Ask me anything about Australia

[Grrr]

Is Alexander's Horse a real australian?

He doesn't seem like Australian ambassadors Rustle Coitt and Steve Erwin.

Sorry AH. But you seriously can't tell us that someone of your intelligence could possibly be an australian.

[Bereta_Eder]

OK I'm amazed! This is actually the first ever CONSTRUCTIVE thread I've ever seen from AH

[Alexander's Horse]

Originally posted by Rufus T. Firefly

1) When did you guys change the national anthem to "Waltzing Matilda," and why? (For what it's worth, my wife and I both think it's the best national anthem of all.)

Waltzing Matilda is a stirring song but its not the national anthem. The national anthem is Advance Australia Fair, a rather plodding Victorian screed.

You could say "Waltzing Matilda" is the national song however.

2) At whom is your animosity directed over Gallipoli: the Brits, the Turks, or both?

Nobody really. Strangely enough Gallipoli is the basis for a very warm relationship with Turkey. The Australians and the Turks - "Johny Turk" to the Australian "Diggers" - deeply respected each other's fighting qualities. The British navy landed the Australians and New Zealander's at the wrong beach but noone really blames them for what happened. They got slaughtered as well at separate landings at Suvla Bay.

There is a rather moving folk song called "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" which brings together the 2 themes of your question:

Now when I was a young man I carried me pack
And I lived the free life of the rover.
From the Murray's green basin to the dusty outback,
Well, I waltzed my Matilda all over.
Then in 1915, my country said, "Son,
It's time you stopped ramblin', there's work to be done."
So they gave me a tin hat, and they gave me a gun,
And they marched me away to the war.

And the band played "Waltzing Matilda,"
As the ship pulled away from the quay,
And amidst all the cheers, the flag waving, and tears,
We sailed off for Gallipoli.

And how well I remember that terrible day,
How our blood stained the sand and the water;
And of how in that hell that they call Suvla Bay
We were butchered like lambs at the slaughter.
Johnny Turk, he was waitin', he primed himself well;
He showered us with bullets, and he rained us with shell --
And in five minutes flat, he'd blown us all to hell,
Nearly blew us right back to Australia.

But the band played "Waltzing Matilda,"
When we stopped to bury our slain,
Well we buried ours, and the Turks buried theirs,
Then we started all over again.

And those that were left, well, we tried to survive
In that mad world of blood, death and fire.
And for ten weary weeks I kept myself alive
Though around me the corpses piled higher.
Then a big Turkish shell knocked me arse over head,
And when I woke up in me hospital bed
And saw what it had done, well, I wished I was dead --
Never knew there was worse things than dying.

For I'll go no more "Waltzing Matilda,"
All around the green bush far and free --
To hump tents and pegs, a man needs both legs,
No more "Waltzing Matilda" for me.

So they gathered the crippled, the wounded, the maimed,
And they shipped us all back home to Australia.
The armless, the legless, the blind, the insane,
Those proud wounded heroes of Suvla.
And as our ship sailed into Circular Quay,
I looked at the place where me legs used to be,
And thanked Christ there was nobody waiting for me,
To grieve, to mourn and to pity.

But the band played "Waltzing Matilda,"
As they carried us down the gangway,
But nobody cheered, they just stood and stared,
Then they turned all their faces away.

And so now every April, I sit on my porch
And I watch the parade pass before me.
And I see my old comrades, how proudly they march,
Reviving old dreams of past glory,
And the old men march slowly, all bones stiff and sore,
They're tired old heroes from a forgotten war
And the young people ask "What are they marching for?"
And I ask meself the same question.

But the band plays "Waltzing Matilda,"
And the old men still answer the call,
But as year follows year, more old men disappear
Someday, no one will march there at all.

Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda.
Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?
And their ghosts may be heard as they march by the billabong,
Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda with me?

Eric Bogle.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(I believe the last known Australian Gallipoli veteran died last year)

[The Vagabond]

Are there horse/kangaroo hybrids in Australia?

[sachmo71]

Originally posted by Grrr

Sorry AH. But you seriously can't tell us that someone of your intelligence could possibly be an australian.

But according to that Yahoo Serious movie, Albert Einstein is from Australia, and he's a pretty smart guy. So I guess there can be intelligent people from Australia. Now, as to your claim that Alexander is "intelligent", he's not bad... for a troll.

[Sprayber]

Is Paul Hogan big in Australia?

And is he related to Hulk Hogan?

[Bereta_Eder]

huh? I only thought that Watzing Matilda was just one of my favorite Tom Waits songs?

AH can you give me a link with what happened?

[Bereta_Eder]

hmmm from that sonmg it appears the turks kicked your butt long and hard and now you romantisize about it?

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

Romaticise? Eric Bogle is noted for his anti-war songs. "And the band played Waltzing Matilda" is a very bitter song- just check the lyrics.

AH- Does Oz still accept convicts? If you do, can we send you Jeffrey Archer?

[Alexander's Horse]

Originally posted by Zylka
Why was my girlfriend turned off when I suggest we do this?

Probably because you don't know how to

[TheBirdMan]

Some months ago, I read on this site, that some aussie sheepherds counts their sheeps like this:

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, hello Honey, nine, ten .....

Is that the true?

Or was that about some kiwi-sheepherds ?

[Lars-E]

danish descendant kiwis. Yes, there are danish colonies in nz.

[Docfeelgood]

Does Bob the builder speak with an accent?



Ya know how those Jap cartoons are dubbed? This got me to wondering if a accent is dubbed in or out


Bob has no accent here. Sounds full blown phoney American.



Hey! this one keeps me awake at night

[Docfeelgood]

bump

[Alexander's Horse]

Originally posted by Lars-E

How many christians are there?

About 90% give Christianity as their religion. Only about 10% regularly attend church services.