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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*.
#apr1770">http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks05/0501141h.html #apr1770">https://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks05/...
#apr1770">http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks05/0501141h.html #apr1770">https://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks05/...
(*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">https://www.theguardian.com/australia...
They& #39;re determinedly not remembered at Brendan Nelson& #39;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">https://www.smh.com.au/culture/b...
