My partner "T" was slapped and caned many times at school for talking Maori by Pakeha teachers, forced to speak English and they even gave here a European name which many people still call her by today, she actually forgot her Maori name until she went to get a passport and discovered it again. I use both her names, her Pakeha name most of the time, her Maori name when I get a bit angry with her.

Yes Paul, & I believe it has more to do with the parents than anything else, at least in the country where I grew up.

We had much better, & much more competent teachers in our small country schools back then, than we do today in any schools. At high schools if you could handle the work, & wanted to learn, we had teachers who wanted to, & could teach you

I played hooker for our senior football [league] team. I swung between 2 very big kids. One was a part aboriginal, very bright, but parents not interested in him going on to senior school. The other was incredibly white, almost ghostly. No idea of his origan, but his parents had reasonably heavy accents. He was not so bright, but his parents wanted him to go on, & the teachers gave him enough help to get his leaving certificate.

All kids were simply accepted & got on with it. Not many migrants out in the bush, so I think less problems for them & us.

I don't think I'd even seen an Italian migrant, until I started at General Motors Pagewood.

Hi there BANJO...

My wife and I toured around Broken Hill about 7 or 8 years ago, and loved it ! I've always been keen on a group known as the 'Brushmen of the Bush', a small select group of Aussie Painters (Artists) famous for capturing much of the Oz landscape on canvas ? Notably amongst them, is Kevin 'Pro' HART, Geo. KENDALL, Howard STEER, Jack ABSALOM and many ors. equally as famous.

Actually BANJO, there's quite a bit written on the two Turks who decided to take on those 'warrior miners' of Broken Hill ! It occurred along the short Railway spur between BH and Silverton, about a distance of seven miles ? This incident is claimed to be the first shots ever fired by any Aussies of WW l ? The veracity of which, I can't possibly attest too ? Whatever the truth of it is, it does make for an interesting story, and I've no doubt, it actually happened ?

HI there PAUL1405...

I really like the entire campus of Sydney University, I've been there on many occasions (by invitation) including the beautiful 'Great Hall' (again, always by invitation!).

A literary 'leading light' by the name of 'Mungo McCullum' often spoke there at the Union. Particularly about those evil laws prohibiting the possession and smoking of cannabis. Mr McCullum did not enjoy much popularity, amongst my less humorous police colleagues in those days ? Seemingly, his wicked wit and razor sharp tongue, tended to really annoy them ?

Personally I quite liked him, together with his very quick brain. I used to grin quietly to myself when I saw these big, red faced old sergeants trying hard to dress him down ? He was very thin, almost angular in his slight frame, thus watching this guy 'tie-up' these big tough, 'red faced' old police sergeants, was priceless I thought ! Still I was younger, and had a good sense of humour (then) myself ?

o sung wu,
If the Wikipedia article is correct that the Broken Hill incident occurred in 1915, it could not be the first shot fired in WW1.

Yes there is quite a lot written about the incident. I did not want to interfere in your conversation with Paul too much. Apparently the two Turks also put up a fight when located and in an exchange of fire they were killed. As you say an interesting incident, but am sorry for the victims.

In relation to 'the first shot', My understanding this was by a gun battery at Port Phillip which fired across the bow of a German cargo ship which was trying to flee Melbourne on the 5th August 1914, the day after war was declared. It resulted in the ship being captured.

http://anzaccentenary.vic.gov.au/first-shot-3/

It seems this has been a controversial subject among war historians.
Google 'the first shot WW1'.

o sung wu,
The only reason I posted about the Broken Hill incident is that this post is about terrorism and that was the first act of terrorism in Aus.

Interesting that you and Paul were conversing about WW1, some 100 years earlier, and still relevant to the subject, as the BH incident occurred during and because of WW1.

I simply wanted to draw your attention to the event and its relevance to WW1.

G'day there BANJO...

My good friend I'll always defer to your knowledge. It was interesting though how you reminded us of that event at Broken Hill all those years ago. Some of the 'old sparks' up there, treat this whole episode, in somewhat of a hilarious fashion, perhaps those who lost their lives wouldn't think so I'm sure ? Another tiny snippet of Australian history, even folklore perhaps ?

You originally cited it as a 'terrorist' event ? You know, I've never quite learned the precise difference, between terrorism and a serious crime ? To me, they are one of the same.

'Terrorism' (noun) - '...the unofficial or unauthorised use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims...' ?
So says 'The Oxford English Dictionary'. Ok that's cool. What then is the same definition if we substitute '...political aims'...' with '...religious aims...' ? To my uneducated mind, both of these interpretations, amount to committing a serious crime ! Therefore all we're doing is playing with words and frightening people ?

BANJO what the Oz government must do, is hit these bastards very hard. Anyone found 'actually engaging' in any form of 'terrorist'/criminal activity, similar to that which terrorised Martin Place, pull out all stops of natural justice. Lock them up for the term of their natural life. With only the basic of privileges, without any hope of clemency.

Still before we do that; first we'll need to produce a 'white paper'; establish a 'Senate Select Committee', to initiate the 'terms of reference'; seek advise from the C'wealth AG, to frame the legislative 'Memorandum of Intent'; where it must lay on the 'Lower House' table for the requisite 90 days, in order Lower House Members may examine it's constitute text...?

And by then BANJO, we'll all have grown lengthy white beards, some of us will be long deceased, and at the end of the day precisely nothing will've happened ! Another victim of that uniquely Australian, 'political paralysis' that we're all so accustomed too !