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Happy Australia Day!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 9:18 pm
by cooran
Image

Re: Happy Australia Day!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 9:28 pm
by tiltbillings
So, what is this? Your Independence Day?

Re: Happy Australia Day!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 9:38 pm
by DNS
Is that the day the first convicts arrived? Were there female prisoners too? Where did you guys come from, if not?

Re: Happy Australia Day!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 10:00 pm
by Ben
Its the day (26th Jan 1788) that the British human trafficker, Governor Arthur Philip, and his human cargo arrived illegally in Port Jackson, createda colony which was in effect a prison witout walls, and began the wholesale dispossession of the first inhabitant's of their land. Amongst some, Australia Day is also known as Invasion Day.
Ironic, really, given our Government's inhumane treatment of asylum seekers coming to our shore by boat.
Having said that, Australians eschew nationalism so the day is celebrated by many by having a barbeque and watching the cricket, or involved in some other leisure or social activity.
As Australia Day falls on a Saturday this year, the following Monday is the public holiday.
kind regards,

Ben

Re: Happy Australia Day!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 10:05 pm
by Kim OHara
Hi, David and Tilt,
Independence Day is the nearest equivalent but it's complicated ...
Here is some stuff about the major complication: http://www.creativespirits.info/aborigi ... vasion-day

:namaste:
Kim

Re: Happy Australia Day!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 10:08 pm
by Ben
David N. Snyder wrote:Is that the day the first convicts arrived? Were there female prisoners too? Where did you guys come from, if not?
Yes, there were some female convicts in the first fleet. A famous incident occured on the first days of the new colony. The male convicts and marines and female convicts who had been kept on separate ships on the voyage out, engaged in a spontaneous mass orgy.
More female convicts came out in the second fleet. One ship, in particular, was known as the "floating brothel".

As far as I know, none of my forebears were first fleeters. There were later convicts with the same surname as mine but I haven't done a geneological study to determine whether they were my direct ancestors. Some of my forebears came from Ireland in the 1840s and m1850s, some from Ireland later. On my father's side, Southern Ireland, and from my mother's side, Northern Ireland (I think).
kind regards,

Ben

Re: Happy Australia Day!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 10:10 pm
by cooran
Hello tilt, David, all,

Australia Day History

The quest for the celebration of a united Australian Day and the parallel search for a unique sense of 'Australian identity' commenced within a few short years of the First Fleet landing of 1788 and subsequent white settlement of the land.
The following overview gives a chronological account of how settlers and Indigenous Australians have alternatively acknowledged, celebrated and mourned the 26 January and its significance since 1788.
• 1788 to 1888
• 1889 to 1938
• 1939 to 1988
• 1989 to Present
• Chronology
• Bibliography

Since the initial years of white settlement, Australians have celebrated a national day. In the process, they have also defined what it means to be Australian. January 26 has traditionally marked the landing of Captain Arthur Phillip at Port Jackson in present-day Sydney, thereby claiming Australia for the British Empire. Early settlers, perhaps naturally, marked the anniversary of the colony's establishment. Australia Day has consequently evolved from a small commemorative New South Wales holiday into a major national celebration. Though it has often been criticised, it has nevertheless emerged as the most inclusive celebration of a national day in Australia, expressing the national diversity which has become such an important part of the Australian national character. Whereas once it celebrated the staunchly British nature of Australian society (or was disparaged for this approach), it now embraces multicultural Australia, including all ethnic backgrounds, racial differences and political viewpoints. Australia Day today is a celebration of diversity and tolerance in Australian society.
http://www.australiaday.com.au/studentr ... story.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

My ancestors were from Poland originally. One male, after moving to England and joining the military there, came to Australia as an escort for a ship carrying convicts. After discharge, he eventually settled on farming land in southern Queensland and raised a family.
Yes, there were female convicts, but many Australians claim descent from immigrants from Great Britain and other waves of immigration from very many European, Asian, Pacific Islander and African countries since then.

with metta
Chris

Re: Happy Australia Day!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 10:12 pm
by cooran
Ben said: A famous incident occured on the first days of the new colony. The male convicts and marines and female convicts who had been kept on separate ships on the voyage out, engaged in a spontaneous mass orgy.
More female convicts came out in the second fleet. One ship, in particular, was known as the "floating brothel".
Hi Ben,

I had never heard of these incidents - could you give some links to where I can read about them?

with metta
Chris

Re: Happy Australia Day!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 10:16 pm
by Polar Bear
Image

Re: Happy Australia Day!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 10:16 pm
by Ben
Chris, sure.
"The Commonwealth of Thieves: the Sydney experiment" by Tom Keneally.
kind regards,

Ben

Re: Happy Australia Day!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 10:26 pm
by Ben
pages 121 and following

Re: Happy Australia Day!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 10:26 pm
by cooran
Thanks Ben!!

Re: Happy Australia Day!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 10:43 pm
by cooran
Australian Facts For Australia Day
January 26th 2007 00:25

As today is Australia Day - here are some interesting Australian facts.

* The Australian Coat Of Arms has on it a kangaroo and an emu. The reason for this is that the kangaroo and the emu cannot go backwards but can only walk forwards.

* Australia is the sixth largest country after Russia, Canada, China, the United States of America and Brazil. However our population remains relatively small at just over 20 million.

* Australia is the only country that is a continent. The mainland is the largest island and the smallest, flattest continent on Earth.

* Australia is the driest, inhabited continent on earth. The only continent drier than Australia is Antarctica.

* The interior has one of the lowest rainfalls in the world and about three-quarters of the land is arid or semi-arid.

* More than 40 000 years before the arrival of European settlers, there were an estimated 300,000 indigenous Australians living on the continent.

* On the 26th of January, 1788, The First Fleet of 11 ships with 1500 aboard, half of them convicts from Britain, arrived at the south eastern shores of Australia. The town of Sydney grew from that first small, British penal settlement. Australia day commemorates this.

* In 1988 at the Bicentenary, 51% of Australians couldn't see any good reason for celebrating.

* There are many claims to the fact that that the first European settlers in Australia drank more alcohol per head of population than any other community in the history of mankind.

* Convicts being transported to New South Wales continued up until 1840, but they were still taken to Western Australia until 1868.

* Australia, founded by convicts. The homicide rate is in Australia is 1.8 per 100,000 of population. The United States was founded by religious zealots. It's homicide rate is 6.3 per 100,000. Almost 400% greater than Australia.

* About 160,000 convicts arrived over 80 years. That compares with free settler arrivals as high as 50 000 a year.

* About 30% of the population was born overseas

* Four out of 10 Australians are migrants or the first-generation children of migrants.

* Aborigines, the indigenous people, now only make up 1.5 % of the population. There are no Tasmanian full blooded aboriginals left. They were also different in appearance from the mainland aborigines.

* Sydney is the largest city with over 4 million people, while the capital Canberra has around 300,000.
http://www.funfacts.com.au/australian-f ... ralia-day/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Re: Happy Australia Day!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 10:50 pm
by DNS
cooran wrote: * Australia, founded by convicts. The homicide rate is in Australia is 1.8 per 100,000 of population. The United States was founded by religious zealots. It's homicide rate is 6.3 per 100,000. Almost 400% greater than Australia.
:jumping: :twothumbsup:

I love that one. Thanks for the history lessons. Australia is cool.

And Australians are particularly good at sports, Olympic medals, etc., per capita.

Re: Happy Australia Day!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 11:45 pm
by tiltbillings


(Hasn't Peter Garrett fallen from this social consciousness?)