Foxy,

I've just made another amazing discovery; it seems that Great Britain, the source of our monocultural original Colonial society, was itself multicultural.
At the time that the First Fleet sailed and even at the time of the Second Fleet, many languages were spoken.
The languages included English, French, Lallans, Scots Gaelic, Irish, Manx and Cornish as well as some Scandinavian dialect in the far northern islands.
To add to the multicultural aura English was divided into many dialects, so much so that interpreters were needed between the Northern and Southern speakers.
I had the personal experience, when on a short detachment to the King's Own Royal Regement in 1953, of hearing their Colonel (who spoke impeccable British English) address his troops in broad Lancashire dialect, and I could hardly understand a word.
When the troops were talking among themselves they were absolutely incomprehensible to a 'foreigner'.
Then there were the different races, Elizabeth I complained about the number of 'blackamoors' that were in the London of her time; their descendents are today's Chocolate Cockneys.

It's great to know that we come from such a monoculture as Great Britain.

This article describing the British Left could easily be about the Oz leftist crew who ape them, shamelessly:

<The self-loathing of the British Left is now a problem for us all

It’s often been observed that a certain type of British Lefty hates Britain – and that they reserve particularly hatred for Englishness. Back in 1941 George Orwell made this acute remark:

England is perhaps the only great country whose intellectuals are ashamed of their own nationality. In left-wing circles it is always felt that there is something slightly disgraceful in being an Englishman and that it is a duty to snigger at every English institution.

So what’s new? The difference today is that this shame and self-hatred now dominates Left-wing thought, whereas it was once balanced by the decent Left: who were proud to inherit the noble traditions of radical English patriotism.

Evidence for this disease is all around us, but shows up particularly in two red-button issues-of-the-day: the independence referendum, and the appalling revelations from Rotherham.
..
Yes, it’s infinitely depressing. But we cannot give in to despair. Instead we could listen again to George Orwell, who once said that, however silly or sentimental, English patriotism is “a comelier thing than the shallow self-righteousness of the left-wing intelligentsia”. Orwell wrote those words seventy years ago. It is time we paid attention, and turned the tide.>
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/seanthomas/100284604/the-self-loathing-of-the-british-left-is-now-a-problem-for-us-all/

Dear Is Mise,

Al Grassby, quoted in "Cleo,"
February 1974:

Then of course in our history books you get,
"The First Fleet arrived. It brought 1000
English convicts."

"It didn't."

"It brought 1000 convicts but probably they came from
a dozen different countries. As somebody put it so
delightfully,"

"English jails were no respecters of nationality."

"The first Italian arrived on January 26, 1788 -
Giuseppe Tuso. There were people from South Africa,
there were people from Ceylon, from India, from
Spain, from Portugal, from Hungary."

"So, people say, "Do you believe Australia should
become a multi-racial society?" and I always
reply:"

"It doesn't matter what I think. I can tell you
what it is, which is a society of tremendous
diversity."

"In some schools, 90 per cent of the students speak
a language other than English as their first language.
But many schools still do not take this into account
and still emphasize teaching about Australia's ties
with England and the Commonwealth."

See you on another discussion.

otb,

Do try to keep up with the discussion.

The problems that exist in the UK do not affect
us in Australia. To quote your own words -
"chalk and cheese."

And as for the 'Leftists" hating the British here in
this country? Please supply us with evidence to
substantiate your claims. Do you even know any
"Leftists?"

On what evidence do you base you claims - apart from
your obvious hatred of "leftists," "socialists,"
"progressives, "fabians," and all those other poor
wretches you consistently carry on about on this forum.

Surprise us and do come up with something new and
intelligent for a change. Something worth reading -
not ignoring.

Foxy,

Glad you've come around to my way of thinking that Australian multiculturalism started in 1788.

Dear Is MIse,

Multiculturalism as a government policy was
established only in the 1970s. Prior to that it
was "assimilation," followed by "integration,"
and only much later by "multiculturalism."
Go back and re-read my posts.