Acts of Treason and Sundry Items

[tcpip]

We swear by the Southern Cross to stand truly by each other and fight to defend our rights and liberties

Thursday night caseopaya went to Ballarat to attend the Eureka Stockade Celebration (pdf, 1.8 meg), which included a visit to the (alleged) stockade site, a march through Ballarat (where I was briefley interviewed by local television), the rising of the Eureka flag outside the Ballarat Town Hall by the Mayor, and the swearing of the Eureka Oath, an act which is arguably treasonous. After this we visited many of Ballarat's antique stores, end in the late afternoon went to the rather delightful 1930s Regent Theatre where we watched Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Trader, a visually appealing film with good themes albeit hardly pushed in a challenging manner. Later in the evening attended the Ballarat Eureka Commemoration Dinner with Dr. Dorothy Wickham speaking on "The Radical Women of the Eureka Rebellion". The celebrations as a whole were well attended (about fifty), including a small number of West Papuans.

The previous day I spoke at the IT Enables conference on "Principles and Practise of Internet Accesibility for Content Producers (slides and notes available). Fellow LUV members Jason White and Daniel Dalton, both of whom are blind, spoke very highly of Linux's capacity for the visually impaired. Have just submitted a 2500 word review of Pendragon. Next review with be of The Riddle of Steel which I've recently picked up a copy, and played last week.

Comments

[mr-figgy.livejournal.com]

I think I have photos from Ballarat and heard some things about that... not anything you could ignore if you're there, I'm sure. :)

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

There is a commercial aspect to the Eureka events and stockade, and certainly flying the flag has become a rather ubiquitous event without the associated political meaning.

Perhaps the most ironic misuse has been by sections of the Australian far-right who have attempted to appropriate the symbol. They forget, or oblivious to, the fact that the Eureka rebellion was (a) in part a rebellion against British rule (the far-right in Australia are invariably very pro-monarchy) and (b) very multicultural, with twenty different nationalities represented. I'm not quite sure what they would think about a rebellion which included a Scottish Jew and a black Jamaican....

[abomvubuso.livejournal.com]

There were actually Papuans there?

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Yes, most certainly, although only four or so. One chap had been shot several times and tortured. He also gave a story about a bullet that missed his temple by a couple of inches and blew his glasses off his face..

It was great to have them there. The idea of contemporary people who are fighting for basic liberties juxtaposed with a historical reference to people doing the same thing gave a sense of continuity.

provides access

[(Anonymous)]

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Re: provides access

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

No problem. Hope it helps.

painter 11

[(Anonymous)]

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Re: painter 11

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

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