DID YOU KNOW…
Australia’s greatest resource…
With all the talk about the natural beauty and the wildlife, the best thing about Australia is the people. Australians are open hearted, humble and real. Here are a couple of terms they use down under that capture what Australians value:
TRUE BLUE: “Loyal and unwavering in one’s opinions or support for a cause–stands the test of time and doesn’t fade”
FAIR DINKUM: “Genuine, honest, fair and square.”
Going to Australia is always a treat. Americans arrive with knots in their rope and after a few days in Oz the knots are gone, and the therapy of Aussie acquaintance does its magic. In Australia, the wonderful people set the tone. And that’s fair dinkum!
Australians are understated…
Aussies do not like to talk themselves up or make a big deal about what they do. Their
typical hero is the “quiet achiever” who lets his (or her) actions do the talking. Monuments and statues glorifying people are noticeably absent in Australia. One of Australia’s famous monuments is the “Dog on the Tuckerbox,” located at Snake Gully, 8 km from Gundagai, New South Wales. The statue was inspired by the poem, Bullocky Bill, which celebrates the life of a mythical dog that loyally guarded a man’s tuckerbox (lunch box) until death. If you saw this monument, you would be surprised how simple and understated it is–which drives home the point that Aussies are NOT into pomp and flash. Another more well known example is “The Man From Snowy River,” the movie adapted from the poem by Australia’s Banjo Paterson, where the hero of the story, Jim, scaling a steep downhill grade that all others feared to scale, “alone and unassisted” brings a lost colt and the entire Mob of horses back to ranch of the man who had thought evil of him. The man offers him the reward but he refuses. Having cleared his name and proven his manhood, he rides back up to his home in the highlands, knowing that he has earned his right to live there. A great video presentation of the poem is on the right column of this page…at the bottom, of course!
Australians are known to cheer for the underdog…
This is no doubt related to the fact that Aussies made their start in history as underdogs (having started as a penal colony) but didn’t let that hold them down. Aussies will stand by the little guy because they know what it is like to fight against all odds and succeed in life. They applaud hard work and persistence and can be counted on to help you when you need it. And once you are a “mate.” you are a mate for life!
