The reality was that, from midnight on the day of the battle, the flow of casualties had swamped the capacity of the medical staff and the stretcher-bearers and the front-line trenches were chock full of the wounded and dying… While the front lines were a confusion of wounded and dying, many more still lay exposed [...]
Entries Tagged as 'Australian'
Groaning Wounded – “Fromelles” – Patrick Lindsay
January 16th, 2012 · No Comments · Anzac, Australian, Australiana, History, Humanism, Philosophy, War, WW1
5533 Casualties – “Fromelles” – Patrick Lindsay
January 15th, 2012 · No Comments · Anzac, Australian, Australiana, History, War, WW1
On the afternoon of 20 July, the battalions which had attacked the previous evening gathered near their divisional headquarters and their losses were chillingly clear. Each of the three Australian brigades lost more than 1700 men, either killed, wounded, missing or captured. In one terrifying night the Australians suffered a total of 5533 casualties – [...]
No Man’s Land – “Fromelles” – Patrick Lindsay
January 15th, 2012 · No Comments · Anzac, Australian, Australiana, History, War, WW1
In one remarkable attempt to reach safety, a group of eleven men of the 8th Brigade, under the leadership of Captain Frank Krinks, decided to make a run for it as a group, vowing to stay and help any of their number who found trouble. Having decided to leave their weapons and rely on a [...]
We Prefer to be Killed by Germans – “Fromelles” – Patrick Lindsay
January 15th, 2012 · No Comments · Anzac, Australian, Australiana, History, War, WW1
When they realised they were being shelled by their own guns, the Diggers reacted sharply, as Hugh Knyvett recalled: ‘Our first message… was very polite ‘ we preferred to be killed by the Germans, thank you’… two of our officers being killed, our next message was worded very differently, and we told them that ‘if [...]
Gough Whitlam after taking on the Executive of the Victorian Branch in 1967.
October 18th, 2011 · No Comments · Australian, Australian Labor Party, Australiana, Electoralism, History, Ideology, Means and Ends, Politics
There is nothing more disloyal to the traditions of Labor than the new heresy that power is not important, or that the attainment of political power is not fundamental to our purposes. The men who formed the Labor Party in the 1890s knew all about power. They were not ashamed to seek it and they [...]
Tags:ALP·Australia·History·Ideology·Labor·Politics·pragmatism
“Goodbye Babylon: Further Journeys in Time and Politics” – Bob Ellis It’s worth noting here that Chifley’s motives here weren’t Imperial, he was motivated by fraternal solidarity with the reforming Labour government then in power in the UK.
September 17th, 2011 · No Comments · Australian, Australiana, Campaigning, History, Policy, Politics, Progressive Politics, Uncategorized
(Chifley’s) most fatal flaw, I think, was his (and Curtin’s) belief that the frugal way of living they both had endured through all their years of battling childhoods and union struggle was all the Australian people should reasonably and properly hope for, and happily, obediently vote for, and they would cop food-rationing, and petrol-rationing, and [...]
Tags:Aspirational Voters·Australia·Australian History·Campaigning·History·policy·Politics·progressive politics
On Labor Leadership – “Goodbye Babylon: Further Journeys in Time and Politics” – Bob Ellis
September 16th, 2011 · No Comments · Australian, Australian Labor Party, Australiana, History, Leadership, Politics, Quotes
A woman a Chifley’s funeral asserted “I know Mr Chifley’s in Heaven, because Labor Leaders have their hell on earth.
Tags:ALP·Australia·Australian History·Ben Chifley·Labor·leadership·Politics·Quotes
I Have Seen the Past – “Goodbye Babylon: Further Journeys in Time and Politics” – Bob Ellis
September 15th, 2011 · No Comments · Australian, Australiana, History, Policy, Politics, Quotes
I have seen that past, as Gore Vidal said of Australia once, and it works.
Architecture and Democracy – “Goodbye Babylon: Further Journeys in Time and Politics” – Bob Ellis
September 15th, 2011 · No Comments · Architecture, Australian, Australiana, Democracy, History, Politics
(The Constitutional Convention on an Australian Republic) certainly proves, and proves without a doubt, that great architecture gives rise to great democracy, and bad architecture stifles or distorts it. In (Old Parliament House) you differ amiably, riposte, take lordly insult in good part. In the pharaonic tomb on the hill you yell, threaten, launch vendettas, [...]
Tags:Architecture·Australian History·Canberra·New Parliament House·Old Parliament House·Politics
A Story About Jack Curtin – “Goodbye Jerusalem: Night Thoughts of a Labor Outsider” – Bob Ellis
September 14th, 2011 · No Comments · Australian, Australian Labor Party, Australiana, History, Politics, Progressive Politics
Jack Curtin lived in Cottesloe and one day he gave his driver a day off. Then he found he needed to go to Perth, so he went out on the road and hitchhiked. And a truck pulled up. ‘Can you give me a lift into Perth?’ ‘Sure,’ said the driver, then looked at him startled. [...]
Tags:ALP·Australia·Australian History·John Curtin·Labor·Politics·progressive politics
