Today is Australia Day - January 26

Warrigal

Warrigal

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Sydney, Australia
This date is chosen because it is the day Captain Arthur Phillip planted an English flag at Botany Bay and founded a penal colony. Naturally our indigenous people aren't too impressed by this date but on the whole they are surprisingly gracious. They do tend to call it Invasion Day though.

It is mostly celebrated outdoors in backyards and public parks and there are free BBQs, multicultural food, entertainment and the ubiquitous fireworks in the evening.

Honours are bestowed on eminent Australians including various Australian of the Year awards. This year two young people were jointly named Young Australian of the Year and their story is rather interesting.

Mobile laundry founders Nic Marchesi and Lucas Patchett named Young Australians of the Year

January 25, 2016

  • For decades, mobile libraries have brought books into the lives of those who would otherwise go without. Meals on Wheels has helped feed those who cannot cook for themselves. What no one had thought of was creating a mobile laundry to wash the clothes of the homeless. That was until September 2014 when best mates Nic Marchesi and Lucas Patchett, both 21, decided to give it a go.

    "We wanted to improve the hygiene standards of the homeless, so we came up with this crazy idea of building a free mobile laundry," Marchesi said last year.
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Orange Sky founders Nic Marchesi and Lucas Patchett. Photo: Kristian Silva

It started small. The Brisbane boys took an old van nicknamed Sudsy, fitted it out with a generator, water tanks and two large washing machines and driers. Then they started driving around town offering to clean the clothes of those sleeping rough. Often they would park their laundry near food vans and free barbecues, allowing the homeless to have their clothes washed while waiting for a feed.

The $5 to $6 it costs to use a laundromat can be a big cost for those without a roof over their heads. The mobile laundry was a simple idea whose time had come.

Armed with enthusiasm to make a practical difference and strong social media skills, Marchesi and Patchett quickly expanded the service to Melbourne, Sydney and the Gold Coast. Their charity Orange Sky Laundry – named after one of their favourite songs – now operates in 36 locations and washes 350 loads each week. Over 270 volunteers have joined up, and governments and local businesses have come on board to make the charity more sustainable.

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Nic Marchesi and Lucas Patchett have been named the Young Australians of the Year. Photo: Andrew Meares

Marchesi and Patchett have now been honoured with the title of Young Australians of the Year to recognise their work to boost the respect and improve the health standards of homeless Australians.

Last year, they expanded their mobile laundry service to natural disaster relief by travelling to North Queensland to wash the clothes of residents affected by Cyclone Marcia. This year they want to keep opening in new locations across the country, giving more Australians access to something many of us take for granted: clean clothes.

Accepting the award, Mr Patchett said the laundry service began as a simple idea: "clean clothes and conversation".

"But after 70,000 kilos of washing ... we realised it is so much more. We can restore respect, raise health standards and be a catalyst for conversation.
"We have found a way to treat others how they want to be treated."

Mr Marchesi said that last week, he met homeless man Grant, and washed his clothes for the first time.

"As I passed Grant's laundry back to him, he told me something I'll never forget.
He said, 'Nic, I haven't been able to have a conversation with anyone for over three days'."

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...-australians-of-the-year-20160125-gmdpqh.html
Click to expand...

I'm pleased that these two young men have been recognised for their initiative and compassion.
 

We don't actually say Happy Australia Day to each other.
We usually just ask "What are you doing for Australia Day?

We're a bit shy of seeming to be overtly patriotic although the two dollar shops sell a lot of Aussie flag decorations that are all made in China - plastic table cloths, bunting and plastic flags as well as embroidered caps and patriotic Tshirts.

Hubby and I attended a family luncheon with two of his cousins, their 89 yr old mother (and a beloved auntie) and his brother and sister in law. Very low key but a lovely way to spend a public holiday.
 
It's all over SeaBreaze. It's Jan 27 already.

I thought I would share with you David Morrison our Australian of the Year for 2016. He is a former Head of the Army and he has confronted head on the abuse of women in the armed services. A video of him addressing members of the military went viral when he told them in no uncertain terms that things were going to change and if they didn't like it they should get out. He was speaking to the higher ranks as much as to the rest.

You can read all about him and watch the video here http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-26/attard-australian-of-the-year-david-morrison/7114418

He replaces another magnificent Australian of the Year, Rosie Batty, who have worked tirelessly to change awareness of domestic violence in 2015. Her son was murdered in front of her at cricket practice by her violent ex husband in 2014 and despite her grief she devoted herself to helping other families and changing attitudes to this problem.

For two years in a row the Australian of the Year is an social activist rather than a popular sporting personality and I welcome the change.
 

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