Whingeing with the stars.

bushfirebill Uncategorized

Whingeing Australian2

Mandy Vanstone is off and running in the New Year with a whinge about… whingeing.

“Australians used to joke about whingeing Poms but I fear we have adopted that rather unattractive trait as our own. True enough the federal Parliament, indeed most of the parliaments, did not cover themselves in glory in 2012. I am not defending that.

It is just interesting that so many people who are happy to put the boot into parliamentarians do not appear to have tried to excel in their own work. We have a new class of people who appear quite happy to just be critical of others for not meeting the excellence bar.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/stop-whingeing-and-get-up-early-to-beat-the-january-blues-20130106-2cb3k.html#ixzz2HESSRlyr “

Yes, it’s the old “Parliament is a disgrace” gambit, and no, Mandy doesn’t ascribe blame. She just has a whinge that the parliament is a joke. By parliament” she means Question Time.

But the truth comes out in her statement: “I am not defending that.”

Why would Mandy feel she owns some of the responsibility for the goings on in QT? She’s not a parliamentarian anymore, so it can’t be that.

But Mandy is still a Liberal, and it’s the Liberals who have gone out of their way to wreck QT and this parliament. No wonder she feels it necessary to – almost – apologize.

Pointless points of order (most of which are struck down); defiance of the Speaker resulting in record numbers of ejected members; heckling and all the rest of it are all played out to a bored Press Gallery, sitting in their reserved box seats like so many indolent Roman patricians, who maintain the fiction that QT is the most important gauge of governance… why?

Because they can. They have the privilege of the ringside seat, so they flog it for all it’s worth. What’s important – and pointedly, exclusive – to them, is what rates in parliamentary and political coverage.

So it’s all QT’s fault that the nation has turned into one whingeing, seething mass of dummy-spitters, says Mandy.

Wrong. It’s the trash-talk about everything – the economy, industrial relations, retail sales, and yes, parliament – that does it.

It is self-evident that a government concerned with re-election, running the country, keeping the economy on an even keel and passing its legislation through the parliament, would NOT wish to trash-talk its own efforts to maintain peace, order and good government (Can-Do Campbell, with his notable “Queensland is the new Greece” ejaculation, being the exception that proves the rule).

So who is doing all the wrecking?

It’s the side of politics that never has anything good to say, that puts out the message to do nothing – sit on your money – until they get into power, that makes up outright lies about the effect of the Carbon Tax, that threatens continuous elections just to restore us back to “Australia, circa 2007”, that says interest rates are always too low or too high, that tells us no matter how good this month’s figures are that next month’s will be the worst on record, that introduces scandal, smear and outright abuse of the Courts in shady efforts to alter the numbers in their favour, that plays with the lives of boat people just to score political points… in short, the side of politics that never stops whingeing and moaning… they are the ones to blame for the depths to which our nation has sunk.

Once upon a time there may have been a point to it. There was a chance that if they could king hit the government early, convince the independent members to switch sides or express “No Confidence” in the government, we might have had to go back to the people (who elected the hung parliament, after all) and sort it all out. That option expired by about mid 2011.

After that it was just a mindless pursuit of bad polls for the government so that their captive journo mates could write up the next election as a lay-down misere. If the result was so certain then there’s no need to talk about government policy because the government won’t be around long enough to carry it out. There would be no need to talk about Opposition policy because Oppositions don’t “do” policy until the campaign. With no need to consider either government or Opposition policy, we could get down to The Vibe, such an easy ride for all concerned.

  • Writing about The Vibe means you can just spew out whatever comes first into your empty head and pass it off as critical analysis.

  • Writing about The Vibe means you can run the next election endlessly, day after day, week after week, quoting the same polling numbers each time, saying there’s no hope for the Prime Minister.

  • Writing about The Vibe means you can fill columns with you personal political biases, your likes and dislikes, and get it into the newspapers.

  • Writing about The Vibe permits you to dismiss the government and to treat the Opposition as the government-in-waiting, or even the co-government, even though the Opposition has never won a substantive vote or passed a serious motion in the House for the entire time since 2010.

  • Writing about the vibe means you can then blame the government for all this, or at worst, not have to blame the Opposition.

Unfortunately, writing about The Vibe has a downside for it purveyors. Your readers lose faith in you, they stop buying your newspaper, you go broke. As for the wrecker-politicians, their approval ratings tank to almost unprecedented levels. The Economy sags due to low confidence levels. The nation stagnates.

The critical 5% of punters who make up the difference between a vibrant economy and one in the doldrums are too miserable to get out of bed in the morning – Mandy uses this exact “Get out of bed scenario”. They don’t go shopping, or get to work. What should have been an optimistic, energetic place to live becomes a dull ache somewhere in the backs of people’s minds.

Funnily enough, I agree with Mandy, at least half agree with her.

There does need to be a resurgence of confidence and a cessation of whingeing. But it has to come from a recognition of the causes of the nation’s ennui. Australia needs to get a grip on itself and recognize that its salvation is in its own hands.

Confidence is highly under-rated as an economic output. We talk of prices and supply, taxation and industrial relations, market forces and government stimulus, but rarely do we consider confidence as anything more than some kind of waffly feel-good/feel-bad indicator, a product of an economy.

Confidence is not just a product of an economy, it is also equally its driving force. None of the other indicators matter unless the punters have enough confidence to literally get out of bed in the morning and believe their efforts will make a difference, and that their participation in the economy and society will benefit them, their families and ultimately, their society.

When conservative politicians continually trash-talk the economy for no good reason other than political advantage, a spike in the polls, a quip they can make about Pink Batts on Q&A, and when this results in too many people taking them at their word and staying in bed, the consequences can be serious indeed. We’re seeing that now.

A media that’s suffering decline seeks to spread its own misery to the rest of the country. Conservative – Liberal and National in particular – politicians continue a bad habit of negativity whose chance of success expired years ago. Economists, congenitally conditioned to never saying “Bet the house on this” take the easy option and tell their clients and readers, “Put you money under the bed, and then lie in that bed and stay put.” Here’s why: no economist ever got sued for advising their client to be cautious, even stupidly cautious.

Sound familiar?

Our economy is among the best in the world, our dollar is a reserve currency, our life style is rated No. 1, our debt is low, interest rates, taxes and unemployment ditto, we are on the Security Council doing good work around the world, our Treasurer wins prizes for his accomplishments, our Prime Minister is lauded all over as a Boadecia-like figure in the cause of women’s rights, big initiatives – the NDIS, Health and Education reforms, the NBN, anti-tobacco measures and many more – are either in train, or planned in a professional manner with proper consultation and hard bargaining… yet we are told we may as well stay in bed because Craig Thomson looks like he may have used hookers ten years ago, or the PM had a shoe malfunction, or her arse is too big.

Sound familiar?

The commentators are continually wrong about almost everything. Their predictions are laughable, and their errors are grievous. The government will fall, Rudd will come back, the states will never agree, the money can’t be found.

Sound familiar?

It’s not just Question Time or the parliament. It’s a national malaise, infectious and malignant, spread by political and business forces that have a vested political interest in maintaining their cosy pasts, to the detriment of their own present and future self-interests.

Working an extra hour and a half a day – Mandy’s suggestion – should not be the cause of recovery from this illness, it should be the result of it. But it can only become a reality if the conservative political forces that have so far been spreading it start helping to clean it up.

And to do that we first have to face the reality of where this disease is coming from, keep the carriers and spreaders of it from office, and drive a stake through the cesspits they have in place of human hearts.

663 thoughts on “Whingeing with the stars.”

  3. Fiona,

    What day? We were there Sunday 30th.

    I’m also 5’9″ and 90kgs curvy. As far as I know, there are three tunnels they let you in. They are 20m, 40m and 100m long. You can walk through crouching, which I managed for the 20M one. However, I hit my head a couple of times and had to turn sideways to get my shoulders through. I was sweating like a pig after that so I decided I had proved my point and left the other two alone.

    The real tunnels are 16″ wide and 11″ high and from what I saw of them, I believe it. Tourists are not allowed in these and with good reason.

    The thing that amused me about Cu Chi is that one is allowed to fire M16s and AK47s. But you have to buy 10 bullets. And it is as hot as buggery. I decided the Rex Roof Bar in downtown HCMC was more my speed.

  5. how do i go back to old posts

    ive ask before but by the time i come back its an old post
    so i cannot see.lol

    BB i think the global warming thought seed should be replanted, re the fires,
    not by the gov. but some one neurtral q t would be good to do this but it a few week away
    we need to have it discusted now
    i have written to the abc and suggested this, ‘some one of knowledge re global warming and the bushfires seasonshould be invited to come on to the news 24 .
    considering we had our highest temperature here and then
    could get snow on the highlands to morrow, something is going on
    we also notice with our vegetable every things seems our of wack
    raspberries are now finished years ago we scratched around to get a few for christmas day
    as they came on in janurary late
    where is [ i cannot think of his name i think he was australian of the year]
    these are the people that should be on the abc but of course they have to be ask

    i would urge more people they cannot ignore us if there is hundreds of emails

  6. Denese,

    If you scroll to the end of the page you will see this:

    << Older Comments

    Click on it and away you go.

  7. Re FIREMAN Tony Abbott

    A puff-piece by Piers Akerman prior to the 2010 election tells us that Tony Abbott is a member of the Davidson Rural Fire Brigade.

    And has been for about 12 years now, but resigned as Deputy in April 2010 because of increasing demands on his time as LOTO.

    Abbott fought his first fire at Bantry Bay (must have been in 2000 as I can’t find any other reference to a fire at Bantry Bay other than that one) so must have been soon after he first joined.

    According to a former captain of the Davidson Fire Brigade “. . . Abbott may even have cut short a meeting or two in Canberra to ensure that he was able to meet his fire shed duties” Hmm. Hope he didn’t claim that on his expenses.

    Anyway, read it for yourselves:

    http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/piersakerman/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/light_on_the_hill_is_tony_putting_out_fires/

    So, are there any fires near Abbott’s Fire Station area?

    I am having a bit of trouble geographically with all the unusual name places in NSW, as I did with Tassie’s. And for goodness sake, Drik Drik in Victoria is on alert. Drik Drik? Never heard of it before.

  8. Roy Orbison,

    It may have been about then. I will check with her. I think she managed the 20m and the 40m, which with her terror of being underground is remarkable.

    Thank goodness she didn’t accept a position with BHP Illawarra Coal!!!

  11. Katter’s Australian Party plans to run a candidate in each House of Reps seat at Fed election. Will also run candidates for Senate

  12. mm great to see so many posts HERE

    and some great old mates coming back

    good to see mark s tweets

    they are alway s great to see
    tweets give us an idea about what people are talking about out there.

    and this time yesterday dear cats mum was worried

  13. i have been using global maps

    to see the areas., re the fires, you can work it out as a distance, not on a highway distance
    just sent this idea to family in holland who saw our fires on their local tv

  14. kezza2,
    No fires up this way, North Shore of Sydney, Abbott/Bishop Land, except that one at Lucas heights, which may have been in Tony’s general area, but which turned into a bit of a fizzer anyway.

    As for fire place names, #1 Son and I were just saying our favourite was Ooze, er, sorry, Ouse. 😉

  15. fiona how is your pain level now, does the heat bother you, with your leg
    is it those modern splints or plaster

  16. OUSE is here

    ooozee
    like in
    coooeeee. the coo bit with out the c

    now ou know that makes sence dont u
    its not far from us as the crow flies but closer to our sons in laws pharmacy

  20. Thanks C@t re no fires in Abbott’s grandstanding standing by fire brigade area at the moment.

    Before that sounds like sour grapes and I’m having a go at a good bloke doing his bit for the community by being a volunteer firie, the issue I have with Abbott’s good community efforts are all about his passion for fitness – surf lifesaving, firefighting and pollie pedalling – what Tony gives, Tony receives in spades to feed his obsessive exercising. *rant over for the time being*

    So, Ouse is pronounced Oozee. Who’d have thought.

    For years I thought Wayne Carey (the AFL footballer) came from a place called Wogga.

    Then I read somewhere that it was actually Wogga Wogga. That’s funny, says I to myself, fancy NSW having a Wogga Wogga and a Wagga Wagga. It’s the same bloody place!!

  21. kezza2,
    I see what you mean about PTMD’s comment on Sortius’ blog. I also thought Vince O’Grady’s comment pertinent. However, as both you and I know, in politics, all you have to do is be cleared by someone in a ‘position of authority’, such as DPS and you can claim to have clean hands.

    On the matter of DPS, it might interest you to read about this change Senator Conroy has made, maybe in light of this schemozzle?

    http://delimiter.com.au/2013/01/07/govt-splits-agimo-appointing-cio-cto/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Delimiter+%28Delimiter%29

    “The work of AGIMO has been diverging over time between two distinct areas: whole of government policy and governance, and whole of government services delivery (eg, networks, online, contract management). As such we have created two distinct roles to serve each of these areas more fully,” wrote Archer.

  22. Blog seems to have swallowed my last comment. So here it is again…As it’s hit 40Celsius here now, I’m going to give myself and my computer a break from the heat for a while. Later. 🙂

  23. Kezza….I understand your dilemma re”wogga wogga”….over here in sth aus’ we have a town which people insist on calling : “Mal-la-la….: Mallala”…when it should be ..: “Ma-llala”….(idiots!)….and what about that place of the dog on the tuckerbox in NSW…..”Gun-dar-gi”..not : “Gunda-gie”…..tch!.. another one!

  24. This is nauseating

    AFTER years of febrile national politics canvassing union-funded brothel visits, vile text messages, slush funds and leadership treachery, voters have been on warning to expect anything in this election year.

    Yet no one could have guessed this year’s opening salvo would reveal details of Tony Abbott shedding a tear with his chief of staff over her IVF challenge as Peta Credlin went public about how her boss made room for her fertility drugs in his office fridge.

    http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/abbotts-big-fightback/story-e6frg6z6-1226549140197?sv=c1e9a0dc99439aa7eaceb09007ff68a9&utm_source=buffer&buffer_share=bacd2

  25. If C@tmomma’s still there, can she recommend anything to dull the pain from a pinched nerve leading to sciatica?

    I can only sit down, and then in only one position. Can’t stand up for more than 2 minutes without either having to double over forwards or sit down again.

    Tried ibuprofen (3 pills) didn’t work (I guess there’s not an inflammation). Aspirin. Didn’t work.

    Driving me CRAZY!

    Anything non-prescription that is better suited to back pain?

  26. There. I’ve rewritten it for you Victoria:

    AFTER years of febrile national politics canvassing phoney electricity bills, fake emails, slush funds used to put Pauline Hansen in jail, abuse of process of the federal court, misogynistic dog whistling and leadership treachery, plus predictions that the coming campaign will the the filthiest ever, voters have been on warning to expect anything in this election year.

  27. BB

    But that would be accurate reportage. How unsurprising Chris Kenny served up this crap.

    Have you tried voltaren?

  28. Have you tried voltaren?

    Haven’t had a lot of luck with Voltarin. It’s an NSAID and (I understand) is only good for inflammations, which I don’t seem to have, just a pinched nerve. I’m pretty sure that’s why Ibuprofen didn’t work either.

    Stretching forward (like I’m trying to touch my toes) relieves the pressure on the vertebra, but the bliss I feel only lasts for one or two minutes after I stand up again.

  30. jaycee

    Did you grow up in Mallala? Just on looking at it, I think I’d pronounce it the way you say is correct.

    My parents always argued over the pronunciation of Bairnsdale. Mum who grew up in Gippsland insisted that it was barns-dale, while Dad always pronounced it bairns-dale (as in wee bairn). I was with Dad on that one. But Mum said how could you trust someone who was born in Irrewillipe (dad was born there, a town near Colac in the Western District).

    But, I was interested to see how the Brits pronounced Launceston. I was watching a doco on the disappearance of the child Madeleine who apparently came from that village in England.

    Anyway, most people I know pronounce it as Lawn-sest-‘n whereas the Brits pronounce their village as Lawn-st’n. Not a hint of a “sest” in there at all.

    Buggered if I know.

  31. I am sure everyone is pleased ro know that Latika is back on deck

    Good Afternoon Twitter. Back on deck, but at Ultimo for three weeks in the mothership with the team at @ABCNews24.

    🙂

  32. BB

    Pity you’re in NSW or I’d give you the number for my excellent osteo. She’d have you up and at ’em in 15 minutes flat.

    Hope it gets better quickly, nothing worse than a back/sciatica problem, apart from kidney stones, apparently, or childbirth, or . . .

    No fires in your area?

    Oh, and thanks for the explanation re J Maley. I didn’t catch that follow-up interview after Jones was a pig to her. But her approach to reportage, with a liberal dose of Coalition favour, makes sense now.

  33. BB

    I had a similar problem once. The osteopath pressed very hard on the painful region. It seemed to loosen up the nerves. Really helped. Whenever a similar pain comes back I simply do it myself with a wooden spoon or something. It really hurts but it helps.

  34. BB,
    If C@tmomma’s still there, can she recommend anything to dull the pain from a pinched nerve leading to sciatica?

    I can only sit down, and then in only one position. Can’t stand up for more than 2 minutes without either having to double over forwards or sit down again.

    Tried ibuprofen (3 pills) didn’t work (I guess there’s not an inflammation). Aspirin. Didn’t work.

    Driving me CRAZY!

    Anything non-prescription that is better suited to back pain?

    Just checked in before I shut down my computer. And just as well!

    Now, I have suffered from sciatica as well, and, you correctly assume, it is not specifically inflammation, therefore Anti Inflammatory medication is not going to work too well, no matter how many Ibuprofen you take! They will just rot your gut! And you don’t need a gut ache on top of a back ache.

    No, it’s off to the Doctor for you young man! 🙂

    There is nothing left at the Pharmacy, save maybe a St John’s Wort/Valerian combination Herbal nerve Remedy, that will ease your distress(and don’t these things always happen on the hottest day of the year? 🙂 )

    Without seeking to pre-empt the Doctor’s diagnosis and prescription, I’m guessing he/she will either give you a shot of a Mineralcorticoid such as Cortisone, some major pain relief tabs, such as Codeine Phosphate 30mg, or the latterly popular Oxycontin, and, more likely than not, a prescription for a Nerve Relaxant, such as Valium. Which was the original reason the darn thing was developed to relieve, except pill freaks found it also made them feel all ‘relaxed and comfortable’ as well. 🙂

    However, that’s exactly what you have to do. Put yourself in the positioin of relaxing the musculature around your pinched nerve enough to let it slide back into the place it normally occupies on your spinous process. Not squeezed between two bits of spine!

    Also, when I was resolving my spinal issues, back in the day at Uni, I was told about a GP who also did Accupuncture. I was sceptical, but desperate for relief. So I made a series of appointments and went along. She treated me with accupuncture and gave me a Chinese herbal medicine to take.
    Whacko! It worked like magic! By the end of the series of sessions my slipped disc and sciatica had gone.

    They do come back every now and again, but usually seperately, when I overdo things. 😉
    Inactivity, generally is the best way to go. Sit down for as long as possible. Then stand up for as long as possible. Just no jerky moving around. Slow and steady.

    However, you need to get to a Doctor stat! Arrange the other things I have suggested subsequent to that.

    Hope that has helped. The Invoice is in the mail. 😀

  37. Bushfire,

    Had something similar. Only thing that really helped was a good musculo-skeletal physio. Relaxed the scrunched up nerves like a charm and just left a dull pain from residual inflammation. See if you can find one nearby – a lot of them will take an emergency case srraight away.

  39. Bushfire Bill,
    BB,
    If C@tmomma’s still there, can she recommend anything to dull the pain from a pinched nerve leading to sciatica?

    I can only sit down, and then in only one position. Can’t stand up for more than 2 minutes without either having to double over forwards or sit down again.

    Tried ibuprofen (3 pills) didn’t work (I guess there’s not an inflammation). Aspirin. Didn’t work.

    Driving me CRAZY!

    Anything non-prescription that is better suited to back pain?

    Just checked in before I shut down my computer. And just as well!

    Now, I have suffered from sciatica as well, and, you correctly assume, it is not specifically inflammation, therefore Anti Inflammatory medication is not going to work too well, no matter how many Ibuprofen you take! They will just rot your gut! And you don’t need a gut ache on top of a back ache.

    No, it’s off to the Doctor for you young man! 🙂

    There is nothing left at the Pharmacy, save maybe a St John’s Wort/Valerian combination Herbal nerve Remedy, that will ease your distress(and don’t these things always happen on the hottest day of the year? 🙂 )

    Without seeking to pre-empt the Doctor’s diagnosis and prescription, I’m guessing he/she will either give you a shot of a Mineralcorticoid such as Cortisone, some major pain relief tabs, such as Codeine Phosphate 30mg, or the latterly popular Oxycontin, and, more likely than not, a prescription for a Nerve Relaxant, such as Valium. Which was the original reason the darn thing was developed to relieve, except pill freaks found it also made them feel all ‘relaxed and comfortable’ as well. 🙂

    However, that’s exactly what you have to do. Put yourself in the positioin of relaxing the musculature around your pinched nerve enough to let it slide back into the place it normally occupies on your spinous process. Not squeezed between two bits of spine!

    Also, when I was resolving my spinal issues, back in the day at Uni, I was told about a GP who also did Accupuncture. I was sceptical, but desperate for relief. So I made a series of appointments and went along. She treated me with accupuncture and gave me a Chinese herbal medicine to take.
    Whacko! It worked like magic! By the end of the series of sessions my slipped disc and sciatica had gone.

    They do come back every now and again, but usually seperately, when I overdo things. 😉
    Inactivity, generally is the best way to go. Sit down for as long as possible. Then stand up for as long as possible. Just no jerky moving around. Slow and steady.

    However, you need to get to a Doctor stat! Arrange the other things I have suggested subsequent to that.

    Hope that has helped. The Invoice is in the mail. 😀

    There, that makes more sense. 🙂

  40. Local commercial radio up here in SEQ is reporting in each of their news bulletins should Abbott become PM he will immediately give $1billion to upgrade the Gateway Motorway without any additional tolls. One question no one seems to be asking (as they would if the ALP made a similar commitment) is WHERE IS THE MONEY COMING FROM?

  41. kezza2,
    I believe it’s Bairns-dale, as in ‘wee bairn’. My other half was in hospital there after a car accident, and all the Doctors and Nurses, and townspeople in general pronounced it that way.

  42. halloweenjack1,
    Doesn’t the Gateway Motorway require much more money than $1 Billion? Ergo, where’s THAT going to come from, and if increased tolls are no way to pay for it, then how will it be paid for? A Great Big New Tax? 😀

  44. Anyone able to advise? I’ve just received an email from which smells very ‘pongy’!

    From: “Bigpong Customercare”
    To:
    Subject: Confirmation! Security Alert ,

    Your Bigpond account has expired.You must renew it immediately or your account will be closed.

    click here to renew Regards Customers Service

    Feels ‘phony/pongy’ to me, not having received any renewal notice from Bigpond. Nor having ever seen them refer to themselves as Bigpong

  45. Bushfire Bill,

    I hate to suggest using a heat pack in this weather but it does help. Also, I always apply some Voltaren Gel to the lumbar region. I also find Panadiene (for strong pain relief) which contains a bit of codeine, 2 x 4times a day gives reasonable pain relief.

    My neurologist gave me a couple of gentle exercises. Lie on the floor on your back with one leg bent at the knee. Grasp the knee with your hands and gently pull it towards your chest. Do the same with the other knee. x 5 times. Then do the same with both knees at once. STOP if it hurts.

    Ex.2 Lie on the floor on your back with knees bent. raise shoulders off the floor and endeavour to hug your knees to your chest; with your hands clasped behind the knees roll back and forth on the gently curved spine. STOP if it is painful but keep doing as much of the exercise as you can each morning.

    Avoid carrying anything heavy and STOP immediately if anything you are doing increases the pain. Do not bend from the waist to pick up anything but bend your knees so that you keep your back straight. In bed at night when lying on your side, you should rest the top leg (slightly bent at the knee) on a pillow which will help keep your back straight.

    Hope this is helpful.

  46. Funny how clowns like Bolt and Akerman will crawl out from their swamps mocking the very idea of climate change after 1 day of unseasonal rain or cold weather but are no where to be seen when the country goes through summer after summer of record heat and catastrophic bushfires.
    I recently read that the 5 hottest years in WA’s history have been in descending order 2012, 2011, 2010, 1970 something ( forget the actual year) then 2009.
    They may not like the facts but the stats speak for themselves.
    These knobs and the likes of Jo Nova etc should be totally ashamed of themselves.

  47. Even as I posted that comment I guess I already knew the answer, but I’d be interested in how others might have reacted to what looked like a very official email addressed to me personally at my email address.

  48. Talk about “buggered”….there’s one town on the Barrier Highway to Broken Hill I am always having an arguement with the OH. over…on the SA. NSW. border …the town of “Cockburn” ….now I ask you…; If they wanted it to be called : “Coe-burn”…they would have spelt it such..surely!…..So whenever the subject of road trips come up, even in visitors company…I (with a sly glance to the OH’s threatening shake of the head) always ask if they are going to Sydney via Broken Hill…”… you know, you pass through Cock…” —–“have some tea !?” OH. always interjects….it’s become a bit of a game now!
    I lived in a street spelt “Jervois”…a French pronunciation you’d warrant, but we all called it “Jer-voice” rather than “Jshervwah”….and then there’s ‘Thebarton” , called by everyone east of Mt Gambier as “The Barton” !
    Hey!..I thought we were talking politics here!

  49. C@t

    re Bairnsdale. I’m with you on the pronunciation.

    Mum must have misread the name as a child, I reckon, missed the “i” and it forever stuck in her memory banks as Barnsdale. Pretty stubborn, my mum. So was Dad. I don’t have to wonder where I get it from. 😆

    btw, Irrewillepe is pronounced Irra-willa-pee.

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