25 June - 1 July 2013 Issue: 469
MONARCHY VS REPUBLIC
60 YEARS CELEBRATED
Both sides of the debate
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Aussie $2 coin to honour Queen
Our top picks
UK LIFE P6
NEWS p2
Community P5
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Gillard remains firm on third anniversary
n Trenton Oldfield, the Australian activist
jailed for disrupting the 2012 Oxford v Cambridge Boat Race, has been ordered to leave the UK after ten years. His British wife is expecting their first child this week.
By Alex Ivett TRENTON Oldfield, the Australian activist who was jailed for disrupting the 2012 Oxford v Cambridge Boat Race, has been ordered to leave the country. The 37-year old, whose British wife is expecting their first child this week, has been told by the Home Office his presence would not be “conducive to the public good”. Mr Oldfield has lived in the UK for ten years. His application for a spousal visa to stay with his wife Deepa Naik, and their expected child, has been refused. Mr Oldfied has expressed shock at the
the country by storm.
decision of the Home Office. “No one was expecting this. I have a tier one visa, as a highly skilled migrant, and I was sentenced to less than a year. “The lawyer said I had nothing to worry about because it was less than a year. It feels to me that this is a very vindictive decision, very political and very much an overreaction.” Mr Oldfield purposefully swam in the path of the 2012 Oxford Cambridge Boat Race in a protest against ‘elitism’. He was arrested and charged with Thea 7s series guarantees a feast of Friday night rugby for all the a public order offence and received family. Enjoy thrilling, high-scoring rugby alongside live music Image byJasper Juinen ...continuedand on top p3 family entertainment. All 12 Premiership Rugby clubs will compete to reach the Final at the Twickenham Stoop.
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The world's biggest food fight | P9
PRIME Minister Julia Gillard continues to stand firm against Kevin Rudd after again declaring the leadership settled, as some of his backers accused hers of being “unhelpful”. Mr Rudd’s spokesman said the former prime minister stood by his statement that under no circumstances would he challenge Ms Gillard, but the party remains anxious ahead of the last scheduled meeting of the Labor caucus on Tuesday before the election. On the third anniversary of her overthrow of Mr Rudd, Ms Gillard on Monday said the issue was settled four months ago when Simon Crean led a botched coup against her. “The issue was settled,” she told reporters. “I’m getting on with the job with the things that really matter.” However, cabinet minister Greg Combet called on Mr Rudd to decide what he was going to do, following a similar call from fellow minister Stephen Conroy on Sunday. “A few things are clear: one is that the prime minister is not about to step down,” Mr Combet said. “Two is, senior cabinet colleagues are not about to ask her to step down. “And three is, I think Kevin Rudd does need to decide what he is ...continued on p3
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2 | News
25 June - 1 July 2013
Mint marks Diamond Jubilee with $2 coin n Publisher: Bryce Lowry Editor: Alex Ivett Production/Design: Jackie Lampard News Editor: Paul Bleakley Business Editor: Sepi Roshan Contributors: Tim Martin, Georgia Dawes, Phillip Browne, Michelle McCue, Erin Somerville, George Katralis, Jacqui Moroney, Will Fitzgibbon, Chris Arkadieff, Daniel Shillito, Mat Lyons, Sandra
Tahmasby, Tyson Yates, Amber Rose, Jennifer Perkin, Charlie Inglefield, AJ Climpson-Stewart, Thomas Jones, Alistair Davis, Will Denton, Jennifer Lawton, Chloe Westley, Bonnie Gardiner, Michaela Gray, Marian Borges, Emma O'Neill Directors: P Atherton, J Durrant N Durrant, R Phillips and A Laird
Additional content: Who are we? Australian Times is written and compiled by young Australian journalists living in the UK. Contributing on a volunteer basis, they are uniquely placed to reflect the interests, opinions and attitudes of our community. If you would like to join us, contact info@australiantimes.co.uk Address: Unit 7C, Commodore House Battersea Reach, London SW18 1TW Tel: 0845 456 4910 Email: info@australiantimes.co.uk
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The Australian Mint marks the Diamond Jubilee year of Queen Elizabeth II with a special new coloured coin.
By Marian Borges A NEW coin featuring royal purple stripes is being released by the Australian Mint to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee the Governor-General announced on Friday. Two million of the coloured $2 coins will enter general circulation following “extensive” consultation with Buckingham Palace. Bernie Ripoll MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, said: “The 60thanniversary of the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is an important milestone that has only been achieved by one other monarch in history, and it is fitting that it has been chosen to be commemorated on Australia’s coloured circulating $2 coin.”
Your Say On: Intervention marks 6 years, as community questions impact Warren Mundine has, unfortunately, been co-opted by the nuclear industry. Mundine is a leader in the innocuously sounding Indigenous Dialogue group. This is a sub-group of the Australian Uranium Association. It is hugely important to the nuclear industry to get control of Aboriginal lands for uranium mining and nuclear waste dumping.
Christina
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At the beginning of the intervention Pat Turner declared “This is the last nail in the coffin of Aboriginal self-determination”. I have just read Michele Harris’ article. In four pages she has managed to hit most nails on the head. For decades, I’ve been a non-indigenous resident of one of the ‘Prescribed Areas’ under the Intervention. I agree entirely with what Ms Harris wrote. Great damage has been and continues to be made to the social fabric of these places to Australian society’s eternal shame. Frank
On: Being Australian in the UK What does it mean to you? I for one think this is a great idea. Our individual identities aren't formed in a vacuum or in isolation
? What’s your view
The special edition coin features St Edward’s Crown, which has been used to coronate British monarchs since the 17th century, surrounded by three concentric purple rings. “This coin is the Mint’s most innovative circulating release,” said Mr Ross MacDiarmid, CEO of the Royal Australian Mint. The method used to apply the coloured purple and gold rings is a closely guarded secret. The Australian Mint can produce up to 750 coins per minute with the help of ‘Titan’ the super strong minting robot. The first commemorative $2 coin was released last year to mark
nor should they be. I believe in Australian identity because I believe in community. This hyper individualism smacks of the worst excesses of Thatcherism "There is no such thing as society... just individuals." Comparing the aspirations of any group of people to be fully self determined along with a desire to redefine themselves so as to remove racial bias in the appointment of their Head of State to whinging is a gross simplification and a horribly apathetic attitude. Nicholas
This one staggers me - I am 'me' - Gail Gibson not 'Australian' identity belongs to the individual not the country they were born in or where they now live #myopinion.
Gail
I would answer this question as an Australian would do, if a similar Q And A was combined with a similar event in Australia organised by British expats: If you want to whinge, go home.
Derek
On: Anti-sexism group Destroy The Joint launch Facebook cleavage campaign
I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating - as an expatriate from the U.S.A., I’ve been surprised to find that there is more sexism in Australia — more antifeminism in other words — than in the United States. And considering how much of that there is in the U.S., that is saying something. It comes mostly from males, but also from a few, ill-informed and/or ill-educated females. I believe the avarice toward PM Gillard (especially after
Remembrance Day. Only half a million of the coloured poppy coins were issued.
she gained power through a legal, but little-used method) is a prime example of the sexism which runs rampant in Australia (most recently evident in the way Abott and his Liberal Party have treated her with disrespect, time and again). And it should be noted that just because one is a woman doesn’t make one a feminist (and vice-versa), so after reading about Grace Collier’s absolutely ridiculous statement about Gillard and “cleavage in Parliament”, I’m givens to wonder about Collier’s standing on both feminism and politics. Sam
On: Can the Labor party claim to be ‘the voice for Australian women’? Julia Gillard is just another face of traditional politician vowed to fulfill her personal ambition.
Claire
On: NT Indigenous leaders challenge Chief Minister’s adoption claims
Closing the gap policies and support programs are supposed to prevent this. What programs and support services have actually been implemented? Looks like zero. Not good enough NT, get with the program. Sue
Share your comments on these and more stories online: AustralianTimes.co.uk
News | 3
AustralianTimes.co.uk
Rudd backers say Labor Spousal visa refused as not MP’s comments ‘unhelpful’ ‘conducive to public good’ ...continued from p1 six month custodial sentence. He was released with an electronic tag after seven weeks. He had no previous convictions Sentencing Mr Oldfield in October last year Judge Anne Molyneux said he had ruined the race for everyone. “You caused delay and disruption to it and to the members of the public who had gone to watch it and to enjoy the spectacle of top athletes competing,” she said. “The rowers had trained for many
months. You had no regard for the sacrifices they had made or for their rigorous training when you swam into their paths.” Mr Oldfield stressed at the time his protest was peaceful and non-violent. “Before bringing their verdict, the jury asked the judge if she could be lenient. The probation officer recommended a non-custodial sentence. “The sentence was excessive, but the judge also said I have contributed positively to life in this country.” He told The Guardian he did not want to return to Australia. His wife
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going to do here.” Other Gillard supporters Craig Emerson and Andrew Leigh also united behind the prime minister. Rudd backer Laura Smyth said the comments were “unhelpful” and didn’t address Labor’s electoral problems. “For people to be out there saying we should somehow call on a stoush while at the same time saying we should be calling for party unity is unhelpful,” she said. The backbencher said the minority Labor government lacked effective communication and the opinion polls – such as the Newspoll showing Labor’s primary vote at 29 per cent – were reflecting this. Ms Smyth said Mr Rudd and Ms Gillard were both “strong campaigners”, but Mr Rudd had been a “very effective campaigner” in her marginal Victorian seat of La Trobe. “If all of us united and came across with a very strong communications strategy, with a very strong
explanation of Labor’s policy … we would have the best hope for our party,” she said. Another Victorian marginal seat holder and Rudd supporter, Darren Cheeseman, was also critical. “Three years on, and again we have senior ministers attacking Kevin Rudd,” he said. “Some of us are still fighting to win our seats.” Western Sydney MP Ed Husic agreed, saying ministers need to focus “on putting us in the position to win”. The Australian Services Union revealed a poll of its 2500 members in NSW and the ACT had shown a big swing against the ALP and towards the coalition. It’s now surveying members to find out if a leadership change to Mr Rudd would sway their vote. Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has opened a 12-point lead as preferred prime minister in Newspoll – the biggest gap this term. Three years ago, when Ms Gillard seized the reins from Mr Rudd, she led Mr Abbott 53-29 per cent. - AAP
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Prime Minister Julia Gillard speaks during House of Representatives question time at Parliament House. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch) ...continued from p1
Deepa had never been there and had relatives in the UK. “We clearly have a life together here,” he said. “We work together, we publish books, we run two not-for-profit organisations. Every part of our lives is entangled together here. We are about to have a family.” Mr Oldfield has appealed against the visa refusal as disproportionate and says it breaches article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, guaranteeing the right to a family life. A Home Office spokesman said: “Those who come to the UK must abide by our laws.”
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4 | Exclusive Interview
25 June - 1 July 2013
the Expat factor
Extraordinary Aussies in the UK
Jennifer Guerrini-Maraldi is an Australian art dealer specialising in contemporary abstract art from indigenous outback communities. She is a member of the Indigenous Art Code, an Australian Government initiative to ensure fair trade and ethical treatment of Aboriginal artists. I moved to London during the Winter of Discontent of 1978 with snow everywhere and garbage piled 20 feet high in the West End. I’d never seen such a calamity. Then Margaret Thatcher was voted in – like a sort of fairy princess, waving a wand. She was so selfassured and her convictions where so strong. I followed her closely, not for her politics, but because I was so mesmerized by a woman in a man’s world. She was a trooper who worked so hard and cared about people, telling them to go home and rest if they looked tired. She worked harder than the men, but they didn’t dare go home before her. With the cause I’m fighting, for the acceptance of indigenous art, I have a sort of synergy with Margaret Thatcher’s fighting spirit.
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Moving to London, I wanted to continue as an art dealer but I didn’t have enough money and it took half a lifetime here to build up my networks. So I did all sorts - property developing, writing about fashion and travel for County Life for 15 years, and I was a VIP dresser for Browns, which became a networking process. Now I’m able to operate on a very broad canvas. The UK market for indigenous art is growing and I’ve clients in Zurich, Paris, Geneva, Rome and St Moritz. Once people are turned on to it, they come back for more. It’s almost addictive once you get it. Dealing in art is a calling – it’s in my DNA. I love finding a home for something beautiful and knowing people get such enjoyment from the art is hugely rewarding. The first indigenous painting I bought, Sugar Bag by Freddie Timms, was like a thunderbolt. It was like being grabbed
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Bamurrunu, by Ralwurrandji Wanambi. Bark Painting using natural earth ochres with the pattern incised into the bark.
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Sugar Bag by Freddie Timms
Jennifer Guerrini-Maraldi
Owner of JGM Art Gallery
by him and told this is what you will do. So much art today in the price bracket I deal in, from £500 to £40,000, is merely decoration — wallpaper in a frame — and it doesn’t offer that emotional response. In contrast, the indigenous paintings have a kind of spirituality that’s very uplifting. It’s profound to live with the paintings and I grieve after a sale. I had a wonderful yellow and black Fred Ward painting in my office – a maze that showed the story of the honey ant dreaming. How does Fred Ward know where the honey ant travels? Because it’s a food source and the Aborigines have an affiliation with everything natural — the night sky, the tides, the caves, the clouds — everything becomes sacred and all becomes the dreaming. The painting ended up displayed proudly in a wonderful enormous loft in Wapping. I only deal with registered art centres so I can meet the artists, watch them working and talk to them. I go back to Australia once or twice a year, usually in August. I start at the Darwin Art Fair and the Telstra Awards at the Art Gallery of Northern Territory, which becomes a hub for people from all over Australia. Then I’ll go round the APY Lands on the border of Northern Territory and South Australia, where there are some beautiful painters at the moment. I want to get their work known and accepted as beautiful art, not necessarily as Aboriginal art. I use the term contemporary Australian art as I don’t want to pigeonhole it. Whenever there’s money involved in an explosive industry, there will be underground dealing. There’s a strong lobby to make the Indigenous Art Code mandatory. The Aboriginal people may have problems, but they’re not stupid. If desperate, they may accept money
or a car from carpetbaggers, but then deliberately paint substandard work. Anyone with a good eye for quality will recognise this. No reputable auction house will touch art without proper provenance and so you can forget resale. On the weekends, I go to the Colbert café in Sloane Square to watch the world go by. I like the Wolseley in Piccadilly and the Petersham Nurseries in Richmond. I would recommend Eight over Eight, an Asian fusion restaurant on the King’s Road, which is owned by Australian, Will Ricker. I love going to the Columbia Road flower market or Covent Garden to buy plants. Being in Italy is also one of my hobbies as my husband Filippo is Italian and we have an apartment in Rome. We met in London and he also works in the art world (as an insurer). He loves art, skiing and tennis like me. We often eat Italian and I love making risotto, making up my own combinations. I speak Italian badly, but I understand everything. My husband is always correcting me. I love the wilderness — deerstalking in Scotland is almost like the outback in the UK for me. It’s pretty intrepid as we walk for eight or nine hours and climb the highest peaks. I love being up in the moors looking down on the lochs as it’s a similar feeling to the wilderness in Australia. You can find Jennifer GuerriniMaraldi at the Masterpiece Art Fair at the Royal Hospital Chelsea from 27 June to 3 July in a popup barn of recycled timber to complement the natural artworks. See Jgmart.co.uk. Interview by Michelle McCue
Community | 5
AustralianTimes.co.uk
The great debate
Monarchy vs Republic? How to solve an Australian identity crisis?
n
Simon Rowell, Marielle Smith and Cal Viney, Co-Chairs of the London Steering Committee on Being Australia(n), discuss the need to reexamine questions of Australian identity. Wearing a fashionable combination of blue singlet, board shorts and crocodile skin boots for the gents, and a skimpy bikini for the ladies, with the barbeque tongs around a shrimp in one hand and a Fosters in the other hand, all on a pristine beach … on Ramsay Street. That’s the enlightened description one can generally expect of an ‘Aussie’ from a ‘Pommie’. When confronted with such charges, we may well laugh at the crude stereotype, but do we ever stop to ask ourselves that same question: who are we, exactly? What does it mean to be an Australian? And importantly, how can we describe it in a one sentence pub conversation to parry these
recurring English verbal jousts? Of course, this question doesn’t apply just to Aussies in London. Australia itself is suffering an identity crisis. Ask yourself – what is ‘brand’ Australia? What is the Australian project? And why does it matter? We are in desperate need of a new grass roots discussion to interrogate exactly who we are, and Aussies in London are uniquely placed to contribute to this debate. Australia is changing dramatically in a world already in a state of flux. We are a more diverse people than ever (27% of us are born overseas), going through a struggle to understand our relationship with the dominant mining industry, and with
fresh momentum to become more connected with our Asian neighbours, who are the undoubted powerhouses of the 21st century. And whilst we have been one of the most successful developed economies in the world over the past 10 years – having skilfully avoided a recession – we still find ourselves stuck in a cycle of short-term political crises where fundamental national issues are starved of attention in favour of continuous party leadership squabbles, superficial populist stunts and juvenile school-yard name calling. Unifying leadership is in short supply; and the flame that once burned so deeply in our national conscience to create a truly great Southern Land is quickly burning out. It’s time to re-examine the question of Australian identity. As Australians, we often shy away from talking about ourselves, but it’s time to have a frank discussion about what unites us. This conversation is already happening back home. In May 2013, in a rare act of bipartisanship, Wayne Swan and Malcolm Turnbull united
The ‘Australianisation’ of the Crown n
Brant Rippon of the Australian Monarchist League examines the nature of the modern monarchy in Australia. For over a century, our Australian Constitution has worked unobtrusively in the background ensuring our young nation remains democratic and free. It is a hundred years younger than the American Constitution and far less cumbersome and politically invasive. In more than a century of existence as a nation, Australia has had no civil unrest and no constitutional crisis and has an unparalleled record of political and economic stability, which has ensured the development of our new nation into the magnificent country it is today. We are recognised as the seventh oldest continuous democracy and are often listed within the top five developed nations of the world. Research commissioned by the Australian Republican Movement (ARM) last year shows that 45 per cent of Australians under 30 want a republic - fewer than any other age group apart from those 70 or over. Young people are much more positive towards the Queen and the Royal Family in general. The Australian Monarchist League welcomed the findings of the research that found 55 per cent of Gen-Y’ers prefer our system of constitutional monarchy over that of a republic. This research backs up what AML has been saying for a long time now. Younger people are signing up and becoming active in the defence of the nation’s Crown, flag and constitution. Gen-Y is very comfortable with our heritage and far more conservative than our parents. The republican movement in this nation is the bastion of the left, and the baby boomers. The entire Committee of the League’s Queensland Branch is under the age of 35. Over 50 per cent of new members to the League come from online, and are under the age of 35. This is nothing surprising to
us. The baby boomers are a product of their time. They were born in an era that would shy away from patriotism or nationalistic tendencies. To boomers these were dirty words. They were the children of World War II diggers and lived through and participated in the Vietnam War. After experiencing firsthand two defining and infamous moments of the 20th century, one can hardly blame them for being anti-establishment and anti-authoritarian. One of the key strategies we have employed to attract the membership of younger Australians to the League is highlighting to Australians the ‘Australianisation’ of the Crown. The Australia Act in 1986 severed the last ties to the ‘old country’, and fully established the identity that is the Australian Crown. A process to establish a separate ‘Australia Crown’ was commenced by the Whitlam Government in 1973 through the Royal Styles and Titles Act which established Queen Elizabeth II as “Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God Queen of Australia and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth”. In Australia, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is no longer the Queen of Great Britain, or the UK, or of England anymore. She has a distinctly Australian character under our law. She is now, essentially, Australian. The Crown is symbiotic with our identity. Gen-X, and more so Gen-Y, are very comfortable with our heritage. Australia Day is a big deal now. We all saw what happened when organisers of the Big Day Out music festival tried to ban the Australian flag a few years ago for fear it would ‘incite violence’ (the bad old days immediately following the Cronulla Riots). Everyone, including myself, turned up wearing and waving the
to launch the book Project Republic. What’s followed has been a national conversation to uncover what Australian identity is all about. Aussies in London should rightly demand to be part of this conversation. In London alone we number at least 200,000, which would make London the 10th biggest Australian city, larger than Hobart and Darwin. Many notable Australians, such as Geoffrey Robertson, Clive James, Germaine Greer and even, dare we say it, Shane Warne, have become some of our most public cultural ambassadors, whether we like it or not. And a stint in London is a common rite of passage for many young Australians in search of adventure, as well as those Aussies looking to deepen their professional experience in the world’s capital city. The views of this eclectic group of expats clearly needs to be heard back home. 2013 is an important time for us to get together, not least because the Brits are shoving their own, unified and colourful version of their identity right in our faces. As royals barge, colours troop and the 60th anniversary of the coronation is commemorated, we have a good prompt to understand and try to articulate the odd mix of familiarity and distance that comes from being an Aussie in London. You can be part of this conversation about Being Australia(n) in London on Thursday 27 June from 6.30pm at the London School of Economics.
Whether you’re a committed monarchist, a staunch republican, or simply in need of a dose of home, please join us to share your perspective, experience and views on how living abroad has (or hasn’t) changed how you view yourself as an Aussie. David Morris, director of the Australian Republican Movement, is coming to share his lessons from the Our Identity campaign back home, and will be joined by an exceptional panel of expat speakers. We’re hoping the lively event can show those back home where we stand, and perhaps show our fellow Londoners that the days of an Australian identity crisis (and the subsequent light hearted ribbing it fosters) are numbered. Being Australia(n), Thursday 6.30pm at London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE), Graham Wallace Room (fifth floor, Old Building), Houghton Street, WC2A 2AE. With speakers David Morris, Dr Devika Hovell (LSE, Public Law), Charles Miranda (News Ltd), Peter Rawlings (BNP Paribas) & Lilly Brown (Charlie Perkins Scholar). All are welcome!
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Australian flag in support of it. I acknowledge celebrity is playing a big role with the current Royals – William, Kate and Harry. But I think what the ARM study and others like it demonstrates is that Australians are happy with a benign monarchy. It doesn’t cost them anything, and with the circus that is the Australian Parliament at the moment, we like knowing that there is a non-partisan constitutional umpire there to check the system if anything were to go awry. We should also note that of course Australia has a close affinity with Britain, and indeed the Commonwealth of Nations, historically, culturally, politically, economically, linguistically and militarily. We share a Head of State with 15 other nations. In a globalised world where many are trying to strengthen multilateral ties, doesn’t it make sense to keep the familial bonds between the realms? I think it does. God Save The Queen of Australia! Brant is 25 and is the Chairman of the Queensland Branch of the Australian Monarchist League and a Member of the National Council (the League’s national governing body), in his capacity as Youth and Online Policy Development officer.
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6 | UK Life
25 June - 1 July 2013
‘I speak Londoner, yeah?’ SUBCULTURE SLEUTH > PAUL BLEAKLEY
If there is one thing I really hate, it is a person who is being inauthentic. I despise people that do certain things or act a particular way because they think it is the ‘cool’ and ‘hip’ thing to do. Just the fact that I used the word ‘hip’ in the previous sentence proves just how uncool and proud of it that I actually am. That is why I find myself in a predicament. You see, I have always had a tendency to pick up accents really easily. It isn’t an affected thing that I do on purpose to sound posh… Quite the opposite, as my time in London goes on I can hear myself speaking more and more like a Cockney. What started as saying “innit?” and adding “yeah?” to the end of every sentence has now become a fullblown problem. My year 7 report card gives a glowing review of my performance, but makes a point of noting that I had a habit of mimicking other people without realising it. It got worse when I lived in the USA as a teenager, where I was forced to adopt a
pseudo-southern drawl every time I had to speak on the phone or order drive-through so that they would understand what I was saying. The Australians I know don’t quite understand it. I get the feelings that they think I am doing it on purpose, in some type of vain attempt to abandon my heritage and fully assimilate with my London neighbours. I try to put on my best Australian accent, tell them it’s not the case… but even as I try to deny it, I can feel myself about to call someone “babes” or “bruv”. It became blatantly obvious that my little problem had gone too far recently when I had spent an hour speaking to a local Londoner, and he asked me where I was from. I told him proudly that I was from Queensland, in sunny Australia. He was taken aback, saying that he had meant what estate had I grown up on rather than what country. Anyone who fancies a bit of Australian dialogue coaching, be my guest. It seems I need it.
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Fancy a film? Edinburgh Expat > Tyson Yates
Well, it’s that time of year again. The sun is making occasional appearances and trees are flaunting their newfound foliage while pollen levels creep to an all-time high. Yep, it must be summer, which means that Edinburgh International Film Festival is back for its 67th year. Now here’s the thing. You can’t screen 146 features from 53 countries, including 14 World premieres, 6 International premieres and 10 European premieres without gaining the attention of a few tourists. Tourists; if you don’t spot them right away at least you’ll have plenty of time to think on it when you find yourself caught behind five dawdling strangers as they make their way down the street, spreading themselves comfortably across the footpath and linking arms as though forming some sort of a protest chain. Obviously they are protesting your right to get to work on time. More on tourists next time. For now, let me offer my expertise on
this year’s eclectic line-up of films. Whether you’re in the mood for some North Korean family fun or a double dosage of Sam Neil, you won’t be lacking choice at this year’s EIFF so much as you will be lacking legroom on the ten pound Megabus journey you take to get there. Regardless of how you make your way to the Scottish capital, if you are a lover of film and in Edinburgh from 19 to 30 June, here’s three to see at the Festival.
The East
Director Zal Batmanglij might be relatively unknown, but for his latest film he certainly knows who to hop into bed with as Hollywood heavyweights Ridley and Tony Scott have come on-board as producers. No, this isn’t the premise; it is just one reason that The East stands out in a Festival relatively, perhaps deliberately, lacking in big name stars. The other reason to see this film IS the premise; a group of ecoterrorists wage war on corporations that they accuse of crimes against the environment. Few things are more terrifying to the establishment than organised hippies.
Oh Boy
Forget Judd Apatow and his endless infatuation with the middle-aged manchild. Oh Boy tells the story of a young Berlin slacker who, after dropping out of University, struggles to leave behind the lazy student lifestyle. That is until one morning when his girlfriend dumps him, a
The East
psychiatrist declares him too unstable to drive and his father cuts off his allowance. All our hero wants is a cup of coffee but it seems even that is too much to ask. This German tragi-comedy tells a familiar tale but without Apatow in tow.
Svengali
What was once a cult YouTube series has made its way to this year’s Festival as a feature; an underdog story that somewhat reflects the premise of the film itself. Dixie and his girlfriend Shell leave the comfort of their small Welsh hometown for London where Dixie hopes to achieve his dream of becoming the manager of a successful rock band. The reality of the music industry and expensive urban life quickly prove difficult yet the idealistic Dixie will stop at nothing. It is often the case that when a makeshift series gains this many loyal fan, they are usually on to something good.
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Surviving london > Bianca Soldani
I usually dedicate this space to tackling the “hard issues” facing Aussies in London, but today I’d like to look at some problems that have actually been solved by moving over here. It’s easy to look back on your life in Oz as the picture of perfection when you’re eating a frozen £1 pizza on your new kitchen floor. But don’t be fooled by your rosy memories – it wasn’t all sunshine and buttercups back home either, and there are plenty of little issues that have been resolved by your move to London. One of my favourite things about living in London is that you don’t need to justify being pale. With the bleach-blond caramel-skinned stereotype that precedes Aussies abroad, it’s hard not to raise eyebrows if you’re naturally pale skinned and perhaps a little too melanoma conscious. Thankfully this city provides you with the ultimate cover, just drop a sneaky, “I live in London,” and all questions turn to sympathetic nods. Besides feeling free to sport a worrying lack of tan, London is also a great excuse for dressing along the grey scale. Some people just don’t suit the bright colours and floral patterns popular back home. The problem is that when you live by the beach you can’t exactly step out in blacks, navys and charcoals without being accused of being a Goth or part of a funeral party. Happily this
problem disappears against London’s grey skyline where we actually see the tables turn – after all a bright yellow sun dress and Havaianas can’t help but seem a little awkward in an 18 degree summer. That said, I don’t want to discourage any die-hard “flip-flop” wearing fanatics; another problem solved by moving to London is that anything goes. From whole-face piercings to tattoos and thigh-high lace-up boots, green tinged hair and only half shaved heads; nothing is too crazy for this city. There are just so many people and so much diversity that there is no normal, so even if you were used to looking like the local circus sideshow back home, it’s hard to feel out of place here. Another huge bonus that comes with this city is one I’m sure all you ladies will enjoy: your makeup stays on longer! It’s farfetched but I assure you I’m not off my rocker. Away from the blistering Australian sun, there’s no fear that makeup will sweat off throughout the day,
meaning no more runny eyeliner or blotchy foundation – hallelujah! It’s also true that if you live by the coast or anywhere rural, you tend to attract unwelcome glances if you head out during the day with even a touch of smoky eye or dark lippie. Thanks to London’s gloomy backdrop and alternative scene, you can go as over the top as you like and if you’re lucky, even pass as “fashion forward”. My last but probably most cherished London solution comes from the cold. It does cause a few problems in itself, but the cold weather makes the perfect cover for indulging in those guilty sweet treats, and I’ve been caught more than once scoffing down a sticky toffee pudding for lunch. Don’t judge, it was cold out! For other London solutions check out Bianca’s new book, “An Aussie’s Survival Guide to London” at Talktraveltome.com; tackling the little problems for newcomers to London.
Food & Wine | 7
AustralianTimes.co.uk
Wimbledon winner with Hot Pink By Paul Bleakley At this time of year, it is impossible not to turn your mind towards Wimbledon. The sun is (or should be) out, the Pimms is flowing and all eyes are on centre court to witness the most prestigious tennis tournament in history. This summer, however, there is an entirely different reason to turn your mind towards Wimbledon. That reason is Hot Pink. Situated on The Broadway, just a stone’s throw from Wimbledon Station, Hot Pink is an essential experience for those looking to make culinary choices that are simultaneously simple and delicious. The healthy grill provides patrons with a multitude of options, whilst still managing to maintain a menu that lets the food speak for itself. An establishment like Hot Pink is a godsend for someone like me. You see, I’m the kind of person that will spend an eternity pondering a menu until I inevitably become overwhelmed by the critical decision between chicken and fish. One look at Hot Pink’s menu eliminates the guesswork: it is divided into three sections - mains, sides and sauces, with diners choosing one item from each section to make up their meal. Although it may seem like quite a basic concept, Hot Pink’s ordering system results in a refreshing, no-stress restaurant experience. After ordering, you do not have to wait long before you are able to see what all
of the fuss is about. The juicy, mediumrare steak is cooked to perfection and is unadorned by the unnecessary frills that can often ruin a perfectly good piece of meat. Special credit, however, must be given to the salmon – the fish is served as a thick slice that has flavour oozing from every inch, melting in your mouth with each bite. Hot Pink also provides chicken and vegetarian options, each of which seemed to burst off the plate and scream freshness. Of course, no meal is complete without side dishes and Hot Pink does not disappoint on this account. The lentils and rice had an unexpectedly crunchy texture that nicely offset the juiciness of the steak. The sweet potato wedges were thick cut, golden brown and - unquestionably - some of the best to be found in London. Each meal was served with a sauce that added the personalised flavour that some might crave. The spicy sauce was a particular stand-out. The rich taste almost creeps up on you as the spice rears it tangy head. Be warned, though - use the sauces in moderation, as to overwhelm the food’s natural flavours would be a true crime. After the main meal, the fun at Hot Pink is still only just beginning. The restaurant’s speciality chocolate brownie somehow manages to be both moist and firm, which is everything you can ask from a brownie really. The revelation, however, is in the hot apple and sultana bake. I always have high expectations for the dish (one of Nanna’s dishes, no
Summer salad n
From the kitchen of Gordon Ramsey, CHRIS ARKADIEFF offers up a warm weather winner with a fresh tomato salad.
chris’s
kitchen
> CHRIS ARKadieff
Heritage, or heirloom, tomatoes have been around for many years. The most common varieties are
yellow, green and purple, and are now making themselves known on menus as the warmer weather approaches. Heirlooms, apart from their appearance, have the same taste and texture as the common red tomato. Our tomato salad recipe is perfect for a healthy starter or a platter for the BBQ when friends are around.
Heritage tomatoes, broad bean and aged feta salad
less!) and Hot Pink’s rendition of the classic desert managed to surpass them all. If nothing else, any desert lover would not regret the trip to Wimbledon if they walk away having sampled Hot Pink’s range of after-dinner treats. The only way to describe Hot Pink is ‘unpretentiously hip’. The restaurant does not purport to be anything more than a healthy grill, when in reality it is an example of what can happen when great chefs respect the food enough to let it be the star of the meal. When the hassle and heartache of missing out on tickets for Wimbledon becomes too much to bear, spare a thought for Hot Pink. It will be the best Wimbledon experience you could possibly hope for.
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Hot Pink 86 The Broadway, Wimbledon London SW19 1RQ
What you need
• 4 mix heritage tomatoes • 1/2 cup broad beans • 4 fresh basil leaves • ½ tsp toasted fennel seeds • 1 finely sliced red chilli • ½ cup toasted croutons • ½ red onion finely sliced • ½ cup finely shaved cucumber ribbons • ½ cup of barrel aged feta • Extra virgin olive oil • 1 lemon • 2 tsp white wine vinegar • 1 tsp castor sugar • Sea salt • Freshly cracked white pepper
CHEF DE PARTIES AND ABOVE
What to do
• Take a mixing bowl large enough to hold all the ingredients • Add ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, the juice of the lemon, toasted fennel seeds and sliced chilli, sugar and white wine vinegar • Mix the dressing well until all the ingredients are combined • Add the tomatoes, croutons, cucumber, basil leaves, feta and broad beans • Toss the ingredients for one minute until lightly coated • Take a large flat serving plate and arrange the ingredients • The remaining dressing in the mixing bowl can be used as a side dressing for the salad. Enjoy.
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8 | Entertainment
25 June - 1 July 2013
See what we are following this week on
What’s On Tame Impala 25 June @ Hammersmith Apollo Kate Miller-Heidke 3 July @The Islington
Socceroos qualify for Brazil World Cup 2014
Flume 4 July @ Heaven
@LucasNeill Thanks again Australia!! Celebrate now, but we have more hard work ahead. Flying out now so apologies I can't be at customs house. Enjoy!!
Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite 16 July @ Shepherd’s Bush Empire
@JuliaGillard So proud of our @Socceroos. Bring on #Brazil2014!!! JG @GerardWhateley Truly momentous achievement by #socceroos World Cup qualification not to be underestimated, never to be taken for granted
Barry Gibb 3 Oct @ O2 Arena Cat Empire 20 Oct @ Brixton Academy Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds 26 - 28 October 2013 @Hammersmith Apollo
@tommyohhhhhh Let's be honest, you're not going to Rio. You will be watching it at Fed Square, freezing your arse off with 5,000 other punters #AUSvIRAQ
For full details...
Follow us on Twitter @AustralianTimes
...and more Aussie gigs go to: AustralianTimes.co.uk/entertainment
PRESEntS
Chimerica at Islington’s Almeida Theatre n
REVIEW | Chimerica is a captivating rollercoaster for the heart and mind, a play which explores the changing fortunes of two countries through the lens of a single photograph. By Chloe Westley You would be hard-pressed to find another play in your lifetime that makes you laugh, cry, engage in philosophical thought, get angry about global injustices, wonder about the fate of an unknown Chinese man, sympathise with illegal immigrants, contemplate the thin line between dedication and obsession, and acknowledge the power of a single photograph. Lucy Kirkwood’s Chimerica is a rollercoaster for the heart and mind, featuring performances that will stay with you long after the tube journey home. The play alternates between modern day New York and the Tiananmen Square occupation in 1989. It revolves around an American photojournalist eager to locate the man he photographed holding his shopping bags, trying to halt the progress of several army tanks. In the chaos of this investigation the rest of New York City is focused on the upcoming presidential election, and the audience is surprised to find that censorship may not be an alien concept to the American press. There is of course an element of comedy, a hint of romance, and a heartbreaking revelation at the end of the play that left me in tears. Lyndsey Turner directs an immaculate cast, highlighting the brilliance and depth
of Kirkwood’s diverse range of characters. Benedict Wong (Prometheus, The Lady) stands out as the most believable performance, showcasing the humility and humanity of heroism. Claudie Blakley (Larkrise to Candleford, Pride and Prejudice) plays an ambitious and intelligent English woman Tessa Kendrick, alongside the charming and irrefutably handsome protagonist Joe Schofield, played by Stephen Campbell Moore (The History Boys, Jonny English Reborn). Blakley and Moore are particularly convincing as
their characters evolve on stage, and the chemistry between them is subtle yet substantial. The theatre is gracefully intimate so you can see the sweat on the actor’s faces and appreciate the ingenuity of the story to its full capacity, as well as admire the set design and costumes at a close angle. This is definitely a play I would recommend to anyone interested in the contemporary atmosphere of world politics. Chimerica is on at Almeida Theatre in Islington until Saturday 6 July. Tickets are available from Almeida.co.uk.
Falstaff and Vanity, Glyndebourne n
REVIEW | Falstaff, directed by Australian Sarah Fahie, is full of strong vocal performances and theatrical aplomb. By Will Fitzgibbon
THE tHE BOMBAY ROYALE First London show for Melbourne’s new sensation after their Glastonbury appearance
Wed 17 July Village Underground
tickets £10 WeGottickets • Seetickets villageunderground.co.uk 020 7422 7505 FInD US
2fortheroadproductions.com thebombayroyale.com
Under a rare May sun, Glyndebourne opera festival premiered Verdi’s Falstaff on Sunday 19 May. This year’s revival production is directed by Australian Sarah Fahie, who has to work with an enormous cast and some rather awkward fat suits. In contrast to the highly emotional, breast-clenching operas with which Verdi is usually associated, Falstaff is almost pure social comedy. Who doesn’t enjoy a good fat joke? French baritone, Laurent Naouri, plays the opera’s eponymous and corporeal Falstaff with musical and theatrical aplomb. Another particularly strong vocal and theatrical performer was Susanne Resmark, the Swedish mezzo-soprano playing Mistress Quickly. Both characters elicited plenty of laughs throughout the evening.
Based on William Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor, we first meet the aged and lewd Falstaff as he cack-handedly attempts to woo two women with the same love letter. He is after their money, of course, and the women see through him and seek light-hearted vengeance. After Falstaff is thrown from a clothing basket into the Thames for his sins, the third act becomes a little harder to follow. The Windsor women decide to play another trick on Falstaff by frightening him in a magical garden. Moving on from post-bellum Windsor and the subdued clothes of 1940s Britain, the Glyndebourne stage is suddenly populated by witches, men in which sheets and all manner of magical creatures. While mirthful and playfully chaotic, the final chorus is perhaps trying to do too much; on opening night, some singers teetered on the edge of collapse as children proffering wine zigzagged in between their legs. But the contented audience had nothing to complain of. The sunny afternoon was perfect for a Glyndebourne season opener. Discussing recent holidays to Sorrento or Copenhagen, young and old opera-lovers - many dressed in colourful cummerbunds and furs picnicked on the green grass as sheep bleated in the background. Glyndebourne’s slick management appears to improve every year. After leaving London’s Victoria station, audience members take reserved coaches from Lewes station to the
opera house, insouciantly passing fields of yellow rape seed that shine in the bright Sunday afternoon. For a special VIP audience, Falstaff was preceded by a performance of Vanity, a new work by Australian Luke Styles, Glyndebourne’s Young Composer in Residence. In the luxurious setting of the Glyndebourne organ room, 12 women boomed from the rafters above solo tenor Stuart Jackson and bass baritone James Platt. Styles chose to set Vanity to the words of selection Shakespearean sonnets. These odes to male vanity, as Styles interprets them, are patted back and forth between tenor and bass baritone. A solo violin provides an unsettling and often discordant accompaniment while, as Styles writes, the women ‘sing with the voice of reason’. Styles is a composer on the up and up, writing commissions for the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the director of the brilliantly innovative Ensemble Amorpha. As Young Composer in Residence, Styles will continue to compose for Glyndebourne well into next year. Glyndebourne Festival runs until 25 August. To book visit Glyndebourne.com.
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Travel | 9
AustralianTimes.co.uk
n
The unassuming town of Buñol in eastern Spain turns red for one day every year as they host the biggest food fight in the world: La Tomatina. Don’t forget your goggles, your ear plugs and your ‘Dolmio’ grin!
By Jennifer Perkin Where: Buñol, Spain When: Held the last Wednesday in August (in 2013 - 28 August).
Image byJasper Juinen
What: The tomato growing season for this Spanish town, 40 kilometres from Valencia, always ends on the last Wednesday in August. What happens next is the local population is joined by tens of thousands of visitors for the cultural celebration of La Tomatina.
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10 | Travel
25 June - 1 July 2013
Because of the limited accommodation options, many festival goers choose to stay in nearby Valencia and bus or train it in for the day. Buñol is about 38km from Valencia. Naturally, the region gets packed out so plan ahead or opt for a package tour.
Then: Rumor has it La Tomatina started over a ‘you say tomah-to, I say tomayto’ dispute, but more reliable sources tell us that the tomato throwing is in honor of the patron saints of the town, and that it started in the 1940s. Though its exact origins remain a mystery, the tradition caught on (and except during a ban during the Franco period) it has grown bigger every year. Now: These days, Buñol, a town of 9000 swells to up to 40,000 during the La Tomatina week. The main event aside, other activities include parades, dances, music, fireworks and a paella making competition. The tomato fight takes place on the Wednesday, starting at around 10am. In theory, the proceedings will officially begin when one person has successfully scaled a tall greasy pole and reached
the leg of ham that has been placed on top. In reality, the combined unlikelihood of achieving this task and the eagerness of the punters means the tomatoes get thrown early. For exactly one hour the city is a pulpy, tomato flavoured battleground and it’s every person for themselves. 125,000 kilograms of ripe fruit is trucked into the town and chaos ensues. The key is to wear clothes you won’t miss as even if you manage to escape the river of red (which you won’t), shirt ripping is also not unheard of (and practically a given if you are a bloke). After the appointed time, the water cannons are switched on and the cleanup process begins. As luck has it, the town in sat on a river so most throwers will head there for a wash. Tomato soup for lunch?
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Travel | 11
AustralianTimes.co.uk
Chaos, a greasy pole and 150,000 tomatoes…
that’s La Tomatina n
EMMA O’NEILL describes what it’s really like to be part of the world’s biggest food fight. centre of the plaza, myself and my Tomatina accomplice decided to stay put and let the billowing mass of white shirted tourists surround us. We felt like the prized toy buried deep in a skill-tester machine as thousands rumbled down into the plaza and squashed up against us – an impressive force that increased the town’s population from 9000 to around 40,000 in a matter of hours.
The elusive prize
I lay down and created a snow angel in the ankle deep tomato slush as calm returned to the streets of Buñol. Red pulpy evidence of another Tomantina Festival was being hosed off walls, thighs and streets. The goggle-wearing crimson-tinged mass had begun their ascent out of the fleshy red pit of food warfare. I lingered in the pulpy red river with strangers of another tongue. All of us giggled, relishing the glorious freedom that comes with going completely feral and bonding over a unique grittiness that comes with having tomato seeds in your bum crack.
As we waited for the 11am water cannon to mark the official start of Tomatina, the excitement around and in-between squished bodies transpired into a rumble of screams, chants, cheers and claps. A massive wall of sound eventually directed at a thin two story ‘palo jamón’ (basically a greasy pole) in the centre of the plaza. One by one, intense and focused men approached the pole and let a mass of sweaty hairy men at the bottom thrust them skyward towards an elusive prize – a massive ham balancing at the top. One by one, they fell short of a victorious meaty embrace and the crowd oohed and ahhed at their bravery and failure. Eventually a Buñol native did reach the ham. The locals went wild. The winner had defeated the tourists and with that, defended the honour of their town. Now that was done, it was game on. The water cannon fired.
Battle-ready
Reality had been suspended as soon as I stepped onto the packed train carriage headed for Tomatina in the early hours of that Valencia morning. Groups sculled and shared sangria while discussing food fighting tactics. Friends helped each other get ‘battle-ready’ by tying up loose white shirts from charity shops and adjusting each other’s giant tomato and doctor costumes. It felt like we were on school camp and had just left without the teachers. We arrived into sleepy Buñol tipsy and full of jumpy excitement. As we got off the train I blended into the mass of food fighting enthusiasts and we burst into the town’s tarpaulin covered streets like the Lost Boys from Never Never Land – if the Lost Boys ever discovered alcohol and went on a buck’s night. I chatted to fellow food fighters and skipped as we all spiralled down Buñol’s steep streets. I skipped past waving locals with a knowing twinkle in their eye, and chairs on their plastic covered balconies. They were ready to watch the spectacle. I skipped past a church handing out free sangria and bread through steel bars. Then we came to a sudden halt; we were finally in Plaza del Pueblo – Tomatina’s hallowed ground. It was a few hours before the official food fight was to begin, but having scored prime spots in the
Chaos personified
The first truck, filled with its share of 150,000 tomatoes, crawled through the 40,000 strong hyped-up, tipsy, sweaty crowd, none of whom seemed to mind enduring a moment of terror as the vehicle passed, squashing people into brick walls and strangers armpits. These trucks were delivering tomatoes, and they could do whatever they God damn liked. The next hour was chaos personified, as tonnes of tomatoes were unleashed on the screaming, manic mass. I dived into tomato puddles and let tomato flesh flow into my ears. I pelted. I squashed. I rammed and mashed tomatoes into stranger’s heads and anywhere else my squishy red ammo managed to hit. People shrieked with laughter and shock as they rolled into each other, relishing the freedom and absurd excitement that comes with being in the personal space of a stranger and allowed to throw food in their face. When the water cannon ...continued on p12
12 | Travel went off 60 minutes later, it was time for the carnage to stop. The street now resembled a Venetian canal filled with scarlet slush and I collapsed into its ankle deep, pulpy goodness to catch my breath. I then joined fellow war-weary and wounded tomato warriors at the bank of the clear Buñol River. Fresh water soothed the eyes of the goggle-less and cleansed crimsontinged skin. The manic had calmed but the chaos had not been forgotten as strangers shared knowing smiles, acknowledging a bond we all now had. A bond not based on similarities in culture, gender or religion, but a simple bond based on the fact that we had all just broken the first rule most learn in life – don’t throw your food.
25 June - 1 July 2013
HOT TIPS FOR TOMATINA
• Buñol is a very small town and there are a lot more accommodation options in Valencia, just a short train journey away. If you do stay in Valencia, get the earliest train possible on the morning of the festival to secure a good spot in the plaza and ensure you see the greasy pole climb action – which is well worth it! • Wear goggles to protect your eyes from acidic tomato juice and clothing that you don’t mind being ruined and that can’t easily be ripped - Ladies, there have been stories of girls getting their bikinis ripped off, so a good solid t-shirt is advised!. Also don’t
forget a waterproof camera or camera case, as well as a waterproof pouch for money and train tickets as you and your belongings will get soaked! • Never underestimate how crazy and chaotic things are going to get – it’s really easy to lose your crew once the fight starts, so pick a meeting point in the town that you can go to once everything is over. • You won’t be allowed back onto the train to Valencia if you’re still covered in tomato pulp (and they are strict on this!) so make sure you wander down to the river, or take advantage of locals hosing down tourists trekking to the train station.
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SCOTLAND Explorer’s home opens as holiday apartment
n
TRAVEL INSPIRATION | The home of a former explorer who led the first expedition across Australia is now open as a holiday apartment in the historic town of Dysart. A historic house in Dysart has undergone a £50,000 restoration by the Fife Historic Buildings Trust to be converted into a holiday apartment. Dysart, in the historic area of Fife, Scotland, houses the former home of explorer John McDouall Stuart. The building formerly housed McDouall Stuart Museum, which was closed by Fife Council in 2009 due to low visitor numbers, before the Fife Historic Buildings Trust undertook the restoration project to enable visitors to come and stay in the home where the former explorer lived. John McDouall Stuart was born in Dysart in1815 from where he later emigrated ‘Down Under’ and led the first expedition to cross Australia from south to north in 1862. He is a celebrated figure in Australia, much more so than in his native land, and has a 950-mile highway in the country named after him, as well as many other streets and landmarks. Christine May, chairman of Fife
*Trips for 18yo and over
Historic Buildings Trust said: “It was a source of great sadness to the Trust and many people who appreciate what John McDouall Stuart achieved in opening up the Australian subcontinent, that the museum had been closed since 2009. “So it’s been a real honour to have been involved with bringing this important historical building back into use and to provide a legacy to McDouall Stuart. “The apartment is an ideal stopping-off point for visitors enroute to the Highlands or for those walking the Fife Coastal Path. And it would be a wonderful place for people to stay who are coming to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014. “We’re hoping to attract visitors from Australia who would like to share in John McDouall Stuart’s heritage and gaze out on the same seas that inspired his desire to travel and explore.” The holiday apartment occupies the upper two floors of a threestorey B-listed building in Dysart. Access by an external staircase leads to a living/dining area, and kitchen, with a twin bedroom and bathroom on the upper level. Anyone wishing to stay at the apartment should contact Fife Historic Buildings Trust on 01592 890060 or visit Fifehistoricbuildings.org.uk.
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Professional Life | 13
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Know thy system and work with it to win > SEPI ROSHAN
In this intertwined world our actions affect others. Nothing works in isolation. Whether we like it or not, we are all part of a system by virtue of living. Smaller systems exist in every workplace and facet of life – our organisations, families and communities. These living, evolving systems develop their own identities and processes, which if ignored, can result in unnecessary stress, strains on relationships and lost opportunities. To live successfully within a system, awareness is key. Last week I discussed social, or human, systems: with structures and processes operating together to produce outcomes affecting our personal and professional lives. Healthy systems evolve to cope with changing environments and allow us to take advantage of opportunities. Unhealthy, or imbalanced systems, result in systems failure: consider the financial world. Without understanding these systems, we react in limited ways and produce suboptimal consequences for ourselves and others. A limited view of the implications of our actions can cause unnecessary stress and pain. At work, for example, summarily changing a process whilst disregarding the impact on others, may result in a system that lacks empathy for employees and colleagues – this can result in dysfunctional work environments. Not being aware of living within systems can affect our perceptions of our world and the choices we think we have. Develop your awareness by asking yourself three vital questions.
What does the whole system look like?
Take time to step back and reflect on the context in which relationships are formed and interactions occur. Are you within a team, boardroom or networking context? Then consider the type of system you are working with. Over 35 years, Barry Oshry, an experimental educationalist, has identified three common systematic relationships: • Top –bottom • End-middle-end • Provider-customers These relationships are discussed below.
Where do you fit in?
For each context you are in, consider where you are based on the three common systematic relationships identified by Oshry. • Top-bottom: as the top, we have designated responsibility for
something (e.g. a department or a family). If we are acting as the bottom, we are acting as a member of the system for those who have been designated with responsibility. • End-middle-end: if you are in the middle, you are torn between elements at the ends. For example, you may be the project manager torn between the demands of the finance and marketing departments. Those on the ends are exerting some kind of pressure or demand. • Provider-customer: customers are seeking something from the provider and the provider supplies what the customer wants. We are constantly shifting roles, and like in a play, taking on parts that help the system function. Unhealthy systems evolve when there is some sort of imbalance. Take for example, a provider-customer relationship where the customer holds the provider responsible for everything. If the customer is quoted a price they think is unjustified, they may feel mistreated, cheated or angry, for example. The provider may feel unfairly judged.
Aussie dollar spirals downwards By Jaco Herselman THE Australian dollar has fallen to three year lows as investors dump risky assets in the wake of last week’s comments by US Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke Bernanke confirmed what the market had already been guessing at; that the US is planning on scaling back its program of quantitate easing, possibly as early as September this year. The Australian dollar immediately nose-dived on the news, falling 3.5 per cent against the US dollar. The downward spiral was further compounded by weak manufacturing data from China’s Purchasing Manager’s Index. According to ForexCT’s Steven Dooley, “the Aussie dollar’s days of being over parity are done and dusted.” On Friday, the Australian currency had fallen to its lowest point since September 2010. Easy Forex currency dealer Tony Darvell noted that the downward trend is likely
to continue and that “the Australian dollar can easily get down to 85 or 80 US cent within six months.” Similarly, the British pound broke through the AUD 1.68 mark The Australian dollar is expected to trade within a tighter range in the days ahead in anticipation of further economic data to from the US this week and from China and Australia next week.
Next week, find out how you can develop healthy, functioning systems in your professional life. Sepi Roshan is Business Editor of Australian Times, and Director of Astute Coaching & Development, helping Professionals become earless presenters and leaders. Find out more at www.astutecd.com.
GBP/AUD: 1.671 EUR/AUD: 1.453 USD/AUD: 1.087 NZD/AUD: 0.839 11:15 GMT, 24 June 2013
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What is the system telling you? Every system has its own unique way of functioning and evolving – and every part of the system has a message about that function and evolution. When we are not aware or disrupt the system in some way, there is a reaction. Change is not always a bad thing. Tweaking the system can result in growth and innovation. For example, simply changing where the tea and coffee is kept at work can result in creative solutions about storage. Alternatively, it may tell you that the managing director expects conformity in all areas. You do not have to wait for a disruption to stand back and listen to how the system functions. Listen anytime to develop your understanding. All interactions happen within a system. If we are not aware that we are working within a system, we may experience unwanted effects such as feeling unfairly judged. Systems are a part of life and work. Being aware of what the system looks like, where we fit in and what the system is telling us, can help systems run more smoothly and help our performance within it.
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14 | Sport
25 June - 1 July 2013
Tomic and Hewitt train together ahead of Wimbledon ...continued from p16 While Querrey, seeded 21st, represents a tough opening assignment for world No.64 Tomic, the 20-year-old admits to having a peek at his possible opponents beyond the first-round clash. The winner of the match faces American James Blake or Dutchman Thiemo De Bakker, with a possible showdown with ninth seed Richard Gasquet awaiting in the third round. Tomic is one of four Australians opening their Wimbledon campaigns today, including Samantha Stosur, the sole Australian woman in the tournament’s singles draw. By Liam Fitzgibbon
Lions roar as Oz looks ahead n
Lions win thriller in Brisbane, with important selection decisions for each camp and another spectacular game waiting this week in Melbourne.
By Charlie Inglefield C'MON: Young gun Bernard Tomic has turned to former Wimbledon champ Lleyton Hewitt for inspiration. (AAP Image/Mark Dadswell)
Make no mistake: this first game of the series between the Wallabies and the British & Irish Lions was one of the great test matches of recent times. It had everything. In amongst the blood (of which there was plenty), sweat and tears were four tries of the very highest calibre and end-to-end action for eighty minutes that left every fan on the edge of their seats. Hopefully the match will not be remembered for Kurtley Beale’s untimely slip, which ultimately cost the Wallabies a remarkable victory. It will be the job of Robbie Deans and the players to make sure Beale is looked after this week, as he was outstanding when coming on as a second half substitute and will have a huge role to play in next week’s test in Melbourne. The Wallabies deserve immense credit for staying in the game as player after player went off injured. James Horwill lead from the front with an all action display closely followed by the increasingly impressive Michael Hooper at open side. Genia and Folau were simply magnificent behind the scrum and the much vaunted battle in the front five was honours even.
THE
Round 13 By Will Denton
It’s safe to say the bye rounds have not been an easy time. The insatiable appetite for AFL fans is a hard quench at the best of weekends, some conspiracy theorists even suggesting that off field controversies and coaching redundancies are staged, to get that golden ‘cross media coverage’ shareholders seem to exist for. Hey, any publicity is good publicity right? And funnily enough, after another week of drama not involving the kicking of a Sherrin, thankfully the footy gods have smiled again and have us actually genuinely excited about the stuff that happened on the field. Two teams breathed life back into a competition that so desperately needed it, and the timing could not be anymore perfect. Firstly, the Brisbane Lions. They did what not many have done recently, and that is beat Geelong in a game of football. This is a team that was bordering on irrelevant. Their coach had been seen perusing the employment pages of the paper, their list was being held together by duct tape, Jonathan Brown was still hell-bent on trying to break the world record for forehead bench presses. They took on the Cats, and up until the end of the 3rd quarter, looked like sinking further
There is much to ponder for both camps this week not least a few selection posers for Robbie Deans and Warren Gatland. With the Lions, the temptation will be to stick with the same team. In Lions’ favour they have key players fit again, with Tommy Bowe now back in contention who (in all likelihood) would have been starting in place of Alex Cuthbert on one wing. It will be extremely harsh on the young Welshman, whose glorious scything run left Australian defenders clutching at thin air for the second of the Lions’ tries. Cuthbert knocked on without any pressure on him from a high ball during the first half and in a match of such significance in Melbourne, Bowe’s experience could be crucial. We always hoped that this series would live up to his billing and it certainly has delivered. Melbourne needs no introduction: it is going to be an unbelievably exciting and nerve wracking 80 minutes and it would not surprise anyone if it goes until the final whistle is blown. Strap yourselves in and get ready for the one of the great sporting occasions this Saturday evening.
RUBDOWN into oblivion. But then something happened that only occurs once or twice a year. Oh yeah, you guessed it, the old ‘how about we just kick some goals and run and stuff’ trick! And run they did. Down by as much as 52 points the Lions – as if in slow motion and to the script – piled on a shed load of majors to get within a point. The Hollywood ending came with the ball finding its way into Ashley McGraths hands with no less than 0.25 seconds remaining. 75m out. Bang. Win. Roll credits. The other big upset involved Port. Several intriguing factors in their match against the reigning premiers in Sydney. One, the fact that Crows fans would actually enter a Power match just to boo one player that walked out on them last year. Two, there possibly more tarps in the ground than patrons. It should have been a walk in the park for the Swans. They love hard, cold, wet and miserable conditions. But it was Port who gave their opponents a complete lesson in hard, cold, wet and miserable football. And it was great. The other matches went relatively to the autocue; Hawthorn did enough to keep West Coast at bay, however Nic Naitanui still completely defies all we know about human biomechanics. Freo, Saints and Richmond all had good wins. Yeah. Oh and one more thing. Say goodbye to rationed bye round footy. We made it. *Sheds single tear – fade to black.
Sport | 15
AustralianTimes.co.uk
Brumbies to compete in new 7s Rugby tournament at Twickenham n
A new world 7s Rugby tournament will bring together some of the biggest names in club and provincial rugby including the ACT Brumbies, as well as emerging talent, at Twickenham Stadium this August. The growth of world 7s Rugby has taken another significant step forward with the announcement of a major new tournament ahead of Olympic inclusion of the sport in 2016. The new World Club 7s brings together, for the first time, some of the biggest names in club and provincial rugby from the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, together with some of the emerging names in the 7s game. The 12 teams competing in the inaugural tournament over 17 and 18 August 2013 at Twickenham Stadium will include the top English teams from this year’s domestic 7s Championship, who are expected to be joined by the likes of the Western Province from South Africa, Auckland, from New Zealand, the ACT Brumbies from Australia, and Buenos Aires of Argentina. They will
be joined by New York, San Francisco and Moscow as the established and emerging rugby worlds meet. The tournament is then set to expand further in 2014 and 2015 as 7s Rugby heads towards its debut at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and will include the strongest club and provincial teams in the world qualifying through domestic 7s championships. “Rugby is about to enter a unique era for the sport with Sevens - which is finally returning to the Olympics at the centre of what we believe will be a huge growth in all forms of the game,” said Premiership Rugby Chief Executive Mark McCafferty, who confirmed 12 teams will contest the inaugural tournament. “Rugby’s long-awaited return to the Olympics means that many of the players who could be battling it out for
RUGBY LEAGUE ON YOUR DOORSTEP
gold in Rio in 2016 will be on show at Twickenham on 17-18 August. “Negotiations are continuing with other teams but already we have a mouth-watering two days of world class 7s heading for Twickenham in August,” Mark McCafferty added. Tickets for the World Club 7s are now on sale at Ticketmaster.co.uk. A Special 2 for 1 weekend ticket offer is available.
Origin gets dirty with
claims of illegal tactics ...continued from p16 Maroons officials claim the tactic was being used to curb the dummy half play of skipper Cameron Smith. With his side one win away from their first series win since 2005, Daley fired back at Queensland’s accusation, saying he too could provide evidence of the Maroons doing the same to his side at ANZ Stadium. While measured in his comments, it was clear Daley was irked by the cheating claim, labelling it a sign of desperation by the Maroons. “I can give you three or four clips of Queensland not being square
at marker, I can give you another three or four clips of them being at least a metre and a half in front of the referee if they want to go down that path,” Daley said. “Obviously they feel under a bit of pressure to come out and say those type of things. To call us cheats is not in the right spirit.” Daley said he would not use the article as motivation for his players, saying seven straight series losses was all the incentive the Blues needed to beat Queensland. The Blues were given the day off on Monday ahead of a final training run at Suncorp Stadium today. By Steve Jancetic
heBr #Backt
v SALFORD CITY REDS Saturday June 29th, kick-off 3:00pm at the Twickenham Stoop, TW2 7SX londonbroncosrl.com
DALEY DOSE: Blues coach Laurie Daley has accused Qld of trying to influence referees and says their complaints about officials are evidence the Maroons are crumbling under pressure. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
New champions crowned in tag rugby early summer finals By Phillip Browne Last week across London there were a number of Try Tag Rugby early summer season finals taking place at the various competitions, with many new champions crowned. The Tuesday finals were held at Balham, East London and Shoreditch. The Balham finals saw Hashtag defeat Frosties to claim their first mixed A grade title. Tag Me Maybe were too good for The Poice’s in the men’s final and Jarrod’s dating dino’s beat God Loves a Tagger in a nail biter in the intermediate final. The Sexy Rides went through the beginner grade undefeated to claim their first title. Over at East London East London RFC B were too strong for their club rivals, East London RFC A and claimed their first title. At Shoreditch Hackney RFC (intermediate grade), The Cereal Killers (beginner grade) and Patrick Quigley (men’s) all claimed titles. On Wednesday, there were finals at four venues - Finsbury Park, Fulham, Shoreditch and Southfields. At Finsbury Park, Tagaholics Anonymous went into their sixth mixed A grade final having lost all five previously. This time it was their night, defeating
Tactical 435 to claim their maiden title. Tagpuss won the men’s title with The Bloody Icons winning the intermediate title. Across at Fulham there were also two new first time champions, being TAGata Whenua in the mixed A grade and Man Chest Hair United in the intermediate grade. At Shoreditch Tokyo Drift went through the league undefeated to claim their first title, whilst at Southfields Thunder Tags were too strong for Ring of Taggers winning 8-5 to also claim their maiden title. Thursday final champions included: The Chargers (super league, Canada Water), The Tuggas (intermediate, Canada Water), The Foreign Office (beginner, Canada Water), Phibbers (Highbury) and Teachers who tag (Richmond). All teams that make an A grade final across London will be invited to take part at the 2013 London Tag Rugby Championships in the champion’s league to see who will be crowned the best tag rugby team in London. Teams which don’t make an A grade final can still enter this prestigious event in the men’s or social divisions. The 2013 London Tag Rugby Championships
oncos
Tagaholics Anonymous win their first ever Finsbury Park A grade title will be held on Saturday 17 August at the East London Rugby club in West Ham. Meanwhile, Try Tag Rugby’s summer leagues commence from 25 June onwards at 15 venues across London and Reading. The competitions cater for all standards of players with divisions including beginner, intermediate, A grade and for the ultra competitive, super league. Leagues are taking place at Acton, Balham, Borough, Canada Water, East London RFC, Finsbury Park, Fulham, Highbury, Hoxton, Reading, Richmond, Shoreditch Park, Southfields (Wimbledon Park) and Wandsworth Town. If you would like to register for a Try Tag Rugby summer competition, go to www.trytagrugby.com or email info@ trytagrugby.com for more details.
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THE
RUBDOWN
Goodbye to rationed footy
P14
That's Over, Arthur Out
By Paul Bleakley
Australian cricket has been thrown into turmoil today with Mickey Arthur being dumped as head coach and captain Michael Clarke resigning as a national selector only weeks from the first test of the Ashes series. It is believed that Mr Arthur, 45, was dismissed from his position as Australian coach after a meeting with Cricket Australia chief executive James
Sutherland and high performance manager Pat Howard in Bristol last night. He will be replaced by current Australia A coach and former Australian batsman Darren Lehmann. Mr Sutherland confirmed Mr Lehmann’s appointment to the coaching role at a press conference in Bristol today, citing discipline and a lack of on-field consistency as rationale for the change in leadership. He said that while the timing was not ideal, Cricket
Australia had felt that it needed to make a move with the Ashes fast approaching. Mr Sutherland said: “This has been a difficult decision to make but one that we feel is necessary. We are looking to establish a high performing Australian cricket team that is consistent over a period of time. To achieve that, we need all the parts moving in the right direction. “Recent on-field results have been too inconsistent. Discipline,
consistency of behaviour and accountability for performance are all key ingredients that need to improve. And we see that the head coach is ultimately responsible for that.” The departing coach released a statement in which he wished the Australian cricket team the best in regaining the Ashes, and acknowledged the difficulties that had plagued the team throughout his tenure as coach.
WALLABIES WOE
Can injury-ravaged Australia recover by the second test against the Lions? | P14
LION’S PRIDE: Wallabies player Ben Mowen (l) is tackled by British & Irish Lions player Alex Corbisiero in the first test on Saturday. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
Daley promises Qld ‘dirt file’ The build-up to tomorrow’s second State of Origin clash has turned ugly, with NSW coach Laurie Daley vowing to produce his own dirt file on Queensland’s illegal tactics. Daley yesterday woke to front page headlines in the Courier Mail newspaper claiming ‘NSW cheats put on notice’, which was accompanied by a series of still shots portraying Blues players standing offside at marker in game one, which NSW won 14-6. ...continued on p15
Bernard Tomic finds support from Hewitt At the scene where their once-icy relationship hit its lowest point, Bernard Tomic has turned to Lleyton Hewitt as an important source of support at Wimbledon this week. The pair famously fell out in 2009, when a 17-year-old Tomic snubbed a practice session with the former Wimbledon champion at the All England Club. But in another sign of how far their relationship has come in recent years, they shared a training session on the eve of the tournament on Sunday. With his father John barred from attending the event, Tomic is without his primary coach on site and he’s been taking the chance to pick Hewitt’s brain ahead of an opening-round clash with big-serving American Sam Querrey today. “If I could take Lleyton as a coach anytime, I would for sure. He’s a nice guy. I got to know him really well the last few years,” said Tomic. “He helps me a lot ... he knows a lot and he’s been around a long time. If you can pick up any information from a guy like this, it’s only doing yourself credit.” Tomic beat Querrey at last year’s Australian Open but Hewitt has been able to offer a fresh briefing having beaten him on grass at Queen’s Club only a fortnight ago. “I can’t remember what I did when I played him, it was a while away, so Lleyton has told me what to do and I’m going to take this and use it on court,” Tomic said. ...continued on p14