slight correction: the men’s test team. none of the captains of the womens team have won the gong. otherwise, well said.

We’re only 200-odd years old — a toddler in the context of other nations — and Australia is still suffering from somewhat of an identity crisis. We’re still trying to sort out our stories, our icons, and our heroes, and we’re far from achieving any sort of consensus view. This is partly because of our demographics and the lack of homogeneity across the population.

In an otherwise interesting post, this stood out. Firstly, if we were 200 years old, we’re no longer an international toddler. We would predate Germany, for example. Wikipedia notes, “As a modern nation-state, the country was first unified amidst the Franco-Prussian War in 1871.” You could, of course, argue that people lived there for a while and so there’s a national identity, but you’re on shaky ground. Prussian/German identity has changed quite a bit in the last century, after all.

However, to say that Australia is 200 or so years old is a mistake. More accurately, Australia is 108 years old. Federation should be the starting point here – NSW is 200+ years old as a colony (somewhat less so as a self-governing colony), but NSW != Australia. And at 108 years old, we’re older than the Italian Republic. And notions of “unItalian” would be considered idiotic by Italians, I think.

In short, it’s time we outgrew three things – firstly, that we’re a young country, secondly that there’s a universally definable notion of what is Australian (and, by implication, unAustralian), and thirdly, that the date of Australia’s creation is in 1778 with the arrival of the First Fleet.

As for giving the award and/or honours to sports people, that’s just ridiculous. They already have their own award systems, I mean, aren’t 3 gold medals enough recognition for Stephanie Rice?

Although ‘our Jelena’ (Dokic) is currently putting in a pretty good bid to disprove that theory. She deserves something for just making her comeback against the odds.

Bridgit, I’m not sure if you can judge the worthiness of the award based on others who were as worthy not receiving them.

As I commented to Scott yesterday, I’ve been overlooked for an OA for “services to Warministas” again.

Another one that irks me – and this will be controversial – is the Victoria Cross awarded to Mark Donaldson. Without doubting the courage of what Donaldson did, can it be uniequovicably stated that it is the most courageous act performed by an Australian soldier since the Vietnam War? How many similar acts go unseen or unreported, I wonder.