Koalas, Bears & Flightless Birds

Clutching Straws - Beaking Wings

I will admit it - it has never been denied - I was born in Bunbury, W.A. but never actually lived there as such. Still, it's my home town in a sense and the local Wombat Lodge sold a great line of leather and suede rippled sole boots. I seem to recall a fine cake shop in the Plaza across the road from the Highway Hotel.

Several stones thrown consecutively will get you to George Street which is where this fine example from Little Aussie Travellers was knocked out in 1986. Look, it's cute but I do struggle with the logic - if the Emu is, to a degree, simply satisfied with clasping its beak to a fixed wing aircraft as a means of flight then just what motivated the koala to move its hairy backside down from the eucalypts, through flight school and into this pilot's seat? The red and black scarf is another matter. The Bombers took out the VFL flag in '84 and '85 but it was the Hawks year in '86 and the Perth (red & black) Demons last took out a flag in 1977 and haven't even contested another since '78. And it was a good 3 years later before the Australian Pilots Strike took place when the then Labor government recruited emergency replacements from exotic sources.

That still leaves us stranded in '86 although The Flying Emus did take home the Instrumental Of the Year AND the Vocal Group (or Duo) award at the CMAA awards that very year. Spooky!

Southern Crossed

White Ensign, Anyone?

This size 14, polyester/cotton piece was turned up in the U.S.A. - unusual, we might think, but then again I imagine that the majority of country specific souvenir t-shirts would be intended to ultimately leave the country of origin. Makes sense, right? But I am still left with the question of whether this was a stock standard, run of the mill, Aussie souvenir from the 70's or early 80's. Its World Series Cricket styled 70's bog simplicity makes me think it still could be - its lack of
unashamed 80's hideousness could sway me to t'other side. Some doubt is sown by its striking similarity to the White Ensign...and here's the USA connection.

Royal Assent for the Australian White Ensign (Union Jack and blue stars on a white background) was granted in 1966. In the sixties the Australian Navy had sought permission for a distinctly Australian flag of its own. In part, this was due to Australia's commitment to the Vietnam War - an action significant in it's lack of British involvement and reafirmation of the close Australia-USA alliance. Old ties severed. Out with the monocle, plus fours & tweeds - in with the Ray Ban, Levi's and t's. We gained simple beauties like this t-shirt and lost the Sao, Esky and Ugg. Fair exchange? Well, we do now have 'new' Vegemite so I guess we won that little exchange.