Australia celebrates its ‘record’

Press, 22 February 1980, Page 13

Australia celebrates its ‘record’

Plans are being made to . re-enact one of the ;• world’s longest and lar/ gest human migrations —- 15,000 miles by sea from ’ Britain to Australia. The perilous journey of. 1487 men and women almost two. ; -centuries'. ago! is known in Australia . as. the “first' fleet,’« • and it . will be the focal point'of the country’s bicentenary celebrations in 1988. Politicians and commuriity leaders hope the bicentenary will encourage ■ Australia’s population of 14 million, made up of 130 national groups,: to recognise themselves as one nation. — .'The first-fleet- re-enact-ments is the -idea of Dr Jonathan King,- a (desCendant of one of the Britsh

naval officers who led, the (eight-month voyage'. King hope's; to get -financial backing to build .at ~least two.replicas-:of . the original first-fleet ships, plans for which are still held in Britain’s ■. National Mari--time Museum. • If all goes well, they will sail -from Britain .in time to' arrive in Sydney on Australia Day, January 26, 1988. The reasons for the first voyage had little to do with-" a search for new frontiers or greater freedOm. The “pioneers” aboard the 11 ships which sailed from .Portsmouth were mostly wretched „„,4 petty . criminals and prostitutes, despatched in chains.

Their success in establishing a colony in what is now the city of Sydney enabled Britain to get rid of thousands of convicts from the country’s overcrowded prisons, and the

shipment of prisoners to Australia continued for more than half a century.

Australia is far from embarrassed by its “criminal record.” Dr David Armstrong, one of the organisers Of the bicentenial celebrations, says: “Some Australians would like that fact to go away but it’s a matter of great

pride that we have come a long way since then.” .■■ As it happens, 1988, is also an Olympic year, and Melbourne is lobbying to host the Games. Other celebration proposals.include

a major scientific and cultural exhibition, the minting of a special silver dollar, and international cricket and soccer competitions. The' completion and royal opening of a new federal parliament? in the national capital of Canberra is also scheduled for 1988. ' Australia has been an

independent country for the whole of this century, but still has very close constitutional ties with Britain. Immigrants who seek Australian citizenship •must, swear an oath of allegiance to the Queen of Australia — Britain’s Queen. Elizabeth. However, many of the immigrants of the last 30 years have come from eastern and southern Europe and have no ties with Britain, which was the main source of newcomers before the’Second World War.

Politicians recognise that one of the major issues facing Australia in the next decade or so will be a growing demand that

it should finally break the umbilical cord wih the mother country and become a republic. The problem may well demand a solution before the bicentennial decade is over: already, the non-political Republican Association is campaigning for the creation of an Australian republic .on January 26, 1988.

That campaign is not the only ripple of discontent. Australia’s Aborigines, whose ancestors colonised the country 30,000 years before Britain’s convicts, are still waiting for a peace treaty to restore some of their lost land rights. — Copyright London Observer Service.

From

Graham Lees

in Melbourne '