Talking Australian

The Fat Aussie Barstard

2011-08-14T00:04:00.001-07:00

The last word

2011-07-14T07:40:00.001-07:00

Keith Rupert Murdoch - say no more.

Robert Stigwood: Greatest pop empresario of all time

2011-06-12T02:28:00.000-07:00

Robert Stigwood was born in 1934 in Adelaide, South Australia and was educated at Sacred Heart College. He began his career as a copywriter for a local advertising agency but in 1955 aged 21, he moved to England. At first he took odd jobs including working as an assistant in institution for "teenage boys" in East Anglia. There he became friends with Stephen Komlosy and they decided to start a small theatrical agency. One of their first clients was a handsome young actor called John Leyton. Stigwood spotted his potential as a pop singer but after Leyton had been turned down by a number of recording companies, Stigwood took him to meet Joe Meek. Meek was an independent record producer who had his own small recording and company, RGM Sound Ltd. He used a small roster of artists and wrote, produced and recorded their works before offering the completed tape to established record companies to manufacture and distribute. Leyton’s first couple of singles, a cover of ‘Tell Laura I love her’; and ‘Girl on the Floor Above’ were released in 1960 but met with no interest. As John Leyton’s agent, Stigwood managed to get him cast in the role of a pop star, Johnny St. Cyr ("sincere") in a new TV soap called, Harper's West One. The role called for Leyton’s character to perform a song on the show. The single, ‘Johnny Remember me’ became an instant Number One hit in the UK. Encouraged by initial success Stigwood became more involved in record production. Other artists like Mike Sarne, and Mike Berry soon joined the Stigwood stables. The Stigwood/Meek success set a new pattern for the industry and within a couple of years over half the hits in the UK were independent productions. Despite this success Robert Stigwood became increasingly dissatisfied with Joe Meek's erratic behavior. Eventually they parted company and Stigwood took on the role of record producer and made a deal with Sir Joseph Lockwood, (managing director of EMI) in 1961. Now agent, manager and independent producer, he continued to thrive as a music publisher and pop concert promoter. Keen to encourage greater success for his UK acts, the entrepreneur reversed the normal process fir UK acts by regularly visiting America to acquire potential songs to rush release UK covers before the originals hit the American charts. His business rapidly expanded and Stigwood bathed in excess with success. His management style was abrupt and was not always popular. By the mid 60s his business was in serious financial trouble although Stigwood managed to avoid complete disaster he went bankrupt but kept his creditors at bay as he re-established himself. Within two years, he was back on top. The music business is aggressive and highly competitive and a common practice for agents then, was to try and ‘pouch’ acts from other agencies. This often met with violent repercussions and it is alleged, Don Arden reacted menacingly to Stigwood when he made advances to The Small Faces to switch to his agency. Stigwood took on a new business partner, David Shaw, to strengthen his financial position. The Robert Stigwood Agency (RSA) remained intact as he worked to rebuild his career as a manager and independent producer. In 1966, Robert Stigwood became, The Who's booking agent and eventually lured the band to join his Reaction Records and record, "Substitute". Cream, consisting of Eric Clapton (John Mayall's Bluesbreakers), bassist Jack Bruce, and drummer Ginger Baker (The Graham Bond Organisation) were also an aspiring act in the UK but the trio had never appeared in the US. Stigwood arranged for them to debut at a 9 day gig in New York for the Who in 1967. To finance this venture he released capital by moving his recording activities to Polydor Records in a lucrative deal. The band went on to record at Atlantic Records with producer-engineer Tom Dowd. In the same year the Australian entrepreneur signed a career-making deal with his friend and colleague Brian Epstein to merge their two companies. This was not a popular decision as Stigwood had a reputation of being a ruthless and a cavalier style that upset many people. The move effectively placed him at the pinnacle of the British pop industry however whilst Brian Epstein remained manager of The Beatles. Stigwood was now in control of most of NEMS other acts but Epstein would soon found himself at odds with his new partner. Why Epstein decided to merge with Stigwood remains uncertain. There had been numerous other offers made for NEMS over the previous few years which Epstein turned down. They were friends but Stigwood’s reputation as a tough operator, meant Epstein’s decision to merge was not too popular. Stigwood was effectively placed at the pinnacle of the British pop industry, but Epstein stayed as the manager of The Beatles, with the responsibility for the other NEMS acts passing to Stigwood. Epstein would soon regret the partnership. The next big break came only weeks after he started with NEMS with The Bee Gees. They arrived from Australia with hopes of making it in the UK, and Stigwood signed them to a five-year deal while still at NEWS. Later when he left the company he took their contract with him and signed them to Polydor. Their first single flopped despite heavy hype, but undeterred, and with NEMS' resources behind him, he embarked on a concerted campaign (no to break The Bee Gees in the UK. Their second single, New York Mining Disaster 1941, was a major UK hit and was followed by Massachusetts, which went Top 5 in both England and the USA. After Brian Epstein died Robert Stigwood left NEMS to form his own company, The Robert Stigwood Organisation. By the end of the sixties, Stigwood was enjoying huge success with his music ventures. Cream and The Bee Gees were the biggest attractions in the world and Stigwood took production credits on their early works. He moved into theatre production in 1968 after he saw the Broadway production of Hair. He decided to stage it in London and it was a huge success and followed this with a series of other successful productions: Oh Calcutta!, The Dirtiest Show in Town, Pippin, Sweeney Todd, Sing a Rude Song, John, Paul, Ringo and Bert, Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar. By the beginning of the 70s Stigwood's companies had expanded into almost every field of entertainment, including both film and TV production. Stigwood had purchased a controlling interest in Associated London Scripts, an independent writers' agency co-founded in the 1950s by Spike Milligan and Eric Sykes, which subsequently developed the hit series All in the Family and Sanford and Son in the USA, which were adapted from the popular British TV shows Til Death Us Do Part and Steptoe and Son. In 1973 Stigwood moved into film and produced Jesus Christ Superstar as a motion picture in association with its director, Norman Jewison. He followed this with the acclaimed film version of The Who's Tommy, directed by Ken Russell. RSO Films then produced Saturday Night Fever with a sound track by the Bee Gees. This became the largest-selling soundtrack album ever released, and one of the biggest-selling albums in recording history. Stigwood followed this with another huge success, Grease, which became one of the most successful film musicals ever released. His company produced the cult 'gangster' movie for kids, Bugsy Malone, as well as Peter Weir's Gallipoli and Evita, starring Madonna. Not all the musical movies were a great success and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, starring Peter Frampton and The Bee Gees, bombed at the box office. He has continued with mixed fortunes in the film industry. By the mid 80s, RSO had shuttered and its catalogue was sold off. RSO teamed up with Bob Banner Associates in 1975 to produce a stunt game show, Almost Anything Goes (ABC) which lasted four seasons. He became more active in the second half of the 1990s, producing the long-awaited film version of another Lloyd Webber/Rice concept album-turned-stage musical, Evita (1996), and being involved with the stage version of Saturday Night Fever (1999).

Worth a listen
John Leyton
Johnny Remember me (1961 )

The Who
Substitute (1966)
I’m a boy (1966)
Happy Jack (1966)
Pictures of Lily (1966)
I can see for miles (1967)
Magic Bus (1968)
Pinball Wizzard (1969)

The Cream
Strange Brew (1967)
Spoonful (1967)
Sunshine of your love (1968)
White Room (1968)
Crossroads (1969)
Badge (1969)

The Bee Gees
New York Mining Disaster 1941 (1967)
Jive talkin’ (1975)
Styin’ Alive (1977)
Night Fever (1978)

The King's Speech

2010-12-30T01:07:00.001-08:00

Welcome to talking Australia

2009-08-16T17:22:00.001-07:00

G'd Day

As a new Australian I thought it would be fun to research the origins of Australian English. Starting with the convicts my study took me through the various developments of the Big Brown Land and the myriad of influence which made up the lexicon of Australia. The works were originally part of a series of radio broadcasts which I compiled into a blog and enhanced with YouTube clips. I do hope you enjoy it.

The Media Moguls and Soap Operas

2009-08-13T23:35:00.000-07:00

The Australian media magnets, that’s the Paker, Murdoch, and Fairfax families (now Fairfax Media Limited) dominate global communication and have done so for several decades. Their combined interests in radio, film, television, satalite television, telecommunications and newspapers not to mention the internet has everyone from Palestine to Paris; from Singapore to Seattle aware of what’s happening in Ramsey Street (Neighbours) or and Wentworth Detention Centre (Prisoner) long after home based Aussie fans may have filed it away as been there and done that. Kerry Packer and Rupert Murdoch were both very much Ockers and made no attempt to disguise their Aussie true blue background regardless of how rich and powerful they’ve became. Not confinded to the big brown land the Australian media magnets have taken the Australian life style and flaunted everywhere and on every level of communication suffice everyone now talks Australian or at least is familiar with Aussie customs and venacular which is now regarded as modern living and modern talking. Buying and selling as they did much of the TV culture of Australia gradually started to appear overseas. From the 80s onwards no longer was the Chips O’ Rafferty version of Australiana taken as a stereotype when the impact of Austalian Soap Operas shaped global culture. Soap Operas started on US radio in the thirties and were short ongoing episodic dramas, broadcast during daytime slots and principally directed at female audiences. The original kitchen sink broadcasts were sponspored by soap companies like Colegate Palmolive and became know affectionately as soaps. The same principle was applied to television and soaps are now the most-watched genre of television program with a conservative estimated two billion viewers worldwide. No surprise then when the Australian mogels had space to fill on their televion stations they chose Australian soaps. The Australian television industry of the 60s and 70s became very adept at making programs (for home consumption) on the cheap. Whilst many remain memorable by comparison to modern standards they were pretty awful but that did not stop the Australian entertainment industry from becoming most adept at working to a very high standard within a limited budget. All this proved invaluable as Australian technicians, actors and writers became an integral part of the US Entertainment business and of course with the Australian mogels taking greater control of world media then the Australian Front was complete. Australian soap operas focus on everyday characters and situations, set in working class environments. Most plots explore real life storylines often puling no punches but with romance never far away and always tinted with a comic element. Experts believe the strength of Aussie soaps lie in the portrayal of family relations and suburban reality with drama that remains recognisable and relevant. This contrasts starkly with some UK soaps which are serious and humourless and the US soaps which glorify glamor. The first Australian TV series to make an international impact was The Sullivans in the mid 80s. Not only was it a big hit in the UK it became hugh in Gibraltar. Prisoner came later then Sons and Daughters followed. Prisoner continues to have a massive worldwide audience with cult following in Sweden. It became the first Australian soap to be screened on late night TV in the UK and the US and has subsequently achieved enduring success with fans snapping up books, plays and even a musical. All of which is dwarfed by the enourmous success of Neighbours which is broadcast in Belgium, France (titled Les Voisins), Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Kenya, Barbados, Catalonia, Galacia, Iceland, Cyprus, Canada, US, and Israel. Almost as successful is Home and Away (for a teenage demographic) which is distrubuted worldwide. Now it is very common to find Australian colloquialisms like, "no worries" in common use in American and UK lexicons. According to linguistic experts Australians now provide more new words to the American lexicon than any other country in the world. I suppose we are justing getting our own back for earlier intrusions into Australian English. Of course something we may not recognise is when it comes back at us (rather like a boomerang). If we were in Swahili just now and I said ‘Hakuna matata’ which literally means "There are no worries". In 1994 the American animated movie The Lion King brought the phrase international recognition, featuring it prominently in the plot and devoting a song to in the movie. So in conlcusion I would have to agree with Oscar Wilde when he said US and the UK were “Two nations divided by a common language,” but I am proud to say they are now connected because we all talk Australian.

Strine

2009-08-07T02:42:00.000-07:00

Strine (Australian) was started as a spoof by Alistair Morrison but soon grew to what we now know and love as talking Australian. Under the pen name Afferback Lauder (Alphabetical Order), and illustrated by Morrison’s alterego, (Al Terego), Professor of Strine at the University of Sinny authored several books in the 60s including Lets Stalk Strine (1965), Nose Tone Unturned (1966), Fraffly Well Spoken (1968), and Fraffly Suite (1969). Morrison. The fundemental aspect of the joke was it was Australian words written phonetically and pronounced as they sounded. For example:

"Spewffle climber treely" - It's a beautiful climate, really
"Emma chisit" - How much is it ?
"Egg nishner" - air-conditioner
"yerron yerrone" – you are on your own
"snow ewe smite" – its no use mate

‘Strine’ became a form of creole language (or hybrid language) with it own lexicon, syntax of course littered with idioms, similes, invented words and slang. Strine matches perfectly with the Australian humour and has kept international audiences laughing from Barry McKenzie to Kath and Kim. One of the greatest exponents of Strine was the former PM Paul Keating. His vivid imagination, dry wit and colourful command of the language made him a deadly adversary as well as a joy to hear. His genius was exposing inconsistencies in others and seldom did he miss the opportunity to score points using Strine. This gained him the title the Lizard of Oz. Who could forget classics like. "I was nearly chloroformed by the performance of the Honourable Member,” and "The Opposition crowd could not raffle a chook in a pub." He described the efforts of others as……like being flogged with a warm lettuce leaf….” And the classic put down. "I suppose that the Honourable Gentleman's hair, like his intellect, will recede into the darkness." Almost Churchillesque in his oratory command but done distinctly with tongue in cheek and as dry as a Pomme’s towel (according to Cunard the English immigrants only had a bath once per month) Australian humour is anti-authoritarian, self-mocking, ironic and full of extremes. We like to look for the lighter side but have the ability to find humour even in the darkest of circumstance. The same trait is found in Celtic humour and this it has been suggested was a coping mechanism for a brutal past. In 1903 Joseph Furphy wrote Such is Life describing his works as 'a tale told by a vulgarian, full of slang and blanky (swearwords), signifying nothing' The novel consisted of a series of comic and tragic variations based on Furphy's own life as a failed selector, a bullock driver ruined by drought and a foundry worker. The same comic larrikin tradition is evidenced today throughout the works of Kathy Lette, Clive James, Tim Winton and poems of Les Murray. Australian humour is infectious and wether its films like like Crocodile Dundee (1986), Strictly Ballroom (1993), Muriel’s Wedding (1994) and The Castle (1997) or television sitcoms like Mother and Son , Kath and Kim, the Paul Hogan Show, Roy and HG, and Dame Edna the world is entertained with its mirth and merriment laughing wityh Australians and not at them. It was of course television coverage of the Sydney Olympics in 2000 that introduced Australians and Australian humour to a global audience. Considered to be one if not the best Olympics ever many of the US commentators were stoked at the thought of talking Australian. The popularity of Australian personalities in the film and entertainment industry over many years has led to Barry Humphries (in all his persona), Paul Hogan and probably the best known Australian on the planet, Steve Irwin from becoming household names from Jindabine to Jerusalem; and Kirribilli to Kilmarnock.

Surfies, Roof Racks, the Stomp and Uggs

2009-07-30T23:40:00.000-07:00

By the 1960s Australians had embraced town living and for the affluent middle class leisure was an integral part of their life style. The beach was regarded as an Australian treasure and advertisers wasted no time emphasising the suntanned, healthy, handsome beauties you might find there. Life was for the living or so the advertising copy went and blue skies, sunshine and sandy beaches were emblems of the good life in the Lucky Country. In truth despite being the biggest island in the world where some of the best beaches can be found, Australia was then, and now a nation of people who mostly can’t swim. The nasty stingy things and fish that bite kept most people out of the water with sea swimming banned during daylight hours. So back in the 19th century the lure of the waves attracted only dare devil types who wanted to flaunt the rules and play in the waves. By 1903 beach bathing became legal and after numerous accidental drownings the new beach savers clubs were formed. Wave larrikins and life savers became sworn enemies. Hawaiian swimmer Duke Kahanamoku came to Australia in 1914 and brought with him his long surf board. His magnificence on the waves captured the imagination of the beach crowd who naturally wanted to acquire the same skills. Who could afford to spend time perfecting surfing were the well off and the beach culture then was a middle class preoccupation. The first Australian (long) board riding champion was Claude West (1924),a few years later Australian surfers participated in the 1939 Pacific Games in Hawaii. The sport got a real injection when in the mid fifties the US Lifeguard team touring Australia demonstrated smaller surfboards which allowed surfers to turn and manoeuvre. Not long after an Australian invented the roof rack. Surfing became a cult and like Rock’n’Roll, everything from the US (the epi-enter of surfing) was copied exactly. Surfing had its own codes and the best surfers got the best beaches and the best girls (beach bunnies/babes or surfie chicks). The best beaches were often near or adjacent to the better living areas and these were jealously guarded (and still are). Surfing became a male preserve and unwanted visitors to prime surfing areas (cockroaches) were frequently threatened with physical violence. The new Rockers (mainly workingclass kids) took a serious dislike to surfers and the ensuing rumbles in the sand were legend. By the time of the Vietnam War more kids were tuning in and dropping out and beach communes became very much part of the counter culture with sex drugs and rock’n’ roll the mantre. Surfers now came from all walks of life and were generally bound by their intense love of the sport. Gradually the surf culture changed for the good as the sport grew and more success came in surfing championships. Whilst the language of surf is mainly American there are some Australian terms which have slipped into the lexicon. Bombora, of course describes a big wave isolated by deep water and breaking over submerged rocks (sometimes called a bombie or cloudbreak). If a sole surfer managed to ride that tube (inside formation of the wave) then he would be well stoked (deligted). A new surfer (jake or grommet) to the club (a cubbie) might problems to others on the surf and would be called a Barney. All in the sea have eyes are ever vidulent for Noah, (rhyming slang Noah's ark) a shark. Somewhere along the line a group of entrepreneurial Australian surfers began backyard businesses making wetsuits, surf gear and board shorts. Soon Australian cottage industries like Quicksilver (1969), Billabong (1973), and Rip Curl had become household names quoted on the stock market. A couple of jackeroos from Victoria and working here in WA crafted a pair of makeshift sheepskin boots with linoleum soles and used them to keep the feet warm on cold mornings. Slowly but surely UGG Boots became the footwear of choice across the surf crowd in the Big Brown land. They were taken to the US and became a world wide sensation. Australian surf culture had its own surf music with the best known example The Atlantics Bombora (1963). Not only that it had its own dance craze called the Stomp.

History of Australian Rock:Part Three

2009-07-25T17:40:00.001-07:00

1970 to 1975 was a fertile period in Australian Rock with veteran rockers and new performers joining in new formations to develop a more mature, progressive and distinctively Australian rock style. Some acts were successful within Australia and others with considerable international success. Australian music is often distinguished from the rock styles of other nations by its focus on melody and complex rhythms usually accompanied with humorous lyrics which were dry and often self-deprecating. Skyhooks were the first to write songs in Australia, by Australians, about Australia, and make money doing it. The Melbourne band formed in 1973 and considered themselves counter to glam rock. Skyhooks were ostensibly pre-punk rockers that revelled in camp costumes, lyrics, and on-stage activities that would shock. More importantly lyrist, Greg Macainsh wrote commercial songs about contemporary young Australians. Their first album, Living in the Seventies, rocketed to the top of the charts and stayed there for so long it became the best selling Australian album up until that time. This was despite seven of the ten album tracks were banned by Australian commercial radio. Compare the glam rock of Skyhooks to Sweet. Until 1975, all commercial pop radio in Australia was broadcast on the AM band, in mono. Unless pop songs were three minutes long and contained no contentious or suggestive lyrics then they were just ignored and that meant many talented acts went unnoticed. The most commercially successful new wave band was Sydney’s Sherbet (a.k.a. The Sherbs and Highway) who formed in 1969. They were the first Australian band to reach $1M in record sales and scored a couple of Australian number ones. They started as a soul band doing Motown covers before Daryl Braithwaite joined them in 1970. After they won Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds in 1971 and a few line up changes, Sherbet became an upfront pop band who wrote many of their hits and toured Australia often to the remotest regions. They had one international hit “Hozat” in 1976 but in 1975 their first Australian was ‘Summer love’ when they were an Australian teen sensation. Meanwhile elsewhere the world had gone mad for five lads dressed in plaid. By the seventies national popularity was encouraged through of a variety of means. The traditional dance hall and disco were dead and much more reliance was placed upon the media to convey popular music. Changes to broadcasting meant the introduction of Double Jay to FM radio. The Go-set magazine had been introduced in 1966 as the first Australian Rock Magazine. Founded in Melbourne by a couple of university students and aimed at a teenage audience and was soon distributed to other states. A popular feature was a centre page spread called The Scene which featured a ‘what’s on,’ this became compulsive reading for acts and their fans alike. Ian Molly Meldrum wrote a weekly column for Go-Set until its demise in 1974. The introduction of colour television and Countdown had a phenomenal effect, gaining a huge audience which soon exerted a strong influence on radio programmers, because it was broadcast nationwide on Australia's government-owned broadcaster, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Countdown was certainly influential in the rise of many Australian acts including Little River Band. Little River Band was formed in 1975 in Melbourne, Australia. The first formation of the band included Glenn Shorrock, lead vocals, Beeb Birtles, guitar and vocals, Graeham Goble, guitar and vocals, Derek Pellicci, drums, Roger McLachlan, bass, Rick Formosa, lead guitar. The band were made up of set consummate musicians with a definite soul background and started to produce some funky music. By comparison the Average White Band was Scottish and came out with similar music to Little River Band both could easily have been mistaken for USA bands. Make up your own mind as we play Little River Band, Average White Band with Steely Dan. The Sunbury music festival which started in 1972 gave rise to a newer generation of tough, uncompromising, adult-oriented rock bands which was continued in the popular in the pub circuit, which followed in the latter part of the decade. Festivals meant big sound bands could get rocking and there was no bigger band than ACDC. They were formed in 1973 by guitarist, Malcolm Young (Velvet Underground) after his band collapsed. He joined forces with his younger brother Angus (lead guitarist), and Dave Evans (singer), and they played around Sydney. They recorded “Can I sit next to you” which was produced by Harry Vanda (Easybeats) and older brother George Young (Easybeats) but it failed to raise much interest. Phil Rudd (Coloured Balls) and Mark Evans (bass) joined the group when they moved to Melbourne. Bon Scott (Fraternity and The Valentines) was the drummer and driver and had much more experience in the business than the rest of the lads. When Dave took stage fright, Bon stepped in as lead singer, and when Dave left the band in 1977, Cliff Williams took his place. Bon Scott eventually took over and they were on their way to the top. ACDC are arguably the greatest Rock'n'Roll band in the world.

History of Australian Rock:Part Two

2009-07-25T17:13:00.000-07:00

The availability of US electric guitars gave macho credence to nerds who today may be found playing with their computer but then, thrived on electrifying their instruments and amplifying the sound. The single greatest influence came from a specky, geek from Newcastle, UK with the unlikely name, Hank Marvin. Although there had been many singer guitarists before him, he was the very first non American, guitar hero in rock’n’roll. His playing style and the Shadows music gave inspiration to countless young musicians across the Commonwealth. Local dance bands in Australia and New Zealand played a wider variety of musical styles and musicians would have hundreds of songs in their repertoire. This included popular standards of the Twenties, Thirties and Forties as well as the very latest tunes. Many were from jazz, influenced by R&B and "jump" music of performers like Louis Jordan, whereas others were inspired by American surf guitar maestros Dick Dale and Duane Eddy. Notable alternatives to the mainstream pop emerged with 'surf' groups, like The Atlantics and The Denvermen (Sydney), and The Thunderbirds (Melbourne). Many of these bands later evolved into top Australian groups of the next decade, by merely adding a lead singer. (The Atlantics and Johnny Reb). The most successful of the Australian surf groups was The Atlantics who wrote their own material and scored an international hit with Bombara (1963). Many people thought The Atlantics were an American band which actually was an advantage since deejays have confessed that if they had known they were Australian they would not have played their records. No matter The Atlantics became the first international rock act from Australia. Their success mirrored Slim Dusty who scored an international hit with Pub with no beer, in 1959. The Atlantics shared the international spotlight with other young Australian artists. Frank Ifield (country balladeer) and Rolf Harris (Australiana). In the UK, Frank epitomized the all Australian male, a handsome new age guy that could yodel and Rolf; the quirky Australian artisan that could capture the public attention with his good humoured novelty and artistic originality. All had a place in the pop charts and all three enjoyed international stardom. The most collectable Beatles’ album is a compilation with Frank Ifield which was released on limited edition in the US. At the time Frank was more bankable star than the Fab Four. Sun arise, which I rate as one of the best Australian songs ever recorded, was orchestrated by Johnnie Spence and produced by (Sir) George Martin. Rolf could not play the didgeridoo nor was there a player in England at the time so the didgeridoo sound was simulated by eight bass fiddles. If longevity is a mark of success and originality these three pioneers are perfect examples, because they are still very active, performing and recording. Back in Australia several things were happening which would influence the music, yet to come? The Second World War had brought strong bonds with the US with thousands of military personnel stationed in Australia and New Zealand. Regular troop movements meant entertaining the boys when they were on shore leave. The home base situation continued long after the end of the war, into the cold war, with agreements such as ANZUS (1951), the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), 1954, the Antarctic Agreement (1961), and the Vietnam War. With virtual occupation status, local musicians forged music to suit and naturally absorbed popular stylistic influences such as Motown, soul music and funk genres into their live club performances. It is impossible to consider Australian rock without reference to New Zealand and to acknowledge the role of New Zealand musicians have played in the development of art form. Many jazz and rock musicians came through exactly the same experiences in Kiwi land (especially Christchurch) before they made the journey across the Tasman Sea to become established acts in Australia like Max Merrit and Dinah Lee. By the time the Mersey sound had arrived (many of the English beat groups were veterans of the German Club scene) local Australasian musicians were in complete sympathy with contemporary pop mod culture. A quarter of a million British born migrants arrived in Australia in the late fifties and early sixties most of which settled in the east with many in Adelaide. The 17, 412 American born new Australians preferred Victoria. When the more recent arrivals they had just come from seeing the Stones, The Who, and the Beatles so their influence on Australian bands was immense. Once Australian artists started to write their own material with Stevie Wright, Harry Vanda and George Young good creative examples the Easybeats was the first Australian band to consistently top the charts with their own compositions. Inspiration to others like Johnny Young from Perth, who saw the window of opportunity and was soon knocking out Australia pop tunes. Despite their immense success the Easybeats enjoyed in Australia they had only moderate success overseas. The same cannot be said for the Seekers and arguably the most successful of all Australian exports in the 60s, the Bee Gees.

History of Australian Rock: Part One

2009-07-25T17:03:00.000-07:00

Rock and roll (rock 'n' roll) originated in the United States in the later 40s and spread to the rest of the world in the following decade. As a musical genre it was a hybrid cross-over of blues and country and became rockabilly, with Sun Records in Memphis, the centre of the movement. In truth Rock’n’roll was a systematic sanitization of black music (R&B) for an appreciative young white audience. Rock’n’roll had long been an African-American euphemism for sex but when DJ Alan Freed used the term to describe a music genre, the term stuck. The fast beat with double entendres in lyrics only endeared itself further to the hearts of the baby boomers, keen to shed the doldrums of the post war period. As Jazz was to the Flappers, Rock’n’Roll was to the 50s teenagers. The music’s secret was in its rhythm, which was basically a boogie woogie blues rhythm (8 beats to a bar, and are 12-bar blues) with an accentuated backbeat, almost always on snare drum. In the earliest forms of rock and roll, which date to the late 1940s, the piano was the lead instrument (Fats Domino "The Fat man" -1949/1950), but by the early fifties, the saxophone had taken over as lead, and eventually this was replaced in turn by the lead guitar. By the late fifties rock and roll groups consisted of two electric guitars (one lead, one rhythm), an electric bass guitar, and a drum kit. In most people’s minds Bill Haley’s Rock around the clock was the beginning of the movement, but honours should go to “Crazy Man, Crazy" which first hit the American charts in 1952. The follow up was a cover version of Big Joe Turner's "Shake, Rattle and Roll," became the first ever rock'n'roll song to enter the British singles charts in December 1954. "Rock Around the Clock" was recorded in 1954 but did little until it appeared a year later behind the opening credits of the 1955 film Blackboard Jungle starring Glenn Ford. The film did show in Australian cinemas until 1956 and the single was the first released by Festival Records. Needless to say it became the biggest-selling record in Australian history (150,000 copies). Keen to cash in on Haley’s popularity there was a follow up film showing Bill Haley in concern which included footage of the crowd hysteria that accompanied his live performances. It was this that gave Australian kids the lead and like every other teenager across the Western World, they jived in the aisles and ripped up the seats. Now inspired to play the music, legions of copyist sprung up everywhere, playing in the suburbs across Australia and thrilling local revellers in the dance halls. The first Australian rock’n’roll record was Frankie Davidson’s “Rock-a Beat’n’ Boogie (a Haley composition) which sold reasonably well although it was generally considered a novelty record. In the US racial tensions had surfaced with African Americans protesting against segregation, but in Australia that 'race' connection meant nothing. Instead the development of a teenage culture widened the Generation Gap between kids and their parents and young Australians broke their shackles with the Old Country, following the new American heroes of Haley, Presley and Little Richard. Every Australian city developed its own local heroes but that is where they would have remained because distances were too great. Teenagers listened to the jukeboxes in milk bars and were trained to their transistor hoping to catch maverick radio presenters like Stan Rife (Melbourne) and John Laws (Sydney), spinning the latest releases from overseas. All that changed with Johnny O’Keefe who was inspired by Bill Haley, gave up a retail career to bop. Johnnie O'Keefe and the 'Dee Jays' released a Bill Haley song You Hit the Wrong Note Billy Goat in 1957, which was beginning of Australian home grown Rock’n’roll. Keen to catch the new trend of teenage entertainment Channel Nine launched an Australian version of American Bandstand in 1958, compared by Brian Henderson and a year later, 1959 ABCs "Six O'Clock Rock" went to air with Johnny O’Keefe, at first a regular contributor before becoming the resident host. This was based on BBCs “Six Five Special.” More often than not in Australia the actual artists were not always available to appear which gave local talent the opportunity to perform cover versions or mime to the latest hits. Popular Australian acts which whipped up excitement included Lonnie Lee & The Leemen, Dig Richards & The R'Jays, Alan Dale & The Houserockers, Ray Hoff & The Offbeats, Digger Revell & The Denvermen and New Zealand's Johnny Devlin & The Devils. Col Joye and the Joy Boys was the star feature on Australia's Bandstand TV Show and Johnny O’Keefe’s nemesis. Col’s style was more country than rocker but did reasonable cover versions before eventually writing his own material with progressively more chart success than Johnny O’Keefe. Lee Gordon was a North American millionaire and music promoter who came to Australia in the early 1954. He set up a circuit of venues across the Big Brown Land using open air stadium previously used for boxing promotions. Initially he had brought big name artists like Sinatra, Johnny Ray and Frankie Lane to sing but in 1957, Gordon’s Big (Bog) Show, included Bill Haley and the Comets, Jerry Lee Lewis and Buddy Holly. At first showed no interest in local talent and although Johnny O’Keefe wangled his way into the show the impresario remained ambivalent. Then when Gene Vincent was delayed in transit and Gordon was forced to replace him with Johnny O’Keefe, ‘The Wild One” put on the show of his life and won the crowd over and impressed the impresario so much, he became his manager. From then onwards the Australian packages had the famous and not so famous, side by side. Sharing the bill with Gene Vincent was Little Richard who wowed the audience, but after seeing a sputnik, thought he had a signal from God and relinquished all his worldly goods to take up religion. Touring dance bands in Australia and New Zealand carried a much bigger repertoire than most and were as likely to need to play the popular standards of the Twenties, Thirties and Forties, as they would the latest tunes. This made Australasian musicians very accomplished with many from a jazz background. Some were influenced by R&B and "jump" music of performers like Louis Jordan, whereas others were inspired by American surf guitar maestros Dick Dale and Duane Eddy. A notable alternative to the mainstream pop fare emerged with 'surf' groups, like The Atlantics and The Denvermen (Sydney), and The Thunderbirds (Melbourne). Many of these instrumental groups survived into the Beatles era by adding a lead singer, and several evolved into some of the top bands of the next decade. Without doubt the introduction of the electric guitar and availability of US guitars gave macho credence to nerds who today may be found playing with their computers, but then, the nerds thrived on electrifying their instruments and amplifying the sound. The greatest influence in the next phase of Australia rock came from an unlikely source, a specky geek from Newcastle, UK, with the unlikely name of, Hank Marvin.

Push: The Invasion from Downunder

2009-07-24T00:49:00.000-07:00

Whilst many romantically associate Australiana with the early settlers and the struggle to establish our national heritage much of what we now know as Australian comes from the 40s and the diverse influence of the Push. Push was the name of a small-time street gang in Sydney's The Rocks district in the 19th century and there they might have remained had it not been for a Scotsman by the name of John Anderson who was a professor of Philosophy at the University of Sydney. Anderson was a liberal free thinker and started a Freethought Society which he called the Push named after the rebellious, anti-establishment larrikins. Frustrated by the War and constrained by liberal thought Push was a non-political group with anarchist overtones and upheld free speech and free love. The reputation of the weekly group grew and attracted an aray of angry young men and women who would eventually become key players in the Arts and Sciences of Australia. Post Colonial Australia was staunchly conservative with views and policies today we might find offensive. Post-war Australia had seen women gain greater freedoms working outside the domestic sphere and the 'Sydney Scene' of artists, writers, actors and intellectuals opened their door to women. The war years had forced Australian bohemians to stay in the Big Brown Land but now many wanted the same freedoms others appeared to enjoy overseas. In North America the radical Beat Generation had rejected mainstream American values and were experimenting with drugs, spiritiuality and alternative forms of sexuality. The new Australian hedonists (pleasure) wanted to celebrate the same non-conformity and spontaneous creativity. From a university based club, Push became a café society for Australain radicals only they met in the pub. Barry Humphries described the Push as 'a fraternity of middle-class desperates, journalists, drop-out academics, gamblers and poets manqués (failed poets), and their doxies (mistresses)'. Key members included Darcy Waters (anarchist and thinker), Jim Baker (author), Harry Hooton (poet), Robert Hughes (artist), John Olsen (artist), Frank Moorhouse (writer), and Barry Humphries (actor and humourist). Women drawn to Push included Germaine Greer (writer and feminist), Wendy Bacon (writer), Lillian Roxon (journalist) and Eva Cox (writer and feminist) among many others. By the late fifties and early sixties London had become the Mecca for many of the Australian artistic community. Artists like Brett Whitely, Sidney Nolan and Arthur Boyd were the toast of the town and everyone who was anyone was wearing Jenny Kee. Blighty offered a brave new world to the Australian exiles and soon performers like Rolf Harris, Slim Dusty and Frank Ifleld then the Seekers had not only Earls Court at their feet but the world in a buzz. Talking Australian became a fashion fad and all the more so when Richard Neville brought to London a small satirical magazine called Oz. Oz started in Sydney and ran from 1963–69. It moved to London and became part of the established underground publications in 1967. The Sydney Oz was a university newspaper which was heavily influenced by Private Eye and grew to include contentious issues such as censorship, homosexuality, abortion, police brutality as well as regularly satirising public figures. London Oz featured regular contributors included Germaine Greer, artist and filmmaker Philippe Mora, photographer Robert Whitaker, Lillian Roxon, cartoonist Michael Leunig, Angelo Quattrocchi and David Widgery. The magazine’s contents enraged the British Establishment with a range of left-field stories including heavy critical coverage of the Vietnam War and the anti-war movement, discussions of drugs, sex and alternative lifestyles, and other contentious political expose. Oz soon became a target by the Obscene Publications Squad, and their offices were raided on several occasions. Eventually in 1971 the editors were brought to trial for obsenity and a very famous case in the High Court followed. The defence lawyer was Sir John Mortimer QC (author of Rumpole of the Bailey) and despite his best efforts the "Oz Three" were found not guilty on the conspiracy charge, but were convicted of two lesser offences and sentenced to imprisonment. The trial brought the magazine to the attention of the wider public and John and Ono actively protested against the court decision. Apple released "God Save Us" by the ad hoc group called Elastic Oz Band to raise funds and gain publicity. All convictions were overturned at the appeal trial and although the editors went onto other things Oz London was inevitably silenced. The Push made its mark and was key in laying the foundations of the 60s counter culture in Swinging London. As part of the same movement Barry Humphries introduced Aunt Edna Everage (Melbourne Housewife) to an unsuspecting British public transfixed to ‘That was the week that was’ (BBC) and his small cartoon in Private Eye magazine took on a completely new life of its own. Barry McKenzie was the story of an Australian yobbo and his travels to London. It became so popular two very successful Barry McKenzie films were made starring Barry Crocker and directed by Bruce Beresford. From now on in everone wanted to talk Australian and thereby the foundations for Strine were laid.

What brings us together sets us apart

2009-07-16T23:44:00.000-07:00

It was once recorded the greatest gift to linguistics Australians have ever made is their natural ability to invent idioms. Now an idiom, just in case you are unsure dear listener is a figure of speech, phrase or word whose meaning cannot be determined by a literal definition. That is the meaning is figurative and the knowledge of this is only known through common use. Sounds complex well here is an example: “To kick the bucket.” This does not mean to actually hit the container with your foot but instead to ‘shuffle off this mortal coil,” “Pop your clogs,” or simply, die. Idioms are like poetry and not only add visual imagery to a sentence they also enhance its power and emotive appeal. Language experts believe idioms are not a specific characteristic of language but instead are thought to be part of the culture that speaks the language. Linguistic Determinism is a psychological theory that proposes the structure of a language shapes the user's thoughts. Experts believe what we say, and more, how we say it, gives valuable insight into our character. Hence the fondness for continually adapting English through shortening, substituting and combining words contributes not only to an evolving language but also says much about the Australian psyche. Marcus Clarke was a writer in the 19th century and was convinced Australians used language either to convey notions of their inner thoughts or as a code which to the uninitiated meant one thing, but to those in the know, something quite different (and usually the opposite to the meaning of the words used perverse meaning). Take ‘bluey’ as an example, in Australia ‘bluey’ is red, elsewhere it is blue so it is quite understandable Talking Australian can appear incomprehensible to the uninitiated yet Australians seems to have no problem in understanding them. For example take the colloquialisms 'flat out like a lizard drinking' (working very hard on a task) or 'standing like a bandicoot on a burnt ridge' (feeling lonely and vulnerable). Dazed and confused, someone might wander 'like a stunned mullet'; in a furious rage, they will be 'mad as a cut snake' and in a state of undeniable lifelessness they will be 'dead as a maggot'. The clever use of comparisons in these colloquialisms raises startling images. Another characteristic of Talking Australian is its lilt, tones are very important and with the abbreviation of words to emphasize the stressed syllable, it follows the general pattern of how English sounds when it is sung. According to Valerie Desmond in The Awful Australian (1911), she speculated the practice of the voice rising and falling with unexpected syncopations similar to the intonation of the phrases in Chinese speakers may have been influenced by the Chinese in the mining communities. Other typical elements of the Australian language are the joining of two words to form a new one, such as bushranger or stockman.

Experts believe to confuse their captors and maintain their own community new Australians of the convict period spoke in a cryptolectic code. At first much use was made of rhyming slang which was familiar to many of the early convicts who had originated around the London area. According to John Camden Hotten (1859) Cockney rhyming slang probably originated in the 1840s with costermongers (street sellers selling fruit) but the penal colonies started in Australia in 1788 which would suggest either rhyming slang was not as prevalent as previously thought or predated Cockney slang. Rhyming Slang phrases are derived from taking an expression which rhymes with a word and then using that expression instead of the word. For example "look" rhymes with "Captain Cook". Through familiarity ‘Having a Captain Cook” can be further abbreviated to, ‘ava Captains." This is typical of the Australian pen chance to abbreviation. Other examples might be “g’day” for "good day" and ‘arvo’ for "afternoon. Another example of language innovation was to reverse the meaning of some words like "bastard." Instead of its literal meaning or as an insult it was used as a term of endearment. To ears unfamiliar with the developing Creole this would appear confusing and the only way to know the true meaning of the discourse would be to listen to the tone of the sentence. The combination of novel words, rhyming slang and tonal communication had the authorities at a loss. This allowed the convicts to make their captors the figure of ridicule. And we have never stopped lampooning authority thank goodness. Here are my four favourite put downs:

'couldn't find a grand piano in a one-roomed house'
'couldn't blow the froth off a glass of beer'
'a chop short of a barbie' and
'useless as an ashtray on a motorbike'.

Tall Poppies, Whingers, Wowsers and Wankers!

2009-07-09T23:43:00.000-07:00

Australia has become renowned as a country without social classes and with a strong commitment to social equality. It is often held as an example of an egalitarian society with commitment to the fair go. This environment has given rise to the socially levelling tall poppy syndrome. Australian culture disapproves of the vain, individuals with ‘superior’ airs, instead valuing and glorifying figures of tangible success and humility such as the unsung hero and the quiet achiever. A person
who stands out from the crowd by being successful, wealthy, or famous may be called a tall poppy. It is often remarked that Australians have a tendency to ‘cut’ tall poppies down to size by denigrating them, to rubbish or knock them, if they are conceited in their success. An epithet is a descriptive word or phrase accompanying or occurring in place of the name of a person or thing. It is a metaphor for example, Jimmy the Pomm. Abusive epithets such as whinger and wowser have become a colourful and expressive part of the Australian lexicon. These words express characteristics deemed undesirable in Australian society. A whinger is someone who complains excessively and without validity. It originates from an early English word, ‘whine.’ In Australian ethos there is considerable social stigma attached to whinger, as in ‘Whinging Pom.’ The anti-social, ineffectual behaviour of a whinger is strongly reproved whereas the underdog, the struggler or little Aussie battler is ‘the brave and determined survivor despite all odds.’ Whinger has connotations of weakness, self-pity and the inability to cope with the pressures of life in a mature manner. A wowser (1895) is spoil sport, wet blanket, guardian of morality, a prudish tea totaller. The provenance of ‘Wowser’ is thought to from Yorkshire and the words ‘wow’ meaning to howl like an animal or grumble like a human and; wowsy’ an exclamation of surprise. In 1916, Australian poet C. J. Dennis defined a wowser as “an ineffably pious person who mistakes the world for a penitentiary and himself for a warder”. The concept of the wowser was initially associated with religion and elicited other related epithets including bible-basher and devil dodger. In 1870 hot-gospellers in the State of Victoria were called as Rousers or Wowsers. Religious wowsers were frequently perceived as intolerant, outspoken and censorious ‘fanatics’ or ‘fundamentalists’ and are often seen to actively protest against the habits or pastimes of which they disapprove, especially gambling, promiscuity and the consumption of alcohol. In 1899 journalist John Norton (1862-1916) wrote in the Truth newspaper and is generally considered to be the author of the acronym WOWSER to stand for “We Only Want Social Evils Remedied (or Rectified)” and this was generally applied to social do-gooders. Wowser is the cultural antithesis of the Australian larrikin. Another abusive epithet in Australian English is the word wanker used as a metaphor for persons who indulge in egotism and self-indulgence. The noun was derived from a 19th century Yorkshire dialect and meant simpleton. Its association with Onanism was related to madness thought to be caused by self abuse but in Australian English it became analogous to vanity by bragging. Perhaps not the most favoured word in the Australian lexicon its meaning is clear and represents a good example of a rude word saved from the brink, just like ‘bugger.’

Bodgies, Blugders and Bogans

2009-07-02T23:46:00.000-07:00

In the early fifties juveniles delinquency became a major concern in Australia so much so the youths were given the name bodgies (for the boys); and widgies (pronounced weegies) for the girls. Not since the Larrikins and larrikinesses of the previous century had Australian see such public display of loutish behaviour. Adolescent unrest post Second World War was of course universal amongst the baby boomers and coincidentally arose with the introduction of rock’n roll in the mid fifties. Similar malcontents in other countries went by different names such as the teddy boys and teddy girls in the UK. The term bodgie first appeared in 1945 and was used by the forces when describing unreliable maintenance men or sly guys. Bodgie came from the noun, bodger, meaning ‘something or someone false or unreliable, dodgy; something badly made or shoddy’. In Europe bodgers had been itinerant laborers who rough cut wood in the preparation of clogs. The shoes would eventually be crafted by clog makers by which time, the bodgers had move on. The rough blocks of wood were the result semi-skilled workmen and the term ‘to bodge’ became associated with shoddy work. After the War, the Black Market thrived around city ports and wide boys (known as spivs) tried to pass off inferior cloth as quality American-made whenever they could. In Sydney this inferior fabric was called bodgie and when the wide boys started to speak with faux American accents they became known as bodgers or bodgies. By 1950, bodgie was used in Australian English to describe something that was unreliable, false or counterfeit. When working class kids were seen in Kings Cross Milk Bar or gathered on street corners and getting up to youthful pranks there was moral outrage. The Wooloomooloo Yanks were the first street gang to be called Bodgies and wore zoot suits and suede loafer shoes (Yes the same blue suede shoes that Elvis sang about). By the mid fifties bodgies’ dress became more rock’a’billy with bright satin shirts tight trousers and either leather flying jerkins or belted velvet cord jackets. The bodgie outfit was complete with a long, shaggy, Cornel Wilde haircut. The influence of America was unmistakable and coincided with a heavy American military presence in Australia. The word Widgies was an abbreviation of wigeon meaning a girl or female teenager. Apparently the term is used to describe ducks and likely means ‘wiggle.’ Widgies wore short hair, tight sweaters and jeans. The violent aspect of the bodgies could easily be described as the action of ‘bludgeoners.’ This was English slang originally used to describe `a low thief, who would not hesitate to use violence'. The 19th century bludgeoner carried a bludgeon `a short stout stick or club'. By the end of the nineteenth century Australians had shortened the noun to bludger (1882) and the term was generally used to describe a violent person who lived off immoral earnings. They were also called Stick Lingers and believe it or not there were also bludgeresses but neither term survived beyond the first decade of the twentieth century. From this time bludger referred to anyone who appeared to live off the efforts of others and that included white-collar workers (1910). Cadger and bludger became emotive terms among the Australian workforce and by 1976 the term dole bludger was used to describe anyone who exploited the system of unemployment benefits by avoiding gainful employment. The derogatory term ‘Bogan’ is more often used today to describe an unsophisticated, sultry type likely to be a dole bludger. Always wrong to make generalisations, of course, and the Australian term ‘bogan’ was known in the 19th century long before there was social security. Banjo Patterson wrote of bogans in his poem, “The City of Dreadful Thirst. The term Bogan then and now means a young person who is considered to be ‘an outsider.’ The typical characteristics of the modern bogan (also known as petrol heads) is anglo-celtic males who drive large Australian built cars, drink Australian beer, listen to Australian Rock music, smoke and feverishly follow Australian sport. Other traits include wearing black jumpers or Ts with black jeans and baseball boots. The ubiquitous checked jacket and mullet hair style is of course a must. Mullet was a 19th century derogatory term meaning a stupid person and was transferred to the "business in the front, party in the back" hairstyle in the 60s when it started to become popular. By the 70s nearly everyone from Paul McCartney to David Bowie had a form of mullet. Now whether it was Billy Ray Syrus or the Beastie Boys that heralded the end of the mullet as fashionable is unclear.

Fair Go

2009-06-25T23:50:00.000-07:00

The cliché ‘fair go’ is a very powerful one and one which has enormous symbolic significance to the Australian national identity. Tracing its origins however really means understanding the history of struggle in the Big Brown land from the time of European settlers. The ethic of ‘fair go’ can be traced to the mid-19th century with the commencement of the anti-transportation movement based upon acceptance free labour was an intrinsically a fairer system of organising work than a master-servant relationship. Australia became a society based on the principle everybody should have the same opportunity to work wherever and however they wanted. This was witnessed in 1851 by the decision in New South Wales to partition the gold-bearing ground into equal lots so everybody could have the chance to dig for gold. This was combined with an end to corruption and high taxes and the right to vote during the Eureka rebellion of 1854. A decade later the anti-squatter legislation emphasised the value of small-scale family farming over big squatter domination of the land. The principle of a fair go meant the new Australians enjoyed the same opportunity to get access to wealth and to make what they could of their lives irrespective of how they started out. Later the early rise of compulsory and free education in Australia was another example of the ‘fair go.’ During the Great Depression Surry Hills, Newtown, Redfern and Glebe were at the heart of the anti-eviction movement, in which residents fought to prevent their neighbours being thrown out onto the street. The Australian ‘fair go’ was largely based on the belief the opportunity to compete and thereby to improve status with competition open to all comers. Rewards accrue to those who make the most effort (by working hard and seizing available opportunities) and who display the most talent (as a result of undertaking education and training, as well as exploiting natural ability). One of the most redeeming features of the notion of a "fair go" is that we offer a helping hand when it's needed and that our birth alone does not determine our destiny. This has great relevance to the time we live in now. Assistance graciously given to those in need at times of emergency such as fires and floods demonstrate the true blue mark of the new Australian and the fair go. So too is the intollence of privilage all too often displayed by figures of authority long distanced from the proletariat they represent but determined to walk the tight rope of the tall poppy. History tells us the egalitarian nature of the Australian people will not tolerate it and the fair go will prevail. What better piece of music to go with this segment than Advance Australia Fair which became the official national anthem in 1984. The original version was composed by a Glaswegian called Peter Dodds McCormick (1834-1916) under the pen name "Amicus", meaning "friend". It was first performed on November 30th (St Andrew's Day) in Sydney in 1878. It took until 1973 after the Labor Government held a national competition to find a replacement for God Save the Queen. Judges had to choose between Advance Australia Fair, Banjo Patterson's Waltzing Matilda or Carl Linger's Song of Australia as the National Anthem. Opinion pools were unanimous and Advance Australia Fair won the day. Despite this the new anthem met with widespread opposition and obstruction and it was not until the Los Angles Olympics that Advance Australia Fair finally became Australia's national anthem, under the Hawke (Labor) government (1983-1991).

Larrikins

2009-06-18T23:12:00.000-07:00

The origin of the word larrikin remains unclear and many etymologists are divided as to its true provenance. Some believe the word was forged in the Australian underworld when two slang words ‘leery’ meaning quick witted, and ‘kinchen’ (or kin) young fellow were joined to make leerrykin. Others think there is insufficient evidence to support this supposition and prefer the explanation ‘larrikin’ originated from a simple mispronunciation of English dialect. The two main contenders are the Yorkshire phrase ‘larrack about’ meaning ‘to get up to youthful mischief;’ and the old Midlands term ‘larrikin’ meaning too much use of the tongue. In any event it was first used in Australia circa 1868 and appeared in an 1870 newspaper referring to a group of wild, adolescents, from the inner urban areas of Melbourne.

‘A gang of "larrikins" ... had been the terror of Little Bourke-Street and its neighbourhood’;
The (Melbourne) Age (1870)

It took another ten years before larrikin was officially used in police records. At the turn of the 19th century many inner city streets were terrorised with young street toughs or ‘larrikins.’ Rather like hoons today, their behaviour was unabashedly masculine in character and revolved around flamboyant machismo such as fighting, taunting authority-figures, and bragging about sexual prowess. (bit like travelling on a train). The term larrikin became commonly associated with members of the Rocks Push which was a criminal gang from The Rocks in Sydney. Australian Larrikins were readily compared to the London "Loafers"; New York "Hoodlums" and San Francisco "Corner or Bowrey Boys". Unlike their American counterparts who eventually became the crime families, there is little evidence to suggest larrikins were anything other than "naerdae wells" or "jack the lads".

Larrikins were the great grandfather of juvenile delinquents and like all youth cultures known particularly for their dress. Described by the press in 1870, as "youths with a hang dog look and careless in attire" the original larrikins dressed in quite spectacular style and wore long frock coats (bobtailed coats) made from dark or black material decorated with buttons. Many had velvet collars and were tailored with tight waists. Cut in similar in style to Edwardian drapes the jackets were later adopted by the UK Teddy boys in the 1950s. Loud neckerchiefs or silk ties with jaunty waistcoats and bell bottom trousers cut tight on the thigh were complemented with either a slouch (low crowned felt hat) or small round bowler worn at a rakish angle. Larrikins wore high heeled boots (Louis IVX style) with extremely pointed toes.

Their young female companions were called Cafe Belles or larrikinesses and the 19th century Chavs or ladettes were gaudily dressed often in short skirts. Their public behaviour was disorderly both loud and frequently they were seen smoking on the street. At the time this was associated with prostitutes. They were often accused of ’suspicious behaviour ’after dark’and the Bulletin (1898)described them as ‘young women who ate fried fish in bed and were as guilty of falling asleep next to the bones and the stopper of the vinegar bottle.’ Extremely unlady-like.

Something happened at the beginning of the 20th century and the negativity associated with larrikin synonymous with hooligan died out in Australia and instead became a term affectionately used to describe persons who did not always adhere strictly to polite social conventions. Many historians believe this was part of a romantic social more that existed in Australia at the turn of the 19th century. Writers like Marcus Clarke and the more sentimental, C J Dennis wrote affectionately about knock about blokes who would morph into loving family men when given half a chance. (The sentemental bloke 1915). The transformation from street ruffian to comic figure was complete when contemporary Music Hall performers like Roy Rene gave their spin to a raffish larrikin-figure on the popular stage with emphasis on the frequently inebriated leer, who was full of double entendres and throughly entertaining. The same transformation was seen elsewhere such as Harry Lauder (I belong to Glasgow); Max Miller and much later Arthur English and Flash Harry (George Cole in the early St Trinian films) as spivs. This process left the term larrikin sufficiently sanitised so many Australian today would happily accept larrikin behaviour as typical of the true blue Australian.

The are many examples from Australian history including Ned Kelly, and Captain Thunderbolt but more contemporary examples would be the late Steve Irwin (crikey!), Graham Kennedy and Bon Scott. Most people associate Paul Hogan and Steve Irwin as stereotypical examples but there is no end of other contenders including Bob Hawke, Shane Warne, Sammy Newman and Ben Cousins to name but a few.

Australian English: The influence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders

2009-06-05T20:22:00.000-07:00

In the early days of the settlers there was no common language in which to share with the indigenous people and subsequently pidgin language was developed. This had limited vocabulary and simplified grammar but some elements of Aboriginal languages was adopted either as loan words, or corrupted (usually by mispronunciation) into Australian English. Most referred to places, flora and fauna. Many of these came from the language of the Dharuk (Darug) and Eora people who were the original owners of the area which is now Sydney. Examples include placenames: Mulgoa (suburb of Sydney – blackswan), Toongabbie (a place near water) and Winmalee: and flaura and fauna: burrawang and waratah. Also the tree kurrajong (the bark was used to make fishing lines). Darug words used to describe animals include dingo (1830 and a corruption of "tingo", a word used by the Aboriginals of Port Jackson aka Sydney Harbour, to describe camp dogs), koala (from the Dharuk gula). Although the vowel /u/ was originally written in the Latin alphabet as "oo" and spelt as coola or koolah), it later became "oa" possibly due to a spelling error and wallaby. A word used by the Darug people which has common use in Australian English was cooee (1790). Cooee, cooee was a high-pitched call used to attract attention over long distances. It was used in the bush and meant “is there anyone there?”. The word cooee appears in placenames like Cooee, a suburb in the Tasmanian city of Burnie. There is also the Cooee March which was staged by 35 men from Gilgandra, New South Wales as a recruiting drive after enthusiasm for the World War I waned in 1915. The men marched to Sydney calling "Cooee!" to encourage others to come and enlist and by the time they reached the group had grown to 277 men. The Cooee March is commemorated each October in Gilgandra which hosts the Cooee Festival. From 1880 onwards ‘Cooee’ was used in a fugure of speech like “if he's within cooee, we'll spot him.” Cooee has come to mean within hearing distance. The word Boomerang was also adapted from the Dargun language. A word taken from the Yagara/Jagara language once spoken in the Brisbane region is yakka as in hard yakka or hard work . The word yakka first appear in Australian English in 1847. In some Aboriginees the common root 'ya' means motion. Yallum which describes a natural well, denotes a slow deliberate motion of water soaking through the sand up the well. Yallock describes the motion of water passing over yonnie or small pebbles (a rippling stream) and Yarra is often used to describe rapid movement of water. It can also be used to describe anything coming down, or hanging down as in 'yarraynee' a river red gum with long pendulous branches. Yabber (1874) means to talk quickly or unintelligibly, yarraman (1875) was a horseman. and yabbie are freshwater crayfish. Another word from the Yagara/Jagara language is bung (1841), meaning broken or pretending to be hurt. A failed piece of equipment may be described as having bunged up or as "on the bung" or "gone bung". A person pretending to be hurt is said to be "bunging it on". A hurt person could say, "I've got a bung knee". Words which are often thought mistakenly to be Aboriginees include digeridoo which is an onomatopoeic word invented by English speakers; and kangaroo meaning a bouncing marsupial. .' A rough translation of kangaroo is “What’s that over there?” This was likely to have been a rhetorical statement used in response by the trackers when asked to identify the strange creature unknown to Europeans.

Just add O

2009-05-29T02:17:00.001-07:00

Almost from the beginning visitors to the colonies were taken with the way Australians spoke. This was particularly marked in second generation Australians (called ‘currency lads and lasses’) who were accused of speaking lazily through closed teeth and with a strong Cockney influenced accent and vocabulary. When more people arrived with the goldrush this led to a further amalgamation of brogues with American, Irish, cockney, county, and broken English all combining. This was though to lead to ‘tongue-laziness’ plus the desire to ‘communicate with the fewest and easiest sounds’. As a result Standard Australian consisted of fast speaking with clipped sentences, slurring of words and complete avoidance of syllable enunciation. As a general rule 'g', 'd', or 't' at the end of words were not pronounced and inflection and stress was given to the last syllable of each utterance with a raised pitch at the end of a question. Critics thought the Australian accent was ‘thin and narrow in its range of tone’, whereas others felt the Australian accent was ‘expressive and not unpleasant to the ear. No less a personage as US writer, Mark Twain on a visit to Ballarat in 1897 noted Australians spoke in a compressed English which gave it a soft lilt. By the 30s the preoccupation with deteriorating Australian accents preoccupied educationists and teaching of elocution became a focal point during the interwar years. The new education system stressed speech, deportment and etiquette which typified class and privilage. Eventually Australian kids were left to converse in regional accents and with local venacular. According to experts there are no strong variations in accent across the Big Brown land although differences in pronunciation (particularly vowel sounds) and vocabulary do arise.

In the movies of course where stereotyping is the norm there are three main Australian accents i.e. Broad, General and Cultivated.

Broad is typically assocated with mascismo and many believe the broad Australian accent creates an image that the person has the ability to relate to people from all walks of life, and will treat everyone with a sense of equality. Notable ‘broadies’ inlcude Paul Hogan, Bill Hunter, the late Steve Irwin, Kerry Packer and former Prime Minister Bob Hawke. Very few women use broad Australian accents with one notable exception ex Curtin graduate, Judith Lucy.

The majority of Australians speak General Australian which is a mix between the broad Australian and ‘proper’ cultivated accents. Actors who try to keep ‘ordinary’ (and not adopt an American accent) speak General Australia. Examples include Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe.

Cultivated Australian is akin to formal BBC English which is more often than not spoken by women in Australia wanting to portray a feminine and sophisticated image. One exception to this rule was ex-prime minister Malcolm Fraser. The present prime-minister Kevin Rudd probably falls into the same category more so than his predecessor.

Shortening words is an established Australian trait such as beaut (great, beautiful), BYO (Bring Your Own), deli (delicatessen), hoon (hooligan), roo (kangaroo), uni (university), and ute (utility truck or vehicle). So too is the Australian preoccupation with adding the suffix ‘o’ to shortened words. Examples include: arvo (afternoon), bizzo (business), compo (compensation), doco (documentary), journo (journalist) and smoko (smoke or coffee/tea break).

Similarly with the suffix ‘ie’ which can also be added to the shortened version of the word” Aussie (Australian), barbie (barbeque), beautie (beautiful, stereotypically pronounced and even written bewdy), bikkie (biscuit), blowie (blowfly), brekkie (breakfast), cozzie (swimming costume), Chrissie (Christmas), lippy (lipstick), rellie (relative), and sickie (day off sick from work) follow suit.

To show affection for others the diminutive ‘za’ or ‘o’ is sometimes added to personal names like Bazza (Barry), Kazza (Karen) and Shazza (Sharon); Lizo and Camo too. Many of these terms and speech mannerisms have been adopted into British and now American English via popular culture thanks many to Australian Soaps which are watched all around the world.

Footie is the game

2009-05-21T23:57:00.000-07:00

The most Australian of games is Australian Rules Football and not only does it have a large following but of course its has its own culture and language. Much of the parlance is now in everyday use but to an outsider the origins of some key terms do need further explanation. The game is often referred to by its critics (followers of the leather patched rugby codes) as aerial ping-pong because the ball often moves back and forth between two halves of the ground. The term came from the 60s but now AFL is a much faster paced running game with increased use of hand passing so aerial-ping pong is now obsolete. Although it remains in common use another jocular reference is cross country basketball. In other football codes players wear jerseys but Aussie rules players wear guernseys. The islands of Jersey and Guernsey make up the Channel Islands in the English Channel. The Guernsey (or gansey) sweater became popular with fishermen and dates back to the sixteenth century, when Queen Elizabeth I was on the throne of England. Guernsey fishermen were found all over and develop fisheries off the coast of Labrador, Canada. To keep their men warm the women of the islands developed the Guernsey Sweater which eventually became part of Royal Naval uniform. The original sweaters were tightly knitted in patterns that gave insulation, as well as water and wind resistance. This made them ideal for heavy weather as well as survival garments for those who were washed overboard. The first use of the name 'guernsey' outside of the island is in the 1851 Oxford Dictionary and the working woollen jumpers were used by the diggers during the gold rushes in the mid nineteenth century. When footie was established in 1859 players wore a sleeveless woollen jumper knitted in the Guernsey style. From the football meaning arose the phrase ‘to get a guernsey’ or be ‘given a guernsey’, meaning to win selection for a sporting team. In its widest sense the phrase now means 'to win selection, recognition, approbation', and is commonly used in non-sporting contexts.
Once sides were established and leagues formed fans began to follow their teams and to support or encourage their side they would shout and cheer this became known as barracking. In Northern Ireland the term barrack means to brag but in English it means to jeer. So you can see the dilemma many POHMs have when they come to the big brown land and are asked who you barrack for. The term was first recorded in 1890. Originally footy was a game contrived to keep cricket players fit during the off season. It is also thought to have been based on the traditional indigenous game of Marn Grook (i.e. catching a kicked ball; and high jumping which are both features of Australian Football). The original cricketers at the historic Sydney Cricket Ground were British soldiers based in the nearby Victoria Barracks and teams from the barracks would compete against each other. Their supports were known as ‘barrackers.’ As a barracker of the modern game you need be aware of some game terms like maggot or man (or ball). Maggot which is slang for umpire (or ump). Originally they were called white maggots because of their white uniforms they wore but now the unpires wear coloured uniforms. Man which is short for holding the man is called when supporters to plead for the umpire to award a free kick for holding the man, often when they fear he might be holding the ball. The two are often screamed simultaneously by opposing fans. When barrackers chant ‘Chewy on your boot’ this describes a call by opposition supporters or players to a player usually when he is taking a set shot for goal. It is designed to upset his concentration when kicking. If an opposition player were to do this in soccer it would constitute a foul and be considered very ungentlemanly conduct. Calling the game also requires high linguistic ability and is a worthwhile listening experience especially with game commentators like Rex Hunt (ex Richmond and Geelong). Rex is a master of Australian colloquialisms. My current favourites are ‘belt the living suitcase out of’ which refers to either players involed in a melee on the field, or a team being thrashed. When Rex refers to ‘a hospital pass ‘ he is describing a player who passes to another who is in imminent danger of getting tackled. The hope is it is not a ‘coathanger’ tackle (high on the neck). During the breaks at a game as a barracker you might get a snag or sanger. The English use of snag means an expected drawback but here in Oz it of course refers to a grilled (or barbecued) sausage. The term first appeared in 1941 and was likely to have originated as a dialect variation of the English word, snack meaning a morsel of light meal. Sanger meaning sandwich started life as ‘sango’ and was used a lot in the 40s, twenty years later it had become sanger. After the game you might like to relax at the local hotel for a few singing syrups. Elsewhere a hotel means somewhere to stay the night but in Australia it is synonymous with a bar or pub where you can get some tucker. Some hotels will have rooms but not all.

UK words in Australian English

2009-05-15T04:23:00.000-07:00

In the early days many words and dialects were borrowed from the Old Country. Most came from Northern England, the London area, Scotland, surprisingly few words from Ireland, and none from Wales. No one can really account why some words were preferred over others but they invariably related to agriculture, land settlement, and mining. No surprise therefore many remain in daily use today. Some good examples are chook (1855); kip (1887); ripper (1858); and tucker (1833)and snob.

Chook was first recorded as chuckey and is thought to derive from British dialect chuck which was word derived form the sound of a hen's cluck. Australians use 'chicken' to mean ‘the meat of the bird’ but . chook is reserved for the live bird In Australia there are chook raffles which are held in pubs with the prize a ready-to-cook chooks. Kip was a bed or somewhere to sleep and became synonymous with sleeping; Ripper was cricket terminology and meant notable performance; Tucker originates from the English word tuck meaning hearty meal which was then Australianised into tucker by the goldfield diggers and referred to their food rations and snob is London slang for a cobbler or boot maker. In the prisons, shoes were highly prized possessions and shoe makers particularly special.

There were many slang words from the UK underworld (mainly around the London area) incorporated into Flash talk most of these have now disappeared but some still remain in common Australian English. For example bludger (1882); nark (1891); dag (1867); and sheila (1832).

A bludger today means a kind of shirkster (parasite) but originally referred to a thief likely to use violence in the form of a cosh (bludgeon); A nark was someone who told tales; Dag comes from dagen (or degen) meaning an artful criminal) and a dag described someone who was extremely good at whatever. That could mean a hard man, a wit, or cunning. SÌle is an Irish word pronounced ‘sheila’ and was used in literature to describe an effeminate man. In the parlance of Australian convicts the term was in common use and by the mid nineteenth century had transferred into Australian English and was used to describe an Australian woman. A common misconception is the generic term Sheila was used to refer to Irish girls in the same way Irish men were called Paddy. However there is no evidence of this anywhere else where large Irish communities and again contrary to popular belief Sheila is not a common name in Ireland. Further, researchers have examined the original convict names and found few if any with the name Sheila.

Other English regional words to be absorbed into the Australian lexicon are Cob (Suffolk) a verb meaning “to take a liking to someone” and hence Cobber (friend); Clobber of Romany origin used in the Kent area as clubbered up, meaning “dressed up”. One important Scottish contribution was bally meaning a milk pail which became billy as in billy can.

Some Irish words which entered Australian English include: corker, dust-up, purler and tootsy.

Cocker means to end an argument in which case if you have a corker of a black eye then the feud is over. Dust up was used in the Goldfields and referred to gun powder and blasting; later it became domesticate and meant flour or baking. Purler means to fall head over heels or spin. (In Scotland we had purlers or peeries which were spinning tops.); and Tootsy means a small foot.

The Bush

2009-05-08T01:59:00.000-07:00

When more people took to surviving and working on the land a bush culture developed with its own code of conduct and common idium. The songs, music and poetry described people's experiences and become known collectively as 'bush music' and contains much of the colourful slang of bush life. Bush ballads recorded the harsh way of the life and contemporary events and experiences of the lives and loves of bushrangers, bolters (on the run), swagmen, drovers, and shearers. Later new themes emerged based on the experiences of war, railways and unions. Australian bush music was folk music which eventually evolved in Australian country music.

The bush songs were handed down as part of an oral tradition from the time of the convicts and were eventually assembled and published in the late nineteenth century when Andrew Barton ‘Barty’ Paterson (better known as Banjo Patterson) compiled Old Bush Songs. It took until 1950 before most of the bush music was recorded.

Overlanders were drovers and stockmen that crossed the Big Brown Land with sheep and cattle; shearers were as hardy a crew and removed the sheep’s fleece. Working conditions were extremely hard and farmers and landowners took every opportunity to cheat labourers whenever they could. Soon shearers formed unions and in 1890 union shearers at Jondaryan Station on the Darling Downs, Queensland went on strike because non-union labour were being used. In solidarity, the Rockhampton wharfies refused to touch the Jondaryan wool and the unionists won the battle. This galvanised the squatters, and they formed the Pastoralists’ Federal Council, to counter the strength of the unions. In 1891 the central Queensland shearers went on strike and thousands of armed soldiers protected non-union labour and arrested strike leaders. Despite a long campaign of defiance the strike was eventually broken but not before both Pastoralists and Unions realised they had to work more closely together. The great shearer strike of 1891 laid the foundations for the labour movement in Australia.

Shearers worked intensely during the short shearing season (late winter) and often under atrocious conditions. When the last sheep was shorn Iin the last shearing shed for the season it was called the "cut out." Shearers were paid with a single cheque for their season's work and most did not make it past the nearest town that had a pub. There they would naively entrusted the cheque to the publican who served them grog until their credit was gone and their hell-raising had to end. This gave origin to the Australian English phrase "cut out the cheque" meaning spend all your money.

Many of the early bush ballads were anthems of defiance and recorded the contempt bush people held for the hated squatters and government. The shearer’s strike of 1891 was like the Eureka Stackade and brought many working class heros to the fore. The most celebrated was Jack Donohoe and the best known song about Jack is The Wild Colonial Boy.

The songs of the Overlanders (stockmen and drovers) glorified their pride in the skills in driving sheep and cattle over long distances. Songs such as The Queensland Drover had a stirring chorus which presumably would be sung lustily over campfires in the bush. By far the best known is not a song but a narrative poem written by Banjo Patterson, entilted The Man from Snowy River (1890). The poem tells the story of a valuable horse which escapes and the princely sum offered by its owner for its safe return. All the riders in the area gather to pursue the wild bush horses and cut the valuable horse from the mob. But the country defeats them all except for The Man from Snowy River. His personal courage and skill has turned The Man into a legend.

Although the bush remains a favourite subject of Australian songs (country songs included), it was often portrayed as a place people had left and longed to return to.

Gold Rush Lingo

2009-05-01T00:28:00.000-07:00

The foundation of the Australian nation came after the Gold Rush of the mid 19th century. Gold was first discovered in 1851 in NSW then a little later in Victoria. What followed marked the beginning of a radical change in the economic and social fabric of Australia. Gold fever gripped the colonies and as more finds were recorded in the next half century (only South Australia had no gold resources) then more and emmigrants came in search of their fortune. The influx was multinational and the goldfield towns boomed. Goldfield life was however far from idylic and marked with squalor, greed, crime, self-interest and racism. The hardship endured during the tough times is marked with camaraderie and ‘mateship’ which bonded the goldfield settlers. Angry discontent grew at the ever increasing cost of licensing fees for claims and many digger refused to pay. The authorities empowered the police to bring in defaulters and they used more and more violence to do so. By 1854 regular clashes between the miners and the authorities took place but it was at Eureka when 1000 armed men gathered on the outskirts of Ballarat under the flag of the Ballarat Reform League (a white cross and stars on a blue field), to burn their claim notices and proclaim their oath to stand truly by each other, and fight to defend their rights and liberties that everthing changed. Tragically Melbourne troops overran the stockade and killed 22 of its defenders. Known as the Eureka Stockade or Rebelllion the rebel leaders were arrested and stood trial for high treason but Melbourne juries refused to convict them and when a Royal Commission condemned the goldfield administration and upheld the miners' grievances then the miners were given the right to be political represented. This marked the beginning of the modern Australia democracy and eventually the abolition of convict transportation.

Making a living in the early mining days was hard and much depended on luck and ability to dig or knock. The Australian phrase to ‘knock out a living’ has its origin on the goldfields, where the ‘knocking out’ was quite literal. The phrase later became associated with making something quickly or roughly and was associated with the labours of itinerant knock about men (or rouseabouts). ‘To knock along,’ meant to wander as in the English to knock about (wander aimlessly). Drinking and womanising were common among itinerant swagmen and ‘to knock down,’ or ‘knock it down’ meant to spend a lot of money on drink and riotous living. Invariably once inebriated a fight would ensue and to ‘knock saucepans’ or ‘knock the smoke out of’ was Australian English for a violent assault.

All that digging on the goldfields led to an excess of mining refuse or mullock(rock without gold). The Australian phrase ‘a lot of mullock,’ or ‘load of mullock’ described items of no practical use and ‘mullock’ in Australian English became synonymous with ‘rubbish, or nonsense.’ To be called ‘mullock’ meant you were considered ignorant or worthless. The term became common use in shearers to incompetent or very careless shearing.

Another phrase commonly used on the goldfields was ‘to fossick’, meaning ‘to rummage or search around or about.’ Fossick was used in two contexts, either: it meant ‘to search for gold on the surface, sometimes in a desultory or unsystematic way’ or more commonly ‘to steal gold from other miners especially when their claim was left unattended. From the mid nineteenth century onwards in Australian English the term ‘fossick was used in context of stealing something, for example if a neighbour was to take a log of fire-wood from your heap … it was said he had been ‘fossicking’. Another use of the term was to describe someone who always conveniently arrived at meal times and scored a free dinner. This was a fossicker.
In Goldfield talk the term ‘roll-up’ was commonly used to describe a meeting or assembly of miners. By the end of the nineteenth century the term had common currency in Australian English, as in, ‘It is hoped for a big roll-up at next family BBQ.’

‘To hump,’ originated in the goldfields and described a long walk but later meant to carry, as in ‘to hump one’s swag.’ This later gives rise to the phrases, ‘to hump one’s drum,’ ‘ to hump one’s bluey,’ and to hump one’s Matilda. A hump(e)y was the name given to a setters small primitive house and originated from Aboriginal ‘oompi” with an additional of ‘h’ used by Cockney settlers.

ANZACs and Military Slang

2009-04-24T00:03:00.001-07:00

A function of slang language is to unite groups and define common values. The Australian forces are no different in this context but often the wider community are not as privileged to this language with some notable exceptions. The Australian Army has produced the bulk of the military slang which has found its way back into the wider Australian community. Tom Skeyhill described in ‘Soldier Songs from Anzac‘ (1915) how linguistic inventiveness became part of the wartime experience but this lexicon rarely survived simply because at the end of hostilities the need for it no longer existed. Much of the services’ slang has been recorded for posterity and kept on file at the Australian War Museum. The First World War produced a number of major Australian terms especially Anzac, digger, and Aussie.

Anzac or Australian and New Zealand Army Corps first appeared in 1915 and were originally used as a telegraphic code name for the corps. Later in the same year the abbreviation for ‘Anzac Cove’ was used for Gallipoli, and then as a term for the ‘Gallipoli campaign’ itself. By 1916 it was used to refer to a member of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who gallantly served in the Gallipoli campaign.

The sobriquet digger came originally from the Australian goldfields and described a miner. The abbreviated ‘dig’ became synonymous with cobber or mate and the nickname digger was given to new recruits from mining areas on the way to Gallipoli. It was also used by the British Tommy on the Battle of the Somme (1916) when they referred to Maori battalions who dug out communicating trenches. Australian troops were more commonly referred to as Kangaroos, or Tommy Kangaroo and sometimes Johnny Kangaroos and other nicknames included: Cobblers, Trooper Redgum and Billjims. Survival at Gallipoli depended on finding suitable cover and fox holes were life saving. Those who survived the nightmare landing may have earned the title by digging in. After the both battles (Somme and Gallipoli) Australian soldiers generally referred to themselves with pride as "Diggers" and the term gained general acceptance. Decades later during the Vietnam War, when Australian and New Zealand troops formed combined units and the term Kiwi was used to refer to New Zealanders.

Aussie as in (Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!) also originated from the Great War and was a term of endearment used to described the ‘Australian battler.’

Now if I said, “have you heard the rumour the WA Government is going to match Kevin Rudd’s money payback and you can expect $900 bonus at the next budget.” You might that story is a bit ‘furphy.’

The term ‘furphy’ means a rumour or absurd story. Furphy originated during the First World War when carts from Victoria were used to carry water to the troop’s trenches. The carts were supplied by Furphy and Sons Pty Ltd and their name was painted on the carts but the drivers were notorious for gossip and spreading false rumours. The tem stuck and passed into Australian English.

A common term used by the soldiers to describe legitimate news was ‘oil.’ The assumption being a well oiled machine ran efficiently. Soon the compounds of machine oil gained wide currency as slang and this included straight oil, good oil, and of course, eucalyptus oil. Better known as dinkum oil.

Other words which passed in Australian English include souvenir as in ‘to appropriate’ (to steal); and plonk for wine. This is thought to be a corruption of French blanc in vin blanc ‘white wine.’ Idioms such as his blood’s worth bottling’ and ‘give it a burl,’ are also thought to come from Digger talk in the Great War. Idioms from the Second World War to pass into common vernacular include ‘going troppo’ meaning mental degeneration through exposure to tropical conditions and one of my favourites, “don’t come the raw prawn.” Meaning the person you are addressing is limp, wet and slippery. Probably the most commonly used naval slang in every day language is molly meaning a malingerer or an effeminate man. In general use it refers to a left handed person and a Molly-dooker (slang for hands) was a South Paw (who led with the left hand).

Convict Talk

2009-04-18T20:27:00.000-07:00

Britain started transporting convicts to Australia in 1788 until 1852. During this time some 150,000 were transported to eastern Australia and about 25,000 of these were women. In 1865 the British government began transportation to Western Australia and this continued until 1868. In total about 10,000 convicts were sent to Western Australia. The language of the convicts was known as ‘flash language’ and used everyday words but in unique ways and was spoken in many dialects. It became so well established interpreters were called upon to help translate witness testimony. Eventually dictionaries of underworld slang were compiled as released convicts continued to speak flash and much of the lexicon became part of Australian English. There are countless examples of words and phrases today which had their origins in flash language. The verb ‘plant’ meaning to hide clandestinely is but one example and 'swag' originally referred to a thief’s plunder. Later 'swag' described a collection of personal belongings wrapped up in a bedroll and carried by bush travellers (or swagman). In Standard English the word muster referred to ‘an assembly of soldiers for inspection.' and in the convict colonies, muster was used to describe an assembly of convicts. By the mid-nineteenth century the term crossed over into daily use on the farm meaning to the gather livestock for counting and branding. In the early days of the colonies, the term ‘convict’ became none PC and various euphemisms were created including government men. Terms like ‘prisoner’ was also used but gradually convicts were known collectively as ‘public servants.’ This would later be used to describe anyone who worked for the government. The first bushrangers were former public servants who had either escaped imprisonment or enslavement. They were a hardy crew who lived in insolation but continued to speak the flash language sometimes mixed with Aboriginal words. The more familiar bushranger of the post Gold rush era i.e. The Wild Colonial Boys made famous by Ned Kelly, used terms like bush telegraph (communication); bush lawyer (self taught expert in law); bush scrubber (a shabby bumpkin fellow from the outback or scrub); and bush whackers (tree feller). Cattle stealing was common practice and the cattle stealer or Poddy (calf) Dodger (tracker) would be caught cattle duffing (stealing) or gully raking (rounding up beasts in back gullies in the full knowledge they belong to other with the full intention of stealing them) and these terms are still used today.

The song Waltzing Matilda encapsulates much reference to flash talk and Australian English and was written in the 1895 by Banjo Paterson. Some commentators believed he adapted the words from an existing bush ballad, but he is now mostly accepted he was the original author. Christina Macpherson adopted the tune from an existing folk song.

The song narrates the story of an itinerant worker (swagman) making a drink of tea (in his billycan) at a bush camp, under a eucalyptus tree (coolibah); next to a billabong (or cut off river bend of an ox bow lake), after stealing a wild sheep (jimbuck) to eat. The sheep's owner (a squatter) arrives with three police officers (troopers) to arrest the worker for the theft (a crime punishable by hanging); the swagman drowns himself in a small watering hole and goes on to haunt the site. The reference to 'waltzing' means to travel while working as a craftsman. This was common practice with carpenters who would complete their apprenticeship learning new techniques from other masters before returning home after three years and one day. The term waltzing in this context is thought to have derived from the German term 'auf der Walz.' Matilda was a romantic term used to describe a swagman's bundle, and 'To waltz Matilda' was to travel with all your belongings wrapped in a blanket or cloth and was carried over your back. To the swagman, their 'Matilda' was their only companion for many months of the year and became personified as a woman. Because the same thing was found with German soldiers who commonly referred to their greatcoats as "Matildas" many believe the origin of 'Waltzing Matilda' was German.

The real irony of the story is a jimbuck describes a feral sheep which was difficult to shear and probably not owned by anyone, least of all the squatter.
Australian squatters raised livestock on land which they did not legally have the right to use and claimed wild beasts as their own. Many squatters became very wealthy by retaining access to lands they did not own. It is likely the poor swagman was a victim of the cruel and greedy squatter protected by the law.