Darwin
"Santa Never Made It Into Darwin" was a hit song for popular musicians Bill & Boyd in 1975, following the devastation of Darwin by Cyclone Tracy on Christmas Eve 1974. I mention this because Bill & Boyd would certainly be up there in my Australian Music Hall of Fame, along with Reg Lindsay (A Man Called Armstrong) and, of course, The Seekers. The city of Darwin (population 120,000) is named after Charles Darwin, the famous naturalist who proposed the theory that all species of life evolved over time from common ancestors through a process of 'natural selection'. What a load of codswallop that was! It you want to talk about 'survival of the fittest', I'm sorry Mr Darwin but you're dead, God isn't, so there goes that theory out the back door!
PS: Those who speak fluent Mandarin (like Yours Truly), would know that in the People's Republic of China, Darwin has a sister city called Haikou.
Days of Thunder
This 1990 movie was, of course, about the survival of the fittest in the car-racing genre and starred the first Mr Nicole Kidman, Tom Cruise. (Our Nic, of course, took the role of Dr Clair Lewicki and played it brilliantly). Nicole and Cruise went on to adopt two children, thus supporting my theory that they never had sex.
Dead Calm
This Nicole Kidman showcase (1989) is a nail-biter to bite all nails. Our Nic plays the part of Rae Ingram (brilliantly). Who could forget how she immortalised that line - "You know what I'd love for lunch? Fresh asparagus, then, um, pasta - angel hair pasta with heaps of basil, garlic, olive oil and, uh, apple pie." Ooh - the stuff of goosebumps! And talk about survival of the fittest here!! Our Nic sure was fit!!! Sam Neill was adequate. And when Nic had sex with the baddie, Billy Zane, that would have only been pretend acting.
Dentists
To date Nicole Kidman has not undertaken the role of a dentist. Or an undertaker. I mention 'dentists' because, in the lead-up to the last election, Dame Edna Everage said I looked like a 'dentist'. Well, Dame Edna, I think you look like a man in a wig... so there!
Depression
Depression is not a word most politicians or economists like to employ but it is one of the D-Words and I'm not afraid to use it! After all, an economic Depression is just a Recession that has reached its potential - and all it needs is a bit of 'spin'. I notice that the marketing gurus in 1929 dubbed that depression the 'Great Depression' - well - you ain't see nothin'! If and when our next Depression rolls in, it will be known as the 'Excellent Depression'! And privately I think I'll look on it as 'Kev and Wayne's Excellent Adventure'. (For those who can't see the positive side of Depression, call Lifeline 13 11 14)
Deserts
Australia is made up of a lot of deserts (e.g. Great Sandy, Great Victoria, Tanami and Gibson). One of the most famous is the Simpson Desert (176,500 square kilometres or about six times the size of Belgium). There have been a lot of famous Simpsons in history (e.g. the one with the donkey, the Wallis one who ran away with King Edward and Homer) but none of those were famous enough to have a desert named after them. This one is named after Alfred Allen Simpson, the president of the Royal Geographical Society of South Australia and when it comes to climate change across the planet, the deserts undoubtedly will be the fittest to survive. Unless, of course, they are flooded - the jury is still out.
Desserts
It is a little known fact that Australia is a world leader in making desserts and these are just some of the yummy after-main delights whipped up by our culinary inventors. The Pavlova is the most Australian of desserts (fluffy meringue), even though it was invented in New Zealand (sorry, so was Russel Crowe and he's Australian and the greatest Australian actress of all time, Nicole Kidman, was born in Hawaii!). The Pav was made in honour of Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, on one of her tours Down Under (Australasia). The Neenish Tart comes from a Mrs Ruby Neenish (1913) who lived in Grong Grong, NSW. Following the Aboriginal double-lexative meaning 'many' (e.g. Wagga Wagga = place of many crows) then this must be a place of many grongs. And the most famous dessert/cake of all has to be the Lamington (also Heritage listed). As much as the French try to claim it as theirs (La Mington), it was actually named after Lord Lamington the Governor of Queensland from 1896 to 1901. Even though they were named in his honour, the governor referred to them as "those bloody poofy woolly biscuits" (true!!). The term, Lamington Drive refers, of course, to an Australian fundraiser, not to the driveway in Eyes Wide Shut, starring our very own Nicole Kidman.
Didgeridoo
An Aboriginal wind instrument. In some indigenous tribes only men are permitted to play the didgeridoo and in 2008 Our Nicole Kidman was criticised in the media for playing one on German television during the promotion of the movie, Australia. Hello???!!! Our Nic comes from the white 'tribe'! And boy, symbolically speaking, that performance was up there with a train disappearing into a tunnel!
Dingo
The dingo is an Australian wild dog and, as dogs go, not a particularly attractive one. It is closely related to the wolf and, as wolves go, it's not a particularly attractive one. Babies should not be left with dingoes unattended. 'Dingo' is also a slang term for a coward and if you 'dingo' on someone you betray them (see Hawke promise to Keating). Australia's most famous Dingo is called 'Ernie'.
Dingo Fence
This is the world's longest fence, stretching some 5,320km from Queensland's Darling Downs to the Great Australian Bight. It is not documented how many dingoes were used to construct the fence but they are not considered an endangered species so I guess that's okay.
Dogville
Survival of the fittest?! As Grace Margaret Mulligan, Our Nicole K takes out a whole town in this 2003 thriller (brilliantly!). Go girl!!! The rape scenes would have been pretend acting by the way...
Down Under
This is a colloquial term for Australia and the title of a song by Men At Work, which is a type of anthem in popular culture. An extract:
I come from a land Down Under
Where beer does flow and men chunder
Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take cover
They don't write them like that anymore - which is not necessarily a bad thing.
Durham, Judith
Though the carnival is over, I will love you till I die.
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D
Darwin
Days of Thunder
Dead Calm
Dentists
Depression
Deserts
Desserts
Didgeridoo
Dingo
Dingo Fence
Dogville
Down Under
Durham, Judith
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