Dear Cossomby,

You are right: some were not bullied - they were drugged instead.

I find myself drawn toward C.J.,Dennis's "The Australaise" which was written to be sung to the tune of Onward Christian Soldiers. It might be just the way to put some of the ocker back into our psyche.

Fellers of Australier,
Blokes an' coves an' coots,
Shift yer --- carcases,
Move yer --- boots.
Gird yer --- loins up,
Get yer --- gun,
Set the --- enermy
An' watch the blighters run.

CHORUS:
Get a --- move on,
Have some --- sense.
Learn the --- art of
Self de- --- -fence.

Have some --- brains be-
Neath yer --- lids.
An' swing a --- sabre
Fer the missus an' the kids.
Chuck supportin' --- posts,
An' strikin' --- lights,
Support a ---- fam'ly an'
Strike fer yer --- rights.

CHORUS:
Get a --- move on, etc.

Joy is --- fleetin',
Life is --- short.
Wot's the use uv wastin' it
All on --- sport?
Hitch yer --- tip-dray
To a --- star.
Let yer --- watchword be
"Australi- --- -ar!"

CHORUS:
Get a --- move on, etc.

'0w's the --- nation
Goin' to ixpand
'Lest us --- blokes an' coves
Lend a --- 'and?
'Eave yer --- apathy
Down a --- chasm;
'Ump yer --- burden with
Enthusi- --- -asm.

CHORUS:
Get a --- move on, etc.

W'en old mother Britain
Calls yer native land
Take a --- rifle
In yer --- 'and
Keep yer --- upper lip
Stiff as stiff kin be,
An' speed a --- bullet for
Post- --- -ity.

CHORUS:
Get a --- move on, etc.

W'en the --- bugle
Sounds "Ad- --- -vance"
Don't be like a flock er sheep
In a --- trance
Biff the --- Kaiser
Where it don't agree
Spifler- --- -cate him
To Eternity.

CHORUS:
Get a --- move on, etc.

Fellers of Australier,
Cobbers, chaps an' mates,
Hear the --- German
Kickin' at the gates!
Blow the --- bugle,
Beat the --- drum,
Upper-cut an' out the cow
To kingdom- --- -come!

CHORUS:
Get a --- move on,
Have some --- sense.
Learn the --- art of
Self de- --- -fence.

Dear all,

Please keep in mind that all proposals for the new Australian anthem must be submitted in Chinese. A few lines including 'We love Mao' and 'Communism is a gas' will be highly regarded.

Hi Cossomby,

Some of the convicts had a pretty cocky outlook on life. Remember Ned Kelly's advice to Redmond Barry when he was sentenced: "Well, I'll see you where I'm going."

One of my ancestors was sentenced and given a choice: either transportation or death. She complained that she didn't want to be transported, she got seasick, which left her with the other option. But thankfully (for my very existence, and the course of history), her sentence was commuted. She later married another convict - in fact, he had been convicted of thieving twice and transported twice, in 1791 and again in about 1803. Their daughter married another convict.

I guess that makes me some sort of Australian Royalty, or at least aristocracy.

Joe,
Duke of Bankstown

I am still quite fond of the deleted second verse of Advance Australia Fair:

When gallant Cook from Albion sailed
To trace wide oceans o'er
True British courage bore him on
Till he landed on our shore
And here he raised old England's flag
The standard of the brave
For all her faults we love her still
Brittania rules the waves!

Loudmouth, In 1988 when everyone got into convict ancestors, I was invited to afternoon tea at a posh house on the north shore of Sydney. A group of genteel ladies all vaguely related to me (only discovered during the genealogy craze) competed for convict ancestors - the winner had 32. I sat there with my mouth shut, having a mere four.

In 1938 of course convict ancestors were a no-no, but Aborigines from Menindee were brought to Sydney to take part in the re-enactment of Phillip's landing for the sesquicentenary (love that word). On the other hand, this was also the year of the Day of Mourning, the start of Aboriginal political action.