Australian Flag Centenary Celebrations
A sudden sea of flags and faces.
Who called out and dressed these ranks
of every age and income, it appears,
gathered before relic guns and tanks?
They fill the parade ground, waving the flag,
singing and cheering, this Sunday afternoon.
Something I hope good may have retrieved
patriotism from the dark side of the moon.
The flags are suddenly brilliant, swirling here
above the harbour, the portent of ships’ hulls.
Introduced fireworks, rainbow lorikeets blaze
in the green palms above stark crows and gulls.
A crash from the muskets of whisker-waffling
red-coated or kilted colonial volunteers
bedizened with medals, including Vietnam,
and again from all three rousing cheers.
I dislike those who dislike it, so I’m here,
but it’s hard to know this Century’s new dreams.
I know all the history and economics that I want.
I hope, I hope, that this is what it seems.
I don’t question it, and we enjoy the show,
take in the galleries: Kokoda, Flanders mud.
Questioning belief and…
Madam: Archbishop Fisher (July-August 2024) does not resist the attacks on his church by the political, social or scientific atheists and those who insist on not being told what to do.
Aug 29 2024
6 mins
To claim Aborigines have the world's oldest continuous culture is to misunderstand the meaning of culture, which continuously changes over time and location. For a culture not to change over time would be a reproach and certainly not a cause for celebration, for it would indicate that there had been no capacity to adapt. Clearly this has not been the case
Aug 20 2024
23 mins
A friend and longtime supporter of Quadrant, Clive James sent us a poem in 2010, which we published in our December issue. Like the Taronga Park Aquarium he recalls in its 'mocked-up sandstone cave' it's not to be forgotten
Aug 16 2024
2 mins