It is interesting that we still have this discussion on Australian identity in 2008. I'm also from Adelaide like Ms. Apple and I believe we South Australians have a well developed sense of inferiority. We constantly have the need to have our poorly developed egos stroked at every opportunity. As Australians we are in a constant state of evolution and the last 100 years has witnessed unprecedented social change. However, with this change comes a clouded sense of who we really are. Listen to a young Australian in conversation today and they sound nothing like their parents or grandparents.
Both the left and right have attempted to hijack this discussion in the past and the truth lies somewhere in between. The mainstream media will have you believe the John Howard version of Australian identity but tap into the thoughts of left commentators like Phillip Adams and you find a deconstruction of our identity that often leaves a very negative image of our country.
Yes we have poorly educated mullet headed bogans who think being an Australian is drinking copious amounts of alcohol whilst signing "Aussie, Aussie OI OI OI".
But we also have condescending, latte sipping, tofu munching academics who wish to take a moral higher ground. That is what makes our country truly great, diversity. The large urban sprawl of our major cities which incorporate 95% of our populations generally means that these two groups normally would not come into contact with each other.
So as Ms. Apple sits in the backyard of her inner eastern city turn of the century house she will be assured that she will not have to confront the blue singlet masculine Australian that she lampoons in her article.
Happy Australian Diversity Day!

Beer cricket SPORT supposedly a larrikin but merely a follower.
Very strong on national law, child molestation and child porn, though reading avidly of the sex lives of the famous, well a talking point indeed beyond sport. But foreign affairs, well we leave that to those in charge though bleating occasionally. International law is beyond our ken so long as big brother is seen to be looking after us fine we will enter a stoush when asked but the rights and wrongs? We might be enlivened by the cry of molested kid but an Arab? Well who is he. Well he lives in a number of countries but also in Iraq. That place we helped trash and contrary to Geneva tried to change the economic system even dabbled in wheat futures and of course these people fleeing from the system were in many cases denied entry here. Most seem to have forgotten that Sieve X was part of the campaign to exclude refugees. Never fully told but a Vietnamese boat within patrolling range of Australia sank and despite senate investigation the real story has never been satisfactorily told
But back to Iraq a number of Australians opposed but few have continued to seek application of International law now in part written into our national law. It was a seen to be in the National interest that maiming and destruction ensuring our protector remained onside, drummed by mendacity and promotion of fear.
So there is a part of being Australian on Australia day. Sieve X and war crimes. Each could be further researched and if necessary prosecuted if the Australian public demanded such.

Have a good invasion day all, I'll be where I am every year, marching with the mob reminding everyone else about the Australia of the past, present and our views about our future.

I know lots will give our cause some thought and support - but and many others who will not - and simply indulge the stereotypical mythology of "white Australianness" that our Audrey critiqued so wonderfully. Poor buggers!

If you get a moment just think of John Howard rising in the morning and having nothing to do except contemplate what he'll have for breakfast. He'll have no anglophile message to deliver to the nation - no akubra wearing photo ops, no more rants valorising a white Australia only he imagined to be real.

ONYA MATE!

Do all the left wing public servants (sorry about the oxymoron) who have posted above do this from work, or do they have a flexi day off today?

I find it amusing how many people complain about our national image without attempting to appreciate the symbolic meaning behind it.

Firstly, the classic Aussie larrikin image is drawn from the Aussie troops in WWI being habitually disrespectful towards the British officers. It's symbolic of our independence from Britain. Additionally, the outlandish behaviour is demonstrating our ability to enjoy life regardless of the circumstances, whether it's in the face of war or a farming a drought stricken land.

Our disrespectful humour is about keeping our feet on the ground and not becoming ignorant to our own faults. If you're offended perhaps you need to take a look at yourself and figure out why criticism makes you uncomfortable.

"Fair go" is about being open to new people and new ideas. Mateship is about supporting those around you and helping those in need. The lamb bbq is a celebration of both the plentiful food supply we enjoy (except for our Tasman neighbours, our cheap lamb is unique), and the ways in which we survive in our harsh environment. Our sportsmanship demonstrate the way we value a competitive nature and rising to a challenge without resorting to causing harm or dragging each other down.

Besides, having an abstract non-representative image helps reduce the mindless patriotism that we see elsewhere in the world and unfortunately in the Cronulla riots.

'Un-Australian', quite self descriptive really.

"...the Harold Holt memorial swimming pool in Melbourne's suburb of Malvern..."

Classic.

Liz T "But what the hell, I will still have heaps of fun on Australia Day"

Sounds like an Aussie to me.

Mercurius, I did some research on international comparisons of alcohol consumption. We're not even close to the top, coming in at number 32. Biggest consumers per capita are in Uganda, followed by Luxembourg (presumably all Dom in a tax haven) and Ireland (the Irish diaspora must have been all the abstemious ones). Even New Zealand is ahead of us.

So, we like to think we're big drinkers, but in fact we just exaggerate a lot. Maybe that's part of the Australian character.

There certainly is an Australian character, and I'd like to think that OLO is part of it - dismissive of authority, prepared to let anyone have a go, practical, pragmatic, tolerant. I might be missing something, but I haven't seen another site quite like this anywhere else on the 'net.

I think that the Australian character is closer to the stereotype that Audrey criticises than her ideal. But maybe because that's because I identify more closely with that than I do with her cheap wine daze, not that I identify particularly with either of them. I'll be off to the beach for a surf tomorrow.

While there aren't too many individuals who match the character, that's not the point, because we're talking averages and composites. And it would be pretty hard to change the Aussie character, because averages change very slowly, and why try? National character is a consequence of who we are, what we do and what we believe. It just is.