Losing out on immigration (and other news...)
Is it just me or does everyone despair at the current obsession with immigrants being forced to speak English?
For my money, it’s a subtle version of the white Australia policy.
On Monday I was at the funeral of Bruno Orazio, my friend Trish’s darling dad. Bruno was born in Nervesa della Battaglia, Italy, in 1931.
A cabinetmaker by trade, in 1951 he immigrated to Australia with barely a word of English.
The need for work took him quickly out west where he met Bonney, a Dirranbandi girl who helped him fill out the forms for a new ute at the local Holden dealership. I think Bruno must have chased Bonney around Dirran for a while because they didn’t marry until the late fifties, but eventually they got together and had four beautiful children.
Bruno spent more than 40 years in Dirranbandi. In the 90’s he retired to the coast to be close to his nine exceptional grand children.
Bruno’s son Tony did the eulogy on Monday. With a laugh, he told us his Dad was amazed to discover when he got to Australia that he wouldn’t be able to speak Italian. That might sound naive, but if you’ve ever been to a country where no one speaks English you’ll understand exactly what he meant.
It’s part of the human condition we are all naturally arrogant enough to assume we will be understood, exactly as we are.
Obviously, in 1950’s outback Queensland that wasn’t going to be the case and Bruno adapted. In the short term, I guess charm was useful for getting pretty girls to fill in his loan forms!
Tony also told the story of a recent party; the last time the whole family was together. At the close of the day as he stood by the car kissing kids and saying goodbye, Bruno got tears in his eyes. “Look at me.” He said, “I came here as just one man, now look what I’ve got.”
If current forces have their way, men like Bruno might never make it to Australia. And that will be our loss, entirely.
Sir Richard Branson has announced a $US25 million ($A32m) prize for the first person to come up with a way of removing CO2 (carbon dioxide) from the atmosphere in the battle to beat global warming.
Is it just me, or does everyone think it smells a little like another Branson gimmick?
(…OOOhhh Richard Branson saves the world…brill!)
For a start, I am pretty sure the science world has already been reasonably busy with the whole climate change thing and secondly, the man owns an airline. Exactly what percentage of greenhouse gas is spewed into the atmosphere by tourists winging their way to the Gold Coast?
Obviously, Sir Richard rejects that argument, "I could ground my airline today, but British Airways would simply take its place." Which sounds to me a little like, “I want to be an environmentalist and eat my carbon too.”
Sadly, for all of us, I’m just not sure that’s possible.
On the road to Brisbane tomorrow, watch out for the crew on the Organ Donation Awareness Cycle from the Sunshine Coast to the Princess Alexandra Hospital. The ride is organised by Mary Long, whose husband Mal received a heart transplant a couple of years ago.
Riders include doctors and other hospital staff, Organ Donor recipients, relatives of Organ Donor recipients and community members. Best of all, the ride is not a fundraiser! It is purely and simply to raise community awareness about Organ Donation and to thank the donor families. And while you’re at it, check your licence and make sure you’ve got all the boxes ticked!
And what about Ralph Fiennes? Caught (allegedly) doing the oofty magoofty with a Qantas flight attendant in the dunnies on a flight from Darwin to Mumbai. Apparently Ralph was travelling to India to promote the awareness of HIV and safe sex. As my son would say, HIGH – larious! I guess abstinence isn’t part of his promotional push.
P.S. Thanks to everyone who’s booked for the official Launch Lunch of my book. It’s a full house. Details of a new one (woohoo!) coming soon!
For my money, it’s a subtle version of the white Australia policy.
On Monday I was at the funeral of Bruno Orazio, my friend Trish’s darling dad. Bruno was born in Nervesa della Battaglia, Italy, in 1931.
A cabinetmaker by trade, in 1951 he immigrated to Australia with barely a word of English.
The need for work took him quickly out west where he met Bonney, a Dirranbandi girl who helped him fill out the forms for a new ute at the local Holden dealership. I think Bruno must have chased Bonney around Dirran for a while because they didn’t marry until the late fifties, but eventually they got together and had four beautiful children.
Bruno spent more than 40 years in Dirranbandi. In the 90’s he retired to the coast to be close to his nine exceptional grand children.
Bruno’s son Tony did the eulogy on Monday. With a laugh, he told us his Dad was amazed to discover when he got to Australia that he wouldn’t be able to speak Italian. That might sound naive, but if you’ve ever been to a country where no one speaks English you’ll understand exactly what he meant.
It’s part of the human condition we are all naturally arrogant enough to assume we will be understood, exactly as we are.
Obviously, in 1950’s outback Queensland that wasn’t going to be the case and Bruno adapted. In the short term, I guess charm was useful for getting pretty girls to fill in his loan forms!
Tony also told the story of a recent party; the last time the whole family was together. At the close of the day as he stood by the car kissing kids and saying goodbye, Bruno got tears in his eyes. “Look at me.” He said, “I came here as just one man, now look what I’ve got.”
If current forces have their way, men like Bruno might never make it to Australia. And that will be our loss, entirely.
Sir Richard Branson has announced a $US25 million ($A32m) prize for the first person to come up with a way of removing CO2 (carbon dioxide) from the atmosphere in the battle to beat global warming.
Is it just me, or does everyone think it smells a little like another Branson gimmick?
(…OOOhhh Richard Branson saves the world…brill!)
For a start, I am pretty sure the science world has already been reasonably busy with the whole climate change thing and secondly, the man owns an airline. Exactly what percentage of greenhouse gas is spewed into the atmosphere by tourists winging their way to the Gold Coast?
Obviously, Sir Richard rejects that argument, "I could ground my airline today, but British Airways would simply take its place." Which sounds to me a little like, “I want to be an environmentalist and eat my carbon too.”
Sadly, for all of us, I’m just not sure that’s possible.
On the road to Brisbane tomorrow, watch out for the crew on the Organ Donation Awareness Cycle from the Sunshine Coast to the Princess Alexandra Hospital. The ride is organised by Mary Long, whose husband Mal received a heart transplant a couple of years ago.
Riders include doctors and other hospital staff, Organ Donor recipients, relatives of Organ Donor recipients and community members. Best of all, the ride is not a fundraiser! It is purely and simply to raise community awareness about Organ Donation and to thank the donor families. And while you’re at it, check your licence and make sure you’ve got all the boxes ticked!
And what about Ralph Fiennes? Caught (allegedly) doing the oofty magoofty with a Qantas flight attendant in the dunnies on a flight from Darwin to Mumbai. Apparently Ralph was travelling to India to promote the awareness of HIV and safe sex. As my son would say, HIGH – larious! I guess abstinence isn’t part of his promotional push.
P.S. Thanks to everyone who’s booked for the official Launch Lunch of my book. It’s a full house. Details of a new one (woohoo!) coming soon!
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