Australian-Geographic-Magazine-September-Octobe..

In Haven in the hills (AG 121), we

said the “Sturtian glaciation kicked

off about 30 million years ago”. The

glaciation actually began about

730 million years ago.

In Hey, true blue (AG 121) we

incorrectly described Bundanoon as a

south coast village. Bundanoon is

actually a town in the southern

highlands of NSW.

POSTSCRIPT

I have a blend of ancestors from

all over the world, including some

with indigenous origins. We should

embrace multiculturalism, whether we

were born here or migrated here,

because it is the new face of Australia.

Australian attitudes and values are the

bonding ingredient that typifi es

Australia today.

The essence of these values is

of rights and freedoms and good

deeds to others, and caring and

solidarity, even in the face of diversity,

and this bonds our way of life. Focus

on the values of Australians to

understand who and what constitutes

truly being Australian.

TONI ARFANIS, VIA FACEBOOK

My wife Nancy and I were both born

in South Africa, of British and

European extraction. As a young man,

I was conscripted into the South

African army, and served in 1969–70.

During that time, I came to the

conclusion that the philosophy of the

army confl icted with my own.

I had passed the primary medical

examination for a qualifi cation in

anaesthesia in 1971 and heard the

Australian qualifi cation was well

regarded, so I applied to the Royal

Australian College of Surgeons.

By this time Nan and I had two small

children: George and Lisl. We packed

up the house, and boarded SS Canberra

in Cape Town in January 1972. The

Canberra arrived in what was then

known as Port Phillip Bay on

1 February, the Tuesday after Bloody

Sunday in northern Ireland.

The tugboat crews, being of Irish

origin, refused to help the Canberra, a

British ship, through the channel and

the ship was too big to manoeuvre on

her own. So, when we came on deck, it

was to see the lifeboats launched.

Finally, late in the afternoon, we

landed at an old wooden jetty. I

retrieved as many bags as I could and

we headed to the airport to sort out

what we could do about our missed

fl ight to Adelaide. We were booked

with Ansett and when we arrived,

somewhat fl ustered, they said they

knew all about us and had put us on a

later fl ight. Gratitude swept over us.

We awoke the next morning to the

hotel phone ringing.

A voice said, “Good morning, this is

Maurice Sando, welcome to Australia.

We are very short sta• ed, when can

you start?” Fantastic – I had a job.

When our fi rst two-year visa was

nearing its end, we asked the

immigration department if we could

become citizens, and their reply was,

“When would you like the ceremony?”

It has been an honour to have spent

the greater part of our lives here. We

hope we have contributed!

DAVE FENWICK, ALDGATE, SA

I have seven great-grandchildren,

who claim a total of 10 ancestral

origins. My wife and I arrived

here in 1958. I was born of Irish,

Ukrainian, English and Romanian

grandparents, while my wife’s origins

are Polish and French.

Our children married spouses of

Welsh, German and Lebanese origin,

and their children in turn married

spouses of Welsh, Irish and Pakistani

origin. They may be a mixed breed,

but they’re all the better for it!

JACK KANE, VIA FACEBOOK

YOUR PHOTOS

Fishy foliage

by Tony Brown

Leafy sea dragons are named for the leaf-like growth

on their bodies, which helps to camoufl age them in

Rapid Bay, SA, where I took this image.

YOUR AG

122 A

G 
 

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