more notes from the outback

Scottie Bowman (rbowman@indigo.ie)
Sun, 14 Mar 1999 08:25:57 +0000 

    Camille writes: '...Australia as an artistic nation is ever 
    growing...'

    Yes.  Yes, I can just about hear them - the distant strains 
    of 'Advance, Australia fair...'

    Then she goes on: '...There is an absolute interest in culture 
    here which may amaze Scottie ... However, we are currently 
    saddled with a ...government ...who is determined to send 
    Australia back to 1954 and who has cut funding to arts all 
    over the place. Exacerbated by the fact that our previous 
    prime minister was a real visionary and artistic type who 
    was going to take Australia into the 21st Century. All of 
    the causes which were raised then - Aboriginal reconciliation, 
    becoming a republic - all have backslid horribly...'

    None of us, I imagine, would wish the boys in the bush 
    to be kept forever in a state of stone age backwardness.  
    But what about the validity of native cultures?  Surely 
    some attention should be paid to that?
 
    As to funding of the arts.  I do hope the Colonies will 
    not repeat the mistakes of the Mother Country & fall 
    into the socialist trap of subsidising every Tom, Dick 
    & Harry in his delusions of artistic grandeur.  Follow 
    that route & in no time at all the place becomes choked 
    with rafia workers, ensembles for flute & bongo, 
    rap epics, make-it-up-as-you-go-along theatrics, 
    God knows what...

    And as for a republic.  Replace HRH the Duke of Cornwall?  
    With a Les Patterson hauled from some Brisbane suburb, 
    dusted down & addressed as 'Mr President'?  
    Or Billabong Clinton in a cork lined hat?

    She can't be serious.

    Scottie B.