It's actually tomorrow (January 26th) that Australia Day is celebrated, but let's get this party started right!

On May 13, 1787, British Captain Arthur Phillip set sail from Portsmouth, England, to establish a convict colony in Australia.

He sailed with 11 ships, 759 convicts -- 191 of whom were female -- 13 children of convicts, 211 marines, 46 wives and children of marines, and his staff of nine.

Phillip landed at Botany Bay on the eastern coast of Australia on January 18, 1788, travelled some kilometres north to find a more suitable place for settlement and came ashore at Sydney Cove on January 26 in what is now the historic Rocks area at the southern end of today's Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Having established Port Jackson, he then named the settlement Sydney after British Home Secretary Lord Sydney, who was responsible for the colony. Phillip was to be its governor.

This date -- January 26 -- is now commemorated yearly as Australia Day, but while it is a day that weaves together the past and present of a great land and its people, its celebration is a sore point for some of Australia's Aboriginal community who consider they were invaded by the British on that day in 1788.

It is believed that the first Aborigines started arriving in Australia in 50,000 BC, and the arrival of the British more than 51,000 years later was clearly an invasion of their land.

And yet, there are those Australians who consider and accept Australia Day as a day of possible reconciliation between those people who were here in the Dreamtime and those who came later...

Let's give it up for our fellow Australian Orgers!

CooL!...Aussie's

BKW

Diva

Bliss

anymore Aussies here?

althom!

Down with the Brits

Lleena said:

LMAO!

thanks guys



it is a pretty sad state of affairs as far as the indigenous people of this country go...our government refuses to recognise the ATROCITIES that happened to these people...a few years ago...they tried to get them to apologise on behalf of the goverments of the past, for what had gone on...but lil johnny howard refused...there was a march across the sydney harbour bridge to signify reconcilliation..and a national "sorry day"... but until the goverment officially recognises what went on...wounds can't really begin to heal...it pisses me off that in history class at school, kids aren't given the full story... just my opinion


i don't mean to make this thread to heavy

MrBliss said:

That's okay Bliss, information is a source of celebration too!

<---this seems to be my emoticon of the day...

BKW :wOOt:

althom :wOOt:

MrBliss :wOOt:

derek :wOOt:

SEXUALCHOCOLATE :wOOt:

dnaplaya :wOOt:

tafnap :wOOt:

Harlequin :wOOt:

toejam :wOOt:

FunkyStrange :wOOt:

Joshy84au :wOOt:

f2002 :wOOt:

newpowersoul :wOOt:

xtian :wOOt:

dazzled :wOOt:

justanotherasshole :wOOt:

Girl :wOOt:

rave777 :wOOt:

dimmy :wOOt:

mannix59 :wOOt:

ashkaan :wOOt:

Gabriel :wOOt:

up2bat :wOOt:

mrdespues :wOOt:

MamaLisa :wOOt:

PreattyMess :wOOt:

afterSEVEN :wOOt:

chrisbakos :wOOt:

I think that's most of the Aussies here...

Sorry if I left anyone out... I tried

John Howard

.
[This message was edited Sat Jan 25 7:44:56 PST 2003 by Diva]

Wow Diva! Thanks!

You can be the Party Ambassador!

2the9s said:

lol...

More of us around here than you thought eh?!

Party at Divas

damn there are that many australian's here !!

:wOOt:

yay! 4 us!

AUSSIE

AUSSIE

AUSSIE!!!

Wow. I got a mention. Thanks Diva!

Bump!

Can you feel it?

2the9s said:

the "snip" one?

all the aussie peeps here are cool.

I LOVE Australia

dayum Ian ur only 22?

cool 2 young men in the prime of our lives,Prince fans 2 the max . . .

yeh ok enuf . . .lets go 2 the chick dissing thread

Waltzing Matilda

Once a jolly swagman camped by a Billabong
Under the shade of a Coolabah tree
And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled
"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?"

Down come a jumbuck to drink at the water hole
Up jumped a swagman and grabbed him in glee
And he sang as he stowed him away in his tucker bag
"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me'".


Up rode the Squatter a riding his thoroughbred
Up rode the Trooper - one, two, three
"Where's that jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?",
"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me".


But the swagman he up and jumped in the water hole
Drowning himself by the Coolabah tree,
And his ghost may be heard as it sings in the Billabong,
"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?"


Explanation of Australian Slang As Used in the Song:

Billabong: A waterhole.

Billy: A can or small kettle used to boil water for tea.

Coolabah tree: A type of native tree in Australia

Jumbuck: A sheep. There are 20 times as many sheep as there are people in Australia.

Squatter: At one time, squatters claimed (seized) land for themselves in addition to land that they had been granted. Eventually through the continuous occupation of the land, their claims were legitimised in the eyes of the law.

Swagman: Someone who lives on the open road. A hobo. The term came from the canvas bag that they would carry their bedroll and/or belongings in.

Trooper: In Australia's early days, there was no police force. The colony was protected by and policed by soldiers and even when a police force was eventually formed, they were still referred to as 'troopers'.

Tucker bag: A bag for storing food in the bush.

Oh lord..Do you know who Rolf Harris is 9s?

Lleena said:

No, should I Google him up?

2the9s said:

Don't answer that!

http://www.rolfharris.com/

2the9s said:

and this is different from dumbass Americans celebrating Thankgiving..how ?

that is also celebrating an invasion of stealing the land from the natives and also it is obviously a 'sorepoint' for native Americans.

justanotherasshole said:

i don't believe he mentioned the US

i'm justanotherasshole ... everywhere i go ...people know the part i'm playin'...paid for every dance...and psychopathic rants...oooh what they're sayin' ..