We're all just so over it

https://vt.tiktok.com/ZS8jN3K91/

I don't need welcoming to my own country - I've always been here apart from relatively short overseas stints... mtuli-generation and born here  like several generations - I'm Indigenous..

You can keep your welcome to country for the new citizens on Australia Day.... (ka-tisssssssh- boom!)  ...... any local council that wants to not do it can have their funding cut.

I don't recall their ever being asked to become involved in things that are not within their province........ just maintain the roads and sewers....

I like The Welcome to Country.

Grappler Truth Teller Feller wrote on Dec 25^th, 2022 at 7:50pm:

I don't need welcoming to my own country - I've always been here apart from relatively short overseas stints... multi-generation and born here  like several generations - I'm Indigenous...

I agree totally.  I too am getting increasingly pissed off with this
typical bullshit suddenly appearing in every newspaper article and
TV show, film or documentary, art show opening, school concert
night, council or court meetings, and Australian web sites such as
the ABC's or SBS's.


Quote:

"Our conference is being held on the lands of the Gunaikurnai people and I wish to acknowledge them as Traditional Owners.  I would also like to pay my respects to their Elders, past and present, and Aboriginal Elders of other communities who may be here today".

I'm a fourth generation Australian, and regard myself as indigenous.
One of the many meanings of the word is "originating or occurring
naturally in a particular place".  The word originated in the mid-17th
century from the Latin indigena, "a native".

I was born here in 1946, and certainly regard myself just as much, if
not more so, as an Australian, than any 20- or 40-year-old Aboriginal
activist half my age.

In short, this silly Aboriginal acknowledgement can only be seen as
ultimately divisive—furthering the "them and us" mindset amongst
both blacks and whites in Australia.

—As a side note, Ayer's Rock, Mount Warning, the Grampians,
   the Olgas etc were all here as geographic features for millions
   of years prior to the Aboriginal migration from SE Asia.  Nobody
   "owns" these natural features of the continent.i

Its a lot of crap imo!

No special treatment for any Australians.

Tell abos to get stuffed!

>:( >:(

Even some Aboriginal elders are speaking out and saying it is being overused, misused and is nothing more than virtue signalling, which is exactly what it is.

When I see it on the tv I change channels.   :)

Black Orchid wrote on Dec 26^th, 2022 at 8:34am:

Even some Aboriginal elders are speaking out and saying it is being overused, misused and is nothing more than virtue signalling, which is exactly what it is. When I see it on the tv I change channels.   :)

The woman who just did the WTC for the Boxing day test looked like some drunk who sleeps rough.

Welcoming people to country automatically creates of them Outsiders and non-citizens of their own country.  Not a very subtle way of saying it's all theirs and nobody else has any rights to it at all.   The New Genocide Attempt at Whites .... second class citizens in their own country.... be careful what you ask for, Jacky-Jacky.

Clearly divisive and in all honesty, a declaration of war, all wrapped up in a smarmy way of insulting everyone else.

As I said long ago - once was enough - same as that stupid 'apology' and all the other BS that has followed from it.

Right - a PM apologised for past wrong - you've been recognised - thanks for welcoming us all as equals to our own country... now get on with fixing your own lives.

"As a side note, Ayer's Rock, Mount Warning, the Grampians,
   the Olgas etc were all here as geographic features for millions
   of years prior to the Aboriginal migration from SE Asia.  Nobody
   "owns" these natural features of the continent."

Exactly what I said...  NOBODY owns these natural features and nobody owns national parks.... there are NO unused parts of national parks - they are all in perpetual use AS national parks.  This all must be stopped right now, and while we're at it, we need a change in our immigration policies so as to exclude people with no idea other than bringing down in part or whole this country that welcomed them.  Any council that does not wish to abide by Australia Day etc can have funding cut.

Round the fkkn Boongs up, they can't live in the Stone Age forever bludging.

Johnnie wrote on Dec 26^th, 2022 at 4:30pm:

Round the fkkn Boongs up, they can't live in the Stone Age forever bludging.

I am sensing frustration....  :-/ :-/

Frank wrote on Dec 26^th, 2022 at 5:57pm:

Johnnie wrote on Dec 26th, 2022 at 4:30pm: Round the fkkn Boongs up, they can't live in the Stone Age forever bludging. I am sensing frustration....  :-/ :-/

Yes the canibal people can just fkk off, these spirits they talk of can fkk off also, fkkn bludgers.

I'm just surprised it's taken the bigots on this forum to cry about the welcome to country  :D

John Smith wrote on Dec 26^th, 2022 at 7:21pm:

I'm just surprised it's taken the bigots on this forum to cry about the welcome to country  :D

Welcome to country, Salvatore. Penitenziagite.

https://youtu.be/o3B4idyTUwg

AusGeoff wrote on Dec 25^th, 2022 at 9:43pm:

I'm a fourth generation Australian, and regard myself as indigenous. One of the many meanings of the word is "originating or occurring naturally in a particular place".  The word originated in the mid-17th century from the Latin indigena, "a native".

Oh good. Cats, rabbits, foxes and cane toads are indigenous now. We can stop worrying about them. They belong here and stuff.

John Smith wrote on Dec 26^th, 2022 at 7:21pm:

I'm just surprised it's taken the bigots on this forum to cry about the welcome to country  :D

I'm no bigot, and never have been.   If you happened to notice, I've
always supported the Aboriginal people as individuals on these threads.
However, I don't support the rabid, politically-motivated, suburban,
Aboriginal activists trying to tell me where I can or can't go in the country
of my great-grandfather's birth.

I understand the significance of some geographic features as spiritual
markers dating from their ancient dream-time stories, but that definitely
does not mean they have any rights of "ownership" as such.

Is it perfectly okay John for these Aboriginal kids (yes, they are!) to soon
"welcome" me to "their country"?

https://i.postimg.cc/brjZg5Sk/Screenshot-2022-12-27-at-03-15-15-main-qimg-2a110ed375e478032ccb413f1f49da5f-pjlq-JPEG-Image-602.png

Why shouldn't I be offended by that?  I'm betting I've done a lot more for
our country than their late-sipping, BMW-driving parents ever have.

All prejudice is based on ignorance.

You are being welcomed to Country, not a country.

Are you unaware of what the word means in this context?

Perhaps mothra means cuntry.

They often have to bring outsiders in to welcome people to their own workplace.

mothra wrote on Dec 27^th, 2022 at 2:29am:

All prejudice is based on ignorance. You are being welcomed to Country, not a country. Are you unaware of what the word means in this context?

Bollox.  You are either lying deliberately or you are extremely ignorant deliberately. Bit of both.

It is always welcome to a particular tribal territory. A Cape York aborigine could not welcome you to 'Gadigal country' in Sydney. They can't welcome you to the Australian continent as a whole since that was never in their tribal mental repertoire.

Now go and be not an idiot on purpose any more.

mothra wrote on Dec 27^th, 2022 at 2:29am:

All prejudice is based on ignorance. You are being welcomed to Country, not a country. Are you unaware of what the word means in this context?

What is the difference in the aboriginal context?

Aboriginal people also use the plural lands, not land, when referring to aboriginal clans' ancestral geographical place. Why do you think they use the plural?

mothra wrote on Dec 27^th, 2022 at 2:29am:

All prejudice is based on ignorance. You are being welcomed to Country, not a country. Are you unaware of what the word means in this context?

BTW, when aboriginals refer to 'welcome to country', they mean 'welcome to [this] country'.

The welcome to country should be performed by the Diprotodon optatum.

Welcome to my land

---

AusGeoff wrote on Dec 27^th, 2022 at 2:21am:

John Smith wrote on Dec 26th, 2022 at 7:21pm: I'm just surprised it's taken the bigots on this forum to cry about the welcome to country  :D I'm no bigot, and never have been.

I've found that if it looks like poo and smells like poo, it's safest to assume it is poo.

If you don't want to be called a bigot make sure you don't look like one

mothra wrote on Dec 27^th, 2022 at 12:27am:

AusGeoff wrote on Dec 25th, 2022 at 9:43pm: I'm a fourth generation Australian, and regard myself as indigenous. One of the many meanings of the word is "originating or occurring naturally in a particular place".  The word originated in the mid-17th century from the Latin indigena, "a native". Oh good. Cats, rabbits, foxes and cane toads are indigenous now. We can stop worrying about them. They belong here and stuff.

Animals are not people.  It must strike you as unheard of, or possibly an extreme right wing conspiracy theory but it is the truth.

There. Will you ever recover from this unkind piece of bigoted hate speech from me??

Frank wrote on Dec 27^th, 2022 at 1:44pm:

mothra wrote on Dec 27th, 2022 at 12:27am: AusGeoff wrote on Dec 25th, 2022 at 9:43pm: I'm a fourth generation Australian, and regard myself as indigenous. One of the many meanings of the word is "originating or occurring naturally in a particular place".  The word originated in the mid-17th century from the Latin indigena, "a native". Oh good. Cats, rabbits, foxes and cane toads are indigenous now. We can stop worrying about them. They belong here and stuff. Animals are not people.  It must strike you as unheard of, or possibly an extreme right wing conspiracy theory but it is the truth. There. Will you ever recover from this unkind piece of bigoted hate speech from me??

So the definition of the word changes based on whether you're talking about animals or people? :D :D :D

Go get that refund..... seriously!

freediver wrote on Dec 27^th, 2022 at 8:20am:

Perhaps mothra means cuntry.

Believe it or not but not everything is about you,  you know.

John Smith wrote on Dec 27^th, 2022 at 1:47pm:

Frank wrote on Dec 27th, 2022 at 1:44pm: mothra wrote on Dec 27th, 2022 at 12:27am: AusGeoff wrote on Dec 25th, 2022 at 9:43pm: I'm a fourth generation Australian, and regard myself as indigenous. One of the many meanings of the word is "originating or occurring naturally in a particular place".  The word originated in the mid-17th century from the Latin indigena, "a native". Oh good. Cats, rabbits, foxes and cane toads are indigenous now. We can stop worrying about them. They belong here and stuff. Animals are not people.  It must strike you as unheard of, or possibly an extreme right wing conspiracy theory but it is the truth. There. Will you ever recover from this unkind piece of bigoted hate speech from me?? So the definition of the word changes based on whether you're talking about animals or people? :D :D :D Go get that refund..... seriously!

Yes, Thick-As, animals do NOT have welcome to country rituals - the subject of this thread.

On the other hand, they have been as unchanging for thousands of years as Aborigines - so maybe you are right, if THAT is the point you were groping to make.

Damn - must get around to my new year Xmas message video...

Frank wrote on Dec 27^th, 2022 at 5:24pm:

John Smith wrote on Dec 27th, 2022 at 1:47pm: Frank wrote on Dec 27th, 2022 at 1:44pm: mothra wrote on Dec 27th, 2022 at 12:27am: AusGeoff wrote on Dec 25th, 2022 at 9:43pm: I'm a fourth generation Australian, and regard myself as indigenous. One of the many meanings of the word is "originating or occurring naturally in a particular place".  The word originated in the mid-17th century from the Latin indigena, "a native". Oh good. Cats, rabbits, foxes and cane toads are indigenous now. We can stop worrying about them. They belong here and stuff. Animals are not people.  It must strike you as unheard of, or possibly an extreme right wing conspiracy theory but it is the truth. There. Will you ever recover from this unkind piece of bigoted hate speech from me?? So the definition of the word changes based on whether you're talking about animals or people? :D :D :D Go get that refund..... seriously! Yes, Thick-As, animals do NOT have welcome to country rituals - the subject of this thread. On the other hand, they have been as unchanging for thousands of years as Aborigines - so maybe you are right, if THAT is the point you were groping to make.

You can tell the old boy's starting to assimilate when he parallels the ways of the Australian Aborigine with our native fauna.

Superior culture, innit. Correlation not causation.

Mattyfisk wrote on Jan 11^th, 2023 at 12:02am:

Frank wrote on Dec 27th, 2022 at 5:24pm: John Smith wrote on Dec 27th, 2022 at 1:47pm: Frank wrote on Dec 27th, 2022 at 1:44pm: mothra wrote on Dec 27th, 2022 at 12:27am: AusGeoff wrote on Dec 25th, 2022 at 9:43pm: I'm a fourth generation Australian, and regard myself as indigenous. One of the many meanings of the word is "originating or occurring naturally in a particular place".  The word originated in the mid-17th century from the Latin indigena, "a native". Oh good. Cats, rabbits, foxes and cane toads are indigenous now. We can stop worrying about them. They belong here and stuff. Animals are not people.  It must strike you as unheard of, or possibly an extreme right wing conspiracy theory but it is the truth. There. Will you ever recover from this unkind piece of bigoted hate speech from me?? So the definition of the word changes based on whether you're talking about animals or people? :D :D :D Go get that refund..... seriously! Yes, Thick-As, animals do NOT have welcome to country rituals - the subject of this thread. On the other hand, they have been as unchanging for thousands of years as Aborigines - so maybe you are right, if THAT is the point you were groping to make. You can tell the old boy's starting to assimilate when he parallels the ways of the Australian Aborigine with our native fauna. Superior culture, innit. Correlation not causation.

It is presented as a virtue, pb, 40k years of continuous presence.

Not something the megafauna that was here can say.

Or the desertification of the inland by burning, er.....sorry... wise management of Mother Gaia.

---

Mattyfisk wrote on Jan 11^th, 2023 at 12:02am:

Frank wrote on Dec 27th, 2022 at 5:24pm: John Smith wrote on Dec 27th, 2022 at 1:47pm: Frank wrote on Dec 27th, 2022 at 1:44pm: mothra wrote on Dec 27th, 2022 at 12:27am: AusGeoff wrote on Dec 25th, 2022 at 9:43pm: I'm a fourth generation Australian, and regard myself as indigenous. One of the many meanings of the word is "originating or occurring naturally in a particular place".  The word originated in the mid-17th century from the Latin indigena, "a native". Oh good. Cats, rabbits, foxes and cane toads are indigenous now. We can stop worrying about them. They belong here and stuff. Animals are not people.  It must strike you as unheard of, or possibly an extreme right wing conspiracy theory but it is the truth. There. Will you ever recover from this unkind piece of bigoted hate speech from me?? So the definition of the word changes based on whether you're talking about animals or people? :D :D :D Go get that refund..... seriously! Yes, Thick-As, animals do NOT have welcome to country rituals - the subject of this thread. On the other hand, they have been as unchanging for thousands of years as Aborigines - so maybe you are right, if THAT is the point you were groping to make. You can tell the old boy's starting to assimilate when he parallels the ways of the Australian Aborigine with our native fauna. Superior culture, innit. Correlation not causation.

Apologies, i'm quite bamboozled by this.

I Frank saying that 4th generation white people are indigenous here, unlike cats, foxes, etc: because cats and foxes and all of their feral counterparts don't have welcome to country rituals?

Am i missing something here?

Waltzing Bazinga!
Advance Orstraya Fair Dinkum

mothra wrote on Jan 11^th, 2023 at 8:09am:

Mattyfisk wrote on Jan 11th, 2023 at 12:02am: Frank wrote on Dec 27th, 2022 at 5:24pm: John Smith wrote on Dec 27th, 2022 at 1:47pm: Frank wrote on Dec 27th, 2022 at 1:44pm: mothra wrote on Dec 27th, 2022 at 12:27am: AusGeoff wrote on Dec 25th, 2022 at 9:43pm: I'm a fourth generation Australian, and regard myself as indigenous. One of the many meanings of the word is "originating or occurring naturally in a particular place".  The word originated in the mid-17th century from the Latin indigena, "a native". Oh good. Cats, rabbits, foxes and cane toads are indigenous now. We can stop worrying about them. They belong here and stuff. Animals are not people.  It must strike you as unheard of, or possibly an extreme right wing conspiracy theory but it is the truth. There. Will you ever recover from this unkind piece of bigoted hate speech from me?? So the definition of the word changes based on whether you're talking about animals or people? :D :D :D Go get that refund..... seriously! Yes, Thick-As, animals do NOT have welcome to country rituals - the subject of this thread. On the other hand, they have been as unchanging for thousands of years as Aborigines - so maybe you are right, if THAT is the point you were groping to make. You can tell the old boy's starting to assimilate when he parallels the ways of the Australian Aborigine with our native fauna. Superior culture, innit. Correlation not causation. Apologies, i'm quite bamboozled by this. I Frank saying that 4th generation white people are indigenous here, unlike cats, foxes, etc: because cats and foxes and all of their feral counterparts don't have welcome to country rituals? Am i missing something here?

You are missing absolutely everything, which is a given in every encounter with you. 
Update your name to The Misser or Misser Mothra. Of Bamboozled. Or Boozy Bambi.

mothra wrote on Jan 11^th, 2023 at 8:09am:

Mattyfisk wrote on Jan 11th, 2023 at 12:02am: Frank wrote on Dec 27th, 2022 at 5:24pm: John Smith wrote on Dec 27th, 2022 at 1:47pm: Frank wrote on Dec 27th, 2022 at 1:44pm: mothra wrote on Dec 27th, 2022 at 12:27am: AusGeoff wrote on Dec 25th, 2022 at 9:43pm: I'm a fourth generation Australian, and regard myself as indigenous. One of the many meanings of the word is "originating or occurring naturally in a particular place".  The word originated in the mid-17th century from the Latin indigena, "a native". Oh good. Cats, rabbits, foxes and cane toads are indigenous now. We can stop worrying about them. They belong here and stuff. Animals are not people.  It must strike you as unheard of, or possibly an extreme right wing conspiracy theory but it is the truth. There. Will you ever recover from this unkind piece of bigoted hate speech from me?? So the definition of the word changes based on whether you're talking about animals or people? :D :D :D Go get that refund..... seriously! Yes, Thick-As, animals do NOT have welcome to country rituals - the subject of this thread. On the other hand, they have been as unchanging for thousands of years as Aborigines - so maybe you are right, if THAT is the point you were groping to make. You can tell the old boy's starting to assimilate when he parallels the ways of the Australian Aborigine with our native fauna. Superior culture, innit. Correlation not causation. Apologies, i'm quite bamboozled by this. I Frank saying that 4th generation white people are indigenous here, unlike cats, foxes, etc: because cats and foxes and all of their feral counterparts don't have welcome to country rituals? Am i missing something here?

No, he's changed his story to the Aborigines now being responsible for the creation of the Great Australian Desert rather than the glacial shifts of the Pleistocene era, which caused the lack of rainfall responsible for Australia's dry interior, as every schoolboy knows.

They didn't teach geography at the prestigious University of Balogney, you see. We're working on it.

It might be on the citizenship test.

How Aboriginal burning changed Australia’s climate

Pre-historians and ecologists have been long concerned with the possible effect that Aboriginal vegetation burning practices may have had on the Australian ecology. Bill Gammage has recently published a very readable overview of the concept in “The biggest estate on Earth: how Aborigines made Australia”.

Vegetation burning remains a pervasive theme in Australian prehistory, but what impact has it had on the climate regime of the continent? An answer to this question can be found in two ways.

We can investigate the archives of vegetation changes associated with charcoal, recorded in geological sequences. Or we can take a more direct approach and use elements of the suite of climate models that are now available. For the Australian scene, previous climate model experiments have indicated a likely climatic response to changes in vegetation cover.

More recently, our research group, consisting of members from The University of Western Australia and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, approached this theme through a comprehensive modeling effort using a global scale coupled ocean-atmosphere model. As part of a wider study of the climate history of the northwest Australian monsoon region, funded in part by Kimberley Foundation Australia, we posed the direct question: “Did Aboriginal vegetation burning practices impact on the function of the northwest Australian summer monsoon?”

We showed that the climate responded significantly to reduced vegetation cover in the pre-monsoon season. We found decreases in rainfall, higher surface and ground temperatures and enhanced atmospheric stability. In other words, there was a decline in the strength of the early monsoon “phase”.

The results of the experiment lead us to suggest that by burning forests in northwestern Australia, Aboriginals altered the local climate. They effectively extended the dry season and delayed the start of the monsoon season.

More than anything else, our results are a further reminder, if needed, of the sensitivity of the global climate system.
https://theconversation.com/how-aboriginal-burning-changed-australias-climate-4454

Fire in Australia is a symptom of a degraded ecosystem (commentary)

Ancient, human-induced climate change in Australia precipitated an ecological catastrophe, turning a rainforest continent into desert.

A compromised ecosystem where biological decomposition of plant matter is insufficient renders an imbalance between photosynthesis and respiration, leaving fire as the only way to balance the carbon equation.

Steps towards ecological regeneration will have far-reaching and exponential benefits to environment and society and provide natural fire mitigation.

This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily Mongabay.

https://news.mongabay.com/2020/02/fire-in-australia-is-a-symptom-of-a-degraded-ecosystem-commentary/
About Mongabay
Mongabay is a U.S.-based non-profit conservation and environmental science news platform.

Frank wrote on Jan 11^th, 2023 at 8:17pm:

How Aboriginal burning changed Australia’s climate Pre-historians and ecologists have been long concerned with the possible effect that Aboriginal vegetation burning practices may have had on the Australian ecology. Bill Gammage has recently published a very readable overview of the concept in “The biggest estate on Earth: how Aborigines made Australia”. Vegetation burning remains a pervasive theme in Australian prehistory, but what impact has it had on the climate regime of the continent? An answer to this question can be found in two ways. We can investigate the archives of vegetation changes associated with charcoal, recorded in geological sequences. Or we can take a more direct approach and use elements of the suite of climate models that are now available. For the Australian scene, previous climate model experiments have indicated a likely climatic response to changes in vegetation cover. More recently, our research group, consisting of members from The University of Western Australia and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, approached this theme through a comprehensive modeling effort using a global scale coupled ocean-atmosphere model. As part of a wider study of the climate history of the northwest Australian monsoon region, funded in part by Kimberley Foundation Australia, we posed the direct question: “Did Aboriginal vegetation burning practices impact on the function of the northwest Australian summer monsoon?” We showed that the climate responded significantly to reduced vegetation cover in the pre-monsoon season. We found decreases in rainfall, higher surface and ground temperatures and enhanced atmospheric stability. In other words, there was a decline in the strength of the early monsoon “phase”. The results of the experiment lead us to suggest that by burning forests in northwestern Australia, Aboriginals altered the local climate. They effectively extended the dry season and delayed the start of the monsoon season. More than anything else, our results are a further reminder, if needed, of the sensitivity of the global climate system. https://theconversation.com/how-aboriginal-burning-changed-australias-climate-4454

Just so, old boy. The Boongs were responsible for the last two ice ages, no?

Yes, despite all their Ooga Booga rain dances, they still managed to create the driest continent on earth.

Typical.

Black Orchid wrote on Dec 26^th, 2022 at 8:34am:

Even some Aboriginal elders are speaking out and saying it is being overused, misused and is nothing more than virtue signalling, which is exactly what it is. When I see it on the tv I change channels.   :)

👆 Ditto!

freediver wrote on Dec 27^th, 2022 at 8:20am:

Perhaps mothra means cuntry

WTF????

AusGeoff wrote on Dec 25^th, 2022 at 9:43pm:

Grappler Truth Teller Feller wrote on Dec 25th, 2022 at 7:50pm: I don't need welcoming to my own country - I've always been here apart from relatively short overseas stints... multi-generation and born here  like several generations - I'm Indigenous... I agree totally.  I too am getting increasingly pissed off with this typical bullshit suddenly appearing in every newspaper article and TV show, film or documentary, art show opening, school concert night, council or court meetings, and Australian web sites such as the ABC's or SBS's. Quote: "Our conference is being held on the lands of the Gunaikurnai people and I wish to acknowledge them as Traditional Owners.  I would also like to pay my respects to their Elders, past and present, and Aboriginal Elders of other communities who may be here today". I'm a fourth generation Australian, and regard myself as indigenous. One of the many meanings of the word is "originating or occurring naturally in a particular place".  The word originated in the mid-17th century from the Latin indigena, "a native". I was born here in 1946, and certainly regard myself just as much, if not more so, as an Australian, than any 20- or 40-year-old Aboriginal activist half my age. In short, this silly Aboriginal acknowledgement can only be seen as ultimately divisive—furthering the "them and us" mindset amongst both blacks and whites in Australia. —As a side note, Ayer's Rock, Mount Warning, the Grampians,    the Olgas etc were all here as geographic features for millions    of years prior to the Aboriginal migration from SE Asia.  Nobody    "owns" these natural features of the continent.

I'm a 1st Gen Aussie. I was born in Australia. I consider myself to be indigenous because of that fact.

All my brothers and sisters were born here.

My mum and dad migrated to Australia from Greece and Italy (respectively) as teenagers in the mid 60's. And the Australian govt invited/paid for them to get here. They did not fly here. They came by cruise ship.

They met and married here. I was born here. I was educated here. I've lived here all my life and my children are a mix of Greek, Italian, English, Irish, German and French.

I've now buried both my parents here. In Australia. The country where both my parents lived for most of their lives.

My son and daughter (from my 1st marriage) still have their paternal grandfathers WW2 medals and actual uniform. As well as all his war photos. They also have the photos and medals of his 2 uncles who fought in Gallipoli. These children ie MY children have blood links to the Anzacs.

So yeah I feel very proud to call Australia MY country. And I'll be damned if I'm going to be told by anyone that I'm less of an Australian than anyone else! i