The Great Australian Myth

By Callen Sorensen Karklis

Australia the land of the fair go! Or so we were led to believe. In recent times this myth has been challenged when in actual fact our so-called egalitarian objectives of past generations were nothing but a fantasy.

Australia should be the land of the fair go – don’t get me wrong – I am a progressive advocating for human rights laws and maintaining anti–discrimination laws as well. However, Australia’s history, much like the history of the Americas, was built on the blood sweat and tears by colonial oppressors.

Albeit there were some successes which we will analyse shortly. There has also been a great deal of national shame that many politicians and influencers don’t wish you to understand so they can manipulate you into giving them your vote and robbing you of your democratic rights of free expression.

Historical fact. Australia was and always has been a country built paradoxically on trying to be the land of the fair go. But the colonies – and later Federation of Australia – was and always has been a racist one. There is no denying this fact.

Australia from 1901-1972 for 7 decades held a racist discriminatory policy in the form of what was termed ‘the White Australia policy’. Australia, much like South Africa, had its own apartheid.

If you were of an immigrant background other than “White” you were discouraged from becoming “Australian”. From 1901-1940s this was traditionally an Anglo Saxon looking country. But as of the 1940s this was slightly amended by Labor Immigration Minister Arthur Calwell, who called for any Europeans regardless of where in Europe which marked slow progress.

This was devastating to many in the Asian (Chinese, Filipino, and Japanese communities) who immigrated during the gold rush eras. And many Pacific Islander nation peoples who were no more than slaves along with our First Nations people for cheap labour. If you were deemed different or even Queer or LGBTIQ you were also denied your rights.

Australia was built on slavery not of just of people of colour but our working class as well.

As I said, there has been some progress…

In 1901 Australia was the first country to give women the vote, but women didn’t successfully contest and win elections until the 1940s. But many women were still abused and worked below the minimum wage until the 1980s.

Australia embarked on making white “socialist paradise” but only for those that were deemed to be worth it. All early conservative, Liberal-protectionist, and Labor politicians of the time were all in bi-partisan support of this until the civil rights began in the 1960s.

In 1967 a referendum was held to grant Australian First Nations peoples (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders) the rights of citizenship (voting, counted among census, and special powers granted to the parliament to make laws regarding First Nations Australians). Which is both a good and bad thing.

In 1975 the Racial Discrimination Act was enacted and introduced by the Whitlam Labor Government. In the 1970s–80s decriminalisation of same-sex relationships, and in 1984 the Sex Discrimination Act granted women more workplace rights under the Hawke Labor government.

In recent times we’ve seen Australia Day and the very essence of what it is to be Australian hijacked by some who believe in denying our First Nations more say in the democratic process be it Truth and Treaty nationally or the Voice referendum failing in 2024.

To many First Nations peoples Australia Day can be either a day of celebrating with their mates and getting on with it, but also shame, hurt, pain, sorry business and survival. As it was always and always will be Aboriginal land regardless of any flag in the ground.

The public holiday was first celebrated in 1994.

Former NSW Premier and Australian founding father Henry Parkes – considered the father of federation – when asked should Australia celebrate Australia Day on January 26^th, 1888 he is alleged to have replied; “And remind them that we have robbed them?”

Many forget their own history, but Australia Day marked the day the British planted the Union Jack into the soils of Botany Bay, Sydney NSW.

This marked the start of the Australian colonies and the Australian Frontier Wars between European settlers and our First Nations peoples from that year, 1788 until 1939.

Many convicts who came to Australia were of Irish Celtic descent. Many were abused and treated unfairly due to the subjugation of Ireland and the famines later leading to rebellions, and the Troubles decades later.

Australia Day on January 26^th which marked us as the first day of British colonial rule. The same colonial rule that left Australian and Kiwi (NZ) diggers dying at Gallipoli beaches and trenches in Turkey against Ottoman troops while the British troops were having cups of tea.

Federation Day marking the first day as a federated Australia on January 1^st was seen as too out of touch for being a public holiday being New Years Day and all. So, to give people an extra day off work and hit the grog it was unwisely decided January 26^th none other by Labor Prime Minister Paul Keating. While Keating deserves credit for asking questions on what it is to be “Australian”, it was a mistake marking this day as a celebratory one.

Notice how the Americans may host their own day signifying colonial rule under Columbus Day on October 13^th when Christopher Columbus discovered the “New World” in the Americas the yanks celebrate both days, but more emphasis is put on Independence Day on the 4^th of July the day marked by their freedom from British rule in the American Revolutionary War. We do the opposite when we celebrate Australia Day.

Many don’t realise this, but many original “white subjects” were convicts and of Irish people who eventually rebelled against the unfair ways of colonial rule (the Castle Rebellion, also known as the Irish rebellion, where 24 died, and 23 were exiled. You could argue that John Kelly was famous as an Irish robin hood in Victoria in 1878-1880.)

Australians tend to love the stories of our bushrangers, especially if they fought for a just and fair cause for freedom and their basic rights.

And for many workers – regardless their backgrounds but particularly the Irish – fought at Eureka! Many don’t even know this, but the Eureka Rebellion is the true first day of Australia being a democratic place.

British Troops killed everyday mining workers who immigrated mostly during the gold rush to settle and make a new home here. The Victorian colonial government and British charged excessive mining fees on the workers who struggled to make ends meet.

Eureka, Ballarat Victoria was where the striking diggers defended themselves against oppressive British rule, where 27 people lost their lives in the fighting, all rebels were later acquitted during the trial.

Peter Lalor perhaps also isn’t given enough credit as not only the leader of the Rebellion but a founding father of Australia who later became a Victorian parliamentarian, colonial minister (1878-1880), and speaker (1880-1887). The poor bloke even lost his arm because of injuries he sustained during the battle.

“I tell you, gentlemen, if once I pledge my hand to the diggers, I will neither defile it with treachery, nor render it contemptible with cowardice.”

We don’t talk enough about how people weaponise history, not being taught properly and how history is whitewashed to suit the political needs of those who oppress and control the masses by spreading fear and disinformation of what really happened.

This is the sort of stuff that should be taught in schools, and maybe even workplaces but just isn’t because the truth hurts those that want to hide it to control you. As the Roman saying goes, give the people bread and circuses.

Or in our modern contexts, “Shrimp on the Barbie”, Footy, Cricket, and WWE wrestling.

If we change this culture and accept our history for what it really is how far we’ve come and how far we could go then we might really become the land of the fair go!?

 

Callen Sorensen Karklis currently was the 2024 QLD State candidate for Oodgeroo. He holds a Bachelor of Government and International Relations from Griffith University and Business Diploma from QLD TAFE. He currently studies a Cert 4 in Youth Work. He has worked in retail, media advertising, union and government roles. He has also been involved with Bayside Crime Stoppers in 2015 – 2016 and was on the Griffith Student Representative Council as the Indigenous Officer during the Pandemic in 2021. He also has been a cohost on 4ZZZ radio programs on Workers Power and Indigi Briz. He was also a coordinator for Jos Mitchell’s Leading Change Team during the 2024 Redland City Council elections. He used to be a local organizer in the Labor Party during the Newman and early Palaszczuk eras and had advised TEAL campaigns.

 

See also: Why is Australia Day 26th January?

Also by Callen Sorensen Karklis: Democracy Fragile in QLD Local Governments

 

 

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