Is Mise,

There's quite a few other minority groups who have
also had an impact. But this is about our ties to
Britain - and how really are they relevant to
Australia in the 21st century? Or are they waning?
And will they continue into the future when (and if)
Prince Charles ever becomes King?

Foxy
But no impact like unto the Irish; you mentioned place names; now that is only area where the Irish have had a big impact.

Paul it was not only after the war, but during it we learned our place in the empire. Churchill wanted India defended at all cost, it was a source of real wealth. His words were, we'll take Australia back if it falls to the Japs. He didn't want to give us back our troops fighting in the middle east even when the Japs were at our door step.

Still my navy in the late 50s was very much a Queen & Country operation. We sailed British built or designed ships & submarines, we flew British aircraft, & our thoughts were commonwealth.

My sons navy in the 2000s was a different animal. Most of the ships & weaponry were American, although becoming more international all the time, & the attitude was Australia first last & in the middle.

It is however becoming far too Spanish & French at this time. Surely anyone with just a little history would recall the Spanish Armada, & the total lack of fighting ability of Spanish, & for the French, the white flag being their most important bit of equipment.

Still today all our armed forces are really just a token, for humanitarian missions & supporting the yanks in bush fire arguments, to garner US protection. I expect there would be no more help coming from that direction than Churchill offered in our time of need, unless it was in the Yanks interest to use us as a base, or fighting venue.

Is Mise,

So tell us about the Irish.

I grew up with Irish priests and nuns.

Foxy,
Your emphasis on the English is misleading as the Irish had an enormous impact on the formation of Australian society.
The Castle Hill rebellion and the Eureka Stockade spring to mind.
Then there is the opposition to conscription when the conscription referendums returned a no vote during WW1, the NO campaign was ably led by Daniel Mannix Catholic Bishop and Irish to the core.

Then there is the State school systems which are based on. the Irish system which Governor Bourke had tried to introduce in to the colony of NSW.
Law, whilst derived from England has been modified by much Irish influence for example rent under English law was a recognition of the landlord’s right whereas in Australia, as influenced by Irishmen, acceptance of rent was a recognition of the tenants rights

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Dear Hasbeen,

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That’s a pretty gloomy picture you paint, Hasbeen, but it certainly seems realistic to me in the current ongoing context of worldwide cynicism – or has it always been like that, as your reminder of Churchill’s betrayal of Australia eighty years ago tends to suggest ?

You indicate that we no longer purchase our warships and weaponry from traditional suppliers in Britain and America and regret that we now purchase them from Spain and France – pointing to the debacle of the Spanish Armada (1588) and deploring that “the white flag [is France’s] most important bit of equipment”.
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Here is what historians have to say about the Spanish Armada :

[ By fending off the Spanish fleet, the island nation saved itself from invasion and won recognition as one of Europe’s most fearsome sea powers. The clash also established the superiority of heavy cannons in naval combat, signaling the dawn of a new era in warfare at sea.

While the Spanish Armada is now remembered as one of history’s great military blunders, it didn’t mark the end of the conflict between England and Spain. In 1589, Queen Elizabeth launched a failed “English Armada” against Spain.

King Philip II, meanwhile, later rebuilt his fleet and dispatched two more Spanish Armadas in the 1590s, both of which were scattered by storms. It wasn’t until 1604—over 16 years after the original Spanish Armada set sail—that a peace treaty was finally signed ending the Anglo-Spanish War as a stalemate. ]

http://www.history.com/topics/british-history/spanish-armada
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And here is what British historian Niall Ferguson says about the military history of France :

[ France is the most successful military power in history. The French participated in 50 of the 125 major European wars that have been fought since 1495; more than any other European state. They are followed by the Austrians who fought in 47 of them, the Spanish in 44, and the English (and later British) who were involved in 43. Out of 168 battles fought since 387BC, they have won 109, lost 49, and drawn 10. ]

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

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