Return from the nether world
Sir: How sadly familiar was Simon Raven's description (29 May) of the earbashing he received from those whom Australians would scornfully dismiss as 'whingeing Poms'. In the course of three largely enjoyable years 'down under' I had to endure many such harangues, and it was only after my voice had acquired a recog- nisedly Australian twang, enabling me to pass as native-born, that I became a less likely audience for shrill and hysterical protests of this nature.
And yet, and yet . . . in spite of behaviour which is at best tactless, at worst downright ungrateful. I believe the first-generation British in Australia deserve more sym- pathy than they generally receive. To begin with, they have decided to shift themselves and, in most cases, their immediate families, the immense distance of 13,000 miles— albeit to a country with a common language and heritage. Even today, few people will contemplate such a step simply as a result of a clinical appraisal of the pros and cons. They will need a vision to inspire them—a vision which transcends the mundane realities afforded by brochures from Australia House. Invariably the vision is tarnished, perhaps shattered for good, on arrival. But the vast majority stick it out, and their children become what the parents could only have aspired to be: Australian. Again, just supposing British migrants do make a conscious effort to suppress the memory of their pasts, they are faced by the near-impossible task of blinding themselves to the very aspect of life which encouraged them to choose Australia: the familiar, de- rivative nature of so much of what they see and hear around them.
Finally, apropos of the sup-' posedly less critical attitudes adopted by New Australians (Europeans who had settled 'down under' since the war), reference here should he made to communi- cations as well as expectations. That these people do work harder on average than their British counterparts may be undeniable: but to suggest that they are also more wholehearted in their com- mitment to Australia is, I believe. questionable. The difference lies in how the respective groups choose to express their grievances. When a Briton `rubbishes' the country, Australians within earshot cannot fail to get the message. But should a European give vent to equally derogatory sentiments, then he will probably do so in his own tongue; and since most Australians are even less enthusiastic than our- selves, the complaint will almost certainly go unchallenged.
Michael Barber 21 Glebe Place, London sw3
Previous page
