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**glyn** · 03 Aug 08,, 14:18

Three cheers for Barbara Thiering! She is one of the most rigorous of academics in her field, and has shown great courage in releasing her work to the general public. She has my total respect. :)

**Ray** · 03 Aug 08,, 14:24

I am surprised.

I thought Australia was terrific in swimming!

Kylie Minogue and her Neighbour (Naibors!:))) should not be forgotten amongst the Greats.

When cable TV came to India, Neighbours was a huge hit of a programme!

**Army5339** · 03 Aug 08,, 15:59

Take heart, most countries, and people for that matter, elevate sports and military achievements above things such as literature, art, music, science, and such. Physical over mental achievements.

I think it is in the nature of people.

Thankfully, all those other things exist, and the people who practice them continue to do so.

**bolo121** · 03 Aug 08,, 18:58

No no, sports are very very important to a national pysche.
Look at the handwringing here in india in anticipation of yet another pathetic performance at the olympics.
All of india is united in envy of the aussie cricket team.

**~~Bluesman~~** · 03 Aug 08,, 19:08

I thought the title of the thread was a self-reference by the poster.

**tim52** · 03 Aug 08,, 20:07

Originally posted by Bluesman View Post

I thought the title of the thread was a self-reference by the poster.

Ouch, now that's just down right mean.

**lazimodo** · 03 Aug 08,, 21:01

[QUOTE=Bigfella;525652]

The whole nation followed cyclist Cadel Evans as he claimed second place in the [I]Tour de France[I], yet I'm betting virtually no one knows that the first Secretary General of the UN was an Australian.

But the whole world knows Sastre was on a Canadian made bike....LOL

Cervélo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I met two beutiful Aussie girls here at a hockey game in Canada and they were beyond a doubt the most fun people I had ever seen at an ice rink. They kept asking questions of us and they were so much fun. Like why are they chasing that little black thing, (the Puck) and don't they have anymore of them? One girl cheered the home side while the other cheered the visitors because one wanted to be home and the other wanted to be a visitor.

We serve beer at our professional games and those girls sure appreciated that. If all the Aussie have that sunny disposition then I would move there in a heartbeat. I think the Aussies are known for thier sunny dispositions, thier healthy Sheilas and the whole world knows Mad Max is the average Aussie male commuter...LOL By the way, nobody knows the current Secty Gen of the UN ... More LOL

**~~Bluesman~~** · 03 Aug 08,, 21:09

Originally posted by tim52 View Post

Ouch, now that's just down right mean.

He hangs a curveball over the outside corner, and I'm not supposed to tee off on it?

**Bigfella** · 04 Aug 08,, 09:58

Originally posted by tim52 View Post

Ouch, now that's just down right mean.

Nah, just par for the course (though mercifully short & unusually free of capital letters). Blues comes to WAB for an audience, not a discussion. If you don't want to sit & applaud then out comes the abuse.

**Parihaka** · 04 Aug 08,, 11:50

Australia's Shame

And here's me thinking that this thread would be about how we just THUMPED you in the rugby.

**~~King Six~~** · 04 Aug 08,, 12:02

Originally posted by Army5339 View Post

Take heart, most countries, and people for that matter, elevate sports and military achievements above things such as literature, art, music, science, and such. Physical over mental achievements.

I think it is in the nature of people.

Thankfully, all those other things exist, and the people who practice them continue to do so.

^this

I think all countries are like that. Most of us care more about Football than anything here. Let's not even talk about sports in other countries. Namely Cricket in South Asia.

**Enterpriser** · 04 Aug 08,, 14:02

Bf....

Originally posted by Bigfella View Post

On tonight's television news I heard one of the most shameful comments about Australia that I have ever heard. It was made by the head of Australia's Olympic Comission, John Coates.

'Australia's reputation, apart from acts of gallantry in time of war, is founded on the performance of our athletes.' (1:34 mark)

Australia may win less medals this time around: Coates - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

What hurt me most isn't that it was a lie, but that it is the truth. As a nation we judge ourselves by sport & military achievement....and virtually nothing else (with the possible exception of a few actors). We produce brilliant scientists

Nobel laureates by country - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Frank Macfarlane Burnet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

doctors

Fred Hollows - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

writers

Peter Carey (novelist) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

artists

Russell Drysdale - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

academics

Barbara Thiering - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

& businessmen

William Knox D'Arcy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

yet few Australians even know but a handful of their names.

Most Australians know of the bravery of the ANZACs & the militia at Kokoda, yet I would be surprised if even 5% of adults have heard of Howard Florey, whose work in developing penicillin probably contributed to saving more lives that the World Wars took.

Virtually all Australians would know of Donald Bradman & dozens more sportsmen of far lesser achievement, yet a mere handful have heard of Nobel Prize winning immunonogist MacFarlane Burnet.

The whole nation followed cyclist Cadel Evans as he claimed second place in the [I]Tour de France[I], yet I'm betting virtually no one knows that the first Secretary General of the UN was an Australian.

H. V. Evatt - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Don't get me wrong, I am a sports nut & I am intensely proud at our contributions in time of war. I think that all Australians should be proud of those achievements, but those achievements are not all Australians should be proud of.

Until the day when I can call John Coates a liar for what he said this nation will remain in a prolonged adolescence.

Hmm....ummm......have you....even considered maybe.....ummm: "Not unnecessarily heaping **** on Aus"?

Brett.

P.S The Answer to your question is that support for the troops and sport are the major ones that transcend politics and the national recognition is mainly due to the fact that there is a 10min sport section on the news on every channel every night............free exposure!

**Herodotus** · 04 Aug 08,, 20:57

I interperted that statement that Australia was viewed by other countries by its sports and military. Most Americans remain ignorant of Australian contributions to society as a whole. I confess I know little about it beyond its sports, whereas I can read Tolkien, Wilde, Fielding, Austen, Dickens and know the contributions of the British to world literature. Likewise I can read Checkov, Solzhenitsyn or listen to Tchaikovsky or Mussorgsky and know Russian contributions to literature and music. I think it is more the case that Australia needs a better Tourism Board or better P.R. then that Australians are ignorant of their culture.

**HistoricalDavid** · 04 Aug 08,, 21:24

Originally posted by Bigfella View Post

Nah, just par for the course (though mercifully short & unusually free of capital letters). Blues comes to WAB for an audience, not a discussion. If you don't want to sit & applaud then out comes the abuse.

Have you had your manliness questioned yet? That's gotta be one of the milestones. Double brownie points if it's in capital letters and with dropped 'g's at the end of words.

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Australia's Shame

Australia's Shame

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