I’m Sorry

On Wednesday 13th the Parliament of Australia issued an official apology to the Stolen Generation – thousands of mainly mixed race children who were taken away from their parents in the hope that their “Aboriginality” would be bred out.  Many of these children never saw their parents again.  A lot of these children are younger than me.  This isn’t some Dickensian practice where we can all shake our heads in wonder that people were so stupid/harsh/ignorant/unsympathetic in Victorian England.  This was happening in modern Australia.

I wanted to blog about this on Sorry Day but because of numerous internet problems we’ve had lately, I didn’t have access to my blog for ages.  But I hope you’ll allow me to revisit it now as I feel it’s such an important issue and people are still arguing about whether this apology should have taken place.    

So many previous Prime Ministers have said that we can’t say Sorry for something WE didn’t do.  Why should I be forced to feel guilt for something over which I personally had no control.  A writer in the Sydney Morning Herald last week said that we would say Sorry to a friend whose father had died, without it being seen as an admission that we were somehow involved in his demise.  I’m desperately sorry about what happened during the Holocaust but I played no part in it and as far as I’m aware, I know of nobody who did. 

Australia and the rest of the world will now have to admit that these things did happen, we’re sorry they happened and we will all do everything in our power to ensure that it never happens again.

This won’t make everything right.  Aboriginal Australians still have a life expectancy of only about 56 years, most of them live in abject poverty, are suffering diseases more commonly seen in the Third World and have very few opportunities in this, their country.   When we came to this land, we took away their independence, their culture and traditions.  We practically enslaved them.  We poisoned their dogs so that they wouldn’t be able to hunt properly so they would be dependent on white Europeans for their very existence.  We made them work for little or no money and I’ve even read stories of Aboriginal workers being killed when their work was done so that they wouldn’t have to be paid. 

The last massacre of Aboriginal Australians was in Coniston in 1928!  I’ve met one of the few survivors of that massacre. 

I don’t feel personally responsible for the plight of Aboriginals, either then or now.  But I’m truly sorry that they have suffered at the hands of my ancestors.  I hope they will accept this and many more apologies in the spirit in which they’re intended.    

 

An Aussie Pom

I received a letter last week advising me that “the Australian Government and People  welcome you as a new citizen”.  All I need to do is take the Pledge at the next available Citizenship Ceremony, and I’ll be able to have all those benefits that are promised to Australian citizens - a vote, an Aussie passport etc.  And all those responsibilities, like being called upon to defend my country.  Though I hope Australia never gets into such a state that they’re relying on me to take up arms to defend the country from ravaging hordes.   

Among my friends, the main comment is that they weren’t consulted.  And the second comment is “What kind of tree are you going to get?”.     There’s a lot of publicity here about new citizens being given an Australian tree to plant in their gardens but I’ve never met anyone who’s received one.  A friend of mine was asked to choose from a list of trees, but didn’t actually get sent one.  Another friend was given a pen.  I’ll let you know what I get when the time arrives (some time in the next two months I believe).

And what happens to my blog?  Should I rename it?  “Oz Oz”?  Or “Oz Pom”? 

Another friend pointed out that I may become an Aussie citizen, but I’ll always be a Pom to her!  

 

What A Bargain!

David is off to Europe in April for a few weeks to catch up with friends in England, France and Spain.   He’s spent days on the internet finding the best and cheapest flights and thought it would be a great opportunity to use his Frequent Flyer points.  He has nothing like enough of them to fly from here to London, but he thought it would help with the costs of flying round Europe.  We know how difficult it is sometimes to get convenient flights when you’re paying with points so he’s tried to get everything organised as early as possible.

And, yes.  He can use his Qantas points with British Airways and BA flies to Lyons.  AND they can put him on the flight that suited him.  Great.  The return flight from England would cost 71 pounds in taxes plus the points. 

However, using a different British airline, he can fly to Lyons for 52 pounds return.  That’s it.  Including taxes.  No points needed.  Difficult decision, eh?