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Hello all. I am a history graduate and know a lot about Australia and also NZ and the other countries in the Pacific Ocean. I have also lived there in all of those countries including some very small islands you have probably never really heard about.
That point of view you mention was a myth. If you go back in time to the mid 19th Century, Australians were either NSWers or Victorians or Qlders or Tasmanians etc. Even before Federation there was a vast distance from England to Australia, and unlike the American colonies the Australian ones had self government. There was little use or need for England to send orders or instructions. Also the environment was so different, only 'local' mattered. Then when Federation happened, Australia was. This idea of Commonwealth is really a convenient one that has been resurrected in the post colonial days so that Brand England can keep its cultural influence up. In some of the other former colonies like NZ, Fiji etc it has more importance than in Australia. But of all of the colonies in the US, Canada, NZ, SA or Australia, Australian colonies had the most independent minded citizens, thankfully in large part to the US Revolution in which the British Govt realized it couldn't behave the same way, and partly because of the distance and sheer size of Australia (people needed to work together or nothing could have been accomplished there - it's too big - so every man counts). When you think of the population it has and the fact that they built that country in 200 years it is remarkable. But like the Brits in NY, HK and everywhere, they think they built it. They didnt - the settlers did, and the settlers did not regard themselves as British at all - but rather as SA, NSW, Qld, WA etc.
New Zealanders are rightly proud of their history but do tend to lack the same cultural traits as Australians - the environment is so different, and the divided long narrow islands mean a different way of life and identity. It's also a very small country in comparison. There is a lot of wounded pride in the last 25 years or so because of the poor state of the NZ economy, chances for young people and also because of the huge diaspora that has occurred because of the lack of opportunity which makes the whole thing even worse for the ones staying there, so then they also want to leave. But it makes for an interesting cultural event to watch though!
Wow. Great first post. I agree with everything you have said.
I moved to Christchurch from perth 2 years ago. I found australia is still better in overall. Better health system for example.
Warrant of fitness of car? Don't bother, It's just paperwork, no guarantee that your car is always fit, read the term and condition of it.
I agree that in some places you'll meet some annoying bogan etc. But to be fair it's not much different with Christchurch. You can also find some crazy people, impatience driver, drive like they own the road e.g. no signaling, u turn everywhere.
My opinion is depend where you live and stay.
There is a lot of wounded pride in the last 25 years or so because of the poor state of the NZ economy, chances for young people and also because of the huge diaspora that has occurred because of the lack of opportunity which makes the whole thing even worse for the ones staying there, so then they also want to leave. But it makes for an interesting cultural event to watch though!
I don't get a sense of wounded pride in NZ, over Kiwis going to Aussie.
Creating an economy that keeps people at home, often gets talked up, but I really don't sense it as wounded pride.
People just accept it's a bigger country/economy with more opportunity ..... and better weather. Even if the Aussie economy is performing poorly, Aussie still has plenty to offer.
I moved to Christchurch from perth 2 years ago. I found australia is still better in overall. Better health system for example.
Warrant of fitness of car? Don't bother, It's just paperwork, no guarantee that your car is always fit, read the term and condition of it.
I agree that in some places you'll meet some annoying bogan etc. But to be fair it's not much different with Christchurch. You can also find some crazy people, impatience driver, drive like they own the road e.g. no signaling, u turn everywhere.
My opinion is depend where you live and stay.
I think any comparison is very situational and when we start comparing medium sized cities to small ones, some of it becomes small vs bigger towns rather than country comparisons.
The Health system is a funny one, I am not convinced the public system is better in Australia however far more people have private health care which is unquestionably better but at a cost.
Hello all. I am a history graduate and know a lot about Australia and also NZ and the other countries in the Pacific Ocean. I have also lived there in all of those countries including some very small islands you have probably never really heard about.
That point of view you mention was a myth. If you go back in time to the mid 19th Century, Australians were either NSWers or Victorians or Qlders or Tasmanians etc. Even before Federation there was a vast distance from England to Australia, and unlike the American colonies the Australian ones had self government. There was little use or need for England to send orders or instructions. Also the environment was so different, only 'local' mattered. Then when Federation happened, Australia was. This idea of Commonwealth is really a convenient one that has been resurrected in the post colonial days so that Brand England can keep its cultural influence up. In some of the other former colonies like NZ, Fiji etc it has more importance than in Australia. But of all of the colonies in the US, Canada, NZ, SA or Australia, Australian colonies had the most independent minded citizens, thankfully in large part to the US Revolution in which the British Govt realized it couldn't behave the same way, and partly because of the distance and sheer size of Australia (people needed to work together or nothing could have been accomplished there - it's too big - so every man counts). When you think of the population it has and the fact that they built that country in 200 years it is remarkable. But like the Brits in NY, HK and everywhere, they think they built it. They didnt - the settlers did, and the settlers did not regard themselves as British at all - but rather as SA, NSW, Qld, WA etc.
New Zealanders are rightly proud of their history but do tend to lack the same cultural traits as Australians - the environment is so different, and the divided long narrow islands mean a different way of life and identity. It's also a very small country in comparison. There is a lot of wounded pride in the last 25 years or so because of the poor state of the NZ economy, chances for young people and also because of the huge diaspora that has occurred because of the lack of opportunity which makes the whole thing even worse for the ones staying there, so then they also want to leave. But it makes for an interesting cultural event to watch though!
Fascinating post! I'm a Brit living in Queensland and before that New Zealand. People here in Queensland identify with their state far more than with the Commonwealth, so yes I agree with what you're saying. IMO the Commonwealth is slowly chipping away the States' powers, which should be resisted. I lived in NZ for a while and still have family there, there's a definite antagonism towards Australia and people who leave NZ to come here (I've even experienced it on this forum, which was a shocker!). The lack of opportunity in NZ really got to me as did the arcane working practices. We didn't want our kids growing up with some of the social norms that are taken for granted in NZ, they are thriving here and turning into fine young men.
I moved to Christchurch from perth 2 years ago. I found australia is still better in overall. Better health system for example.
Warrant of fitness of car? Don't bother, It's just paperwork, no guarantee that your car is always fit, read the term and condition of it.
I agree that in some places you'll meet some annoying bogan etc. But to be fair it's not much different with Christchurch. You can also find some crazy people, impatience driver, drive like they own the road e.g. no signaling, u turn everywhere.
My opinion is depend where you live and stay.
Can't fault the health system at all. MY SIL is a Kiwi medical practioner and moved over here recently. She has nothing but praise for the Australian system and can't believe how much better equipped it is, and the boost in salary helped pay for some of the expenses incurred in her move. She's still raves about how cheap the petrol is too, paid under a dollar a litre yesterday
For the information of non Aussies here, I think antipodus and Sanual,J are speaking about two different "Commonwealths"; the concept of the British Commonwealth, and the Australian federation, legally called the "Commonwealth of Australia".
I don't get a sense of wounded pride in NZ, over Kiwis going to Aussie.
Creating an economy that keeps people at home, often gets talked up, but I really don't sense it as wounded pride.
People just accept it's a bigger country/economy with more opportunity ..... and better weather. Even if the Aussie economy is performing poorly, Aussie still has plenty to offer.
That's interesting, I think people are glad to have somewhere to move on to with relative ease. I know a lot of NZers (tradies mostly) who move between the two countries depending on where the work is and what the weather is like, much of it is seasonal in nature. With obvious exceptions, such as the boycott countdown campaign, the backlash over The GC TV series etc, people are generally pragmatic about the whole issue. It all comes down to being able to make a living, at the end of the day.
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