Australia.

How could one word mean so much, yet so little? It might one day be a nation, but who would be its people? Would its bounds encompass the lands of the penniless sand-dwellers to the west, or the atlas-makers’ afterthought on the wrong side of Bass Strait? Could the sturdy yeomen of the south, who’d never felt the leg iron’s chafe, reconcile themselves with the northern slavers?

And how might the citizens of its two great cities join as one when they couldn’t even agree on a football code? These disparate peoples shared a continent, but could they share a future?

There were green and gold shoots of possibility. Yes, there were Tasmanians, South Australians, Victorians, Queenslanders, Western Australians and New South Welshmen – and they all considered themselves British – but they also called themselves and each other
Australian. 1 There were differences, but also shared values. They believed in democracy (for men), a fair go (for white men) and housework (for women of all colours). They were committed to a free press, trial by jury and, for the most part, freedom of religion. They trusted in commerce, progress and the queen. And most of all, they shared 1 Consideration was also given to calling New Zealanders Australian, but
thankfully common sense prevailed. the bond of losing money betting on ridiculously dressed shortarses engaging in S&M with defenceless animals…

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