Our relationship with Britain will always be a bit weird, like making friends with your former school bully

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Australia

In Australia, people I talk to seem slightly embarrassed by the fact that the king is still knocking around

Our relationship with Britain will always be a bit weird, like making friends with your former school bully‘An Irish accent carries a level of privilege here in Australia’

As an Irish emigrant, I’m not supposed to talk about butter. I’m supposed to talk about James Joyce and Seamus Heaney On Australia Day, I was surprised to find that here in the capital, only immigrants I encountered opened the conversation with a merrily imparted, guilt-free “Happy Australia Day!”. Born and raised Australians – at least those living here in the heart of government – seemed to feel a bit of discomfort around the day.

People I talk to here seem slightly embarrassed by the fact that the king is still, in some respect, knocking around. That makes sense. I haven’t yet lived in Australia for a year but two things seem clear enough – there is a strong conception of Australian values and identity that are shared by most people here, and there is some discomfort with the long, lingering shadow of British imperial history.

 

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