Australia Day 2010

by Sally Hammond

Australia Day has come around quicker than usual it seems. Last year was a particularly short year in my memory, as well as in those of most people I know. Great things happened, though, in 2009. And terrible things too.

So now, here we are again at this day which traditionally seems to divide the end of summer holidays and the beginning of the next work year.

Some people do not accept Australia Day. They believe it is not appropriate to celebrate the beginning of white settlement in this country, a land which had already, for many thousands of years, its own people. But this can be argued forever, without an answer.

Let's today, simply celebrate this huge country - a beautiful country - and all its peoples who have come from every continent on earth to make their homes here, seeking to create a better life for themselves and a better community for us all.

Here are just a few things that make Australia special to me:

Aussie attitude - laidback, with a dry sense of humour, but friendly and welcoming.

Uluru - the massive rock that is the centre of the red centre of this country.

Sydney - it's where I live and a city I love, with as many faces as there are people living here.

Traditions - cold beer, thong-throwing, barbies, the Grand Final, picnics at the beach, the Anzac Day march and two-up afterwards, fireworks on NYE, the Melbourne Cup. And hot Christmas pudding, even if it is 40C.

Restaurants and cafes - from home-style country ones deep in the bush to glamorous ones on the waterfront or in the city, the range of cuisines and ingredients is enormous.

Animals - in a land with such harsh conditions, Australia's shy and often nocturnal animals are worth discovering.

Lifestyle - plenty of sun, sand, fresh air, sport, great food and wine. Who could complain?

Immigrants - the culture of this country (especially its dining) has been enriched by people from the many nations who now call Australia home.

Agriculture - the wealth of produce this country has is mind-blowing, from the cold ocean fish to rare tropical fruits.

Australia Day - the day on which Australia remembers - and looks forward!

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(Click on the images below to share some of my reflections of Australia last year.)

A sulphur-crested cockatoo, a highly intelligent and amusing bird
A Queensland cattle breeder, Taabinga Station, near Kingaroy
A stockman at Wrotham Park Station, far North Queensland. Work for hairy-chested men.
Outback cattlemen are a tough breed.
As isolated beach in the Daintree, Far North Queensland
A dawn walk along the beach at Byron Bay, Northern Rivers of New South Wales.
A beautiful little family beach walking distance from where I live
The tranquil waterfront of Constitution Dock at dusk, Hobart, Tasmania
Elizabeth St Pier, Hobart, Tasmania
The boat harbour, Constitution Dock, Hobart, Tasmnaia
The boat harbour with moored yachts which have recently arrived after participating in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, Constitution Dock, Hobart, Tasmnaia
Passing through wheat and sheep country in the SW of Western Australia
Scotland Island, Pittwater, just north of Sydney, NSW
Sunset from my balcony, Pittwater, NSW
Sunset at Taylor's Wharf, Pittwater.
The setting sun transforms Uluru into a glowing warm massive rock.
The walking track around the rock of Uluru
Wallace's Hut in the Australian Alps
Wheat crop in the South-West of Western Australia
Australia has its fair share of big "something or others". This is the Big Ram at Goulburn, New South Wales
Another shot of one of my favourite places, Clareveille Beach
Vineyards of the Yarra Valley, VIC

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