3 20.5 0 0 9.8 23 5 Weipa 34.8 21.4 15 0 9.2 27 2 November Where av max av min days>35 days<2.3 Sun rainfall raindays C C # # hrs/day mm # Adelaide 24.4 13.1 2 0 9.1 31 8 Alice Springs 33.5 17.8 13 0 10.2 26 5 Brisbane 27.3 18.0 0 0 8.5 95 10 Canberra 22.5 8.5 0 2 9.1 62 10 Darwin 33.1 25.3 2 0 8.4 142 12 Hobart 18.6 9.2 0 0 6.9 55 14 Melbourne 21.8 11.0 1 0 7.4 59 12 Perth 25.4 12.4 1 0 9.9 26 7 Port Headland 36.1 21.1 18 0 11.8 3 1 Sydney 23.9 15.0 1 0 8.1 83 11 Townsville 30.7 22.8 1 0 9.4 53 7 Weipa 34.6 23.2 13 0 9.1 105 8 December Where av max av min days>35 days<2.3 Sun rainfall raindays C C # # hrs/day mm # Adelaide 26.8 15.1 4 0 9.5 26 6 Alice Springs 35.4 20.1 18 0 10.3 37 5 Brisbane 28.8 19.9 0 0 8.7 126 11 Canberra 26.0 11.1 1 0 9.4 53 8 Darwin 32.6 25.3 1 0 7.2 229 16 Hobart 20.2 10.7 0 0 7.3 57 13 Melbourne 24.1 12.7 2 0 8.1 59 11 Perth 28.5 14.6 4 0 10.7 12 4 Port Headland 36.6 23.7 20 0 11.4 19 2 Sydney 25.6 17.2 1 0 8.3 77 10 Townsville 31.4 23.9 1 0 8.9 127 10 Weipa 33.3 23.9 5 0 7.4 253 15 Here's some statistics from "Australia in Brief" from the Commonwealth Bookshop: [TN] "Weather in Australia's capital" (A rain day is a day on which rainfall is 0.2 mm or more) Hours Rain- # of Mean temp Mean temp sun fall rain hottest coldest /day days* month month Adel 7.6 559 122 23.0 11.1 Bris 7.9 1217 123 25.0 15.0 Canb 7.5 629 108 20.3 5.4 Darw 8.5 1669 110 29.2 24.8 Hoba 5.9 628 160 16.5 7.9 Melb 6.3 655 147 19.9 9.5 Pert 7.9 869 119 24.0 13.2 Sydn 6.7 1219 139 22.1 12.0 Online weather informationr [IC] It's possible to find out the current weather for any state of Australia from the Victorian Bureau of Meterology via telnet. % telnet vicbeta.vic.bom.gov.au 55555 | ************ VIC WEATHER - MAIN MENU ************ | | 1 = CURRENT MELB FORECAST | 2 = CURRENT VIC FORECAST | [...] | 9 = INTERSTATE FORECASTS .................(menu) | 10 = INTERSTATE CITIES MET OBS | |enter choice => 1 | |***********************START MELBOURNE FORC********************* | | Forecast for Melbourne issued by the Bureau of Meteorology Melbourne | at 2145 on 21/09/1993 for WEDNESDAY. | | CLOUDY PERIODS WITH A FEW SHOWERS. COOL WITH A MODERATE WEST TO | SOUTHWEST WIND. ie Typical Melbourne Weather :-) [IC] | MIN = 8 MAX = 16 | | OUTLOOK THURSDAY. FINE. MAX = ABOUT 17 | OUTLOOK FRIDAY. FINE. MAX = ABOUT 19 | OUTLOOK SATURDAY. MAINLY FINE. MAX = ABOUT 19 | CURRENT OBSERVED TEMPERATURE (within last hour) | MELB MELBOURNE CITY 10.5 GOPHER: The Bureau of Meteorology has just set up a Gopher server to provide forecast information for each state and territory around Australia. Currently only textual information is available, but we hope to add charts and satellite images sometime in the future. The server is known as "babel.ho.bom.gov.au" and should be accessible through AARNET at the normal Gopher port (i.e port 70). Please note : This service is initially purely experimental and will not be supported outside normal office hours. Contact : Justin Baker, Central Operations and Systems Branch, Bureau of Meteorology, Melbourne, Australia e-mail : justinb@bom.gov.au. For anyone chasing facts and figures about Australia I would recommend The Book Of Australia Almanac, "The essential information book on everything Australian". (524 pages) My copy is the 1991-92 Ed. which cost me $2 at a sale in Melbourne, so I assume that there is a later edition out now. Published by Hodder & Stoughton, 10-16 South St, Rydalmere, NSW, 2116 [JN] Relative sizes of countries. Before the breakup of the USSR, the order was: USSR (by far the biggest, more than twice the size of any other country), then Canada, China, USA (inc. Alaska), Brazil and Australia, making Australia number 6 in area. That Brazil was slightly bigger than Oz was a bit of a surprise to me. I haven't seen the stats for Russia, but given that in round figures it was something like 22 for the USSR to 9 for Canada, the order seems unlikely to have changed. [JH] Time Zones. Australia has three basic time zones; Eastern Central Time (EST) (NSW, Vic, Qld, Tas) GMT+10, Central (SA, NT) GMT+9 1/2, and the west coast GMT+8. NSW, SA, Vic, Tas, ACT put their clocks forward an hour for "Daylight Savings" over the summer. (WA, Qld, and the NT do not. [SW] Queensland had a referendum for Daylight Saving in 1990 after a trial summer the year before. Due largely to the country vote, the referendum failed by something like 53%/47%.) * Comparative GDP etc [TvR] Some time ago there was a debate on Soc.culture.Australia about GDP at purchasing power per head expressed in US $ ... the Economist has compiled a list in its christmas issue . to set the records straight a lot of countries that would be high on the list Norway,Denmark,Netherlands, Belgium are not included in the sample.. here are some of the data. GDP per Pollution Cars Second Doctors Murders head at CO2 per per school per per $PPP head 1000 rate % 100.000 100.000 1991 USA 22300 19.7 589 92 238 13.3 Switzerland 21780 5.9 447 85 159 1.4 Germany 19770 10.5 490 97 270 1.0 Japan 19390 8.5 285 96 164 0.7 Canada 19320 17.3 473 99 222 2.5 Hong-Kong 18520 7.0 29 90 93 1.7 France 18430 6.4 418 99 286 1.3 Sweden 17490 7.0 419 91 270 1.7 Italy 17040 6.8 459 79 476 3.6 Australia 16680 15.5 435 83 229 2.7 Britain 16340 9.9 403 84 164 1.0 New Zealand 13970 7.8 455 89 174 3.4 Spain 12670 5.2 308 90 357 1.2 6.5 Sport Australian Rules Football. This is the main football code played in Vic, SA, WA and Tasmania. The Australian Football League consists of 10 teams based in Melbourne, plus Geelong, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. (It was established a few years ago from an expanded VFL.) Fixtures, results, statistics and match reports are available from rec.sport.football.australian. Pre-season night competition begins the end of February. Main season is end of March to August, with finals series in September. West Coast won in 1992, Essendon won the flag in 1993. (Carn the Ds in '94! [AN] :-). There is a competition of about 8 women's teams in Melbourne, and the sport does not seem to be growing. (If it isn't obvious, Melbourne is the home of this "sport". Melbourne's winter football mania is one great reason NOT to be there in winter! [CP, who probably still has cleat marks on his back from his school days] :-P.) Rugby. The main football code in NSW and Qld is rugby. Rugby League is the professional sport (reigning premiers are the Brisbane Broncos, who beat St. George 14-6 this year), rugby union is still "amateur". Rec.sport.rugby contains some postings about rugby in Australia (though is dominated by discussion of the rugby union 5 nations competition and the World Cup). As far as I know there is no organised women's rugby in Australia (we did not send a team to the 1991 World Cup held in Wales). [SW] Rugby League is played by girls up to age 12 or 13 in both schools and weekend competition in mixed teams with boys. I believe that after that age they are no longer allowed to play mixed. However, I did see an article on Wide World of Sports on Channel 9 in August 1993 depicting a Rugby League for Women Grand Final out of Sydney. Cricket. The most widespread summer sport is cricket. Australia plays regulars Tests against England (for the Ashes), NZ, India, the West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and now that they have been re-admitted to the fold, South Africa. Each summer there are two touring teams which play in a 3-way One-Day series. The state competition is for the Sheffield Shield (4-day matches), which is only semi-professional. (Qld has never won this :-). Many men and boys play club cricket on the weekends (usually Saturday). Women's cricket has been established quite a long time (first Test versus England in 1934) but continues to be a minority sport for women. There are about 100 club sides in Melbourne. The Australian women's team is the best in the world; I believe there has even been some TV coverage of Test and/or One-day cricket recently. Note: live commentary of cricket matches is available via IRC (Internet relay chat). It is available on the channel #cricket and people discuss the match on #crickettalk. Information on this is posted reguarly to rec.sport.cricket. There is a cricket information service, called CricInfo, available on gopher - see rec.sport.cricket also for how to access it. Baseball. There is the ABL (Australian Baseball League). It is only 3-5 years old. There are 8 teams - Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney, 2 from Melbourne, Adelaide, Waverley and Perth. The season consists of 14 games of regular season played in January and February of each year. [SW] Basketball. NBL consists of 14 teams (although Hobart Tassie Devils might not play in 1994 because of financial problems). Season is usually from March/April until September. Each team is only allowed 2 imports (i.e. non Australian citizens). NBL was created in the late 70's and has expanded since then, with several of the original teams either leaving or being renamed/relocated. [SW] Athletics. Horse Racing. Is everywhere. Traditionally Australians love to gamble. The Melbourne Cup is the biggest race of the year. There is a holiday for it in Melbourne. For a few minutes on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November the whole country stops to listen (supposedly). Work place sweeps proliferate. Phar Lap, which won the Melbourne Cup in 1930, is a national hero, and his stuffed body may be seen in the Melbourne musuem. Netball. There are over 1/2 million registered netball players in Australia, so it is by far the most popular women's sport. Softball. Is the most popular women's summer sport. Soccer. [contributions? AN] Other Sports. Field hockey is very popular for both men and women, and we do well in International competition. Many people play squash. Other sports played include badminton, volleyball, table tennis, yachting, rowing, swimming, cycling... [any more? AN] 6.6 Travel These 3 questions were posted at one stage. Here are a summary of answers. 1. How are the conditions of the streets (or roads?) in Australia in January? I heard that the roads in the North are often overflowed. Is this right? 2. We want to rent a car (or jeep or motor home) to go through Australia. Which kind of car is required or recommended (especially for the desert in the center of Australia)? 3. Maybe we want to fly within Australia. Which airlines are recommended and how much are the prizes (examples are enough)? Answers (1) Roads are O.K. around here - but I live in Sydney :- I don't know about the roads up north because I have never been there.. I've never heard of roads being overflowed, unless you mean flooded (with water). This has happenned over the last couple of summers in the northern tropics, but roads are generally only cut for a few days. If you want to travel north, it is usually best to do that May to November when it is dry and travel south September to April. [FS] The monsoon hits the far north of australia, so the roads may be flooded and only usable by boats. however this only is a problem north of townsville in queensland and around darwin in the northern teritory the rest of the country is in summer HOT and dry for the most part but its is much colder in the southern parts and you may have some rain down there... IT IS A BIG PLACE and spands a large part of the earth!! [FW] The term 'condition' usually implies whether they are good for driving on or not. The term 'streets' usually means the roads in the cities. The term 'roads' usually refers to the highways, etc. So, to answer your question: they are generally in a good condition to drive on (the government has spent a lot of money lately fixing up the roads). I'm not sure where you mean exactly when you say 'north' since there is a lot to the north half of Australia (covering three states and many thousands of kilometres). If you mean Queensland (North East) then the roads are usually busy with holiday travellers. If you mean Northern Territory (North Central of Australia) then the roads are usually busy before Christmas (although there are still a number of people about on the roads). If you mean in Western Australia (North West) then you will find a lot of outback, very few people, few roads, and few cars. I think you mean Northern Territory ? [IC] No worries. Stay on the highways and you'll have no problems. It often rains a bit, but it is rare these days to have major holdups. But don't go off on to unsealed roads. [RC] (2) Almost every area in Australia is accessible by any car. That is, as long as you stay on the bitch (bitumen) you can go anywhere. If you really want to go off the beaten track you will need a 4WD, but I've never owned one and I've never felt that I've missed anything. If you want a cheap form of accommodation that you can take almost anywhere, hire a motor home. If you can afford the outlay, and you are staying long enough, the cheapest way by far is to buy something civilised and semi reliable, then sell it before you go (you could pick up a half decent mid range car for A$3-4,000. [FS] Unless you have driven a four wheel drive (4WD) in sand/mud before then stick to a conventional car/motor home they are cheaper and you will probably not have enough time to spend exploring the rougher areas. If you want to see a sight that is only avaliable by 4WD then there is probanbly a tour that will get you there and back for less trouble than hireing a 4WD. [FW] I would recommend a four-wheel drive vehicle for driving around through the desert in the centre of Australia. A motor-home will probably slow you down and use up a lot more petrol, a jeep will probably mean you will get sunburnt very easy. [IC] A bloody big one mate.! Rent a car, Ford or Holden from a reputable company, with air conditioning. Stay in motels and hotels. Don't leave the main roads, and even then, carry a 15ltr can of water if you go more than 200 km inland from any city on the coast. Travel with other vehicles in convoy if you can arrange it. Does this sound bad? keep in mind that there are only 17 million people in Oz, and most of those live in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide, then Darwin. That doesn't leave many to spread out over a country that is the size of Europe, plus England, plus lower Medetranian etc. Try it on a map. It can be many days between passing cars in central Australia, and if you are broken down, you MUST stay with your vehicle. My advice ? See Australia by bus tour, the only way to go unless you are prepared to face the last frontier and all the hardships that that entails. And wear a hat. The temperature can be 40+ C in the shade. [RC] (3) I never fly when going on holidays in Australia. This is because everything is so spread out. You fly somewhere then you have to hire a car to get out and see something, unless you want to ride on a sheep truck (tourist bus). Also when you fly you miss out on all the good things in between major centres where the airports are built. [FS] You should arang this as part of your air ticket to australia as it will be cheaper than buying the air tickest here. All of the australian air lines are very good one of the best safety records in the world sometimes the service may not be the best but its a lot better than some of the service I have had in other parts of the world. Basicly pick out what you want to see ask where it is, there may be a number of sites eg desert, we have about 5, sandy, stony etc then plan your trip it would take 4 days to cross the country east west 3 days to cross north south by fast car, with no stops for sight seeing... [FW] [IC] I presume you are not going to book these flights until you get to Australia (so you can ask around and get the best price at the time). However, the problem with this may be that many airlines will be heavily booked and getting a flight during the holiday season in Australia may take some time. Unfortunately, a local airline company (called Compass) went broke for the second time and a lot of really cheap flights within Australia have gone. (There are 3 main local airlines now - Ansett, Australian Airlines, East-West Airlines and Qantas [mainly international flights]) I don't have any actual information handy,so I am guessing here and these are my own approximate guesses (Prices in Australian Dollars): * Sydney - Perth. This is a long trip. Probably $700 - $900 Apparently it is cheaper to fly to New Zealand than to fly to Perth from Sydney. * Sydney - Darwin Approximately $400 * Darwin - Perth Approximately $600 * Flights to Tasmania (or is going by ship better?) If you don't think you'll get sea sick, then a ship (from Melbourne) will probably end up being cheaper. I have from a paper some exact figures from Melbourne:- (This is Ansett Airlines and the price is for a return ticket). Melbourne <-> Sydney $179 Melbourne <-> Adelaide $189 Melbourne <-> Canberra $199 Melbourne <-> Brsisbane $289 Melbourne <-> Perth $419 Melbourne <-> Cairns $489 Another paper I have quotes this price (it is a 17 day package) :- * Darwin <-> Perth (Aeroplane and Bus) 17 days $3973 [includes hotel accommodation, plane, bus fares and most meals] Travel in Australia and New Zealand (JO) This gives some comments on travel in Australia and New Zealand. I have some definite biases and will admit them as appropriate. Also, I am assuming that the reader has an atlas with maps of Australia and New Zealand. I include New Zealand because anyone making the trip down here would be insane to miss it. It is small but has very varied scenery and is well worth the time. Flying time from Los Angeles to Sydney is about 17 hours. I happen to be tall and wide shouldered and find economy class seats very uncomfortable. (I have a theory that they were designed by a small, sadistic feminist). Consequently, I arrive very tired and jet lagged so I allow 3 to 4 days for recovery before doing anything. If you can sleep on the plane, you will be better off but don't plan on sightseeing the day you arrive. Allow at least one day to rest up from the flight. My biases: - I don't like large cities, deserts or rainforests. - I do like small cities, mountains, beaches and seacoasts. - I think that the US and Canada have some of the most beautiful scenery and interesting cities in the world. Australia needs your money and I would love to meet you but honesty compels me to say you should see the US and Canada first. New Zealand: Two islands unimaginatively called North and South Island. The North Island has some high volcanic mountains, lots of rolling pastoral scenery, and an area called Rotorura with gysers, hot spings etc. Sort of a minature Yellowstone. It also has an area called the Bay of Islands which is supposed to be very nice but I've never seen it. I love the South Island. It contains Mt Cook and the Southern Alps which are gorgeous. A mountain resort called Queenstown is very scenic and pleasant. If you like skiing, come in August and ski the Southern Alps. There is a coastal area with a town called Te Anu near a place called Milford Sound. This is like a Norwegian fjord and very well worth visiting. It has a world famous hiking track called the Milford Trail with guided expeditions of 3 to 5 days (NZ summers only). Finally, the city of Christchurch is very attractive - very English with lots of gardens and parks. Time: 5 days to a week for one island, 2 weeks for both islands Australia (working from south to north) I have never seen Adelaid or Western Australia so make no comments. Also note that Australia is large. You will need to fly unless you like long train or bus trips. Don't plan on intercity driving. The roads are poor and there is nothing like the US interstate highway system. Hobart in Tasmania is a small but very nice city. It has a beautiful harbor, steep hills and some very good seafood restaurants and a colony of artists and craft workers. (San Francisco in minature). It is a popular tourist area for Australians but most overseas visitors miss it. Tasmania itself is popular with Australians because it is very different from the mainland. Cooler and wetter, greener and has more trees and some heavily forested low mountains. People from the eastern or northwest US would probably not see much point in visiting it. If you are from the plains or southwest US than it will be different from home. Melbourne - Sydney and Melbourne have a long standing feud (like San Franciso and Los Angeles). Its a nice city if you like cities of 3 1/2 million. It does have a beautful art gallery with a good collection, some lovely parks, and a number of wildlife preserves nearby in the Dandenong mountains. It also has a good public transport system of trams (streetcars) which are fun to ride. There are a lot of good restaurants and I think there is an "Eating Out in Melbourne" guide book which is supposed to be reliable. Eating in the major hotels is a recipe for bankruptcy. (Just like the US.) Sydney - Its slightly bigger than Melbourne, suffers from a horrible urban sprawl, driving is terrible (no freeways) but there is good bus and train service. The harbor and Opera House are just as beautiful as you have heard. There are harbor ferries which are fun to ride. The ferry service has several guided tours of the harbor which are relatively inexpensive and worth the time. The Opera House also has guided tours. There is an historical area near the harbor called "The Rocks" which is fun to wander through. Note that down here anything older than 100 years is "historical. My unimaginative but practical suggestion is that the best way to see Sydney is to take one of the bus tours like Grayline. They all go to the same places . There is a public zoo (Taronga Park) which can be reached by ferry. That is the easy way to see koalas and kangaroos. There is also a "Koala Park" that I've never been to. I think its included in many of the sight seeing tours. Sydney also has an "Eating Out" guide and plenty of good restaurants of all nationalities. It lacks chains such as Denny's or Sizzlers but the take away snack bar food is fairly good. Not gourmet but they won't poison you. Outside Sydney, the major tourist area is the Blue Mountains. They are not high (1500 meters/5000 feet) but are scenic. If you like caves, try the Jenolan caves near Katoomba in the Blue Mountains. There are coach tours from Sydney to the Blue Mountains and the caves. Alternatively, take a train to Katoomba (2 hours, $8) and than catch one of the coach tours there. I believe the railroad organizes this. You might want to stay one or two nights. There are plenty of good motels. I can also recommend the train trip to Wollongong as very scenic but then I am biased since I live there! The Whitsunday Islands: Now we jump 1500 km to central Queensland. The Whitsunday Islands are a group of small, semi-tropical islands at about 20S latitude. You may be able to find the largest (Whitsunday Island of course) in an atlas. The nearest towns are Bowen and Proserpine. Two islands, Hamilton and Hayman, have been developed as international standard resorts at international standard prices. A number of other islands have "family style" resorts aimed at the ordinary Australian. Hamilton Island has an airport. You can fly directly to it and take a boat to the other islands. All the other islands have check in counters at the Hamilton Island airport. South Molle was run by Ansett Airlines. Their lease expires in June '94 and they are not renewing it. So far, I have not heard whether it is closing down or someone else is taking over. Radisson Long Island Resort was targetted at the 18 - 35 age range. It has just been purchased by another company. The new owners say it will cater to all ages. I don't know if they plan to redevelop or whatever [JO]. The islands are inside the Great Barrier Reef. All the resorts provide high speed catamarran trips to the outer reef (about 2 hours to get there). There you can snorkle, take glass bottom boat trips or take a ride in a "submarine". These don't submerge. You sit inside the underwater hull and look out through big windows. The Whitsunday Island region is world famous for scuba diving and sailing. There are dive boat operators for qualified scuba divers. The island resorts also have dive courses. Yachts can be rented for bareboat cruising and there are tour operators who take people on 5 to 7 day cruises of the islands using 45 to 55 foot yachts . You sail in the daytime and camp on the beaches with tents, sleeping bags and air mattresses at night. The operator provides the camping gear, crew and cook. This is a bit of "pot luck" since you will be with strangers and the boat might have 6 passangers or 18. The cooking is also "pot luck" because the cook will probably be a young woman who is touring Austarlia and has signed on for only one trip. With luck, she may know how to cook! I did this once and liked it. For details, ask your travel agent for brochures on the Queensland Islands, Whitsunday Islands or Northern Queensland. Cairns and Cape York: Now jump another 1000 km north. Cairns is in the tropics at about 9S latitude and is also inside the Great Barrier Reef. It has access to the reef and the rainforest of Cape York. When I went there it was small and very lovely. There are no beaches in Cairns but some beautiful tropical beaches to the north of it and around Port Douglas (an hour drive to the north). Since I was there, it has been developed as an international tourist resort (mostly for Japanese). I don't know what the town is like now but the reef and rain forest are still there. Cairns is an international airport with flights to Japan, New Zealand and the US. You could go skiing in NZ in August and than fly to Cairns for swimming and sunning on the reef. Warning: Don't go to Cairns or the Whitsunday Islands between December and March. That's the cyclone (hurricane) season. The Outback: I've never been there and have no interest in it. However, if you want desert, kangaroos, or dingoes than Alice Springs and Uluru (Ayers Rock) are supposed to be very good. There is also a tropical park called Kakadu in the Darwin area. Its reported to have lots of crocodiles and birdlife and be very interesting if that's your thing. Watch the weather. The rainy season is said to be awful - roughly November to March. *Accomodation at Uluru (Ayers Rock) [GR] 1) If you are a group 4/5/6 ++ people look at the possiblity of renting a mobile home... It is stationary but cost about A$50/day. 2) Pioneer Outback Hotel (A$80/night bed/bath)..booked through AAT Kings travel agency..very pleased 3) Kitchenettes... somewhere in the 60 to 100 dollar range... double bed, a/c, share bathroom...best choice at price 4) Check with NT beaureau * Place of interest in Tasmania? [JL] Things I would look at: The Gorge in Launceston Hellyer Gorge on the West Coast Ocean Beach at Strahan day walks at Lake St Clair (overnight if you're set up) SW rainforest (might be difficult - check out adventure tours out of Hobart) scuba diving at Bicheno fishing on the East Coast Tas Redline Coaches, who have some sort of Tassie Pass for out of state travellers (008 006 006). However [MP] Just be careful to investigate the Red Line Tassie Pass a little more carefully. I spent several weeks in Tassie and loved it with one exception: actually getting around. The Pass doesn't even go to certain parts of the island and when it does it's usually once a day, every other day, and things like that. It's possible to rent a VW bug for A$25 per day or something which really works well if there are two or three of you. Four, five or six might be pushing it a little. Simply drawing out your itinerary beforehand and then pricing it on individual tickets actually competes with the Pass within a few dollars believe it or not! * Accomodation tips to the low budget motorhome traveller (BB) 1. Obtain the Automobile club district maps for the area. They are the best to navigate by showing all the sights to see and have "Rest Areas" marked on them. Now some rest areas can be nothing more than a rubbish bin on the side of the road but others, particularly in Queensland can have toilets,fresh water and even showers. As a traveller you can stay for up to two nights at a proper rest area. I know of two places within 20mins of the Gold Coast for example. 2. Obtain information from National Parks, State Conservation Areas and State Forests on camping areas. Most are free and those that you have to pay at are generally worth it. I regularly stay the night in a State Forest near the Sunshine Coast. 3. Many remote picnic areas, lookouts etc are also good for one night even if the sign says "No Camping". Who's going to know if it's only one night and you don't make it obvious. Up to 10pm your only having a BBQ before returning to the camp aren't you. I'm not campin' I'm goin' fishin'!. And of course you got up early to have breakfast in the bush. 4. The first bit of bush you like. Often there are areas of unfenced land on the side of the road. Just find a track and drive in (careful if raining, don't get bogged). With all bush sites I prefer to be as far away from the road as I can. First because it's quieter. Second - if they can't see you they can't bother you, even if it's some kids wanting to hoon around. I can remember one night at Mallacoota this young couple drove right passed us into the centre of the clearing (it was dark). She got out and urinated on the ground in full view then back into the car for some fun. Suddenly they realised that they were not alone. Engine on, quick reverse out of their favourite parking spot! I have been touring this way for 24 years without any trouble but a lot of adventure. Camping grounds are for when you desperately need a shower or to wash the clothes. They invaribly are built next to the highway or railway, have noisey people who insist on partying all night and wasting the daylight hours sleeping in, and aren't anything like being in the bush at dusk or dawn when the native animals are active. 6.7 Health Care [XXX Anyone want to write a paragraph or 2 describing out health care system?] 6.8 Miscellaneous * Sydney is spelt with a "y", not Sidney. It was named after Baron Sydney of Chislehurst, the Home Secretary at the time when the First Fleet arrived. Actually, they named Sydney Cove and the city was supposed to be called Albion, but it didn't come out that way. [HG] * Tasmanian Aborigines and Trugannini The "tradition" view [AD]: The last hundred survivors of the Tasmanian aborigines were rounded up in an operation known as the "black line" about the 1850s. They were all moved to a settlement on Flinders Island at a place called Wybalenna. They were forced to adopt "christian" society clothing/behaviour.. They gradually died out fron the european diseases until, when there were only about 30 left they were moved to Oyster Cove in southern Tasmania. They gradually died out. The last male survivor was William Lanney. He was murdered during a boat trip across a river. He was thrown from the boat and his hands cut off as he tried to return to the boat. After he was buried grave robbers removed his head to sell to British Scientists. The last female survivor was Trucaninni (or Truganinni) who was also known as Lallah Rookh. She died in about 1878. There are unconfirmed reports of two elderly ladies living on Kangaroo Island (i think) South Australia until about the 1890s. There are NO full blood aborigines alive today. A fair few aborigines live on Cape Barren Island, just south of Flinders Island (in Bass strait between Tasmania and Victoria). Racisim on the islands is rife IMHO. White sealers often stole aboriginal women for their sex slaves, and half-castes were generally descended from these situations. The women were known as " gins" and were roughly treated. An interesting facet of this story is that in 1984, the Tasmanian Museum discovered an Edison Cylindrical Phonograph record in it's coffers which had recordings of a half-caste lady (who claimed she was full blooded). She was singing traditional aboriginal songs. The recording was made in 1902. A very stirring feeling listening to this 90 year old recording of a vanished culture and it makes me feel very ashamed to be a white Tasmanian. [XXX Can someone write a paragraph about how there really are Tasmanian aboriginals left? AN] * What is "Mabo"? The High Court, in the "Mabo" decision, eliminated the previous terra nullius principle of land ownership in Australia, and stated that there was a Common Law ownership by the indigenous people, unless that title had been extinguished by a valid Act of the imperial. colonial, state, commonwealth or territorial parliamnts. They also said that common law ownership depended on a demostrated continuos link between the people and that land. [JB] * Tasmanian Devils and Tasmanian Tigers [KB] The Tasmanian Devil population is relatively large and is on the whole very healthy. There is some problem with a heartworm type parasite which has (of course) originated from introduced species. The government authority is aware of this and are maintaining close watch and quarrantine on infected groups. It shouldn't be too great a problem. Tasmanian Devils are a quasi animal emblem some suggest ambassador for the state so any threat to their survival is taken very seriously. A bit about the TD, they do hunt, even climb trees, but generally prefer to consume carrion aka dead wallabies, livestock, etc. The TD species appears to one of the few natives that actually have thrived and increased in population with the arrival of European man. Especially now we have a brutally efficient means of producing carrion aka the motor vehicle which leaves plenty of road kill for the devils. We also have the tendency to aggregate large numbers of live food such as hens and sheep for the devils to maraude occasionally. Historically the devils used to follow the now extinct Tasmanian Tiger. Looked much more like a large dog actually.The TT was a notoriously inefficient hunter which just used to lay in wait for prey and lunge onto them as they passed, normally only managing to wound them and then tracking the animal until it was so weak from blood loss etc that it was able to be slaughtered. It is suggested that the TT would then feed off its kill until the devils arrived on masse and drove it away. Consequently when European man arrived with their sheep the TT soon adapted to this new abunndant and tractable food source and got a reputation for killing livestock. In my opinion the new settlers own dogs were much more likey to have killed most of the livestock, they still do. As history will show the government of the day reacted to the hysteria about the TT and offered a sizeable bounty for each TT scalp. The last known TT died in captivity in 1933. * The Australian Flag In vexillogical terms, the Australian flag is a defaced blue ensign. In the upper hoist (top left corner) is the Union Flag (ie the flag of the United Kingdom). On the fly (right) of the flag, are 5 white stars, representing the Southern Cross, a constellation of stars generally only visible in the southern hemisphere. Each of these stars has 7 points except for the smallest star which has only five. Directly below the Union Flag is a large 7 pointed white star called the Federation Star, representing the federation of the colonies of Australia in 1901 to become an independent nation of the British Commonwealth. There is one point for each of the six states, and one to represent all of Australia's internal and external territories. The length:height ratio of the flag is 2:1. * History of the Australian Flag Australia's national flag was chosen from a national flag competition held in 1901. Initially started by a Melbourne newspaper, the competition was taken up by the new Federal Government, and it attracted 32 823 entries. Although not a part of the official entry rules, the judges proscribed that the design *must* contain the Union Flag. The winning design was in fact shared by five people who submitted almost identical entries. Australia's first Prime Minister, Edmund Barton, announced the winning design in Melbourne on 3 September 1901. The design had a mixed reception and caused much controversy at the time. The original design was as described above, except the Federation Star contained only 6 points and the Southern Cross was represented by stars ranging from 5 to 9 points to indicate their relative apparent brightness in the night sky. The design was modified to the current design on 22 May 1909, but in fact the flag did *not* have official sanction as Australia's national flag, and wasn't always flown as such, until the Flags Act of 1953 was passed by the Menzies Government. There is some agitation to change the current design to one that does not include the Union Flag in view of Australia's changing relationship with Britain. * National emblem [BJ] The Australian Coat of Arms shows a kangaroo (left) and an emu (right) holding a shield that contains the six state badges (left to right on first row: NSW, Vic and Qld, below are SA, WA and Tas). Underneath the shield is a spray of Golden Wattle blossoms, Australia's floral emblem. Above the shield is the seven pointed federation star. * Why do the stars on the Australian flag have 7 points? (See 6.8 *The Australian Flag) * WHY IS AUSTRALIA CALLED AUSTRALIA? "Terra Australis" was the land of the south. The portuguese Fernandez de Quiros, in the serive of Philip III of Spain, named it Australia del Espiritu Santo (Southern Land of the Holy Ghost) "Australia" was used to flatter the King who was a Prince of the Austria Ruling house. [VS] * What is the source of ".oz" as an internet address representing Australia? (is it any different from ".au"; and why do some addresses have ".oz.au" both, or is that just harmless redundancy?) [KRE] No, its certainly not the same as AU, nor is it redundant in addresses where it appears, its required, and can't be used in others. Long ago when we were first setting up addressing for Aust we were always going to use domain addressing - this is way back when xxx.arpa was the standard name for US hosts on the arpanet (& milnet). That is, the use of domain names wasn't new, but there was not yet any organised structure for domain naming (ie: the edu, gov, ... and the two letter country names didn't yet exist). We knew we wanted a domain name that represented Australia in some way, and things like AU and AUS were suggested, but we also knew that our (then) small group fo sites couldn't really ever claim to represent all of Australia, and do anything that would effectively take over the entire Australian namespace leaving nothing for anyone else unless they could fit themselves into our naming scheme. I should also mention that at this time we were already using domain names, the domain we used was "SUN" which meant "Sydney Unix Network" (and sometimes "Sydney University Network") - the Australian net was an outgrowth of a network that started in Sydney at Sydney University, and linked UNIX systems. The network started before Sun Microsystems was created - still they asked us if we could use something other than "SUN" as our name - and since our net was no longer just in Sydney, that seemed reasonable (though the software used remained called "SUN" then SunII and SunIII, until comparatively recently when SunIV was renamed MHSnet). In any case, needing a name, something Australian, but not to pretend to represent the whole of Australia, someone (it certainly wasn't me, but I don't recall who) suggested "oz". That sounds like the "Aus" part of "Australia" or "Aussie" when spoken by an Australian (rather than an American, who pronounce the thing in some totally wild way), and is fairly commonly used by various people to represent things Australian (and has no relationship I know of with the wizard), and was adopted. Eventually, the two letter country naming stuff was invented, and AU of course became Australia - the "oz" part, which was always just a subset of Australia fitted very neatly as a sub-domain of AU, and so that's what was done with it. In time, other sub-domains of AU were created, including the edu.au com.au etc domains, that serve basically the same community as oz.au does, but also telememo.au and otc.au (which match the X.400 naming "ADMD=telememo; C=au") that are used by commercial e-mail systems in Australia, which has retrospectively justified the decision to confine our naming within a subset of the Australian namespace, and not even pretend to take over the whole thing. There's another version of the "creation of oz" story, which relates to the very first international e-mail connection that the academic community had here, which ran between the University of Sydney (home of the Sydney University/Unix Network) and Bell Labs. It was implemented using a maildrop on an IBM mainframe at the University of Waterloo in Canada, Bell labs would dial there, and leave mail for Australia in a file, then the University of Sydney would call, using X.25, and pick up the mail in the file, and leave another for Bell Labs the next time they called. This was set up by Ian Johnstone, initially from UNSW, but then at Bell Labs - the theory is that "oz" was the name of the account at Waterloo, or one of the file names, or something like that. This may indeed be what sparked the suggestion to use "oz" as the domain name, I don't know, I certainly don't recall that name being in any visible use in that e-mail system though, whatever use it had, if there was one, must have been internal I * What is the village in northern France where the Australian presence in WW1 is still celebrated? In a little town called Viller-Bretonneuve, just outside Amiens, there's a memorial to Australian soldiers a couple of kilometres outside town, signposted from the main road. There's also a cafe on the main road called the Boomerang Cafe, which makes me feel it's the right area. :-) [HJ] I can confirm that Villers-Bretonneux appears to be the town that you have in mind. A large Australian contingent was situated in or near the town during WW1. There remains a number of overt signs of this presence [MS]: - some of the streets and shops bear Australian names (e.g., Melbourne Street) - there is a large Australian War Memorial just outside the town on a rise. It contains a lookout and wall with the names of the Australian soldiers lost (and, for the most part, never found) in the battles of northern France and Flanders. On the wall, it is noted that 11,000 Australian soldiers died between 1916-1918, so this gives you an indication of the size of the wall! - At the entrance to Villers-Bretonneux, is situated Adelaide Cemetery containing the graves of some of the Australian soldiers. - In fact, the region contains a number of Australian and British Commonwealth war cemeteries, all of them immaculately kept with cut lawns and red roses! - Villers-Bretonneux has an Australian "twin town" (Robinvale, Vic. if I remember correctly). - I spoke with the mayor, who showed me around the local school, which was apparently built after WW1 with donations from Australia. The main hall is panelled in Australian wood, and has a number of large wood carvings of Australian animals. The mayor said he visits Australia every year, to maintain the contact between the Villers-Bretonneux and Australia. In the cathedral of nearby Amiens, there is a commemorative plaque that states: "...to the memory of The Australian Imperial Force who valiantly participated in the victorious defense of Amiens from March to August 1918 and gave their lives for the cause of justice, liberty and humanity..." * What visas do Australians need for France? [JB] Yes, Australians need visas fro France. In 1986 (je croix), it might have been 1987, there were some bombings in Lyons, which were suspected to have been done by fanatics. In the midst of the howls of "what is the government doing about it", the French Govt, in a particularly stupid knee-jerk reaction, brought in a requirement that visas will be required for all non-EC nationals. (As if needing a visa ever stopped a terrorist. And the border checks had long since gone.) This rule is waived in cases where there is a bi-lateral agreement, e.g. with New Zealand, and in cases where it was feared to hurt the tourist trade, e.g. US. As Australia doesn't play footsies about visas for visitiors, we need them to go to France. French visas are in two flavours: (a) less than 90 days. These are done over-the-counter here. They cost FF200 (about $A54). I had to provide a letter for my 19-yo son stating that we were supporting him financially, etc. Otherwise they would have wanted bank statement proving he had enough money to live on in France. (b) 90 days - 1 yr. Do get these I needed: (i) three interviews at the consulate; (ii) FF600 ($A162) per person in cash or bank cheques. (iii) the letter of invitation from the French university (iv) a letter from Monash saying everything about my status, salary, travel grants, insurance, etc. (v) tickets or confirmed itinerary (vi) a medical certificate, in French, from an approved physician (only one in Melbourne!) certifying: A) good health B) free of TB (X-ray result) C) free of syphilis (blood test) [the French bureaucracy hasn't discovered AIDS or hepatitis yet.] Once I had all these, my application, because it was "pour la sabbatique" had to be couriered off to Canberra to be "assessed" by the Scientific & Cultural Attache at the French Embassy. Well it's all done. Each of the long-term visas set us back about $250 (such medicals are, rightly, not covered by Medibank.) Fortunately the consulate staff were very helpful, polite and understanding. The total time was was nearly two months, largely due to the queuing delays in waiting for inteviews and medicals. * What is vegemite? [KP] Vegemite is a spread, made from a yeast extract. Kraft make it in Australia. It looks kinda like black smooth peanut butter, and tastes VERY salty.[Glenn] When I returned to Australia for a visit in 1985 I telephoned the folks at Kraft in Pt. Melbourne. Here is the basis of what the man told me regarding its manufacture: First the yeast cells are taken from the breweries. For those of you into making home made beer yor know what I mean. For the others, this is a very thick tan colored "liquid" smelling like beer but loaded with spent and still alive yeast cells. This "liquid" it then treated so the yeast cells undergo "cell lysis" which means the cells burst open. The liquid is then "washed" (his term) to remove the cell walls. The internal contents of the cell are then mixed with salt, dried parsley and spices etc.(whatever that is -- I have not been able to find etc. in Australia nor NorthAmerica) I guess it is the etc that gives Vegemite its characteristic flavor! Anyways in closing, the man said that it was packaged is small tins (I have seen 1 oz. cans of it in Australian Army ration packs) and in various containers up to barrel (45 gal?) size. [DT] Vegemite and Marmite are not the same thing they were different product brands. Marmite was actually in production and on the shelves well and truly before vegemite ever existed. When Vegemite was first released it had a very difficult time - very few people bought it. It was apparently taken off the market for a short time and given a new (temporary) name after a competition was held. The winner came up with the name Parwill. Followed with the slogan "If marmite then parwill". Fortunately this also had marketing problems. It wasn't really until the "war to end all wars" that the renamed vegemite started to sell. It was all the shortages of food stuffs and the "scientific" sell using the vitamin B argument. If you really want a good amount of information I suggest that you write to: Kraft Australia Foods Limited Consumer Advisory Service Salmon Street Port Melbourne Victoria 3207 AUSTRALIA * What is the name of the crazy boat race held in Darwin every year? The Beer Can Regatta * In which dry river near Alice Springs is there a boat race every year? The Todd River * Skin Cancer [MJ] To provide some (useful) information. The Antarctic ozone hole does not in general affect Australia, we are too close to the equator. Last summer (?) a small part of the outer edge did pass over Tasmania and Victoria but lasted only for a couple of days and did not cause particularly high levels of uv radiation at the ground. Australians have the highest rates of skin cancer in the world probably due to the combination of culture and having summer when the earth is closest to the sun. Bring a hat, sunscreen and shirt. Don't "bake" at all, but if you insist on being brown, authorities suggest avoiding the stongest sunlight between 1100 and 1500 (summer time). * November 11th (PB) First and foremost, it is the anniversary of Armistice Day, the end of the War to end all Wars (well,almost). It has also been chosen as the date for the formal laying to rest in the Australian War Museum in Canberra of the Australian Unknown Soldier, an Australian soldier recovered from a graveyard in France as a symbol for all Australians of the sacrifice the Australian troops made during WW1. It is also the anniversary of the sacking of the Whitlam Government by the G-G, Sir John Kerr in 1975. And finally, it is the 113th anniversary of the hanging of Edward "Ned" Kelly in Melbourne Gaol in 1880. * [Any more? AN] 7. Culture 7.1 Songs * Waltzing Matilda - the song we had to have. Copyright A.B. "Banjo" Paterson (reproduced here w/o permission). (thanks to Ross Paterson for correcting the "tt" mispelling :-) Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong, Under the shade of a coolibah tree, And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled, "You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me." Chorus: "Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda, You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me; And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled, You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me." (Substitute third line of verse in each chorus.) Down came a jumbuck to drink at that billabong, Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee; And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tuckerbag, "You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me." Up rode the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred, Down came the troopers -- one, two, three; "Whose that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tuckerbag?" You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me. Up jumped the swagman and sprang into the billabong, "You'll never catch me alive", said he; And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong, You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me. There is also a "Queensland version" of the song, generally believed to be the Patterson original (or pre-original). It has very similar words but has a different metre and is set to a waltz tune. The "standard" version of the song was subsequently rewritten to fit a march time tune pinched from some other source. In a wonderful essay published at the time of the referendum which chose AAF as the anthem, some (forgotten by me) author made the point that Waltzing Matilda was much more appropriate. It tells the story of the swagman, unemployed and desperate, driven to petty theft by society's opression. The squatter symbolises the priviliged property owners (probably multi-national) with the sinister intrusion of the Police to support privilege. Finally, the hero dies in an heroic gesture, which unfortunately leads only to the pollution of an inland waterway. [CM] ------------------------------------------------------------------ Here is what appears to be the original "Waltzing Matilda", from "The Collected verse of A. B. Patterson", first published in 1921. It seems to have been published in "Saltbush Bill, J.P." (1917), although I have a feeling it may have been presented in the Bulletin somewhat earlier. Punctuation as printed in the 1982 edition -- don't blame me for the unmatched quotation mark in the second verse :-). [IR] WALTZING MATILDA (Carrying a Swag.) Oh! there once was a swagman camped in a Billabong, Under the shade of a Coolabah tree; And he sang as he looked at his old billy boiling, "Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?" Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda, my darling, Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me? Waltzing Matilda and leading a water-bag-- Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me? Down came a jumbuck to drink at the water-hole, Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him in glee; And he sang as he stowed him away in his tucker-bag, You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me." Down came the Squatter a-riding his thoroughbred; Down came Policemen -- one, two and three. "Whose is the jumbuck you've got in the tucker-bag? You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me." But the swagman, he up and he jumped in the water-hole, Drowning himself by the Coolabah tree; And his ghost may be heard as it sings in the Billabong "Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?" Both versions are in the Australian Scout Song Book, available by mail order from the Sydney Scout Shop price $2.65, phone +61 2 7999640. -------------------------------------------------------- SWAGMAN: An itinerant labourer, a hobo, a bum. So called because his most important possession is his bedroll ("swag"), worn behind his head as he walks along.[TM] An excellent book, probably no longer in print, is "Diary of a Welsh swagman" published in Australia some years ago. It is based on the journeyings of a Welsh immigrant who was walzing Matilda in the late 19th century [AC] (Jenkins, Joseph, 1818-1898. Diary of a Welsh swagman, 1869-1894 / abridged and annotated by William Evans. -- South Melbourne, Vic. : Macmillan, 1975.) WALTZING MATILDA "Waltzing Matilda", "humping a bluey, "carrying a swag" are all terms for the same thing, namely tramping about looking (or not looking) for itinerant work like shearing. The "Matilda" was the swag. [PA] Matilda=swag=bluey = (american) bedroll (blankets, etc.) The reason I know of is that one name for a swag was "Matilda" - a feminine name for the swagman's sole companion. Walking from place to place was called "Taking Matilda for a waltz". [jds] BILLABONG: A billabong is what the geographers call a "truncated meander", i.e. a lake formed by a loop in a river course being cut off by the river subsequently cutting a new and shorter path. In the US they are called "ox-bow lakes".[JB] COOLIBAH: Type of eucalypt (gum) tree with hard strong wood, very hardy, found in central Australia near inland water courses and billabongs. BILLY: A small tin, generally used to boil water for tea. The third- most important possession of a swagman. JUMBUCK: A (male?) sheep. TUCKERBAG: A bag for carrying tucker (food). The second-most important possession of a swagman. SQUATTER: Someone who just grabbed land early on, often later given title to the land by the government.Basically the landed gentry. TROOPER: A soldier or policeman. * Short Version The "verse" below is from a competition to shrink works of OZ literature conducted by the Australian (?) newspaper some time ago. I found it in some papers I was looking through. I don't have the attribution to hand. There was a shrunken "Sydney White Pages" too.[CM] Waltzing Matilda ================ Swaggie dreams of roast lamb dinner Passing jumbuck looks a winner Bags it, but here come the cops Into billabong he flops Drowns himself, forgoes hot roast Leaves the last waltz to his ghost "Sod the law" says our aquarian, "Better dead than vegetarian!" * Advance Australia Fair (National Anthem) Australians all, let us rejoice, For we are young and free, We've golden soil and wealth for toil Our home is girt by sea; Our land abounds in nature's gifts Of beauty rich and rare; In hist'ry's page, let every stage Advance Australia Fair. In joyful strains then let us sing 'Advance Australia Fair.' [Original second verse deleted, cos its all about the British :-) AN] Beneath our radiant Southern Cross We'll toil with hearts and hands, To make this Commonwealth of ours Renowned of all the lands, For those who've come across the seas We've boundless plains to share, With courage let us all combine to Advance Australia Fair. In joyful strains then let us sing 'Advance Australia Fair.' * A less respectful version [JD] Advance Australians never had a choice, Had they the eyes to see, That any Royal could only spoil Republic luxury; With leaps and bounds opinion shifts, Where most just couldn't care : The silent rage, an equal wage, And pinch-free underwear; We'll raise a glass to anything, You poms stay over there. * Tie me kangaroo down. (Rolf Harris) [TS] (With wobbleboard background) [Spoken] There is an old Australian stockman, lyin, dyin, And he gets up onto one knee and he says... Chorus: Tie me Kangaroo down, Sport Tie me Kangaroo down, Tie me Kangaroo down, Sport Tie me Kangaroo down. Keep me Cockatoo cool, Curl Keep me Cockatoo cool, Aw don't go let lettin him actin the fool, Curl Just keep me Cockatoo cool. All together now, Chorus: Mind me platypus duck, Bill Mind me platypus duck Aw don't let him go runnin amuck, Bill Mind me platypus duck. All together now, Chorus: Put me Koala back, Mac Put me Koala back. He lives somewhere out on the track, Mac Just put me Koala back. All together now, Chorus: (I include this verse as it was in the original though I find it offensive) Let me Abos go loose, Lou Let me Abos go loose. They are of no further use Lou Let me Abos go loose. All together now, Chorus: Tan me hide when I'm dead, Fred Tan me hide when I'm dead. So we tanned his hide when he died, Clyde And that's it hangin on the shed. All together now, Chorus: 7.2 Recipes and Food ANZAC biscuits 1 cup SR Flour " " sugar " " oatmeal " " coconut Put these in bowl & mix. 4 tblsp butter, 2 " boiling H2O 1 " golden syrup 1 tsp bicarb soda Put in saucepan & melt together on stove. Mix with dry ingredients. Put in teaspoonfuls onto greased tray. 350F/180C for ~10 min. Enjoy! Lamingtons 4 oz butter 1 tsp. baking powder 3/4 cup castor sugar 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. vanilla pinch salt 2 eggs 1/2 cup milk 2 cups flour cream butter & sugar, add vanilla, beat in eggs. Fold in dry ingrediants alternately with milk. Spoon into greased and lined pan (approx. 8"x11") bake at 350F for 40-45 min. Cool and store for a day. Cut into squares, dip in chocolate icing, then roll in coconut. Chocolate icing: Sift 1 lb. icing sugar and 4 T. cocoa into bowl. Add 1 T. melted butter to a cup of warmed milk. Blend to make a smooth coating consistency [John Doyle]. PAVLOVA 4 egg whites 1 cup superfine sugar 2 teaspoons vinegar 1 tablespoon corn starch half pint whipped cream kiwi fruit or strawberries or passionfruit. Place egg whites in a clean glass bowl. Beat slowly until frothy, then increase the speed and beat until stiff. GRADUALLY add the sugar, beating well after each addition. (When all the sugar has been added, the mixture should be shiny, very stiff, and should stand in peaks.) Gently fold in the vinegar and corn starch with a metal spoon. Line a cookie sheet with brown paper (from a bag) and grease it lightly. Pile the meringue mixture on it; it should form a cylinder about 8 inches in diameter and 2 inches high. Preheat the oven to just under 300 degrees. Bake the pav for between 90 and 105 minutes. When cooked, leave the oven door ajar and allow the pav to cool inside. When cold, peel off the paper and transfer to a serving platter. Just before serving, top with the whipped cream and fruit. About 8 smallish servings. [Steve Wright wright@mcs.anl.gov] Chocolate Crackles Here is the recipe as read from the Rice Bubbles packet (Apparently it is also on the Copha wrapper): 4 cups Rice Bubbles (= Rice Crispies) 1.5 cups sifted icing sugar 1 cup desiccated coconut 3 Tbs cocoa (60 ml not 45ml - ie 4 american Tbs) 250 gram copha (8 oz) 24 patty pans Mix the first 4 ingredients together. Pour in melted Copha and mix. Put into patty pans and chill. Makes 24. Damper The basic recipe for damper is just self rising flour (4 C) and milk (2 1/2 C) or water, mixed to a very stiff dough and then baked in one of several ways: in a cast iron "dutch oven" buried in the ashes of a fire, wrapped around the end of a stick (only a small handful or so) and toasted over the fire, or formed into a round loaf and baked in a conventional oven. You can spice it up by adding a handful of dried fruits, by topping it with some mustard and grated cheese or, if you've been bold enough to do it on a stick, by filling the hole where the stick was with jam. [CP] Australian Meat Pie [JN]: =================== Reference: Australian Women's Weekly Home Library: Cooking Class Cookbook, p70. (reproduced without permission). Filling: 750 g (1.5 lb) minced steak (N. Americans, use lean ground beef, not extra lean -JN) 2 beef stock cubes salt, pepper 1.5 cups water pinch nutmeg (generous -JN) 2 tablespoons plain flour 1/4 cup water, extra 1 teaspoon soy sauce Pie Base: 2 cups plain flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup water 60 g (2 oz) beef dripping Pie Top: 375 g (12 oz) packaged puff pastry 1 egg yolk 1 teaspoon water Making the filling: 1. Place meat into the pan, stir over low heat until meat is well browned. Drain off any surplus fat. Add crumbled stock cubes, water, salt, pepper and nutmeg, stir until boiling, reduce heat, cover, simmer gently for 20 min, remove from heat. Combine extra water and flour, stir until flour mixture is smooth. Add flour mixture to meat, stir until combined. Return to heat, stir until meat boils and thickens. Add soy sauce (to give brown colour), stir until combined. Simmer, uncovered, 5 to 10 min; remove from heat allow to become cold. Making the pie base: 2. Sift flour and salt into basin. Place water and dripping into saucepan, stir until dripping melts; remove from heat. Make a well in centre of dry ingredients, add liquid, stir until combined. (2a. If you're in a hurry, just use premade (bought) pastry. It works ok, too. -JN) 3. Turn out onto lightly floured surface, knead lightly. Roll out pastry to line eight greased pie tins. [We use "real" aluminium 6 or 8 in pie casings - JN] Cut excess pastry around sides of pie plates using a sharp knife. Fill centres with cold meat filing. Pie crust: 4. Roll out puff pastry on lightly floured surface, cut out rounds for top of pies, use a saucer as a guide. Wet edges of base pastry, and gently press tops into place, trim around edges with a sharp knife. Brush tops with combined egg-yolk and water. Cooking: Bake in hot oven 5 minutes or until golden brown, reduce heat to moderate, cook further 10 min. Galah [PB] Having plucked and cleaned galahs, place in a large saucepan of water over an open fire. Add two or three large rocks from a creek nearby. Boil for two to three days, adding water as required. By this time the rocks should have softened, throw away the galahs and eat the rocks. Galah variations [KP] Variation 1 (from my landlady the late Mrs. Rose Roots of Punch Street, Gundagai, N.S.W., 2722) After the rocks are done, reduce heat but continue simmering over low heat for another week. Make sure the water level is kept up. Variation 2 (from my team mates at the Junee RSL Shooting Club, Junee, N.S.W.) After the rocks are done, remove and maintain a slow boil of the Galahs while a side dish of lava is obtained. Serve both immediately, preferably with the lava on top of the meat. Pumpkin Soup [JL] In a large pot I put cut up pumpkin, 2 chopped up onions, 3 chopped slices of celery and enough water to cover. Then I simmer it until the pumpkin is soft and then I mash it all or blend it. You then need to add some curry powder which gives it a wonderful flavor. The biggest problem in the US is that most of the pumpkins are much more watery than the Queensland blue pumpkins in Australia so the soup is not the same. However, this year I grew some JackbeLittle pumpkins and they were just fine for soup. [MM] I have found that "Butternut Squash" == "Butternut Pumpkin", make a pretty good soup. However they are definitely not the same as a Queensland Blue. Australian/US substitutions Oz US Copha Hard vegetable shortening (made from coconut). It's purified coconut oil, sufficiently dehydrated that it functions as a quite-edible shortening.[BD] Corn Flour Corn starch Caster sugar Regular sugar ( actually slightly finer than regular US sugar, but not much) Golden Syrup Dark Corn Syrup (Lyle's Golden Syrup is available in the southeastern US at Food Lion [CC]) Icing sugar Confectioner's sugar Rice Bubbles Rice Krispies Miscellaneous food information In Australia, margarine in stick form has animal fat. For no animal fat, to buy "soft" magarine or butter. Other recipes to be included if I get them: kangaroo tail stew... [AN] 7.3 Language * Prounounciation of Aussie [WE] Information concerning how/why Australians pronounce Aussie with an /z/ and Americans pronounce it with a /s/. A linguistic analysis (I'm a linguist) suggests the following: 1. The Australian pronunciation of Aussie (/z/) is a normal phonological feature called "intervocalic voicing of consonants" where English speakers make /s/ -> /z/, /k/ -> /g/, /t/ -> /d/ etc. when they are between consonants. Some Americans pronounce "significant" as signifigant, water as wader and we all say "laser" with a /z/. 2. The American pronunciation of Aussie (/s/) is an example of spelling pronunciation -- which, once again is normal behaviour when we don't know the pronunciation of a word. We usually say it the way it spells until we find out differently. 3. So why do Americans insist on saying Aussie with an /s/ even when we tell them Aussies say it with a /z/? Once again, that's normal. We all have great difficulty saying things in a way that goes against the grain -- our grain. I've lived a long time in the U.S., but still can't say NEW York with /nu/. I have to say /niu/. Most Americans say greasy (/s/) or blouse (/s/) -- all with /s/'s. I think it may go against the grain for them to say Aussie with a /z/. * What is the origin of the word "Pom" or "Pommy"? [BR] - from daniels@rand.org (Greg Daniels): shipping crates labeled "P.O.M.E." (Property of Mother England) - for deverett@vms.macc.wisc.edu (David W. Everett): Prisoner of Mother England (POME) - from njc@robots.ox.ac.uk (Nick Cerneaz): Piss Off Mother England - from adally@afit.af.mil: convict clothing being labelled P O H M for Prisoner Of His Majesty - from ins559n@aurora.cc.monash.edu.au (Andrew Bulhak): Push Off Miserable Englishman - from ins559n@aurora.cc.monash.edu.au (Andrew Bulhak): short for pomegranate, referring to the complexion of recent arrivals who have not yet absorbed much of the Australian sun - from Jacco.Zwetsloot@f550.n635.z3.fidonet.org (Jacco Zwetsloot): The general concensus (amongst academics at least) is that `pom' came through this train of words and word association: immigrants came to be called `jimmygrants' via some sort of rhyming slang. `jimmygrants' became `pomegranates' via another sort of rhyming slang. This in turn became shortened to `pommy' and `pom'. While this may seem like an incredible (in the literal meaning of the word) explanation for the origin of `pom', it is verified in a number of books. One being "The Australian Language" published in 1945. - from bls@sector7g.Eng.Sun.COM (Brian Scearce): My _Dictionary of Historical Slang_ has this to say about it: pommy, Pommy. A newcomer from Britain, esp. from England: Australian: C.20. The OED Sup. records it at 1916, but it was current before the Great War. Origin obscure; possibly a corruption of TOMMY imported by Australian soldiers returning from the Boer War (1899-1902). Or perhaps ex. *Pomeranian*, a very "superior" sort of dog. It may also have developed from JIMMY GRANT thus: Jimmy Grant > immy-granate > pomegranate > pommy. "Jimmy Grant" is, as a previous poster pointed out, rhyming slang for "immigrant" (or "emigrant"). * Origin of "Whinge" [BD] The Macquarie dictionary says "Northern form of OE _hwinsian_ to whine", and for whine "OE _hwinan_". * Origin of "Dunny" [LC] I was using the toilet the other day and noticed that the brandname stamped on the porcelain was "Dunedin". Could this be the origin from which the endearing term "dunny" is derived ?? [IR] Unfortunately no. The Macquarie gives: "short for Brit. d. dunnakin, dunnaken, from dannaken, from danna (dung) + ken (place)" * "Show us your map of tazzy" [PG] Well, being the literary expert that I am . . . 8-) I'll have a crack at it. Reference page 182 "A Nice Night's Entertainment" Barry Humphries published 1981 by Granada: "Anyway, there she was starkers! I didn't know where to look. The driver seen her norks in the rear-vision mirror and nearly come off his dual carriageway. He said, 'Ay, miss, 'ow are you goin' to pay me?", at which she *pointed* ... Now, there's a nice crowd in here tonight so I'm not going to tell you where she pointed; suffice it to say she pointed at the map of Tasmania. Those of you with a rudimentary grasp of geography will have a rough idea of what I nearly had a rudimentary grasp of - a large triangular land mass deep in the southern hemisphere." Quiz question: which BH character said this? 8-) [JMack] I first heard the expression in conjunction with the arrival of the show "Hair" in Sydney (this was about 1970). I don't remember whether it was a friend, or a review in the paper or a quote from RObert Helpman, but the person refering to the costumes on the stage, mentioned the maps of tasmania. It's not quite as graphic as Barry Humphries use above, but it predates it. * State-based Nicknames rom: Nickname: NSW Cockroaches, Ma-staters, Mexicans (by Queenslanders) Cornstalks Vic Mexicans Cabbage-patchers SA Crow Eaters WA Sand Gropers Qld Banana Benders Tas Apple Eaters NT Top-enders * Origin of Taswegian [ZS] Tasway n, {Colloq.} Tasmania [backformation from TASWEGIAN by analogy with {Norwegian} adj, from {Norway} Taswegian n -> Tasmanian [TAS(MANIAN) + {-wegian} (by analogy with {Norwegian, Glaswegian,} etc.)] * Australasia and Oceania [BJ] Australiasia=Oz+NZ. Oceania=Oz+NZ+Fiji+all those South Pacific Islands... 7.4 National heroes [AN: Contributions solicited! Possible candidates: Phar Lap, Ned Kelly, Harry (The Breaker) Morant, Private John Simpson & his donkey, Edward (Weary) Dunlop, Dawn Fraser, Charles Kingsford-Smith, Kay Cottee, Dick Smith, Mary McKillop, Caroline Chisolm, Nellie Melba, Joan Sutherland, Rolf Harris, Barry Humphries ... Winged keel??? [RS]] [JL] Ned Kelly's skull and Phar Lap's heart (you beaut) Lie enshrined in Canberra's Institute. But a truer statement of the statesman's art Would be Phar Lap's skull & Mr Kelly's heart. * Don Bradman [RS] Bradman, Sir Donald George (1908- ), cricket world's most famous batsman. Born at Cootamundra NSW. Made his first century playing for Bowral High School at age 12. His career in the Australian domestic competition, the Sheffield Shield, spanned 22 years playing for NSW (1927-1934) and South Australia (1935-1949). He made a total of 8926 runs at an average of 110 at this level of cricket. Most famous are his Test Match batting exploits against England for the prized "Ashes" (the symbol of cricket supremacy between Australia and England). So successful was he in the 1929 England tour that by the time of the reciprocal 1932/33 English tour, the England captain, Douglas Jardine, devised a bowling strategy around limiting Bradman's prodigous scoring talents. England's fast bowlers would direct the ball at a batsman's rib cage or throat hoping that the ball would be parried to one of a number of close-in fieldsmen. The infamous "Bodyline" tactic was not only applied to Bradman but also to the less able batsmen which raised howls of outrage from the Australian public. Bodyline was subsequently outlawed. Apart from one Test match in the 1932-33 series, Bradman played in every Australia-England Test match between 1928 and his retirement at the end of the 1948 season. As a test captain from 1936-48, he did not lose an Ashes series and the 1948 tour did not result in a single defeat. An achievement unequalled by any touring Australian team before or since. He also played Test cricket against the West Indies (1930-31), South Africa (1931-32) and India (1947-48). In all, Don Bradman played 52 Test matches, scored an aggregate 6996 runs at an average of 99.94. Where Test Match batting averages of around 50 or 60 earns a player the label of a "great", the Don's greatness as a batsman is more than just an exxagerated legend. 7.5 Literature * To find a book, in or out of print, "International bookfinders", Sydney, (02) 909 3000, (02) 953 1240. 7.5.1 Fiction (If authors also write poetry, non-fiction, I include that here with the fiction entry) * Thomas Keneally began writing in 1964. Born in northern New South Wales in 1935, he now lives in Sydney with his wife and two daughters. Novels: - Schindler's Ark (published in the US as Schindler's List, now a major film by Steven Spielberg. Based on the true story of German businessman Oscar Schindler who save over 1000 Jews from the Nazi extermination camps) - A Family Madness - Victim of the Aurora - The Playmaker (set in first convict settlement) - Thomas Keneally Flying Hero Class (interesting Koorie perspective) - The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith(*), (made into a film) - Confederates(*), - Gossip from the Forest(*) * shortlisted for the booker prize Nonfiction: Outback, an account of life in Central Australia * Patrick White (winner of the 1973 Nobel Prize for literature) was born in England in 1912, when his parents were in Europe for 2 years; at 6 months he was taken back to Australia where his father owned a sheep station. When he was thirteen he was sent to school in England, to Cheltenham, 'where, is was understood, the climate would be temperate and a colonial acceptable'. Neither proved true, and after four rather miserable years there he went to King's College, Cambridge, whree he specialised in languages. After leaving the university he settled in London, determined to become a writer. During the war he was an R.A.F. Intelligence Officer in the Middle East and Creece. After the war he returned to Australia. [XXX died?] . Novels: Happy Valley (1939), The Living and the Dead (1941), The Aunt's Story (1946), The Tree of Man (1956),Voss (1957), Riders in the Chariot (1961), The Solid Mundala (1966), The Vivisector (1970), The Eye of the Storm (1973), A Fringe of Leaves (1976), The Turyborn Affair (1979), Collections of short stories: The Burnt Ones (1964), The Cockatoo (1974) including several short novels (interesting collection of short stories dealing with modern Australian life [MJ]) Autobiography: Flaws in the Glass (1981) * Tim Winton is the author of several novels, short story collections andchildren's books, for which he has received every major literary award in Australia, including the Australian/Vogel Award and the prestigious Miles Franklin Award. He currently lives ont eh Western Australia coast with his wife and children. Cloudstreet: When two large working-cass families, the Lambs and the Pickles, are forced to share a massive house and inevitably their lives, their past misfortunes and conflicting personalities merge in a breathtaking explosion of joy, tragedy, and the occasional miracle. [I loved it! AN] Other works: An Open Swimmer, Shallows, Scission, That Eye,_ The Sky, Minimum of Two, In the Winter Dark, Jesse, Lockie Leonard,_Human Torpedo, the Bugalugs Bum Thief. * Peter Carey grew up in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, and was educated at Geelong Grammar School and Monash University, where he read science. Novels: - Bliss (1981) (made into a film, I found the book a bit strange, and rather boring - must admit I didn't finish it. AN), - Illywhacker(1985) (short-listed for Booker prize) - Oscar and Lucinda (1988) (winner of the Booker prize, great, AN). Short Stories: The Fat Man in History (I enjoyed most of these, though they tend to be a little bizarre, AN) * David Malouf Fiction: Johnno, An Imaginary Life, Fly Away Peter, Child's Play, Harland's Half acre, Antipodes, The Great World (winner of the Commonwealth Prize and the Prix Femina Etranger), Remembering Babylon. Autobiography: 12 Edmonstone Street Poetry: Bicycle and Other Poems, Neighbours in a Thicket, the year of the Foxes and Other Poems, First Things Last, Wild Lemons Libretto: Baa Baa Black Sheep In _Remembering Babylon_ David Malouf gives us a rich and compelling novel, in language of astonishing poise and resonance, about the settlin of the continent down under, Australia, and the vicissitudes of first contact with the unknown. In the mid-1840s a 13-year-old cabin boy, Gemmy Fairley, is cast ashore from a British shipwreck onto the Queensland coast, and is taken in by aborigines. Sixteen years later, three children from a white settlement come upon this apparition: "...."... Possessed of lyrical intensity and always respectful of human complexity , Remembering Babylon tells the sotyr of Gemmy, and of his relation to the whites. Given shelter by the McIvors, the family of the trhee children, he seems at first to have a secure role in the settlement, but currents of fear and distrust intensify. At once white and flack, a man with a voice but unable to speak the language, he confounds all categories that might explain him. To everyone he meets .... Gemmy is a force of nature that both fascinates and repets. He finds his own whiteness as unsettling in his new world as the knowledge he brings with him of the savage, the aboriginal. In his most accomplished novel to date,David Malouf has written a powerful fiction, informed by a vision of eternal human differences. Remembering Babylon is a brilliant mythopoeia of our unending encounter with the Other. * Martin Boyd: _A Difficult Young Man_ (I studied this in High School. AN], _Lucinda Brayford_, _The Cardboard Crown_, _Outbreak of Love_, _When Blackbirds Sing_, _Day of My Delight_. * Frank Hardy: _Power without Glory_. Frank Hardy's compelling story of corruption and political manipulation created violent controversy on its first release and has excited and intrigued Australians ever since. Power Without Glory traces the rise of the ruthless John west from his impoverished working-class beginnings in a Melbourne slum to a position of great wealth and political influence. His rising public dominance contrasts with the growing emptiness of his personal life, where even family turn from him, estranged by his implacable and pitiless pursuit of power. A startling expose of bribery, fear and corruption in high places, Hardy's tale revealed the sordid world of gambling, political intrigue and underworld depravity. Upon the book's first publication he was accused of overstepping the fine line between fiction and the dpeiction of real Australian people and events, and was sued for libel. The sensational legal battle which pollowed creatd debate and outrange acress the nation and, despite Hardy's acquittal, the questions it raised remain unanswered today. [Made into a television series] * David Williamson Collected Plays Vol 1 (including _The Coming of stork_, _Don's Party_ and _The removalists_ [MJ]) * Justin D'Ath, _The Initiate_ (aboriginal protagonist; coming-of-age sorta) * Peter Corris writes light detectives set in and around Sydney and there's another (female) author of similar stuff setting them all over the place (Murder on the Ballarat Train was one). [MJ - XXX] * Miles Franklin, _My Brilliant Career_. Made into a film by Gillian Armstrong, starring Judy David. * Henry Handel Richardson, _The Getting of Wisdom_: Country girl's experiences of going to boarding school late last century. Made into a film. Joan Lindsay, _Picnic at Hanging Rock_. Girls from a boarding school in country Victoria, early this century, go on a icnic to Hanging Rock on Valentine's day, and 3 of them and a schoolmistress disappear. Made into a film by Peter Weir. Neville Shute: _A Town Like Alice_ (film and also tv mini-series), _A Far Country_, _On the Beach_. * Early colonial life: _The Fatal Shore_, Robert Hughes, Eleanor Dark's trilogy _'The Timeless Land_. 7.5.2 Poetry * "My Country" by Dorothea McKellar [CP] The love of field and coppice, Of green and shaded lanes, Of ordered woods and gardens Is running in your veins. Strong love of grey-blue distance, Brown streams and soft, dim skies- I know but cannot share it, My love is otherwise. I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains, Of ragged mountain ranges, Of droughts and flooding rains. I love her far horizons, I love her jewel-sea, Her beauty and her terror- The wide brown land for me! The stark white ring-barked forests, All tragic to the moon, The sapphire-misted mountains, The hot gold hush of noon, Green tangle of the brushes Where lithe lianas coil, And orchids deck the tree-tops, And ferns the warm dark soil. Core of my heart, my country! Her pitiless blue sky, When, sick at heart, around us We see the cattle die - But then the grey clouds gather, And we can bless again The drumming of an army, The steady soaking rain. Core of my heart, my country! Land of the rainbow gold, For flood and fire and famine She pays us back threefold. Over the thirsty paddocks, Watch, after many days, The filmy veil of greenness That thickens as we gaze. An opal-hearted country, A wilful, lavish land - All you who have not loved her, You will not understand - Though earth holds many splendours, Wherever I may die, I know to what brown country My homing thoughts will fly. * The Man From Snowy River, by A.B. (Banjo) Paterson [CP] There was movement at the station, for the word had passed around that the colt from old Regret had got away, And had joined the wild bush horses - he was worth a thousand pound, So all the cracks had gathered to the fray. All the tried and noted riders from the stations near and far Had mustered at the homestead overnight, For the bushmen love hard riding where the wild bush horses are, And the stock-horse snuffs the battle with delight. There was Harrison, who made his pile when Pardon won the cup, The old man with his hair as white as snow; But few could ride beside him when his blood was fairly up - He would go wherever horse and man could go. And Clancy of the Overflow came down to lend a hand, No better horseman ever held the reins; For never horse could throw him while the saddle-girths would stand - He learnt to ride while droving on the plains. And one was there, a stripling on a small and weedy beast; He was something like a racehorse undersized, With a touch of Timor pony - three parts thoroughbred at least - And such as are by mountain horsemen prized. He was hard and tough and wiry - just the sort that won't say die - There was courage in his quick impatient tread; And he bore the badge of gameness in his quick and fiery eye, And the proud and lofty carriage of his head. But still so slight and weedy, one would doubt his power to stay, And the old man said, "That horse will never do For a long and tiring gallop - lad, you'd better stop away, These hills are far too rough for such as you." So he waited, sad and wistful - only Clancy stood his friend - "I think we ought to let him come," he said; "I warrant he'll be with us when he's wanted at the end, For both his horse and he are mountain bred. "He hails from Snowy River, up by Kosciusko's side, Where the hills are twice as steep and twice as rough; Where a horse's hooves strike firelight from the flintstones every stride, The man that holds his own is good enough. And the Snowy river riders on the mountains make their home, Where the river runs those giant hills between; I have seen full many horsemen since I first commenced to roam, But nowhere yet such horsemen have I seen." So he went: they found the horses by the big mimosa clump, they raced away towards the mountain's brow, And the old man gave his orders, "Boys, go at them from the jump, No use to try for fancy riding now. And, Clancy, you must wheel them, try and wheel them to the right. Ride boldly lad, and never fear the spills, For never yet was rider that could keep the mob in sight, If once they gain the shelter of those hills." So Clancy rode to wheel them - he was racing on the wing Where the best and boldest riders take their place, And he raced his stock-horse past them and he made the ranges ring With the stockwhip, as he met them face to face. Then they halted for a moment, while he swung the dreaded lash, But they saw their well-loved mountain full in view, And they charged beneath the stockwhip with a sharp and sudden dash, And off into the mountain scrub they flew. Then fast the horsemen followed, where the gorges deep and black, Resounded to the thunder of their tread, And the stockwhips woke the echoes, and they fiercely answered back From cliffs and crags that beetled overhead. And upward, ever upward, the wild horses held their way, Where mountain ash and kurrajong grew wide; And the old man muttered fiercely, "We may bid the mob good day, NO man can hold them down the other side." When they reached the mountain's summit, even Clancy took a pull - It well might make the boldest hold their breath; The wild hop scrub grew thickly, and the hidden ground was full Of wombat holes, and any slip was death. But the man from Snowy River let the pony have his head, And he swung his stockwhip round and gave a cheer, And he raced him down the mountain like a torrent down its bed, While the others stood and watched in very fear. He sent the flint-stones flying, but the pony kept his feet, He cleared the fallen timber in his stride, And the man from Snowy River never shifted in his seat seat - It was grand to see that mountain horseman ride. Through the stringybarks and saplings, on the rough and broken ground, Down the hillside at a racing pace he went; And he never drew the bridle till he landed safe and sound At the bottom of that terrible descent. He was right among the horses as they climbed the farther hill, And the watchers on the mountain, standing mute, Saw him ply the stockwhip fiercely; he was right among them still, As he raced across the clearing in pursuit. Then they lost him for a moment, where two mountain gullies met In the ranges - but a final glimpse reveals On a dim and distant hillside the wild horses racing yet, With the man from Snowy River at their heels. And he ran them single-handed till their sides were white with foam; He followed like a bloodhound on their track, Till they halted, cowed and beaten; then he turned their heads for home, And alone and unassisted brought them back. But his hardy mountain pony he could scarcely raise a trot, He was blood from hip to shoulder from the spur; But his pluck was still undaunted, and his courage fiery hot, For never yet was mountain horse a cur. And down by Kosciusko, where the pine-clad ridges raise Their torn and rugged battlements on high, Where the air is clear as crystal, and the white stars fairly blaze At midnight in the cold and frosty sky, And where around the Overflow the reed-beds sweep and sway To the breezes, and the rolling plains are wide, The Man from Snowy River is a household word today, And the stockmen tell the story of his ride. - A.B. "Banjo" Paterson 7.5.3 Children's Literature [This section is very incomplete cos I don't have any of my kid's books here in the US with me. Contributions welcome! AN] The Billabong series, by Mary Grant Bruce. Set on a station called Billabong late last century, story of brother and sister Jim and Norah, and Jim's friend Wally. Treatment of aboriginals rather paternal and rascist these days, but I really enjoyed these yarns as a kid. Also by Mary Grant Bruce, _Possum_. [AN] Ivan Southall, Colin Thiele _The Magic Pudding_, and especially _Snugglepot and Cuddlepie_ (May Gibbs).[MJ] 7.5.4 Non-Fiction * Bruce Chatwin, _Songlines_: 'The Songlines emerge as invisible pathways connecting up all over Australia: ancient tracks made of songs which tell of the creation of the lang. The Aboriginals' religious duty is ritually to travel the land, singing the Ancestors' songs: singing the world into being afresh. _The Songlines_ is one mans impoassioned song' Sunday Telegraph. [Highly recommended. AN] * _My Place_, by Sally Morgan. Modern Australian women writing about life as an aboriginal woman. Sally Morgan has also written an award winning play, and painted some canvases that imo are the best in the WA Gallery (which is quite well stocked). [RH] * Two books about early colonial women: (1) _The Women of Botany Bay: A Re Australian Society_, by Portia Robin pp. $16.95 paper. (2) _Life Lines: Australian Women's Lives 1788 to 1840_, edited by Patricia Clark and Dale Spender. Sydney, NSW: Allen and Unwin, 1992, 249 pp. @22.95 paper (US distribution: Paul & Co., PO Box 442, Concord, MA 01742). * I recommend Paul Kelly's _The end of certainty_ for a chronicling of the relationship between economic and social policies in the Liberal Party. It seems to Kelly that Howard was the one to try and introduce social conservatism into the Libs to match the economic shift. Hewson, it appears, is so narrowly focused on the economy (laser-like anyone?) that this is now irrelevant. [PR] Jack Davis, _A Boy's Life_. An entertaining account of growing up (Koorie) Diane Bell, _Daughters of the Dreaming_. Feminist Aboriginal anthropology. Jill Conway, _The Road from Coorain_. Autobiography. In the tradition of My Brilliant Career - a woman's exquisityly clear-sighted memoir of growing up Australian. Jill Conway is a noted historian, specialising in the experience of women in American and was the first woman president of Smith College (a women's college in the USA). *Hugh Lunn, _Over the top with Jim_ (and the sequels) -- popular autobiographies dealing with growing up in the '50s. * Alan Marshall, _I can jump Puddles_ (Story of writer Alan Marshall's childhood, after he was crippled at a young age by polio. A classic. He wrote several other autobiographical works, and a number of them, including "I can ..." were made into a TV series by the ABC) * Albert Facey, _A Fortunate Life_. This is the extraordinary life of an ordinary man. It is the sotry of Albert Facey, who lived iwth simple onesty, compassioin and courage. A parentless boy who started work at eight on the rough West Australian frontier, he struggled as an itinerant rural worker, survived the gore of Gallipoli, the loss of his farm in the Depression, the death of his son in WWII and that of h is beloved wife after sixty devoted years - yet felt that his life was fortunate. Facey's life story, published when he was eighty-seven, has inspired many as a play , a television series and an award-winning book that has sold over 1/2 a million copies. [Moving and unforgettable.AN] * Stan Arneil. _One Man's War_. The diary of a young Australian army sergeant, Stan Arneil, kep as a prisoner of war duing WWII. It covers the entrie period of imprisonment from the fall of Singapore in 1941 through the infamous Burma railway camps, his return to Changi and his repatriation to Australia in October 1945. Winner of the 1981 International Pen Award for Non-fiction. After the war Stan Arneil was active in welfare and church work. In the 190s he established the credit union movement and he has been awarded the Order of Australia for his efforts in that field. * Susan Mitchell. (1) _Tall Poppies_. Nine Australian women talk about women and succes in Australia today. _The Matriarchs_. Twelve Australian women, from their sixties to their nineties, talk about their lives, and about being alives today. * John Pilger, _A Secret Country_. John Pilger was born and educated in Sydney, Australia. He has been a war correspondent, film-maker and playwright. Based in London, he has written from many countries and has twice won British journalism's highest award, that of Journalist of the Year, for his work in Vietnam and Cambodia. Among a number of other awards, he has been International Reporter of the Year, and winer of the United Nations Association Media Peace Prize. John Pilger writes about his homeland with life-long affction and a possionately critical eye. In A Secret Country he pays tribute to a littel known Australia and tells a story of high political drama. -"Tenaciously researched, fiercely argued, both unsparing and patriotic, A Secret Country presents a harsh narrative of class, race and power; of the oppression and resistance, the betrayal and amnesia, that lie behind the sunny illusions of the Australian self-image" Robert Hughes. -"A moving account of the abuse of human rights in Australia' Graham Greene - "This is a patriotic book in the best sense, written in the belief that Australia deserves not old bromides and stereotypes, but the respect of critical appraisal. With _The Fatal Shore_ by Robert Hughes, it is an essential text for anyone wishing to understand the real Australia obscured by the advertising industry's image of a nation of 'white Anglo-Saxon Crocodile Dundees with the wit of the cast of _Neighbours_'. It is also a necessary book for those of us who believe in the redeeming power of truth. Daily Telegraph, London. -"He reveals a hidden Australia at once more ugly and more heroic than the offical history... Combining investigative journalism with whimsical anecdote, it's a powerful critique of Australian society and a bloody good read." Australian Tribune. * Paul Kelly, _The Hawke Ascendancy_ is the story of how the Labor Party returned to power in 1983 after its crusing defeat in1975. It is the inside story fo three men- Bob Hawke, Malcolm Frase and Bill Hayden - and thier unique power struggle. The account covers the full eight years which began with Fraser's 1975 supremacy and closed iwth Hawke's 1983 triumph and first year of office. * I recommend Paul Kelly's _The end of certainty_ for a chronicling of the relationship between economic and social policies in the Liberal Party. It seems to Kelly that Howard was the one to try and introduce social conservatism into the Libs to match the economic shift. Hewson, it appears, is so narrowly focused on the economy (laser-like anyone?) that this is now irrelevant. [PR] 7.6 Films From the Sunday "New York Times", Jan 2nd 1994 [AT]: "Perhaps the closest parallel to the vitality of Ireland's movie industry today is the Australian experience of the late 1970s. In a period of just a few years, the Australians gave the world "Gallipoli," "Breaker Morant," "My Brilliant Career," "Picnic at Hanging Rock" and "The Change of Jimmie Blacksmith." Critics slavered over the output of directors like Peter Weir, Bruce Beresford, Fred Scepisi & Gillian Armstrong. "'Crocodile' Dundee," the ultimage in outback machismo, established box-office recoreds in both Australia and the United States, wehre it was the 2nd-highest-grossing movie of 1986. The success of these filsm change the image of the country that produced them. Suddenly, Australians loomed large as a force in the movie world. ... ...Soon after they made their mark, nearly all the best-known Australian directors scampered off to Hollywood. The mighty Australian film industry faltered -- partly because of recession & unemployment but also because its proficient pool of talent opted for the bigger budgets and wider distribution offered by the students." [Entries mostly taken from a Maltin's 1991 TV Movies and Video Guide. I'll fill in more each month. Also I don't have much on more recent releases. Contributions welcome. AN] ACTION/ADVENTURE Escape 2000 Fortress Forty Thousand Horsemen The Lighthorsemen Mad Dog Morgan Mad Max (1979) Dir. George Miller. Mel Gibson. In the desolate near future, the police have their hands full keeping roads safe from suicidally daring drivers and roving gangs. Top cop Gibson tires and quits, but when his wife and child are murdered by vicious cyclists, he embarks on high-speed revenge. Weird atmosphere and characters combine with amazing stunt work in this remarkable action film. Mad Max 2 (The Road Warrior) (1981) Sequel finds Max, now a loner, reluctantly helping tiny oil-producing community defend itself against band of depraved crazies thirsty for precious fuel. Far less original script-wise, but trend-setting visual design and some of the most unbelievable car stunts ever filmed make this equal to, if not better than the original. Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) Tina Turner. Mad Max comes upon Turner's cutthroat city of Bartertown, survives a battle-to-the-death in the Roman-style Thunderdome, and is exiled to the desert where he is rescued by a tribe of wild children. Lots of stunts and action, and even some philosophical moments, but lacks kinetic energy. The Man From Snowy River (1982) Dir George Miller. Kirk Douglas, Tom Burlinson, Sigrid Thornton, Lorraine Bayley. Grand, old-fashioned Western-style saga, based on epic poem, about strong-willed young man who goes to work for an empire-building cattleman, and falls in love with his daughter. Kokey, simplistic, but great fun, with eye-filling scenery of the Snowy Mountains and incredible action scenes with some wild horse. Thompson cameo role as Clancy of the Overflow. The Odd Angry Shot The Quest Razorback Return to Snowy River, Part II Walk Into Hell We of the Never Never (1983) Angela Punch McGregor. True story based on the memoirs of the first white woman to travel into Australian inland wilderness (known as the Never Never). Visually stunning. COMEDY Bliss (1985) High-powered businessman has a major heart attack, sees himself dying, the revives - which changes his entire outlook on life. After a dynamic opening this stylized satire slows to a snail's pace and loses its thrust. Australian Academy award winner and internation film festival favourite. The Cars That Ate Paris (1974) Peter Weir. The poor people of Paris (Paris, Australia) keep the economy going by inducing traffic accidents and selling the spare parts/scrap metal. Iffy black comedy has its moments. (in US released as The Cars That East People?) "Crocodile" Dundee (1986) Paul Hogan. Amiable, laid-back comedy (that became an enormous world-wide hit) about an adventurer who shows a pretty American reporter around the bush country, then accompanies her to the equally strange terrain of New York City. Irresistibly simple and old-fashioned, with a sweetness that's rare in modern comedies. [Unfortunately this is all most Americans know about Australia. AN] "Crocodile" Dundee II (1988) Sequel, not too bad. Don's Party (1976) Bruce Beresford. Powerful black comedy about the interaction - sexual and otherwise - about a group of young suburbanites who get together to watch election returns. Stunning direction, superb performances by all; biting script by David Williamson, from his play. Flirting: director John Duigan Malcolm (1986) Charming, disarmingly off-beat comedy about a slow-witted young man with a genious for mechanical devices and his unusual entry into a life of crime. Australian film institute winner for best Picture. Norman Loves Rose (1982) Ok comedy of teenager Owen who becomes enamoured with sister-in-law Kane. She becomes pregnant and who is the father? Rikky and Pete (1988) Pete is a misfit with a penchant for gimmicky inventions, Rikki is his sister who is still trying to find herself; together they flee to a remote mining town where their lives take some unexpected turns. Followup to Malcolm by the same director and writer, hasn't the same sweetness or consistency but it's admirably quirky. Strictly Ballroom Scott Hastings (Paul Mercurio), one of Australia's best ballroom dancers, is on-target for a number of championships until he starts to dance from the heart, abandoning the Dance Federation's rigid steps in favor of his own moves. His partner Liz (Gia Carides) leaves him and Scott is forced to take up with an amateur. Fran (Tara Morice) matches Scott's zest for life, but one question hangs over them as they teach each other about life, love, and dancing: can they win by rejecting tradition? Touch and Go (1980) Young Einstein (1988) Nutty comedy based on the premise that Einstein not only developed the theory of relativity, but invented rock 'n roll. The silliness continues from there... but any movie that contains 'cat pies' can't be all bad. The Year my Voice Broke:director John Duigan DRAMA Breaker Morant Burke and Wills Cactus Caddie Careful, He Might Hear You Chain Reaction A Cry in the Dark: The Azeria Chamberlain story, with Meryl Streep as Lindy Chamberlain Dawn The Devil's Playground The Fringe Dwellers The Getting of Wisdom Ground Zero Heatwave High Tide Kangaroo The Killing of Angel Street Kitty and the Bagman Last Days at Chez Nous The Last Wave Lonely Hearts Man of Flowers The Mango Tree Miracle Down Under My Brilliant Career My First Wife Newsfront Now and Forever -On the Beach. Based on a Neville Shute novel, set in Melbourne, the last place on earth just about that people are still alive after a neuclear war, waiting for the sickness to reach them. Picnic at Hanging Rock Proof: Blind man takes photographs as proof that he was there. Puberty Blues Rebel (1986) Shame (1988) Squizzy Taylor Storm Boy Summer City Tim A Town Like Alice Traveling North Warm Nights on a Slow-Moving Train Weekend of Shadows Who Killed Baby Azaria The Wild Duck Winter of Our Dreams MUSICAL Dogs in Space Starstruck MYSTERY/THRILLER Dead Calm Patrick 8. Contributors The following people (listed in no particular order) have made substantial contributions to this FAQ. If you have any corrections, suggestions, additions, subtractions, etc., please mail them to Ann Nicholson, aen@cs.brown.edu. NOTE: Unfortunately, I cannot post articles on behalf of others, arrange aus.* feeds, look for lost relatives, etc. I only have time to deal with email that is related to this FAQ. Chris Penington (cjp8b@Virginia.EDU) Hugh Garsden (hughg@ee.su.OZ.AU) Rex Mammel (rexm@csn.org) Brian Ross (brian@coombs.anu.edu.au) Luke Brennan (BRENNAN@COCO.CCHS.SU.OZ.AU) Rhys Weatherley (rhys@cs.uq.oz.au) George Michaelson (G.Michaelson@cc.uq.oz.au) Phil Watson (Phil.Watson@newcastle.ac.uk) Fred C. Wyse (02h@oasys.dt.navy.mil) Jim Breen (jwb@capek.rdt.monash.edu.au) Tim Littlejohn (little@ere.umontreal.ca) Bruce Cockburn (bcockburn@acorn.co.uk) Thomas Marvan (tmarvan@sdcc3.ucsd.edu) Ruth Isabella McKai (mckay@leland.Stanford.EDU) Thomas Cohen (thos@suite.sw.oz.au) Ronald J. Bartle (snuffy@zelator.in-berlin.de) Richard Helm (helm@watson.ibm.com) Ross Alford (zlraa@marlin.jcu.edu.au) Carol Denehy (ccd@ccadfa.cc.adfa.oz.au) Bob Marks (bobm@agsm.unsw.oz.au) king@qut.edu.au Chris Maltby (chris@suite.sw.oz.au) Dave Horsfall (dave@eram.esi.com.au) Stephen Wales (stephenw@mincom.oz.au) Shannon McNeil (mcneil@angis.su.OZ.AU) John Nash (jnash@ccs.carleton.ca) Ian Doust (iand@hydra.maths.unsw.edu.au) Ross Paterson (rap@doc.ic.ac.uk) Nick (nfoskett@mv.us.adobe.com) Melissa Rogerson (rogerson@bkfug.kfunigraz.ac.at) David Everett (deverett@vms.macc.wisc.edu) Ming (mkoh@hp-vcd.vcd.hp.com) Charles Creegan (ccreegan@uncecs.edu) Duncan Farrow (d.farrow@uea.ac.uk) John Lamp (jw_lamp@postoffice.utas.edu.au) LS Vincensius Sugito (sugito@tartarus.uwa.edu.au) Barth Richards (barth@cbnewsd.cb.att.com) Franz C. Schlosser (fcs@leo.DIALix.oz.au) Frank Warner(fwarner@swifty.dap.CSIRO.AU) Ian Couroulis (i899435@greybox.ucnv.edu.au) Robert Chalmers (earth@nanguo.xanadu.dialix.oz.au) Brendan Jones (brendan@mpce.mq.edu.au) Robert Elz (kre@munnari.OZ.AU) Corran Webster (cwebster@math.ucla.edu) jondarr@macadam.mpce.mq.edu.au Ivan Reid (ivan@cvax.psi.ch) Kim Badcock (Kim.Badcock@ml.csiro.au) Tony Sprent (sprent@sol.surv.utas.edu.au) John Newman (J.Newman@icarus.curtin.edu.au) James Harland (jah@cs.mu.OZ.AU) Leanne Archer (Leanne Archer) William Eggington (William_Eggington@byu.edu.23.0@byu.edu) Andrea Janelle Dickens (ajd2k@Virginia.EDU) Greg Vernon (vernon@bcstec.ca.boeing.com) Andrew Davie (s1331501@giaec.cc.monash.edu.au) P Atcliffe (p_atclif@pat.uwe.ac.uk) Chris Maltby (chris@softway.sw.oz.au) Tony Mason (tmason@tuart.awadi) Rob Geraghty (robg@citr.uq.oz.au) Andrew Clarke (ajc@libserver.canberra.edu.au) John Oliver Lawrence Cavedon (cavedon@cogsci.edinburth.ac.uk) Ian Couroulis Peter Butler (peter_butler.its_2_po@ms-gw.uow.edu.au) Mark L. Sawley (sawley@dme.epfl.ch) Helen Johnston Gopal Rajan (grajan@worldbank.org) Ken Pisichko (pisichko@uwpg02.uwinnipeg.ca) Michael Johnson (mick@mullara.met.unimelb.EDU.AU) Justin Sullivan (justin@sydney.dialix.oz.au) Chris Beiting (beiting@vax.ox.ac.uk) Ron Seto (rons@zubrette.mpce.mq.edu.au) Samir KASME (samir.kasme@alcatel.ch) Tom Northey (tom@opal.com.au) Ian Staples (ianst@qdpii.ind.dpi.qld.gov.au) Mark the Magnetic (mpiton@chem.queensu.ca) Bob Dick (bd@psych.psy.uq.oz.au) Phil Ganderton (gandini@unm.edu) Joe Mack (mack@fcs260c.ncifcrf.gov) James Mullen (jmullens@cssc-melb.tansu.com.au) Josef Widjaja (jwidjaja@laurel.ocs.mq.edu.au) Richard Hickling (kinlen@ox.ac.uk) Peter Rayner (pjr@splash.Princeton.EDU) raphael@mama.research.canon.oz.au Zev Sero (zev@asis.unimelb.edu.au) Bob Backway (b.backway@trl.oz.au) Dean Tregenza (dean.tregenza@audit.csiro.au) Jaqui Lynch (lynch@delphi.bc.edu) Mark Morwood (morwood@wal.hp.com) Bob Dick (bd@psych.psy.uq.oz.au) Tony van Rosmalen (crisar@rulcvx.LeidenUniv.nl)