How well do you know your country's history?

Bretrick

Bretrick

Well-known Member
Location
Perth Western Australia
History of Australia in 100 words

Aborigines arrive 60,000 BC, had place to themselves until 1770, Captain Cook lands, claims it for Britain.
Britain's unwanted arrive in Van Diemans Land, 1833, eventually become the stock from which most Original Aussies stem.
Things bugger up, Gold discovered at Bathurst 1851, world comes here. Bugger
Commonwealth of Australia comes into being in 1901.
Off to war in 1914 and 1939.
Our National Treasure, Vegemite produced in 1923.
The Coat Hanger (Sydney Harbour Bridge) open to traffic in 1932.
Holden Car makes appearance in 1948.
Opera House opens, 1973
America's cup, ours in 1983.
200 years old in 1988.
Nothing more worth mentioning.
 

Do you know the history of Vegemite?

Before Vegemite, Aussies enjoyed a product imported from Britain called Marmite, but the imports were disrupted during political conflict. So an Australian company called Fred Walker & Co set out to find a replacement that could be produced in Australia using yeast that was being dumped by Australian breweries. And they succeeded.
 
Murrmurr said:
Do you know the history of Vegemite?

Before Vegemite, Aussies enjoyed a product imported from Britain called Marmite, but the imports were disrupted during political conflict. So an Australian company called Fred Walker & Co set out to find a replacement that could be produced in Australia using yeast that was being dumped by Australian breweries. And they succeeded.
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...and it's disgusting.. as is Marmite.... :sick:
 

Pinky said:
There's something soy-saucy about Marmite & Vegemite. Perhaps that's why they sell it in Asian grocery stores.

I really don't mind it.
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yet I love soy sauce, in fact I put it in my minced beef batch concoction today.. and yesterdays' noodles and bacon... but I cannot stand Marmite... the smell even makes me want to heave...
 
I know my history pretty good since I used to teach it in high school. Read many books on the subject. Of course, I'm a Canadian so I know Canadian history but I also know European. Never been to Australia but I have a rough idea about their history and US history too. Here is a Canadian joke or perhaps not a joke. Ask some students who was the 1st Prime Minister of Canada. Too many will answer "George Washington." Correct answer: John A. Macdonald. Sad situation me thinks.
 
mellowyellow said:
The history I was taught in school (in the 50s) was not the truth in many cases, instead patriotic info to make us feel proud of our country. The nasty stuff was kept secret.
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They got the basic facts straight, but American history as taught in school lies through omission. You can learn about what was omitted through higher education, visiting a library (your best bet), or, these days, researching online. You'll still find conflicting information, but at a library it's pretty easy to find cross-references.
 
mellowyellow said:
The history I was taught in school (in the 50s) was not the truth in many cases, instead patriotic info to make us feel proud of our country. The nasty stuff was kept secret.
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True, but as adults we should have filled in the gaps for ourselves. There are plenty of books available now that tell the real story of colonisation from the POV of the indigenous and non white inhabitants.
 
Packerjohn said:
Here is a Canadian joke or perhaps not a joke. Ask some students who was the 1st Prime Minister of Canada. Too many will answer "George Washington."
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Probably get that here too, or Abraham Lincoln or Winston Churchill... Almost no one in the US would know who John A. Macdonald was. After seeing his name I did recognize it, but to be honest if asked it would not have come to mind. We could all do with a bit more history.
Mr. Ed said:
In my opinion, history is modified or edited to instigate a desired outcome.
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History is, and always has been, written by the victors to tell the story the way they want it remembered. Only vaguely resembling the truth, if that.
 
I'm guilty of the same ignorance, even though I have heard the name of Australia's first PM many times. It is Edmund Barton. He is exceedingly forgettable but I do remember the name of the Premier of NSW who was instrumental in driving through Federation. Henry Parkes. He is usually referred to as the Father of Federation. As I said in an earlier post, history is what we remember. We don't remember all of it.
 
Mr. Ed said:
In my opinion, history is modified or edited to instigate a desired outcome.
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"History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it." Winston Churchill.

Actually that is a misquote. Here's what he actually said: "For my part, I consider that it will be found much better by all Parties to leave the past to history, especially as I propose to write that history."

It was Churchill's way of saying he was going to be the winner, as well as the keeper of his own legacy. It's been said that the winners write the history books, Churchill's acknowledging that here. He's also making it known that, after disposing of the Nazis, he's going put in a good word for himself for the rest of us to read about.

Churchill, for all his faults, knew only to well what history teaches when he said: “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
 

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