Australians Only: What does Australia mean to us....

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I think an Australian's perception of themselves and their country depends on how old you are. I wrote a song called "Australia" two years ago which sums up my feelings pretty well. Australia is not the place it used to be but like I said, I'm deeply coloured by my age and upbringing. Between multi-nationals and American culture most of what it was to be an Australian and what Australia was about is now consigned to history.

I happened once upon a man
He made a life with his own hands
Big machines they took his life away
He paid the price for efficiency
His final words that day to me
Still ringin’ in my ears to this day

The time has come
To travel down the road
I’m off to look for Australia

I came across a soldier boy
Who had to give away his toys
For adventures far away across the sea
This boy returned a man
But couldn’t speak and couldn’t stand
The message in his eyes did say to me

The time has come
To travel down the road
I’m off to look for Australia

Another man who bought and sold
And sluiced and panned his weight in gold
But now he can’t afford to buy a meal
The river left him high and dry
He said to me he wish he’d died
Before the company made yet another deal, and he said

The time has come
To travel down the road
I’m off to look for Australia

And the thousands who were forced to flee
From famine war and misery
Assisted passage to the promised land
The illusion’s plain for all to see
Our jobs are now all overseas
And no-one even stops to lend a hand any more

The time has come
To travel down the road
I’m off to look for Australia

And I can’t help but shed a tear
For all the ghosts throughout the years
And for all the variations on a prayer
I strain my eyes against the sun
I see the good work’s been undone
For those who know it’s a heavy cross to bear

The time has come
To travel down the road
I’m off to look for Australia

that good point. Australia has changed a lot since peoples started to migrate from other countries that weren't part of the britain.
but being sports mad is still part of the identity and i don't think that will go away at all.
RIP CLINTON GRYBAS

Australia has a divergent ethnic mix for decades. Americans and Chinese since the 1850s, Afghans in the 1880s, middle eastern people after WW1 and so on. This mix has changed a lot since the 1960s though, we did have the white Australia policy until 1972 from memory. This has presented it's own problems and I think it's to do with people identifying more strongly with their ethnic origins rather than embracing what was Australian culture. An example of this would be the Cronulla riots where it appeared very much as an "us versus them" mentality, which was as disturbing as it was shameful, with both elements equally complicit.

Agreed with what you said about sports Tweety Fan, we are per capita the greatest country in the world at Sports and yes, RIP Clinton, what a great tragedy to be taken at such a young age.

Australia is a beautiful country with a large range of animals. But it is also hot and dry.
Most people are caught up in the war to have the best things and don't really think about protecting the beautiful rainforests that we have or the many varied animals that are becoming endangered due to their habitats being destroyed for development.

Basically, a large percentage of people here are similar to other developed countries, they don't want to think very much.

I know Australians have a reputation for being open and accepting, but I don't actually think that is true. Racism is a big thing here.

So, while I love the beaches and rainforests and animals in this country, I am saddened by the selfishness of a lot of people. Nobody even wants to get up for disabled, elderly or pregnant people on the trains any more.

Aside from Cronulla and Pauline Hanson - I can't think of anything much.... I don't see much racism - where is it happening?

re: the buses... Every day I walk from Wynyard up to Town hall (two bus stops so that I don't have to miss a few buses - it's 45 mins home). I don't want to have to stand. I also make sure that I never sit in the "blue stickered" seat.

So... a pregnant woman gets onto a bus that she knows is crowded... why do I have to give her my seat? If she waited another 15 mins, the next bus would have plenty of seats. I know, because often I've waited.

So, do I give her my seat and stand the whole way?
give her my seat and walk all the way back two stops to get the next bus (or get off and wait 15 mins?).

Well, no...

If she could see the bus was full, why did she get on?

BTW: I'm not usually this mean - and it's never happened to me since I was a kid, but if it did, it would be a struggle.

Firstly you can't say Pauline Hanson in such a small manner. For a while there she had a lot of support. I was at school at the time she came out and some of my Filipino friends were spat on. Her saying the things she said made people think they could think express themselves in ways that they hadn't before. The Cronulla Riots were also a pretty big thing.

Also ever watched Today Tonight? I saw a special where they were interviewing shopkeepers who were refusing to serve foreign people who couldn't speak correct English. Heard people speak of Asylum Seekers and Immigrants before? I have and simply because they are people from overseas there are quite a lot of people who don't care about their troubles.

Then there is people's view of Aboriginals...






I don't catch buses and when I did live closer to the city and caught buses, they certainly did not come every 15 minutes.
I catch trains and it just is the right thing to do to stand for someone who would have trouble standing.
Instead, I have seen an old man with a cane get on (I was standing already) and his daughter had to ASK someone to get up for him, which they did begrudgingly. I always make a point of giving up my seat for people who need it. I don't like to stand either, but I would feel terrible if they fell over and hurt themselves because I was too selfish not to just put myself out a little.

Also, with the daughter and her father with the cane - they got on the same carriage every day and it was common practice for her to have to ask... Of course not everyone was horrible and put out by it and some even offered, but it seemed a larger percentage hoped for someone else to give up their seat.

Someone told me about drop-bears on a school camp when I was 9 years old. At the time, I took them seriously.

For some reason, standing on a train isn't so bad... but the buses I catch go in excess of 100 km per hour on the expressway and the drivers are awful with the brake. It's really dangerous and uncomfortable to stand. Personally, I think it should be illegal to stand on them but our government hasn't realised the dangers.... someone inside the bus will have to die first ... I've been on a couple of buses where they've killed outside people.

I've been in situations where I've missed three or four buses in a row because I'd rather wait and get a seat. There is NO way I'm gonna give that up for someone who gets on when they know it's full. These particular buses do come every 15 minutes.

I'm a driver now, and i know the fastest way to get somewhere is to follow a bus

THEY'RE F****** maniacs

They own the road and if you don't get out of their way you get slid into the morgue.
I always got up for anybody, 20 years ago when i was a strapping young lad.
The way the drivers throw those buses around the road,
I pity anybody inside.

I still remember holding on to those over-head hand-holds
and thinking "I could get thrown out of a window!"
and they're even faster now!

Alright... what do I think of Australia? Well, this may be a long post... I can appreciate what we've got, but I don't really like it here, and I'm busting my balls to see Europe. There are a number of things I don't really like about Australia, and there are a *few* things I do like, so in no order... Cultural identity. We have none. I mean, whenever people think Australia, they think wildlife, or Steve Irwin, or something so rediculously stereotypical it makes me want to gouge my eyes out with a stick. I mean, for example, when people think about France, or Italy, they think of fine food, beautiful languages, beautiful people, coffee, beaches and walking around naked without getting arrested. (don't tell me you all haven't wanted to xD ) none of those things can be remotely associated with Aus. Then, we don't have our own race. We are the direct offspring of Britain, and other European countries. Even then, most other countries regard us all criminals because of the first settlers. The word Australian doesn't really entail anything, I mean, I have soo many different races in me I can't count them all... but somehow being born in *this* place makes me an "Aussie"? And we're pale, and there aren't many attractive girls. Go to any of the southern end of Europe, and it's hard to find ugly girls. Thirdly, we're a miniature version of America... like I said, we have no real culture, and Americanizing just makes things worse.

Another thing, I'm a real history buff. Australia has the most dull and uneventful history of any country in the world. I know most countries have long and messy histories, but we've got no real reason to be proud of anything, we haven't fought for anything, really, we've just got what we've got. Again, accents. All other countries think that we all speak like Crocodile Dundee. I go on Xbox Live and most people of other countries think I'm actually British. They don't believe I'm Australian until I go "G'day mate!" or "put another shrimp on the barbie!" it's awful. Stereotypical Australian is like Cockney or South African, only more irritating, and I hate being typecast. I just don't speak like that. Also, the land is so goddamn boring. I mean, look at the landscapes of south east Asia, then compare them to to our deserts and gum trees? And when you think about our cities... they're just so... how do I put this... new? I mean, they're not "modern"... but they don't have the antique feel of New York, or London or Paris or something like that... I mean, what do we have to be really proud of? Another thing, Aussie Rules football. It depresses me more than anything else. People of other countries judge us all by these thugs wearing tank-tops, short-shorts and wrestling each other in the mud. Football is just so... homo-erotic? It doesn't represent us as a nation in the slightest... Then you've got our "racial diversity"... in other words, "people who escaped Europe when it was in pieces after WWII and resented the decision ever since". I mean, Italian-Australians. I don't mean to be judgmental, but they're all a**holes. They hate us. Well not all of them, but a lot of them. Same with the Asian community, the Middle East and the British. Acting so superior, like us "common people" are scum. I know it's awful, bit I just can't help but think, "go back to your own country if you think it's so great!"

Internet is another thing that bothers me too. We're years behind other countries. In a few years time, Australia will be the only country still stuck in the days of optical media. Optical media will be dead, just say bye-bye. It'll be like, the rest of the world have iPods, but we're still listening to vinyl. Digital downloads just won't be doable here, even if that twerp, Rudd, does what he says he'll do. And download limits are next to non existent outside of Australia.

Censorship is another archaic factor. There is absolutely no respect for gamers like myself, they think games are for angry fourteen year olds, with too much testosterone, who own guns. Like, they won't even consider classifying games as pornography... as in, needing identification to buy them, like they do in New Zealand, which would make things better for everyone. Right now the highest classification a game can receive is MA15, and many games are dumbed down, or just not released in our market because of that. One other crooked thing, television censorship. It's like, they'll show horrible images of war, burned and horribly disfigured people, but when it comes to a female breast! Gasp! I mean, you suck on them every day when you're an infant, but you're not allowed to see them until you're over eighteen and it's passed nine o'clock?

Alright, another thing, Aboriginals. I'm far from racist, but I really can't stand them. They don't work, they sit around drinking beer, and sniffing petrol, spending MY tax money... and I'm supposed to be "sorry" for what my great grandfather may or may not have done? That isn't right. I know they were treated very badly, but often different cultures don't mix, and this is extremely evident when it comes to Aboriginals and proper Australians. We should have left them to their own devices.

The things I do like... Americanizing has its advantages. The big companies are beginning to realize the market we've got here. Were beginning to be very up to date in terms of computers, televisions, audio hardware and gadgets. Were a long way ahead of most of Europe in that respect. Natural disasters are also a plus. We don't get them at all. Our public and private schooling systems are also very good. As well as hospitals and health care, are all up to scratch. We rank third in the human development index, not much more to say about that. The new twerp, Rudd, is actually focusing on environment, rather than economy. Good thing. And, last but not least, we aren't living in the Christian dictatorship that America is becoming... well, we're not living in it yet. We truly do have freedom when it comes to religious beliefs. And I'm not religious at all, atheist to the bone, like all of my family... but I thank god every single day that I'm allowed not to believe in him

But once again, I'll be seeing the world in a few years, and choosing which European country suits me best, then I will never look back on this place.

Last edited by iddqd on 08 Jan 2008, 9:17 am, edited 2 times in total.

Actually I do see your point with the bus. I have back problems so there's no way I would stand on one of them and let myself be thrown about going around corners. Trains are fine though... Plus I live in Brisbane and I know here in peak hour there are no seats on any of the trains, except for near the start of the line. I actually agree with you that people should not be standing on buses. I have always thought they should have seatbelts too, particularly for the ones closest to the front when there is that huge windscreen.

iddqd said lots of stuff:

Yeah, our cultural identity is pies, pavlova, sun, beaches etc.. If anything, we're being recognised a lot for our sports. In some ways, I'm sad that we don't have much cultural identity or flag waving but then considering how the US tends to suck up to it's flag, I'm not sure that it's such a good thing anyway.
We're very much identified as Larrikins and mates.


Beauty is in the eye of the beholder... also, you're probably looking in the wrong places. There are lots of attractive people around. Where are you? Melbourne or Tasmania I guess - cloud cities...


We're still more British than American IMHO.


Admittedly we've never had civil wars etc and are therefore "dull" compared to many countries, but we're also younger than most. Our history is more exciting than New Zealand's and there are a few interesting things that happened. More "revolts" than revolution. I've always found history to be a bit bigoted anyway - always interested in the big stuff and ignoring the small details which make us what we are.


How many landmark have you actually seen? Have you crossed the Nullabor? Have you seen the 12 apostles, seen the Tasmanian Dams and rainforests? We have natural beauty... Not just in the well known parts, but also in the smaller bits.


Football is just football (it's sad)... our Rugby League is certainly better than the American Football though.


first of all... "go to Europe if you think it's so great"

ok... so you're an example of the racism they were talking about... I exclude people who are horrible to me and am nice to people who are nice to me. I don't let any other things get in the way. I have two best friends one asian and one middle-eastern. They are the nicest people on the planet.


our internet isn't so bad - what are you saying??


Dunno about games - you're probably right there, but our film censorship is generally better than most of the world. The US removes nudity, the UK removes weapons and language. Australia allows much more of both. Sometimes we get bad DVD's from the UK cuts because they're PAL too, but that's the UK censors, not ours.

I don't watch TV because you only get 5 mins of programme in between 10 mins of adverts.


you are coming across a little racist... I know that many of them don't work - isn't that a stereotype too. I don't really come in contact with them much at all as they're less than 1% of the population here.


huh...?



The economy is important too, interest rates are rising and putting pressure on families with mortgages. I'm happy though that Rudd has decided to commit to the environment.


I'll look forward to hearing your take after you've seen it.... I've been and can safely say that Australia compares pretty well.

Janet Frame and Jane Campion are New Zealanders as well.