From Little Things Big Things Grow

Welcome to the Third Carnival of Australia.

Thanks to Megan for getting this whole thing going. Hopefully this Third Carnival will increase the visibility of the Carnival of Australia and this Carnival can flourish going forward. Enjoy!

This weekend, is the 40th Anniversary of the referendum that allowed native Australians to vote, although Pommygranate has corrected me on this. Apparently that is an urban myth. Paul Kelly and Friends have a great song to celebrate. Our kids did a play centred around this song with music and dance for Assembly last year.



At the same time, would you pass the Australian Citizenship Test? These are some sample questions from the Newspaper last weekend. In reality, they are multiple choice. I managed to scrape 19 out of 20. Do you know who the first Aussie Prime Minister was?

1. Which colours are represented on the Australian flag? (Hint provided)






2. Indigenous people have lived in Australia for how many years?
3. What is Australia's national flower
4. Australia's political system is called a...
5. What is the capital of Australia
6. Which animals are on the Australian Coat of Arms?
7. Where did the first European settlers to Australia come from?
8. Who is Australia's head of state?
9. Who was the first Prime Minister of Australia?
10. What song is Australia's national anthem?
11. What do you call the elected head of a state government?
12. Which federal political party or parties are in power?
13. What does Anzac Day commemorate?
14. In what year did the first European settlers arrive?
15. How many states are there in Australia?
16. What is Australia's biggest river system?

Thanks to fellow Pommigrant, Pommygranate for the nice kwiz precis and useful information for the second part of the citizenship puzzle, to understand the essence of Strine Culcha. Getting to understand or just memorising the following words and phrases would be helpful for the interview. This may be in my future, so I am grateful.

Many Aussies are not too impressed with the proposed quiz, worried that they will lose their citizenship. You can read more and even take the quiz, here.

Another encouraging sign for me in my quest to be accepted here in Australia are my skills in Footy Tipping. Last weekend I got 8, much to the chagrin of my colleagues. What is a Scotsman doing leading the Footy Tipping? Those Australians, they are nothing if not competitive.

Another Australian Cultural Ceremony that is taking place at the moment is Australias Biggest Morning Tea, a series of social gatherings across Australia to raise money for Cancer Research. Our office is doing one on Thursday and are still getting over being turned down by Krispy Kreme Donuts, who have maxed out their production capacity for the week. We we still do something to celebrate. Michelle Sweeney provides the background and how you can participate. Posted at Tonic Gifts.

Talking of food, Gillian Polack presents movie food. What would you have been eating at the movies in the 1940s and 1950s. A vegemite sandwich? Hopefully it would be relatively cheaper than the outrageous prices we are forced to pay nowadays for Popcorn and Coke. Posted at Food History.

One of the great things about Australia is the beautiful scenery. Baleboosteh presents Fire In The Sky posted at Baleboosteh.











Megan Bayliss presents a History of the Australian foster care system posted at Imaginif...

This tells the early story of Foster Care in Australia, starting in Norfolk Island in 1795. Having had immigrant foster kids when I lived in America, I know that this is an important role in the development of functioning and productive adults as well as many challenges in keeping kids safe and happy.

GrrlScientist presents The Return of the Rimatara Lory posted at Living the Scientific Life.

My life's passion is the birds of the South Pacific, particularly the Loriinae, which are parrots commonly known as the lories and lorikeets. I study them professionally and I have lived with them and bred them for most of my life. So it was exciting to me when I learned that one of my favorite lory species, the endangered Rimatara lorikeet or Kuhl's lory, Vini kuhlii, experienced a conservation triumph several weeks ago: twenty-seven of the parrots were translocated from the island of Rimatara, in the Cook islands where a small population still exists, to the island of Atiu, where they had been driven to extinction by the Maori hunters several hundred years ago. Officials hope that this homecoming will lead to establishment of a reserve population of the endangered birds.

I can certainly identify with the gloriously coloured birds that are a feature of Australias Parks and gardens. Personally, I have a large budgie collection, which have the benefit of requiring little maintenance and they don't bite too hard.

And for those with a literary bent, Gillian King presents Best seller! posted at School of St Jude. She uses here blog to support a school with 850 kids in Tanzania. Very interesting reading. We have an Australian friend, who is teaching English in Tanzania at the moment. Gillian writes

I find that St Jude’s is a great book for people who like an old-fashioned ‘good read’. Gemma has a great story to tell and she tells it with simple appreciation for both the rewards and challenges. In this way, it is similar to Albert Facey’s A Fortunate Life.

And what would a Carnival of Australia be, without something on sport. Here, Ajanta presents an Indian take on why Aussie Cricketers are top dogs posted at CricDigs - The Community of Cricket 'fan'atics!.

As Ajunta says "Now, there are a few things we all could learn from the Australians. While we talk of playing our A game in a few important matches, they do it day in and day out. While we talk of setting high standards in batting, bowling, or fielding, they make sure they set the highest standards."

And is that not just the Aussie way of Sport (and life).


And trust the English to find the smutty sex angle on the Ozzosphere.

Finally, in the humour department, can I recommend the Tale of Emperor Nasi Goring.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of the Carnival of Australia hosted at imaginif... on June 6 using our carnival submission form.. We look forward to submissions from many new Aussie bloggers. Come on Aussie, c'mon, c'mon.

Past posts and future hosts for the Carnival of Australia can be found on our blog carnival index page. Why not consider hosting.

Until the next time Mates!