Australia -

Arthur- Pieman Area

West coast of Tasmania

Australia - Today's Issues

Gender Inequity

Mindless retention of life

Corruption of Power

Increasing concentration of Wealth

Loss of national culture and Identity

Multinational Manipulation of world economies

A degradation of individual responsibility and Independence

Neglect of social responsibilities.

In a world where we are rapidly developing an international culture, we demonstrate the very real possibility of becoming 'clones' without the cloning!! As yet each nation identifies its own cultural norms and mores however as all individuals continue to absorb and retain messages given by the powerful media and in particular television programs, so we face the very real prospect of a multinational identity strongly based on the culture of those who control the media.

As with most countries, we have the problems produced by Economic Rationalism. While governments call it a 'user pay' philosophy, one has to wonder when do the wealthy pay. While Australian politicians happily setup a committee to look into poverty in Australia in 1974, the committee to examine wealth and its concentration is yet to be setup. Many of the service systems are under stress including health and welfare. Governments find resources for fact finding overseas trips but cannot find the resources to bring essential service systems up to the needed level. Industries are still placed into private enterprise controls even though it is recognised that essential services are down-graded. A person's innocence or guilt is irrelevant so long as the the technical details are correctly dealt with. And as with the rest of the world, litigation is the answer to all human suffering and loss!

Australia was a land where the 'larrikin' was the cheeky bloke/sheila. Now regularly men are addressed as 'guys', females as 'gals' and 'G'day' becomes 'Hi'. We stand to lose those very sayings that make us different. I see that as a problem but maybe it is just a sign of the times and the way the world will go.

Australia still offers a wonderful quality of life. Tasmania where I live has a population of about 450,000. Population density is focused in the two main cities of Hobart, the capital, and Launceston, the main northern city. Industry is mainly mining and primary. Most of the world's supply of opium poppies is grown within the north west coastal regions. Tasmania struggles economically and population shift has been to the mainland. However for us, Tasmania still offers the ideal lifestyle.

We live in a small rural village on the coastal strip. Port Sorell has a population of about 3,ooo and is extremely picturesque. Both the Rubicon and Franklin Rivers flow into the estuary and it is a great place for water-skiiing, fishing and swimming. Tasmania is famous for its natural beauty and recently for one of its native marsupials, namely the Tasmanian Devil. This is the graphic I have used on the side of this page. The Devil is alive and well in Tasmania and I would imagine multiplying in numbers.

Port Sorell is 20 kms from Devonport into which the 'Spirit of Tasmania' regularly sails. Devonport is known for its architecture, its Aboriginal drawings and artifacts, the Don River Railway (steam trains) and the fertile farming area within which it is sited. Population is about 20,000.

Sentiments, opinions and beliefs expressed here are mine!