Wednesday 12 February 2014

How well do you know your country? A little bit about my country


How well do you know your own country, do you know who was your first Prime Minister or President, can you name all the countries states and or territories how about the capital cities can you name them, Australians do you know when we gained Federation, how about when our Constitution when did that come into effect.

When I was at school these things were not taught much, I remember thinking in our history class when I was in high school that so much of what we learn was not about Australia's history but world history and American history. I don't know what it is like now days, maybe things have changed and Australian history is taught more, I hope so.

I love history, I like watching stuff on the history channel and have always had a love of history and would had taken history as a class in high school if it was about Australia's history but it wasn't so I didn't. Yes there was some parts of Australia's history taught but not enough for my liking.

I didn't know that Darwin was bombed by the Japanese during world war 11 for many years after leaving school, and than I didn't know what the date was that it happened, I now know it was on the 19th of February 1942.

What I know about Australia's history I have learnt via the web, and the history channel on telly. I think it is sad and wrong that many Australians can tell you the president of the USA but don't know who the first Prime Minister was...........it was Edmund Barton he served from 1901 to 1903 just saying.

Does anyone know when the current Australian flag was introduced, I thought it was 1901 but when I checked for this post I realised it was changed in 1908 and than again a few times between 1939-1953 and it wasn't till 1953 that the flag was legally defined in the 1953 flag act.

I love this country and feel that our young Australian's should be taught more about the history of this wonderful country.


If you look at this map you will see Lake Macquarie which is where I live.

24 comments:

  1. Nice post Jo-Anne,
    Being an Australian and born after 'that' war, I didn't know about the Japanese coming to Darwin, and only realized the extent when travelling to Darwin up the middle of Australia. So many airstrips well down in the NT.
    I don't recall being taught anything much about Australian history.

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    1. So not just me that wasn't taught about our country's history which I think is a real shame. I would love to go the Northern Territory one day

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  2. I live right next door to Canada.....you think I know even who the prime Minister is?.....and anything about Canadian History?....My grandson lives in Canada....and they teach US History....why don't the US kids learn about Canada? It's all about politics. Susan Aiken

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    1. Yes Susan I get that I have nothing against America but each country need to learn about their own history as well as other countries history, with Canada being so close to the US you would think they will teach about Canadian history in American schools.

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  3. I don't know all that much about your history but I am a wiz at American history. I once got an automatic pass in history class because I recited a chapter by heart from a book about George Washington. Back in those days my memory was phenomenal.

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    1. Oh to have a memory like that, I think it is right to be a wiz at your own country's history

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  4. I hope others take up the cause... it is sad to watch a people unlearn where they came from.

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  5. I didn't realize you learned U.S. history instead of the history of your own country. That's a shame. I'm glad you can see so many interesting TV shows and Web sites now.

    Love,
    Janie

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    1. Yes it is a shame, my niece told me that Australian history is taught more now in schools here which is good.

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  6. My husband knows a bit of Australian history - he was in the US coast guard and he always too it on himself to learn the history etc. I've always thought Australia would be a refreshing place to live, outside of USA.

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    1. Why thank you I happen to think this is the best country in the world, I would like to vista America in fact I would like to visit a few different places in the states.

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  7. I found this fascinating. My parents are in Sydney right now, and will be in Australia? New Zealand till the end of the month. I am looking forward to finding out more when they return!

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    1. I hope your parents have a wonderful time in my country and enjoy it enough to want to come back

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  8. All the questions which you asked are taught for us during our schooling in general knowledge. After that i don't have too much of interest in history to know more stuff of it.

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    1. At least you were taught some basic things about history and that is important

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  9. From what I've heard, Australia is a wonderful country. I'd dearly like to visit one day. You should be proud how much you know.
    As far as my knowledge of the US? Yep, I know all those things.
    I'm a nerd that way.

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    1. Not a nerd just an interested person.

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    2. You may be interested that this post inspired a post at Penwasser Place. Stop by and have a look. There's Vegemite in it for you.

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  10. Besides, it's warm there now. And I just shoveled 14 inches of snow. How do you say? Oh yeah...bugga.

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  11. Every 9th grader in Oklahoma has an Oklahoma History Class requirement and I think that's a good thing. Unfortunately I think the history books in our schools are teaching less and less about American History. What I know about Australia, I'll just have to learn from you. :)

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    1. So not just us who are lacking in the teaching of history department..................and history is so important well for me it is but then I loved history

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  12. I was taught Australian History and Geography in Primary School in Sydney, I enjoyed it because we had migrated from England but in High school we did Modern History and I didn't like that, all about European History. I think History is a subject which you can choose to take or not now. I believe it was a political reason that we were not taught about the Japanese bombing of Darwin or Horn Island in Queensland. The govt. didn't want us to think they couldn't defend our country.

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    1. Oh yeah countries don't like teaching about their screw ups and failures but we need to know the good and the bad when it comes to history. Although I have wondered how much about some countries horrors are taught, like how the Japanese treated PoW's during WW11 and all about the horrors Hitler did in Germany I guess though I may never know.

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