My Time in Cue ~ Part 17

Australia Day

Australia Day falls on the 26th January in commemoration of the arrival of the first fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788, though it wasn't until 1808 that the first recorded celebrations took place. As a public holiday the fact that this year the 26th fell on a Friday, made it into a long weekend, which is immensely preferable to just one day off in the middle of the week.

Cities all over Australia celebrated with impressive displays … fireworks from barges, and the fact that in Perth the barges exploded along with the crackers and other fireworks was an added excitement, albeit unplanned. Crowds gathered at venues where cricket, or other sporting events, took place.

Cue’s Australia Day celebrations were laid back, and dare I say it, a real reflection of life where expense and a 'must have fun' attitude prevail. Our town had its own celebrations at The Oval, a patch of green … because it is watered regularly … on the edge of town. In my over five months here this is the second event to be staged at The Oval. Alongside is an impressive toilet block … locked for much of the time, as is so often the case when bureaucracy gets its priorities slightly out of kilter. For instance the toilet block could have been an important addition to the public amenities had it been erected on the main street, simply because passers’ through seldom take a cruise around the back streets. They should … the town does warrant a proper look, but in their urgency to cover as many miles as possible a main street stop, coupled with a few photos of the Post Office and the Police Station, is all that most have time for. That they fail to find the peacefulness and appreciate the slower pace of life is their loss.

The celebrations were scheduled to begin at 5.00pm. A few minutes earlier I wandered along the street to The Oval only to find a handful of people there. I was not deterred and sat to watch.

A water slide had been laid out on the grass. A huge sheet of what looked like black garden plastic had been doused with liquid soap and the fire brigade played hoses on it. As the children arrived they made a beeline for the water slide and soon they were running a few meters [some a lot more than essential], leaping onto the plastic and sliding in the foamy water. Their clothes dried within minutes. Shrieks of laughter were a clear indication it was a popular attraction.

One of the Shire employees set up a cricket game [Australians are obsessed with cricket] allowing the children to alternate their water slide activities with a hit of the cricket ball. The official ceremony commenced when a sizeable crowd had arrived and the sound system pronounced ready to go. A speech of welcome was followed by the presentation of framed certificates to folks who had worked hard for the Shire and the town in the public-spirited way that is the heart of small towns. That one councillor wore a suit was the subject of much hilarity.

A general knowledge quiz, with prizes, gave us an insight into who knew most about their country.

As the sun moved behind the "stadium" and the temperature dropped from 47.5 degrees to something in the 30's a BBQ got under way and within a short time free food, sausages and steak, salads and bread buns were available for everyone. The queue was long.

While we all need speeches and food, to me the entertainment provided by the local band … "Wadjarri Boys" … was the highlight of the evening. Often on a Sunday afternoon I have heard this band playing or practicing and had assumed that the music that drifted over the town was the work of some local teenagers. I was wrong in that. The band members were all past their teenage years, which may or may not explain why I knew most of the songs they presented. They are very good and I would be more than happy if they practiced every Sunday afternoon.

I suppose the spirit of Australia Day differs from place to place but as I wandered back to the hotel what remained uppermost in my thoughts was the wonderful sense of community this little event projected. Huge sums of money were not spent, time had been given, people had turned up, and laughter and fun was the order of the day. It wasn't hyped up but simply another warp in the cloth of life in The Outback. I thoroughly enjoyed my first Australia Day, and I left feeling just a little more part of this community where I have chosen to spend some of my life.