Historically Honest, ...

Was yakking with an Aussie and his Malaysian wife today about his homeland and politics.

"The results must be out by now. I wonder if Howard won?" he mused.

There was no internet connection nor a working television where we were. They thought that he had a very slim chance of winning. I thought that despite dire predictions of failure in the past, he always won. So the guy will most probably win again this time.

We then moved on to talking about the history of Australia and the penal colonies that were formed in the 18th/19th century. I recalled my convictism experience exploring various parts of Tasmania. When we were in Lake St. Clair, I was impressed with the fact that the Aborigine Cultural Walk trail was liberally peppered with sign posts detailing the arrival of white men to the island and the subsequent deportation of the natives to Flinders Island.

In Bruny Island, we discovered the memorial stone of an Aborigine woman called Truganini who become a symbol for the attempted genocide of the Aboriginal peoples of Australia [source]. And needless to say, in Port Arthur, there were ample historical reminders of its penal colony origins.

"I respect the Aussies for not hiding the truth and re-writing history so that it is more palateable. They tell it like it was," I concluded.

How else can you learn from the mistakes of your nation's forefathers if they claim to have never made any mistakes before? Or if they doctor history?

Coming back to John Howard, he did lose the elections. Big time. But kudos to him for accepting the results gracefully. Looks like the Aussies are dying for a change, made their choice and got what the majority wanted. Hurray for democracy in its truest form. No lying, no cheating, no hiding. Just honesty, the Aussie way. We can learn a thing or two from them.


Taken at the Aborigine Cultural Walk, Lake St. Clair


Truganini's memorial stone, Bruny Island