Thursday 26th January is Australia Day. It’s also Republic Day in India, but more about that later.
It’s a national holiday when we all enjoy ourselves, hold citizenship ceremonies and generally celebrate all that’s good about The Lucky Country.
This year’s Australian of the Year is a popular choice – Geoffrey Rush (Speech Therapist in The King’s Speech, and many other notable rôles). I didn’t catch the entirety of his acceptance speech, but it was good-humoured and staunchly Australian. Here’s a quote –
We love acting the goat, taking the mickey, cracking a joke, spinning a yarn …
Our Young Australian of the Year is Marita Cheng, an engineering student with more drive and enthusiasm than a Hummer on steriods. To most of you she may look Chinese, but I assure you she’s a Queenslander from Cairns. Our Local Hero is Lynne Sawyers, a salt-of-the-earth darlin’ who spends her life looking after others.
Not pictured is Laurie Baymarrwangga, our Senior Australian of the Year; her health did not allow her to travel to Canberra to receive her award, so the Australia Day Council went to her in the Crocodile Islands (NT). You can read a little about her here.
There are a couple of downsides this year.
- There has been so much rain over the past three days that many showgrounds in SEQ and Northern NSW are sogged out, and events have been cancelled – or in some cases postponed.
- The left-wing liberal bleeding hearts haved gained a strong foothold in Australia and have decreed that a display of the Australian flag is racist. So, whereas until recently cars would almost all carry a couple of flags at this period, yesterday in the car park at the local shops there were only two suitably festooned – and one of them was mine. I could understand if the practice were condemned as unduly nationalistic or patriotic, but I cannot comprehend how a simply expressed appreciation of our nation can be considered racist (it was always considered quite OK to display the Aboriginal flag, or one of each).
Back to India and their Republic Day. Why do I mention it?
Well, it’s day 3 of the fourth Test at the Adelaide Oval today, and I’m convinced that the Swarmi Army (yes, really) and the other Indian spectators will be well armed with Indian flags, and I’m equally sure that Australian cricket fans will come equipped with Aussie flags. Both groups are sure to have great, good-humoured fun supporting their teams and their nations. I do hope I’m not disappointed.
Boadicea's Chariot 
Yikes, what no flags?
Have a good day, despite the rain, Bearsy.
Night night from me!
Thanks Ara – sleep well.
And a happy Oz day from me too.
I see that Clarke and Arthur haven’t enforced the follow on, they’ll probably bat till lunch tomorrow and force a 5th days play, not that I think that they wanted to but that the ‘money men’ (TV, ticket sellers, administrators, advertisers, vendors etc.) must be sick and tired of tests not running for the duration.
So that’s two things to celebrate! This and the cricket!
Now you’ve got me worried, Bearsy. All the “yachtie” pubs here in Antibes are decorated with green and yellow balloons and streamers and Australian flags. Now should I race round to tell these guys that they may be offending any bleeding-heart liberals in the area? I think I’ll stay at home and hope everyone has or had a good time.
I read that your Julia had a set-too with some protestors to mark the occasion. I hope European rioting isn’t infectious.
Sorry to hear your having flag issues there too. I wonder if the Union Jack bit wasn’t in it whether you’d have the same bleeding liberals fighting other people’s corners for them?
They’ll be asking for Sharia law next 😉