What does it mean to be an Australian and how has it changed?

The wholesome athlete is generally more lovable [than an intellectual]. When his brawn is coupled with a good disposition, he sees in woman a fragile flower that he longs to protect.

His muscle is an engine a woman can unfailingly command for her own purposes…the athlete may have the muscles of a Samson, and yet, being slow of thought and speech, be utterly defenceless in a woman's arms.

This statement would cause uproar if spoken in public today. Before the 1960s, Australian men were expected to perform, protect and provide for their families. The two sexes were strongly differentiated. Let's just leave that one and move on.

Were Australian women seen as somehow less Australian? The still-respected statement is by Russel Ward:

According to the myth the 'typical Australian' is a practical man, rough and ready in his manners….

I've provided above a link to a thoughtful reference in Quadrant magazine which stresses that what Ward was exploring was – as he said - 'a nation's idea of itself'. Not the average or normal Australian. It raises for many the question of where is the place in Australia for people who are not a man, or even a practical man.

Are men and women equal in Australia? It's easy to ask the question, but finding the answer provides many complex issues to wrestle with. The number of female members of key boards is not impressive; nor are the numbers of women in Cabinet. The problematic nature of gender today is something unknown to earlier writers. I don't see any early resolution to this tension. But the Australia Day celebrations are careful to include high-profile women in public enactments.

How does Australia Day gel with a multi-racial, multi-cultural Australia? Once again, this issue remains unresolved. Perhaps it should not be resolved. The Australia Day celebrations are inclusive. In Sydney, where I live, the streets are full of people with Australia Day regalia. When I look at them I see people of all races and evidently from many beliefs. The Greeks, the Chinese, Indians, Vietnamese, people in turbans and women in hijabs. We need not anymore make 'being Australian' exclusive. There is a lamb advertisement currently showing on TV urging Australians to buy lamb. It pretends to bring home Aussies overseas so they can eat lamb chops. It's clever in that it touches many bases and sparks debate. Having Lee Lin Chin tell its story cunningly includes many migrant voices (she reads the news on SBS TV). No doubt the ad will offend someone, but I doubt that its makers will mind much.

I wonder if anyone would repeat today what Gordon Moyes said on Australia Day, 1986. He said there was no need to apologise over and over for our treatment of convicts, women, the Chinese and Aborigines. A summary appears onlinebut the original is clearer:

Our Christian heritage is suppressed by recent religious diversity; the significance of the Anzacs is superseded by the contribution of the arts; emphasis on the family is lost under emphasis on women's rights. We should make this Australia Day a time of resolve to celebrate Australia, rather than denigrate Australia.

These days determined efforts are made to include in Australia Day all of the groups Moyes mentioned. When I watch the Australia Parade on Sydney Harbour, the Aborigines always appear. They are given resounding cheers. With a few exceptions, people have a reasonable curiosity about their history and culture. They are a key part of Australia Day and always should be. If their art, culture and traditions were invisible to earlier generations, that was unfortunate but understandable. The same is true of the others Moyes fulminated about.

What does it mean to be Australian? We laugh at ourselves. We tease people from other countries (Americans, English, Chinese) and expect to be teased back. Our pride in our country isn't worn conspicuously. But slag off at us and you'll get some back. The British part of being Australian is still there, but fading a fair bit, unless you're from the ABC. Even older people (OK, I'm over 50, er, 60) don't see ourselves as even faintly like Pommies. Australians like Pommies? Perish the thought! Most of us take for granted that people have come here from many distant countries and it's often said that the only ones who didn't are the Aborigines.

So what ought we do on Australia Day? I reckon we should get out there and join the fun. Look at the parade of presidential hopefuls in the USA - or any other country for that matter. Would you really prefer to live somewhere else? As Hancock said above, Australia is a jealous mistress. Many of us might well feel, as our plane touches down, a pleasant sigh of relief when we hear "Welcome to Sydney" (or whatever city we reach). With all its blemishes, our country is one many around the world see as blessed. We are lucky to be Australians. Get out there and celebrate.