OT: Australia Day

[Targan]

Its more like the July 1'st Holiday in Canada when it proclaimed a country...

That would be January 1 for us (Australia became an independent nation on January 1st 1901). Which makes it a bit difficult for us to have a special public holiday to mark the aniversary as January 1 is already a public holiday for obvious reasons.

[Mohoender]

Then, have a happy Australian day. And yes totally ignored this. Thanks for the short explanation it was very interesting.

[Targan]

James Cook was a Lieutenant when he charted the east coast of Australia in 1770. Upon his return to Britain he was promoted to Commander and later embarked on a second voyage. Upon completion of the second voyage he was promoted to Captain.

Heh heh. Yes, you're absolutely right. Still, although Lieutenant was his Royal Navy rank, as the master of his vessel it is technically permissible to refer to him as the ship's captain *desperate pedantic backpeddle on my part*

[Mohoender]

Heh heh. Yes, you're absolutely right. Still, although Lieutenant was his Royal Navy rank, as the master of his vessel it is technically permissible to refer to him as the ship's captain *desperate pedantic backpeddle on my part*

No no. Absolutely right. Can't you also refer to him as the commander or is it equally confusing

[pmulcahy11b]

Paul; that makes it more like Columbus Day vice Independance Day. There is a difference, now send us your women....only the hot ones mind you!

Bah, Columbus Day! He's just about the last one who "discovered" America -- and started the genocide that characterized the rest of the conquest of America! F*** Columbus!

One of the curses of having a History degree; you learn what really happened.

[pmulcahy11b]

We also have the bulk of the worlds Uranium.....

I'll have to check the satellite photos, and see if Australia glows in the dark.

[headquarters]

well - he was the first to publicize

Bah, Columbus Day! He's just about the last one who "discovered" America -- and started the genocide that characterized the rest of the conquest of America! F*** Columbus!

One of the curses of having a History degree; you learn what really happened.

who were the first outsiders then
Irish monks

The Norse

Asians

[pmulcahy11b]

who were the first outsiders then
Irish monks

The Norse

Asians

Yes to all of the above, and more.

[Cdnwolf]

who were the first outsiders then
Irish monks

The Norse

Asians

According to God... I think Murdoch was there first.

[Legbreaker]

Cook (deliberately omitting rank here) discovered the Australian east coast approximately 11 years before the first fleet of convicts and guards made landfall on the 26th of January 1788. This is the date the first permanent European residents arrived and set up camp in Sydney Cove (not all that far from where the Opera house and habour bridge stand now).

Of course the first humans to arrive were many millenia earlier - something like 40,000 years ago, with evidence suggesting as much as 100,000 years or more. They were little more than nomadic tribesmen for the most part with little we could say resembling a "modern" civilisation and in fact these natives had few to no rights up until mid 20th century.

[weswood]

My non-Australian friends are probably not aware that today is Australia Day, a national public holiday. I am very proud of my country and I say to all my Aussie friends happy Australia Day and I hope you all get well and truely plastered, cook up some steaks and snags on the barbie and have a great day.

Congadulations and all that, but wth is a snag I haven't seen that on the local Outback menu.

[Cdnwolf]

Congadulations and all that, but wth is a snag I haven't seen that on the local Outback menu.

AND we are still waiting for the good looking Aussie woman to come and visit.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

Congadulations and all that, but wth is a snag I haven't seen that on the local Outback menu.

The same thing that the British call a 'banger'.
In a more refined society, they'd call it a sausage but here in Awwstralya, our slang is as rough as our outback roads.

[Raellus]

Happy Australia day to all my T2K-lovin' Aussie mates.

[pmulcahy11b]

According to God... I think Murdoch was there first.

Yes, but he was killed with the most powerful artifact ever -- Maxwell's Silver Hammer!

OK, I just realized that made sense to no one but me. Back as a teenager in Hawaii, one of us had a character named Murdoch, and the DM had come up with stats for Maxwell's Silver Hammer (something in a song)...OK, never mind, it still doesn't make a lot of sense.