Australia

[cappy]

I have always loved Australia, just being there is enough for me. I love it in the Bush towns and the deserts, having driven all over the States, NT,VIC, NSW, WA. SA. QWLD. That is the real Oz, The Cities are just like Manchester in the sun.
But over the years, from 1955 when I was running £10 Poms out there on the old GEORGIC, I have seen a massive change, both in the people and the way of life.
From the Poms in the immigration Camps, two families to a Nissen Hut with one tap of water on the outside surrounded by barbed wire fences where they had to stay for a year, in a job given to them without choice to what it is today. Those people were real pioneers, they put up with a lot of hardships both in the camps and on the ships that took them there.
Today they want it all for nothing.
Most people there then were POMS with a few Ities and Greeks now they have been overtaken by the Asians /Chinese.
Australia is changing fast. In the 50s Politicians seemed different than the ones they have today. altho` they were still bent and corrupt. I remember when we took the Australian Army, 2RAR, to Malaya in 55, They were confined to Penang Island outside the war zone, they should have gone to Butterworth on the mainland where the war zone was, we had to take their ammo and weapons there for the Brits to look after. The Prime Minister then decided to keep the 2RAR in a safe place until after the forthcoming elections as he didnt want any body bags to be coming home before he was re-elected. It didnt matter after and the body bags did start to come home.

If theres a life
"That follers this,
If theres a Golden Gate.
The only words I want to hear is
"Good on yer Mate". 2RAR.


I always try to get to Australia every two years. Love it.
Cheers
Brian.

could live in oz anytime ......second best country in the world

[cappy]

May 25th next year marks my 50th year as a legal resident of this fair land. A 10 pound Pom as we are called. The changes Louis the Fly commented on did indeed happen quickly, to quickly for me. I liked the way it was in the 50's and 60's. Plenty of work for all, a cost of living that was manageable and people were welcoming if a little rough on new chums. I dished out as good as I got leg pulling wise and soon made friends. Even now I cop it re the cricket and would not change a thing on the home front. The Old Age Pension is adequate if you own your own home which we certainly had plenty of opportunity to do. My Brit family had lived in Council houses for generations so a mortgage was foreign to me.
Now of course in our rush to imitate the US of A everything has gone to the sh,,house. I would not care to be starting a young family in this day and age. To buy a house a deposit of 10% will set you back $35 to 40,000 in a Melbourne suburb that is if you have a job. Interest rates are low and wages high as I say if you have a job, but the cost of living is the highest in the world according to most international bankers.
In short we have chucked the baby out with the bath water. The image of the lanky, laid back beach loving, happy go lucky character of yore has been replaced by a yuppie with a trophy wife, a four wheel drive monstrosity, a huge mortgage and a maxed out credit card. The weather is all right though the bloody politicians haven't been able to interfere with that yet. Although given half a chance they will.
If any of your family are thinking of coming my friends, tell them to head for the bush there are remnants of the good old days back there.

you are right about the wages in the fifties and sixties ......t]20 pounds a month at sea ......20 pound a week in oz ....cost of living about the same ...couldn't get a good smoked north sea greyhound regards cappy

[j.sabourn]

Public outcry now Brian from the Greens and others when put into camps, and they are illegal entries. They shouldn't be here despite all the accusations of the minority groups as usual. The 10 pound poms had a harder time than the illegal immigrants. I refuse to call them anything else until they have proved otherwise. Then when and if they have proved otherwise they should join the queue who have been waiting for years and have already been cleared as genuine. Put these green .astards with them in the camps to keep them company. Cheers John Sabourn

[j.sabourn]

#9 Plenty of quite derogatory letters in the Western Australian today. One is what I suspected and will put here as is also one of the shorter ones. " One thing you can say about Kevin Rudd is that his timing is immaculate. By not resigning before the election and still being in Parliament in this term of government brings him just over the 15 years required for his Gold Pass Travel for life and all the other lurks and perks" John Sabourn Another one of many " While few will be surprised at the resignation of Kevin Rudd, his action shows the complete disregard and contempt many politicians of any party hold for electors who voted for them. It is all very well saying time is needed for family but didn't that occur to Mr. Rudd before the recent election, and did he tell those faithful who voted for him that his appointment was conditional And has he offered to pay for the necessary by election": John Sabourn

[happy daze john in oz]

He was not known as Rudd the dud for nothing, but as many hvae said he is nothing more than an egomaniac who did more damage than Whitlam ever did. Some of his ideas were just beyond belief, school halls, we have two here in Sunbury still not completed and never will be, waht a waste of tax payers money. But as it is tax payers there will always be more available.

[cappy]

rudd the dud ....good that his name wasn't hunt

[Louis the fly]

I read in the paper this morning that a horrible smelling ancient fossil has been discovered in Western Australia.

Didn't even know Murdoch was back home.

[Richard Quartermaine]

Would be even more appropriate Cappy.
Richard

[leratty]

Ironic as an Aussie we have lived all over the world for the last 30+ years & was at sea too. Yes we both love Aus though now visit infrequently & do not choose-wish to live there for many valid reasons. Just too far away from anything being main one. It is still with respect very 50's insular & parochial too. Worse can be like living in a village whether Melbourne or Sydney, everyone knows you (or of you) or you need to know them for biz. Na we have residency in HK, US & now France + could live in UK too but chose not to. Is this an un Australia attitude or due to being educated overseas then working most of ones life else where? Na an international maturity as to what one wants appreciates in other cultures, I do not know which is correct? One thing I do is the things we can do from here are mind blowing in their depth & variety. We are just a few hours by fast train from all of Europe + UK & what it has to offer. US is but a few hours too, well NY. We miss the sun the warm the beaches beautiful Sydney harbour too but then a blue sky in Paris is as good if not better than Aus I defy anyone to say that is not so. Our time in HK & Shanghai was amazing would not have given it up for quids, not Nth America & Sth America either. Are we still Aussies, yes but 'international' ones & there are many all over the world, especially here & UK who chose to live else where. My only bitch is I can not without quite some difficulty claim the pension I am entitled to but that is a small price to pay for a broader in our opinion richer life style.
As to Rudd, well he is no different to any of them getting all they can. Look at Carr, he will not only have NSW Premiers pension with all perks + Fed pension & ministers perks what a bloody disgrace. Talk about double dipping, one should go! He of course is not only one either. Politics in Aus is behind the times both state & federal but then no where can we get good pollies so we just live with it. At least it is not like the joke of the EU parliament & its civil servants, what a disgrace, talk about pigs with snouts in troughs.
Aus is a great country for some to live though not for all any more. Sadly we hear from rels & friends how hard it is now, difficult to make ends meat etc their off spring facing hard times hey welcome to the real world. Time for Aus to 'value add' it's exports not sell them raw. Not leaning from experience as they did that with wool silly beggars look what it cost them too?
Give me off shore even if only 3c brrrr!

[Captain Kong]

I love to visit Australia, I try to be there every two years, have a lot of rellies and friends there so it is good to visit them.
I could have lived there at one time, maybe I am getting a little too old to emigrate now, So as long as I can visit regularly I am happy.
Now I do Not like the Continent of europe, I never ever go there, unfortunately I had to go there when I was on a ship But will not visit the place at all. It is full of Foreigners.
I enjoy the States and the Pacific Islands of Polynesia. The French are not at all popular in French Polynesia, I visit every year to visit my Tahitian friends who always give me a great reception, we do the Haka and sing and dance and party, They would not do that if I was French. They are taxed by the French, they are ruled by the French and when they objected to the French H-Bomb tests in Tahitian waters the French Foreign Legion went and cracked their skulls. Why didnt the French have the H-Bomb tests in France????
There is a strong movement in Tahiti to get rid of the French , they have their own flag and headquarters, I was privilged to attend a meeting there a few years ago. Very interesting, the only white man there cheering them on. I will be back there again in January.
I also like to visit NZ as well as Aus while down there.
As for europe No Way. Would not even do a day trip on a ferry, I do have my principles.
Each to his own
Iaorana atoa orua mea matai a nei orua.
Maaruru.

Cheers
Brian.