Skip to main content

Australia Day - which date?

Art Doll - Wilma Simmons 

Happy Australia Day... Although there is some controversy over when "Australia Day" should be celebrated. ( see this ABC commentary) , for this year, Australia Day remains 26 January, with its official holiday tomorrow, 28 January.  Generally, I am fairly politically outspoken, but on this matter, I am still undecided. However, like many Australians, I am leaning towards the movement for changing the date...  I feel for indigenous Australians for whom this date is very hurtful.
Whatever the date, we will most likely celebrate Australia Day in our usual way -  very quietly - either doing something in our community or just enjoying our native garden.

 Anigozanthus Big Red - Kangaroo Paw 

Grevillea juniperina - Pink Lady 



Corymbia ficifolia -Summer Red 

Syzygium ( possibly Resilience) 

Chamaelaucium uncinatu - Gerladton Wax 

Comments

  1. Hi Wilma
    Just read an interesting article by Luke Pearson who had a "Change the date" mind and now has changed his mind to a "Change Australia first". It can be seen at https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jan/16/i-no-longer-support-changethedate-we-must-change-the-country
    I am inclined to agree with him
    Leslie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Leslie for the reference - very thought provoking article... I am inclined to agree too, with an addition. " and a country that does not treat Indigenous people as a threat but instead recognises and respects the unique status of Indigenous peoples ... and migrants/refugees.... ( my addition) in Australia, and strives to weave that in to the national identity, decision making processes, and day-to-day life

      Delete

Post a Comment

Thanks for reading my blog and please share your thoughts about my blog post by leaving a comment.Your comment won't appear immediately as comments are verified before publication in an effort to reduce the amount of spam appearing. Anonymous comments will not be published.

Popular posts from this blog

Fish and Sticks : Art Dolls

This week I've been working on fish and sticks ....  The sticks are the message stick art dolls which were very popular, attracting some attention and a few orders at the Wise Women exhibition. Each of the message stick dolls are from the Wise Women series, each with her own personality and  message of wisdom, handwritten on a handmade timber tag. I gather the sticks during my walks around my neighbourhood and the tags are made from special bits of timber, some collected by me or  my husband or from off cuts gifted to us  from another doll making friend whose husband makes bagpipes. These dolls start off very simply with a wrap around a stick, in the general shape of a body. 'Naked" message stick dolls - strips of wadding wrapped around found sticks.   Then I usually wrap other layers of fabric, wool, and/or fibres, over which I do some simple embroidery. I sculpt  or mould small face masks for these dolls. I really like using "sari ribbon" as w...

Giveaway - Gifts for You on My Birthday

Giveaway Gifts T his week is blog giveaway time! Last week I celebrated my birthday.  I’ve had far too many to count the candles, but I had a wonderful party on the weekend with my family - with an indulgent birthday cake, favourite foods cooked by my husband and great company. ( In case you were wondering about the writing on the cake , Por Por = Chinese grandmother)     I also got great gifts from  my family and friends. There seemed to be a bit of a theme this year – with many of my gifts and cards depicting matryshoka ( babushka) dolls and tea drinking.   As it is also winter here in Australia ,   it was easy for me to  decide what I could offer as gifts  in this birthday giveaway. All the gifts are handmade by me. Gift 1 - two little fabric matryshoka dolls  Gift 2- a little bag made from colourful teapot and teacup fabric . The design is called a jester bag, but it is suitable for carrying s...

"Temari Or Not Temari?" Tutorial

 Background Information:  Temari (literally translated “hand ball”) is a Japanese folk craft that is alleged to have originated in China and was introduced to Japan five or six hundred years ago. Traditionally, the balls were constructed from wrapped kimono fabric remnants and silk threads. They were made by mothers and grandmothers for children to play with. Nowadays, decorative embroidered temari represent a highly valued and cherished gift symbolizing friendship and loyalty. Recently I've wondered if your don't use traditional techniques whether you should call what you create "temari". That is an ongoing debate but today I share what I do to make a "non-traditional temari".... 1.I start  with a polystrene ball ( traditionally the balls were wound  silk scraps or other organic materials) and begin to wrap with approx 4 ply wool, turning the ball as I wrap.  2. I then wrap another layer of wool in a similar fashion , this time a 3 or 2 ...