Bondi
Bondi beach 
Surfers on Bondi beach 
For those who want to swim rather than surf at BondiElaine writes: Sydney may be cosmopolitan and in the most beautiful setting but there is something about it that makes me uneasy. When Bob asked me what I thought of it, I said that I thought that it was a city busy trying to forget. This feeling was affirmed when Stephen and I went the Museum of Australia with Ruth on Wednesday morning. First we looked at the many creatures that inhabit Australia, how they have adapted to their environment, which ones are poisonous (far too many) and something about their evolution.
Then we moved on to a very thorough exhibition about the indigenous peoples of Australia which included both the Torres Straits people and what we might call aboriginal people. The exhibition was wonderful with full representation of the spirituality, culture, archaeology and art of these people. Aboriginal people have lived in Australia for over 60,000 years, maybe even twice as long. Their whole outlook, lifestyle and spirituality was based on understanding the land to be sacred and that humans do not own the land but the land owns them. It was harrowing to read how white western people not only destroyed this fine balanced way of living but took away the culture and sense of belonging from generations of aboriginal people. From the beginning of the 20th century right up until 1969, Aboriginal children were forcibly removed from their families and made to live in schools and foster families. Here, under often harsh regimes, they would be taught the white way of life and encouraged to marry or have relations with white people in order to finally eradicate aboriginal culture and identity from Australia. Sometimes babies were snatched from their mother’s arms and many, many children were physically and sexually abused. Some have never been able to find their families or their people even though agencies have now been set up to help them do so and many suffer from mental ill health as a result of the treatment and abuse they suffered.
In the eighties, the government passed a motion that an apology should be given to the aboriginal peoples of Australia but it was not until earlier this year when Kevin Rudd was the newly elected Prime Minister that an official apology was forthcoming. One of the first things Kevin Rudd did when he took office was to decree a sorry day and a copy of the official apology was displayed in the museum. What struck me as I read this were the words to the effect: the purpose of this act is to remove the stain on the nation’s soul.
It is this stain which so disturbed me. Although Maori/ White relations have suffered from western exploitation in New Zealand, there does not seem to have been the same degree of abuse of Maori people and they seem more able to keep their discrete identity in the face of western influence.
I think that aboriginal people have suffered so dreadfully because their culture is quite at variance with capitalism. Many aboriginal people are paid dole money nowadays which they call “sitting down money”, because it prevents the necessity of going walkabout to find food and exchange goods.
We were very glad to have seen this exhibition and I would like to learn more about “dreaming” as a concept and how it ties in with our views of the contemplative spirit. We returned to Mosman a little bit wiser and shopped to make a Ruth and Bob a farewell meal for our last night with them.
Stephen writes: Elaine is too modest to mention that the farewell meal that she cooked was a wonderful feast of pumpkin soup with harissa and rouille; rack of lamb with wild mushroom risotto, asparagus and creamed leeks followed by banana and rhubarb compote with panne forte. Better even than Bob’s splendid cooking. A good job Ruth’s keep fit regime was ever present. I’ve only put on one and a half Kg since we left London.
We were sad that this was our last full day with Ruth and Bob, but after learning about the plight of Aborigine families in the "stolen generations" exhibition, having a daughter and son in law in Australia, who are able to be visited and are in easy contact via telephone and internet doesn’t seem nearly as bad as it first appeared. But we will still be saving soon for a return visit.
Then we moved on to a very thorough exhibition about the indigenous peoples of Australia which included both the Torres Straits people and what we might call aboriginal people. The exhibition was wonderful with full representation of the spirituality, culture, archaeology and art of these people. Aboriginal people have lived in Australia for over 60,000 years, maybe even twice as long. Their whole outlook, lifestyle and spirituality was based on understanding the land to be sacred and that humans do not own the land but the land owns them. It was harrowing to read how white western people not only destroyed this fine balanced way of living but took away the culture and sense of belonging from generations of aboriginal people. From the beginning of the 20th century right up until 1969, Aboriginal children were forcibly removed from their families and made to live in schools and foster families. Here, under often harsh regimes, they would be taught the white way of life and encouraged to marry or have relations with white people in order to finally eradicate aboriginal culture and identity from Australia. Sometimes babies were snatched from their mother’s arms and many, many children were physically and sexually abused. Some have never been able to find their families or their people even though agencies have now been set up to help them do so and many suffer from mental ill health as a result of the treatment and abuse they suffered.
In the eighties, the government passed a motion that an apology should be given to the aboriginal peoples of Australia but it was not until earlier this year when Kevin Rudd was the newly elected Prime Minister that an official apology was forthcoming. One of the first things Kevin Rudd did when he took office was to decree a sorry day and a copy of the official apology was displayed in the museum. What struck me as I read this were the words to the effect: the purpose of this act is to remove the stain on the nation’s soul.
It is this stain which so disturbed me. Although Maori/ White relations have suffered from western exploitation in New Zealand, there does not seem to have been the same degree of abuse of Maori people and they seem more able to keep their discrete identity in the face of western influence.
I think that aboriginal people have suffered so dreadfully because their culture is quite at variance with capitalism. Many aboriginal people are paid dole money nowadays which they call “sitting down money”, because it prevents the necessity of going walkabout to find food and exchange goods.
We were very glad to have seen this exhibition and I would like to learn more about “dreaming” as a concept and how it ties in with our views of the contemplative spirit. We returned to Mosman a little bit wiser and shopped to make a Ruth and Bob a farewell meal for our last night with them.
Stephen writes: Elaine is too modest to mention that the farewell meal that she cooked was a wonderful feast of pumpkin soup with harissa and rouille; rack of lamb with wild mushroom risotto, asparagus and creamed leeks followed by banana and rhubarb compote with panne forte. Better even than Bob’s splendid cooking. A good job Ruth’s keep fit regime was ever present. I’ve only put on one and a half Kg since we left London.
We were sad that this was our last full day with Ruth and Bob, but after learning about the plight of Aborigine families in the "stolen generations" exhibition, having a daughter and son in law in Australia, who are able to be visited and are in easy contact via telephone and internet doesn’t seem nearly as bad as it first appeared. But we will still be saving soon for a return visit.
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