what is "Australian identity"?

[matilda]

The Halloween posts have me thinking, and I reckon it'd be fun to explore it:

What is it?

Why do people have a view that Halloween isn't necessarily part of it?

Thoughts?

Matilda

[Kasman]

Halloween not being part of it could just be stodgy old me resisting change. I embrace our multicultural society, but there are some things I just find plain annoying, and trick or treating is just one part of this. The kids I turned away weren't coming at night, they were walking down my driveway at about 5.00 pm. Lights on or off would have made no difference - even if they'd understood that particular custom, it was broad daylight at the time.

Australian identity? Start with love of all things involving balls - sport - competition...

[inuvik]

An outsider's view!

Most of what I know about Australia is stereotypes, but those are what lasts, unfortunately.

I think of Waltzing Matilda, the Monty Python skits making fun of Australians, and everyone being descended from prisoners. All sterotypes and all exaggerated, I'm sure!

I would love to visit someday and learn the true identity.

[hoosier]

Another outsiders view--

When I think of Australia I think of vast open spaces, Aborigines, "Aussie" hats, The Man from Snowy River and sheep ranches/stations. Oh, and kangaroos.

[Kasman]

Melbourne Cup Day...

Anzac Day...

[inuvik]

hoosier said:

Another outsiders view--

When I think of Australia I think of vast open spaces, Aborigines, "Aussie" hats, The Man from Snowy River and sheep ranches/stations. Oh, and kangaroos.

How could I forget the animals? Koalas too !

[Kasman]

Driza-bones, akubras and Croc Dundee

[Duchess of Lashes]

And lest we not make mention of the platypus...and the bird spiders.....wallabies.....dingos....wombats.

A shrimp on the bar-be and Fosters Beer! And boomerangs!

[matilda]

Woohoo. This is so much fun.

So from the top ...

Kangaroos - the sight of about eight big silver ones jumping across paddocks at twilight outside Mudgee. Shooing a big brown one out of our caravan at St Georges Basin and a joey popping its head out of its mother's pouch to say hello to the kids. Koalas, platypus etc - the magnificent Taronga Zoo on the harbour in Sydney and living in Woolloomooloo in the early 80s - sometimes you could hear the lions at night. Emus and wombats - the road between Cobar and Broken Hill, seeing emus run across the road for the first time and lots of dead wombats (very sad).

The vast, dry spaces of the country out there. Man from Snowy River - Adelong, Wiradjuri country, my country. The incredible softness of the light out there and the ancient boulders on the side of the road.

Monty Python - TV in the 70s. Friday nights as kids, all the imports from the UK. The Two Ronnies, Dave Allen and really bad outfits on the dancers. The Magic Roundabout and kids' shows about horses (what on earth is a conker???).

Barbies, mmm - garlic prawns, yes, and steak. My Argentinian sister in law always begging for lamb on the barby rather than the beef she has grown up with! The smell of 100 barbecues in the parks in January - the magnificent garlicky smell of barby cooking from Greek and Lebanese Australians' barby cooking wafting through the parks - yum!

Which brings me to food - sometimes I think as Australians we just don't understand how wonderful the produce is here until we leave. Wilson's (!!!) Lebanese Restaurant in Redfern, allegedly the first Lebanese Restaurant in Sydney. The garlic chicken and the lemony tabouleh. BBQ King in Chinatown in Sydney for a meat fix - the BBQed ducks hanging in the window. The chicken laksa at The Malaya. The smell of the Night Noodle Markets in Hyde Park. Summer, pavlovas with passionfruit - my grandmother's cooking - sponge cakes with fresh cream, scones, johnny cakes.

A Bra Burger - the BEST hamburger in Sydney at what we call a Milk Bar in Maroubra after a long day at the beach. My brother-in-law deciding to live in Australia after his first ordering of a hamburger with the lot (pineapple, egg, bacon etc) on Magnetic Island - he thought he could live on it for a week as a backpacker! Then he met my sister ....

Sport - rugby league. The politics of why a working-class sport from the North of England has been adopted as ours - and a good thing in my view! The tiny turnstiles at the old, 100 yr old Redfern Oval and thinking how large we've become in the last 100 years. Good thing Russell Crowe's flashing it up! The football stars of the 70s - Artie Beetson, Tommy Raudonikis and Ray Price. A Blackfulla, a post WW2 refugee and an Anglo-Celtic Aussie - how good is that! How my husband has converted me to Aussie Rules - a hybrid of Gaelic Football and Marn Grook, a local game. The magnificence of watching Lance Franklin, a 6 foot 6 inches (same freaky height as my brother) Nyoongar (Blackfulla from West Australia) lad. There must be some freaky tall genes among Aboriginal people!!

Fosters, Carlton Draught and the grandparents beer of the 70s, DA (cop this, Dinner Ale). My husband, the United Nations of Beer - this week it's Maes from Belgium and James Squire Pilsener - he likes to try everything! For me, right now, the gorgeous breed of Sauvignon Blancs from Margaret River. Vodka and Golden Circle Pineapple Juice - here comes summer!

Mmm - summer in Sydney. Early mornings at the beach, starting in October with taking 6 yr old to Nippers (Junior Surf Lifesaving) on Sunday mornings at 9 bloody a.m. while 12 yr old surfs. Neilsen Park less crowded on Saturdays because of Jewish Sabbath - must remember to get there early on Sundays while Nippers having a break! Coffee at Nielsen Park cafe - how lovely that we can do both - beach and coffee at the same time. Sydney Festival - this year headed by Brian Wilson doing Pet Sounds in the Domain- gotta remember to book tickets for chosen events! The Art Gallery in summer, good place to take kids on a hot day, nice and cool, the Goddess Exhibition last year. End of holiday season marked by Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade, kids nagging for expensive seats in Bobby Goldsmith Foundation (AIDS charity) stands and Mardi Gras Fair Day in Victoria Park, hot, hot, hot and the sounds of thousand of dogs and kids and the smell of junk food!

Melbourne Cup - not being able to talk to anyone in Melbourne because they have a PUBLIC HOLIDAY!!!! How many champagne Melb Cup lunches have I been to!! My neighbour commenting to me yesterday (Melb Cup Day) that he was happy about the rain as it's better drinking weather, bless him.

Anzac Day - my grandfather and his four brothers - WW2 - the strength of his mother, four sons overseas fighting, my grandmother with 3 little kids on her own. Paul's Dad, Bill. Got discharged from the Army then joined the Air Force, prior to enlisting he'd carried a swag around the bush, never had a job - the Depression.

And for Anzac Day, a poem my son brought home from school this year. It's very dated in its language and concepts, but it is fantastic. It's on our fridge:

"The following poem was written by Bert Beros, a soldier who fought in WW2, about his mate, an Aboriginal. He tells of the bravery of his mate, Private West, who attacked a Japanese machine-gun pit, single-handed.

He came and joined the colours,
When the war God's anvil rang,
He took up modern weapons
To replace his boomerang,
He waited for no call-up,
He didn't need a push,
He came in from the stations
And the townships of the bush.

He proved he's still a warrior,
In action not afraid,
He faced the blasting red-hot fire
From mortar and grenade;
He didn't mind when food was low,
And we were getting thin,
He didn't growl or worry then,
He'd cheer us with a grin.

One day he''ll leave the Army,
Then join the League he shall,
And he hopes we'll give a better deal
To the Aboriginal."

The "League" refers to the Returned Services League - Aboriginal ex-servicemen were not permitted to join it until after the 1967 Referendum that allowed Aboriginal people to vote and have Australian citizenship. Yes, sad but true.

So there you go, one 'insider's' images!!

Thanks for this everyone, good thinking inspiration.

Matilda

[rducasey]

Karma for all that Matilda, that was fun to read, and also made me mighty hungry.

And how about Ayers Rock....that's what I think of when I think of Australia.....and of course dingoes.

[matilda]

rducasey said:

Karma for all that Matilda, that was fun to read, and also made me mighty hungry.

And how about Ayers Rock....that's what I think of when I think of Australia.....and of course dingoes.

Never seen a dingo darls, and I must say I'm not in a hurry. Seen plenty of dogs in the country that are alleged to have dingo in them though!

We call the formerly named Ayers Rock Uluru these days, its traditional name. And I haven't been there either. Really want to. In the 'one day' basket.

I've made myself hungry.

Tilda

[matilda]

I've just thought of more cos of the food thing and I promise I will stop at this.

Moreton Bay Bugs accompanied by (any) crisp, chilled white wine at any of the riverside restaurants at Southbank in Brisbane, sitting outside on a summer's day.

Melbourne restaurant culture - crisp white tablecloths, shiny cutlery.

Barrumundi just caught by my brother, cooked on the barby, put in the middle of the table and all dig in.

The Friday night Argentinian BBQ at Kensington Bowling Club. Meat, meat and more meat (hope I'm not offending any vegetarians).

Paul's Vietnamese salad rip-off - shredded unripe pawpaw, cane sugar, fish sauce, chilli. Another summer treat.

The pork and prawn rolls at Minh in Dulwich Hill.

Anything from the smokehouse at Dulwich Hill.

The entire menu at The Balkan in Oxford St, Darlinghurst.

The BBQ sausage on a roll with tomato sauce (ketchup) at suburban footy grounds, where our kids play, in winter. The sole redeeming feature of an 8.10 footy game on a winter Sunday morning at a footy ground on the water at Coogee. Not warm.

Yes, I love food. Can you tell?

So that's my Australian identity. Food.

Matilda

[Kasman]

longlashes said:

And lest we not make mention of the platypus...and the bird spiders.....wallabies.....dingos....wombats.

A shrimp on the bar-be and Fosters Beer! And boomerangs!

That would be prawn not shrimp, lol.

Karma for your epic post, Matilda. Beautifully said.

Personally, I march with my dad's unit on Anzac Day and this year, for the first time, also attended the reunion lunch.

BBQ King is a two minute walk from my office, although we tend more to haunt The Regal and East Ocean for yum cha - we're there most Fridays, lol.

On a very Australian note, a friend of my daughter's currently has (literally) his swag on our lounge room floor (his parents threw him out). He's only recently back from spending six months working on a cattle property in far north Queensland - complete with obligatory well-worn stockman's akubra and said swag. He also has a Southern Cross tattooed across his right shoulder. Anyone would think I was living in the country, LOL!

[matilda]

Good on ya Kas for marching. Your Dad must have been so proud. Not game, too sad. They had a celebration for the Black Diggers in Redfern this year and I couldn't go to that either, too sad. I am wuss.

LOVE East Ocean but can't go back after once famously walking in, copping the smell and then running out and throwing up in gutter on Sussex Street whilst pregnant, to great amusement of husband and friends who'd had a few too many sherbets at The Star. Memory too bad. True story.

Golden Century girl ever since. Regal for Yum Cha and another one in Marrickville Sunday mornings when we're not at somebody's bloody sporting fixture, forget the name.

Re the swag-carrier - get rid of him. NOW. They never leave.

[Kasman]

matilda said:

I've just thought of more cos of the food thing and I promise I will stop at this.

Moreton Bay Bugs accompanied by (any) crisp, chilled white wine at any of the riverside restaurants at Southbank in Brisbane, sitting outside on a summer's day.

And anything accompanied by a Margaret River Red - Mad Fish would be my favourite!

The sight of a pair of galahs with another on lookout snipping all the flowers from my neighbour's gerberahs in a fit of parrot mischief.

The alarming week we had earlier this year when, following some rain, the grass on the vacant land behind us reached thigh high and the blacksnakes (5 in all) started migrating to our yard from the creek.

The cheeping of birds at sunrise.

The leathery flight of flying foxes overhead just after sundown.

Fireworks at the Opera House on New Year's Eve.

The Denny Ute Muster and Tamworth Country Music Festival and The Festival of Fisher's Ghost.

The massive whale skeleton grading the foyer ceiling of the Australian Museum in College Street (a particularly strong memory from my childhood).

My mum, red and sweaty, producing a hot Christmas Dinner on a day when the temp hits 35C and then complaining when we all spend the afternoon napping and leave her to clean up.

A Sunday afternoon tour of Bare Island when the guide saw the sweater I was wearing and commented that I was "bear chested", lol.