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People think on all sorts of things today. As you may know, I like to remember the two bravest Australians ever to defend our shores, in the same week as Anzac Day, this year an even 250 years ago.
Cooman and his son*, who stood their ground on that rocky shore, defended their home, when foreign invaders came in giant canoes, spearing magic fire and smoke.
(*Cannot know with certainty, but why not.)
(*Cannot know with certainty, but why not.)
"After lunch, we went out and shot some Australians", Joseph Banks, 29 April 1770*.
http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks05/0501141h.html#apr1770
http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks05/0501141h.html#apr1770
(*Yes, 29 April. Cook and Banks failed to add a day to their shipboard date when they crossed the date line, east of New Zealand, six months earlier.)
Banks stole their shield (and, seems, a less-known bundle of spears), the first British armed robbery on Australian soil. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/sep/25/the-gweagal-shield-and-the-fight-to-change-the-british-museums-attitude-to-seized-artefacts
They're determinedly not remembered at Brendan Nelson's arms industry national theme park, those two bravest Australian defenders. Nor of course on Anzac Day, even in the 250th anniversary week.
Just my thoughts, today. @Peter_Fitz wrote a Euro-sympathetic book about it, if happened to want another view: https://www.smh.com.au/culture/books/captain-cook-s-landing-in-australia-and-the-shot-that-rang-through-history-20191023-p533i4.html
