Australia Day 2009

[maewyn_2]

I don't know what happened here...  I posted this page this morning, and I just noticed that it didn't appear on my friends' pages...  So here I go again!   :)

Today is Australia Day. 221 years ago today the First Fleet arrived in what is now the city of Sydney. The fleet consisted of two naval ships, six convict ships and three supply ships

Comments

[aussiepeach]

I had to work today, which sucked, but I do love seeing the car flags everywhere. I've never seen so many! Was very tempted to get one myself. Might next year.

Love the Australian test, and agreed with just about all of them.
Biscuits! Hot steering wheels! Bastards!

[maewyn_2]

Having to work certainly would have sucked! It was good to stay home and relax with our BBQ lamb roast. (Sam Kekovich, your ad campaign worked! :) )

There are so many truths in that test, aren't there?

[whiteling]

You believe it makes perfect sense for a nation to decorate its highways with large fibreglass bananas, prawns and sheep [Doesn't everyone?!]
Erm.... NO!! ;-)
*faints at the vision of a German Autobahn decorated with fibreglass beer mugs and sauerkraut...*

I have to pass on the language features, I'm afraid, but here are two a bit sleepy Australian (well, at least of Australian descent) 'cobbers', wishing you and Peachy and all Aussies a Happy Australia Day!!

[maewyn_2]

Ha ha! Somehow I don't think I could imagine that either! I think it's more common to have big touristy things in the USA (I think I remember reading about a big ball of string somewhere over there?)

Your cockatiels are gorgeous! They're all fluffed up and half asleep.

[mechtild]

That was fun to read, Maewyn. I didn't know the answers to most of them. Re: Russell Crowe, as an example for #17. Does that mean Russell Crowe is an Australian who pretends to be from New Zealand, or a New Zealander who pretends to be from Australia

[maewyn_2]

Russell Crowe was born in New Zealand, but achieved most of his fame in Australia. Here's his biography http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Crowe... )

[mechtild]

Maewyn, in a way you are wasted at your job. You are a scholar. Not that many people make a living as a scholar, when I come to think of it

[maewyn_2]

I still haven't seen "Australia". I was a bit put off by the bad reviews. I suppose I ought to see it myself and make my own mind up

[samaranth]

1788 marks the date of arrival of my husbands great, great...something...grandfather, as a young man of about 18. He was a convict on the First Fleet, sentenced to transportation for stealing a cup of sugar.

We did go out yesterday, around the locations where Phillip and his convoy landed (Sydney Cove), and subsequently settled (Farm Cove). There are lots of little reminders of the harshness of those early years, in amongst the more upmarket hotels and touristy places.

Re 20) - they are getting smaller! They are! And blocks of chocolate are getting thinner!

[maewyn_2]

It's wonderful to be able to trace your ancestors back to a specific time in history. My husband's mother's family arrived on the Parmelia in 1829. They were among the first settlers in the Swan River Colony (Perth) in 1829. My father's family arrived two years later.

I was truly amazed (as I said above) when I realised that we had been to the First Fleet landing site and didn't know it at the time! It would have been a very difficult time for those people back then, but it seems to have helped form the basis for the tough Aussie spirit!

As for wagon wheels - I said no because I haven't actually seen one for years! Ah, chocolate - anything to make more money for less content - and they know people will pay for it! :)