Read an article (which, alas I cannot find) which made an interesting comparison between Australian and US attitudes towards success and history. History isn't quite the right word but... storytelling of events of recent history, perhaps. The US, he said, treats everything as a performance - it must be perfect, it must be shiny, it must be dramatic, it must be inspirational; it must be retold to highlight the glory of the heroes (and one must obfuscate or suppress those stories where there are no heroes). Australia, by contrast, is pragmatic in its stories; history is a source of lessons to remember, not legends to aspire to. Laugh at your failures (and remember what didn't work), play down your successes (because what worked is more important than who did it). That's why we remember and laugh at the Emu Wars; why we celebrate a defeat (Gallipoli), why we prefer down-to-earth effectiveness over polished prettiness.

Some of the anecdotes related... a guy who told of falling asleep on a country train, woke up to find he'd missed his stop by 300 kilometres, got off, bought some lunch, caught the next train back.

The American was expecting some dramatic punchline, and asked the Aussie "Why didn't you complain?"

The Aussie looked at him blankly. "It wasn't the train's fault I missed the stop."

This explains so much.

#Australia #USA #Culture #AustralianCulture

Fun #Aussie fact: Many of us who grew up in the ‘60’s, ‘70’s, & ‘80’s usually went about barefoot. To the shops, playing on the street, to the park, playing cricket etc, was almost always done without shoes. To this day, I walk about most often without shoes. Yes, even when walking my dog or a quick trip to the shops.

#AustralianCulture

One pleasant surprise of being on Mastodon is my reading of and interaction with Australians here.

As a consequence, I've started to think more about Australia and what it does and does not have in common with the UK and other English speaking countries with a settler colonial history.

I've also been prompted to think more about the influence of Australians on British culture. Three names that come to mind are Clive James, Richard Neville, and Germaine Greer.

Clive James exercised a formative influence on critical writing about television in the UK. I'm not sure that influence was entirely benign, but it was certainly important.

Richard Neville is largely forgotten these days, but he was an important figure in the British counterculture of the late sixties and early seventies. I will be posting more about him in the near future.

Germaine Greer must count as the most important of the three. Her 1970 "The Female Eunuch" set the agenda for much of the debate about feminism in Britain in the years that followed.

Image: A composed satellite image of Australia -- Wikimedia Commons -- Public domain.

#Australia #CliveJames #RichardNeville #GermaineGreer #AustralianCulture #BritishCulture #Television #Counterculture #Feminism

Sunny day on Gold Coast, Australia 🇦🇺

The Gold Coast boasts a subtropical climate with around 300 days of sunshine per year.

#goldcoast #australia #sunnyday #travel #explore #adventure #beach #nature #goldcoasttravel #visitgoldcoast #goldcoastlove #goldcoastexplore #goldcoastphotography #goldcoastvacation #goldcoasttourism #australianculture #oceania #cityscape #australiandesign #australiannature #australianlifestyle #goldcoastcity #surfersparadise #queensland #aussiebeaches

The Three Sisters, Australia 🇦🇺

The Three Sisters have Aboriginal names: Meehni (922 meters), Wimlah (918 meters), and Gunnedoo (906 meters).

#threesisters #bluemountains #australia #travel #explore #adventure #nature #hiking #bluemountainsnationalpark #visitaustralia #australiatravel #australiatrip #australialove #australiaadventure #australiaphotography #australiavacation #australiatourism #outdoors #landscape #australianbeauty #australianculture #australianvacation #nationalpark

Tangalooma Wrecks, Australia 🇦🇺

Tangalooma Wrecks team with fish & coral near Moreton Island, Queensland. Great snorkeling & diving spot

#tangaloomawrecks #australia #travel #explore #adventure #nature #beach #visitaustralia #australiatravel #australiatrip #australialove #australiaadventure #australiaphotography #australiavacation #australiabeach #ocean #sea #sun #sand #beautifuldestinations #australianbeauty #australianculture #australianvacation #wrecks #shipwreck

Sacred Aboriginal cultural sites vandalised on NSW Central Coast

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-11-06/aboriginal-sacred-sites-vandalised-nsw-central-coast-education/103039536
#RockArt #petroglyphs #Bulgandry #Baiame #AustralianCulture #CulturalHeritage #NSW #destruction #HateCulture #iconoclasm #respect #IndigenousHeritage