The Rotary Club of Samford Valley Inc

ABN 93 585 159 023

Melanie' is our current out-going Exchange Student

Her introduction speech to the Creston Valley Rotary Club, district 5080, Canada BC:

Goodevening Chairperson, President and Rotarians.

Many, many years ago, in the dreamtime, Australia was just a vast expanse of black, nothing lived upon or altered its surface. So the Rainbow Serpent came down to the emptiness and created life and shaped the surface of the earth. This is the story of the Aborigines, the original inhabitants of Australia, told by their father’s and their father’s father’s before them.

G’day, this is my story. It’s the story of my home, my people, my land and my life and just as those ancient stories were told to explain things, my intention is to not only give you a chance to hear my story, but also to give you an opportunity to learn about the amazing country I call home, Australia. 

MY HOME:

The Australian home comes in many shapes, sizes and situations. The home I live in was built by my parents 18 years ago and is the only place I have ever lived. It stands on 5 acres of property in a place called Samford – a rapidly growing rural-suburbia area, 30 minutes north-west of Brisbane. In Australia a ‘home’ is anything from a unit at the beach, to the hundred’s of acres that farmer’s live off, but although there are as you would obviously expect, many different styles of housing to be found in all these different situations, the ‘Queenslander’ home has proved to be the one that represents the northern Australian lifestyle the best. Its popularity stems from its effectiveness in coping with the harsh climatic conditions we face and. However, although this is the ‘home’ that will always continue to appear on the postcards, if your home has a verandah out the front and a clothesline out the back then you can still be considered to be a true blue Aussie.

My Family (My people)…

In Australia at this present time the family unit is averaged out at 2.6 per household however my family sits at the larger end of this scale. I live with my Mum, Dad, 2 Sisters and a brother. I was always one of those people that others were never quite sure whether to envy or be sorry for, because both my parents are teachers. My Mother is a teacher librarian and My Father is a Highschool Science Teacher however currently he is working at a school which also caters for returned adult students as the student adviser there. My sister Aileen is 16 years old, James, my brother is 14, and my little sister Simone is turning 11.

The Aussie Companion(s)…

It used to be said the Australia lived off the sheep’s back and consequently the most loved Aussie companions reflect this tie to the land. Kelpie’s, Border Collie’s, Cattle Dogs and Stockhorses are honoured in poetry, bush ballads, statues and songs and this appreciation of these much loved icons stems from their necessity in maintaining the standing of the Australian dollar. The average Australian home is completed by a pet of somekind, anything from a goldfish to say a camel. My family has stuck with the more conventional type of pet so my home is shared with 2 dogs, a cat and some ducks and chooks. For those of you out there who are scratching your heads as to what a chook is – it’s what we in Australia call chickens.

MY LIFE:

The Highschool that I attended, Ferny Grove State High, is a typical example of an Australian school. In Queensland you are required to be part of the education system from the age of 6 to 15, with most students then opting to continue through year 11 and 12. In the other states this format is relatively the same however some have another additional year of schooling included. Ferny Grove had a population of 1600 students, around 325 in each of the 5 grades, and this is considered to be a fairly large size. It is a state school, so therefore is run and funded by the state government. There are also many private schools that are run independently. Your final two years of schooling are the one’s that count for your exit mark. In Queensland this is called an OP (overall position) with 1 being the highest and 25 the lowest. This position is used to allot university

and TAFE courses however many students choose not to go for an OP and study practical courses at school, which  assist them in gaining apprenticeships when they leave. School is a very social event and serves as the centre of the student’s life, shaping their interests and talents. Most schools do their best to cater for all students with strengths and opportunities presented in the 4 areas of Academic, Cultural, Sporting and Citizenship.

Typical Week…

The lifestyle of a student can differ quite dramatically depending where their interests lie. School obviously figures most prominently as they attend it for 6 hours, 5 days a week. Year 12’s at my school however were given the Wednesday off each week as a study day, or a chance for people to have apprenticeships and attend school concurrently. From the age of 15 onwards it is common for students to have part-time jobs after school and on weekends. Music was evidently where my interest lay and things such as well obviously sport but also other activities and organisations filled other students’ weeks. Now as I said before school is a very social event as is life in general in Australia so although it is not considered to be a set activity the most enjoyable hours are spent weekly with friends, whether it be going to the beach, movies, shopping, markets, watching sport live or on TV, having a BBQ or simply hanging out with your mates

Cultural…

Although it has only a secondary role to sport in Australia, cultural programs still play a very important part in our culture. Over the years we have produced many talented musicians, dancers, artists and actors, with some of the most well known being Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, ACDC, Silverchair and the list goes on. Music is my main cultural activity and what I spent most of my time doing. I play the piano, cello, and a little bit of guitar as well as teaching piano to 9 students. I was fortunate in that the high school I attended, Ferny Grove, had a fantastic music program, which helped to meet my interest.

Literature…

Australian literature is very unique. Whether presented in simple or complex forms it has a never varying honesty that can always be found underlying it. You cannot experience the raw beauty of the varying landscapes without experiencing a desire to reflect the encounter through some form. When I have the time I love to write however because of the busy lifestyle that we in this day and age have adopted this is not as frequent as I would like. The most renowned and respected Australian writers are those that have embraced the style of writing first demonstrated by Banjo Patterson, Miles Franklin, Henry Lawson and other founding writers.

Sport...

Sport is by far the most popular pastime in Australia in both its participation and entertainment forms. Australians live and breathe sport. Cricket, Football (Rugby League, Rugby Union and AFL) and tennis are the most dominating types however surfing, golf, swimming, car racing, soccer, netball, field hockey, you name it and will not be much further behind. Basically Australians follow any sporting denomination they have competitors in, and even a lack of them doesn’t always dampen their interest. Support for your chosen sporting team is one of the few times that you will see an Australian get passionate, and they definitely make up for lost time. Almost every Aussie kid plays a sport when their young, and many follow it through to a much older age and at school you have three carnivals a year – swimming, cross country and athletics. Although like many other young Aussie girls I did my time playing netball my sporting strengths shine more brightly in the cross country and longer track racing events. Sportspeople are the household names however sporting legends are arguably among the most respected and influential people in Australia.

Mateship…

Australia formally became its own country in 1901, however it was not until during the First World War that unity can actually be said to have occurred. The ANZACS (the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) helped to define us as a nation and as people, and from them the four ideals of courage, endurance, self-sacrifice and mateship have evolved with a significant emphasis being

placed upon mateship. Australians love the underdog, the battler, and are always willing to lend a helping hand so that everyone can be given a fair go. The true blue Aussie has a huge heart. There are many different organizations that look to help those that have received life’s knocks from both a community to an international level. Examples of these are Lifeline, The Salvation Army, World Vision, TEAR and many, many others. At school I ran the World Vision 40 Hour Famine and enjoyed being part of environmental planning teams and other citizenship based projects.  

‘Mates’(My people)…

Australia inherited much of its slang from the cockney convicts that are a strong part of our foundation and thus we have the infamous word ‘mate’. A mate is anyone from your best friend to a complete stranger. It is not a very refined word however within its roughness a range of sentiments can be conveyed. Your ‘mates’ are the one of the most important parts of your life. My ‘mates’ are everything from future football players, business women, mums and doctors, to plumbers, musicians, teachers and aerospace engineers. These varieties of talent and different views on life have helped me to maintain a wide outlook on life and appreciate these differences.

AUSTRALIA:

Australia was regarded as a barren find when first discovered by the explorers of the 18th Century. The explorer William Dampier is quoted to have said “If it were not for that sort of pleasure which results from the discovery even of the barrenest spot upon the globe, this coast of New Holland would not have charmed me much” and it was not until 1770, when Captain James Cook landed in Botany Bay (north of present-day Sydney) that some potential was seen, and then still only as a penal colony, begun 18 years later. However since those rather shaky foundations were laid, Australia has grown, prospered and developed, passing through Gold rushes, Disunity, World War’s, The Great Depression and the rest of the important events in its short history to become the successful, diverse and ever friendly society it is known as today.

Australia is the only nation to govern an entire continent and is almost the same size as the US. With a current population of only just over 2 million that sounds like a lot of room to spare, however due to the fact that it is the second driest continent in rainfall (with Antarctica being the driest) much of that land, especially in the interior, is inhospitable desert.

Australians often find it hard to understand the form of patriotism that is found in countries like the US because, as visitors soon discover, it is foreign to the Aussie instinct. This does not point toward a lack of loyalty within the nation though. Although our National Anthem may not always be sung with the gusto that some say it deserves, strike up a chorus of Waltzing Matilda and visitors will immediately be struck with the emotion and pride inherent within the Australian spirit.

The Australian Flag is deep blue in colour, with the union jack representing our part in the commonwealth, a 7 pointed star to show the states and territories of Australia and the Southern Cross, which is seen surprisingly only in the southern skies, symbolizing freedom. The indigenous Australians, the Aboriginals, also have their own flag, it is red on the bottom, to represent their connection with the land, yellow to depict the sun, and black to represent them as a race. Our Coat of Arms is surrounded by the national flower the wattle and depicts the Kangaroo and Emu, intriguingly the only animals who cannot walk backwards. As a side point, Australia is one of the few if only countries who actually eats their national emblems.

The Sydney Opera House is of course the thing most commonly associated with Australia, then for the more acquainted there’s Uluru (or Ayers Rock), The Great Barrier Reef, Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast, snow, luscious rainforest and the list goes on. Within the one country endless varieties of environments can be found.  Also along with these places there’s our rather different diversity of fauna and flora. Yes, then comes the Kangaroo’s, Emu’s, koala’s, platypus’s, wombats, cassowary’s, kookaburra’s, crocodiles, sharks, Tasmanian Tigers, Echidnas and Dingoes. All are rather unusual in their own way however the Platypus and Echidna baffled early scientists by being the only mammals to also lay eggs.  Much of Australians flora is unique to the continent. There is obviously the luscious rainforest however there are also many drier forests as well. The Wattle and Grevillea are our most famous however the Gum tree would have to be our most loved!

As mentioned before Australia’s economy grew upon the sheep’s back and largely still remains that way today, alongside the cattle and black opal market which are also some of the biggest in the world. Wheat, Sugar, Gold and Mining have also profoundly acted as a support to our economy.

At the time that Australia’s politicians were looking for a place to establish as the capital, Sydney and Melbourne, the 2 largest cities, were both fighting for superiority. Therefore those wise leaders at the time decided to establish the capital between them…in a sheep paddock. And they did. Despite its humble beginnings Canberra (the aboriginal term for ‘meeting place’) is now the centre for all political activity within the country. Due to its remote position the town was able to be planned down to the T and was painstakingly mapped out and designed. There are 5 main political parties at the national level; the Liberals, Labor, Nationals, Democrats and the Greens and there are also people who run independently. By law, every Australian citizen must vote in all elections on the local, state and federal level. Many political issues are present at the moment in Australia, some of the most significant are our treatment of Refugees, The war in Iraq, Aboriginal rights, and always lurking the background the pressure to become a republic.

Although Australia’s food selection is basically the same as in Canada we do have some foods that are distinctly from Down Under. Vegemite is what the Aussie child is taught will give them curly hair, a much loved salty spread that anyone who wasn’t brought up upon thinks tastes terrible. Pavlova is a divine dessert, originally created as celebrate the visit of the ballerina Pavlova to Australia. Lamingtons are sponge cake covered in chocolate and coconut, Damper is bread like, but cooked in an open fire, ANZAC biscuits are made of oats and were rationed to soldiers in WW1. Then there’s Aeroplane Jelly, Milo, Tim Tam’s, Bushell’s Tea and lastly snags (sausages), meat pies, fish’n’chips and the superior Australian beer.

Lastly we come to the Australian people, Aussie’s, renowned for their honesty, larrikinism and loyalty. To do that I must first begin with the indigenous Australians, the Aborigines. There is much debate as to when and how these people first came to Australia so let us just say that they have inhabited and understood this land of thousands of years. They, like every race upon this earth, have their own culture and spirituality. The Rainbow Serpent created the earth, and Quinkins, Injins and spirits with many other names and purposes, both good and bad, lived upon the earth alongside man.  Before colonization there were many different tribes, scattered throughout the various terrains and each spoke a different dialect. Many of those tribes have died out however some dialects have been preserved and are being studied today. The Didgeridoo is a long, hollow, wooden instrument, used to accompany corrobarees - meetings where dances were used to portray an event / story. The Boomerang is a curved, wooden weapon occasionally used to bring down birds because of its usefulness in returning, the spear was a more common hunting weapon however. Today the Aboriginals are facing many of the same problems as the First Nation people of Canada, misconceptions on both sides make the healing process very slow. The ‘white man’, namely the English, occupied Australia 200 years ago, and it remained a European peoples until the Gold Rush which brought in Chinese and other Asians. After world war 2 refugees were welcomed with open arms, building up a strong ethnic community until the white Australia policy was introduced, staying in place until ?. Today Australia is a flourishing multicultural society, however fear and ignorance still prompts racism in some cases, as does the actions of minorities within the ethnic groups. What is an Aussie though? Well you’ve all heard of Crocodile Dundee, Mad Max and Steve Irwin, so now forget them, because they’re prejudicing you against a beautiful country J. For the typical Aussie the blokes (men) are called Bruce and the Sheila’s (women) are called Sheila. G’day, Mate, Bonza, She’ll be right, Fair Dinkum, Bonza, Crikey and Throw another snag on the Barbie love are our beloved slang. We drink a lot of beer, live at the beach and love our sport. Believe all that? Australians value honesty and giving everyone a fair go. They love the Underdog and the Battler.  Humour is what helped them tackle and survive the rugged terrain, and that same humour, or larrikinism is what prevails today.

QUEENSLAND:

Each of the 6 states of Australia have their own different personality’s and own outlooks on life. Queensland, like our number plates state, is the sunshine state. With its sunny weather and beaches it really is a beautiful place to live however the reason I love my state is because within it you can experience the beaches, the cities, the townships, the outback, the farms, the desert, the

rainforests and sometimes even the snow. No other state can lay claim to that. The other thing I love is the people. Queenslanders are open, friendly and relaxed, oh…and quite passionate when it comes to something like the state of origin – a rugby league competition against New South Wales, said without any bias, I have to say it’s definitely the best place in Australia.

SAMFORD:

Despite lacking the appeal of the surf and sand, Samford holds true in its representation of all that is Queensland and is also one of the most beautiful and community centred places I’ve ever experienced. It’s situated in a valley surrounded by rolling mountains, and many types of fauna and flora call it their home.  The country feel still exists though farms now only are an occasional dot upon the landscape and although gone are the days when a visit to the main street would inevitably also involve exchanging greetings with all of the passer’s by, the friendly welcoming spirit still remains strong.  

MY EXCHANGE:

People often ask why I would choose to go on a student exchange that involves doing an extra year of schooling, only a few months after finally graduating from 12 years of education. They assume that it would have been a rather important decision to make however for me it was relatively easy. At the beginning of the year I decided that I had better try and decide what to do with my life. I sat down and read through my QTAC book which is a compilation of courses offered by tertiary institutions however try as I might I couldn’t find anything that I would be interested in for a prolonged period of time. This time also marked the beginning of people putting the age old question to me – what do you want to do when you grow up? But this relatively simple question grew to become quite exasperating not because I didn’t want to answer it, but because I didn’t know HOW to. So when I walked into the school library one day and saw a brochure for a youth exchange program, the concept obviously found a lot of favour in my mind. It only needed a Rotarians suggestion that I should apply for the rotary youth exchange program to set the idea in concrete and thus here I am today, a rotary youth exchange student living in and experiencing the beauty of Canada.

I know that this year will be an amazing year and I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to experience the culture and lifestyle of another country. I am very interested in finding out Canada views Australia and our decisions and how it differs to Australia though both are members of the British Commonwealth. I’m looking forward to the friendships I will make and the enjoyment that will be had but most importantly the fact that I will learn things that cannot be taught and experience things that can never be repeated.

Recent up-date from Melanie:

Hi Jens,

I am emailing from school so hopefully this will work.

Well so far I have been in Canada for just over a month and am having an absolutely awesome time! My host family is great, I have 3 brothers - 14, 16, & 18 so I get to watch a lot of ice-hockey which is good. The oldest one is in my grade which is great cause he can drive me places and we get along really well.

Everyone here in Creston is really friendly, its basically a small country town who's main income is logging, farming and the local brewery. There's not much to do in winter so I've been to see lots of the Friday night hockey games as they are the main highlights during the weekends. School is going well, I am in year 12 and am taking art metal, psychology, ceramics and sculpture and PE - I really enjoy them all cause they're so different to the courses that I took back at home. I've got a great group of friends who are lots of fun and one of them is going on to Denmark in august on the youth exchange which is cool.

The biggest differences are of course the weather - its so freezing!!!!! The snow is beginning to melt though and apparently its getting warmer but I haven't noticed if it is :).

I'm still getting used to all the different words they use here, it can get pretty confusing but its funny as well, like beannie's are 'touqs', utes are 'trucks', softdrink is 'pop' etc.

I've been skiing twice so far, but the nearest ski hill is 1 1/2 hrs away so you have to spend the whole day there to make it worthwhile.

My Rotary Club here is good, there's actually 2 in Creston because I think one allows females and the other doesn't, mine is the no female club and the average age is 60, but they're all lovely and apart from the fact that they meet at 7:00 on Tuesday mornings I really enjoy going to the meetings.

I went curling with their team last week which definitely was an interesting experience, I don't know how to explain what curling is so you probably should look it up on the internet, its kinda like lawn bowls but on ice.

Anyways that's about all I have time for, I hope that the heat begins to subside a bit because I don't remember February being that hot for a long time! I Hope everything's going well for you and the club and thanks for writing.

Regards, Melanie

[ Up ]

Webmaster Jens Raun @ place2live.com.au - your local independent real estate agency

Copyright © 2003, 2004, 2005 & 2006 The Rotary Club of Samford Valley Inc.

The site is using Rotary graphics provided by Tord Elfwendahl, from The Rotary Club of Stockholm Strand