Some reflections on
Australia Day 2008

The chart below was completed by
Matthew Flinders in 1804....

Maureen will you stop interrupting me!

... after he had circumnavigated what
was then called New Holland
or New South Wales...

Maureen what is so important that...

Omigod! She has been hobnobbing at
Canberra's Australia Day bash
  with the Prime Minister
Kevin Rudd:



And with the Chief of Australia's
Defence Force - Angus Houston:



Good Grief! Now she wants me
to join her for a chat with
the Governor-General,
Michael Jeffery:



Then we popped over for a yarn
with his wife Marlena Jeffery
(centre) and Liz Houston
who was wearing our
national flower -
the wattle:



Then we all tucked in to some
cake and scones baked by
 the Country Women's
Association:


But before any of the hobnobbing
happened, Kevin Rudd made a
lovely speech to welcome
115 new Australians
at a citizenship
ceremony as
similar ceremonies were being
held from coast to coast
to welcome 14,000 new
citizens from 114
foreign lands:

But what about security with so
many VIPs wandering around
and mingling with the crowd?

On duty close by (but at a discreet distance)
 I have never seen a better matched
or groomed police presence:



What would Australia have been
without the ever-willing horse?

Now what was I saying...

  The chart contains the first known use by Flinders
or any other navigator of the name ‘Australia’
for the island continent as we know it today.