Unusual facts about Australia....

[Jim Goose]

Came across this website today:

http://www.convictcreations.com/culture/facts.htm

I have only cut and pasted a few interesting items

History

* Swimming - In 1838 it was declared illegal to swim at public beaches during the day! This law was enforced until 1902.

* Independence for WA- In April 1933, 68 per cent of West Australians voted in favour of seceding from the Commonwealth of Australia. However, they needed permission from the British Parliament before they could officially become a new country. Meanwhile, Australia's Federal Parliament was arguing that Britain should not interfere in Australian politics. The end result was that Britain never made a decision. Consequently, Western Australian remained part of the Commonwealth.

Convicts

*A census taken in 1828 found that half the population of NSW were Convicts, and that former Convicts made up nearly half of the free population.

*Crimes punishable by transportation included recommending that politicians get paid, starting a union, stealing fish from a river or pond, embezzlement, receiving or buying stolen goods, setting fire to underwood, petty theft, or being suspected of supporting Irish terrorism.

* Alcohol- It has been reported that the first European settlers in Australia drank more alcohol per head of population than any other community in the history of mankind.

* Police force - Australia's first police force was a band of 12 of the most well behaved Convicts.

* Mass moonings - In 1832, 300 female Convicts at the Cascade Female Factory mooned the Governor of Tasmania during a chapel service. It was said that in a "rare moment of collusion with the Convict women, the ladies in the Governor's party could not control their laughter."


Sport

*Happy birthday anthem - In 1977, Alan Jones scored a surprise victory in the Austrian Grand Prix. Initially officials were going to play the Austrian anthem but then realised that Australia and Austria were not the same country. Unfortunately, they didn't have the Australian anthem so instead a local drunk played "Happy Birthday to You" on a trumpet.

Cities and States

*Sydney - Australia's first and largest city. Also known as Sin City. Wanted to be Capital of Australia but its convict stigma counted against it.

*Melbourne - Wanted to be the Capital of Australia on the basis that it was the home to the Australian establishment and was not founded by Convicts. (Founded by John Batman; son of a Convict)

*Canberra - Because Sydney and Melbourne kept bickering over which city should be the capital of Australia, it was decided that neither of them would be capital and instead, a new capital would be built in the middle of them both.

Language

*Waltzing Matilda - 'Waltzing Matilda' the title of Australia's most famous song, is German for 'carrying a backpack'.

*Bludger - Australians refer to lazy people as 'bludgers'. The word is derived from 'bludgeoner' which is a prostitute's standover man.

*Larrikin - A larrikin is a comical, roguish individual who is prone to rowdy and unruly behaviour. The term was coined from an Irish policeman in a Melbourne court, claiming the prisoner was "larkin about".

*POME - Australians refer to English people as Poms or Pome. This is an acronym for Prisoners of Mother England. May have originally been an abbreviation for pomegranate which is Convict rhyming slang for immigrant.

*The name Australia comes from the Latin Terra Australis Incognito which means the Unknown Southern Land.

*Seppo - Australians may refer to Americans as 'Seppos'. This is an abbreviation for 'Septic Tank' which is rhyming slang for 'Yank'.

*Drongo - Australians may refer to fools, idiots and hopeless cases as Drongos. Drongo was a 1920's racehorse that showed promise but never won anything in 37 starts. In the 1940s, the term was applied to recruits of the Australian airforce.

*Digger - Australian servicemen are referred to as Diggers. This term comes from miners on the Australian goldfields of the 1800's.

*Kangaroo - The name for the Australian marsupial Kangaroo came about when some of the first white settlers saw this strange animal hopping along and they asked the Aborigines what it was called. They replied with 'Kanguru', which in the native language meant 'I don't know' .

*Moomba - The city of Melbourne has a cultural festival using the Aboriginal word Moomba. It seems the festival's initial organisers asked the local Aborigines to suggest a name, and were told that moomba means 'lets get together and have fun.' The grateful organisers subsequently used the name.

In hindsight, the organisers really should have been suspicious that 'lets get together and have fun' could be expressed in two syllables. In reality, 'moom' means 'bum', 'buttocks', or 'anus', while the suffix 'ba' means 'in', 'at' or 'on'. So moomba actually means 'in the bum.'

I woulda though it more appropriate for the Sydney mardi gra????

[Geez Louise]

I love weird and wonderful facts...For some reason they tend to stick in my head more than any other information...

For instance, it is illegal in WA for a beercan to be crushed in between a woman's breasts in a pub.


In 2003, the Victorian laws changed to make it illegal to eat a cat or a dog.

It is still law in Queensland that all Pubs and Clubs must have a railing outside so patrons can tie their horses.

The oldest fossilised flower in the world was discovered near Melbourne, it is called a koonwarra plant.

The worlds fastest growing tree is the Eucalyptus. It can grow up to 10mtrs in a year.

See...usless/useful facts just tend to stick!

[Iggypoppin']

I thought digger was a term coined from when the aussie troops dug trenches in gallipoli/other world wars with trench warfare?

[Chopped]

Lol, some of them seem a bit suss to me...

[SEZ213]

Thanks for sharing Jim, some of those are absolute corkers...

I particularly liked these two...

*Brisbane - In 1824, a southern state governor sent a party of difficult Convicts to found a new settlement in Queensland. These days, southern state children send their difficult parents to Queensland to retire. Also a Mecca for Southern State teenagers who upon finishing school, head north for a week of booze and debauchery.

*Yowies- Like the Nth American big foot, the yowie emits a vile odour and screams offensively. Numerous sightings of Yowies have turned out to be escaped mental patients or hermits in jungle attire.

[Ford_The_Win]

I dare say the vast majority of those aren't facts at all.

[2011G6E]

The Australian Constitution...if you can be bothered to wade through it...is an interesting read.
However, qwhen you compare it to the United States Constitution, you can easily see which was written by good men wanting to be free, and which was drafted up by a bunch of lawyers...

Section 100 is a favorite of mine...

100. The Commonwealth shall not, by any law or regulation of trade or commerce, abridge the right of a State or of the residents therein to the reasonable use of the waters of rivers for conservation or irrigation.

Remember that the next time a farmer is prosecuted for taking river water for irrigation, or someone is fined for fishing in a river...

[Polyal]

LOL at the Alan Jones thing, is there footage of that?

[uranium_death]

Originally Posted by Geez Louise

For instance, it is illegal in WA for a beercan to be crushed in between a woman's breasts in a pub.

I think a lot of us still need to learn about what women REALLY get up to at the pub...

[Jim Goose]

Originally Posted by Polyal

LOL at the Alan Jones thing, is there footage of that?

I actually tried looking it up and found footage.... but the song they played wasnt the national anthem.... prior to 1984 it was God Save the Queen...
They actually seemed to be playing "advance Australia Fair" ???

There was someone playing a trumpet in the back ground however.... it seemed VERY chaotic!.,,

Fast forward to about 9.30min mark

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cLRV...eature=related

[EF ECTIV]

I did know about WA originally wanting to be a separate country... Interesting
in itself....

[Scott]

Our Constitution still refers to NZ as a state and seems to provide for NZ to join the Commonwealth of Australia.

[ford man xf]

Nothing is even cited on that site...let's take it hook line and sinker.

[Geez Louise]

One of the best Facts of Australian history:

In 1954, Bob Hawke made it into the Guiness Book of World records for sculling 2.5 pints of beer in 11 seconds. He, of course, was later elected our PM.

Not getting political, but that sums up good ole Aussie spirit for me

[chrisfpv]

Some of them are just lol.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Geez Louise

One of the best Facts of Australian history:

In 1954, Bob Hawke made it into the Guiness Book of World records for sculling 2.5 pints of beer in 11 seconds. He, of course, was later elected our PM.

Not getting political, but that sums up good ole Aussie spirit for me

I used that in a year 12 English presentation, talking about alcohol in society, lol.

[burnz]

Alcohol- It has been reported that the first European settlers in Australia drank more alcohol per head of population than any other community in the history of mankind

so what else is new

[hawke]

Some more questions about Australia that will win some points in a trivia contest:

1. Tallest mountain in under Australian soverign territory?
2. Australia's national sea port?

[flappist]

Originally Posted by hawke

Some more questions about Australia that will win some points in a trivia contest:

1. Tallest mountain in under Australian soverign territory?
2. Australia's national sea port?

1) Mt Cook (Aoraki)
2) Ashmore reef.......

[hawke]

Sorry Mr Flappist, no cigar,

1. Mt McClintock - Australian Antartic Territory
2. Jervis Bay - NSW

[JG65TE]

Mt McClintock is right, but only 4 countries recognise our claim to it. The Japanese don't, hence they harpoon whales in AAT and not a single ___ was given that day. We chase em off they go pfffffttttt, see ya next week.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by hawke

Sorry Mr Flappist, no cigar,

1. Mt McClintock - Australian Antartic Territory
2. Jervis Bay - NSW

Mt Cook is over 12,000ft, Mt McClintock is only 11,000.

No news items on sqillions of boats arriving every day at Jervis Bay.

You are thinking "official" rather than "actual".......

[XR Martin]

Pretty sure one of the biggest reasons Sydney or Melbourne not being the capital is the fact they are on the coast. Doesnt really make much sense now, but having your capital on the coast back then was a big risk to enemy attack and invasion.

[mik]

interesting stuff, , i always wondered about the "seppo" expression thanks for clearing that one up JG

[Geez Louise]

Well if this is proved correct, there could well be an aspect of Australian and indeed Portugese history re-written:

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8400891

[Jim Goose]

Originally Posted by Geez Louise

Well if this is proved correct, there could well be an aspect of Australian and indeed Portugese history re-written:

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8400891

Interesting to say the least, but if they were in timor maybe one of these guns was simply moved with the tides?

But one wonders surely someone else musta come across this huge continent before?

[Geez Louise]

Guess we will know soon Jim.

I know Australia was a fair way away by sea, but you would think we were discovered long before the official documented date.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by Geez Louise

Well if this is proved correct, there could well be an aspect of Australian and indeed Portugese history re-written:

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8400891

Everyone knows the English weren't the first to find Australia. The Portugese and Chinese? had mapped sections of coastline long before the Brits. They just never claimed it or started a settlement.

They even believe a Portugese ship was shipwrecked near Warrnambool and has been there for 3-400 years or so. The Mahogany ship.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahogany_Ship

[Scott]

And I thought the Aborigines discovered Australia 40,000 years ago.... so who discovered it before them?

[flappist]

Originally Posted by Scott

And I thought the Aborigines discovered Australia 40,000 years ago.... so who discovered it before them?

There have been several groups before the current Aborigines, one of which were the Tasmanian Aborigines. Mankind is at least 500,000 years old.