Irish Echo Australia's Irish Community Newspaper --02/2002 What is the Irish legacy to Australia? How influential have the Irish been in shaping Australia? It's a broad question and an important one. Michael Finn examines the issue in a historical context and through the thoughts and utterances of two of Australia's best known Hibernians - Paul Keating and Tom Keneally. AUSTRALIA would not be what it is today without the contribution of the Irish. A leaf through the pages of this country's continuing march to nationhood uncovers the contribution made by countless Irish men and women whose fingerprints are marked indelibly on the evolution of Australia. Prime Minister, John Howard, once singled out the larrikin element of his country's character as Ireland's greatest contribution, but former leader Paul Keating hit the nail more squarely on the head during a state visit to Ireland in 1993: - "The spirit of [Ireland] was at the centre of most Australian attitudes. And that was a basic lack of respect for undemocratic authority, a belief in equality and the right to justice. Australia owes a lot to Ireland and we owe [it] a great deal for being such an important thread in our history, for being a vital part of our past and, I hope, a vital part of our future." There are several reasons why the formative role of the Irish is not often trumpeted, or perhaps even acknowledged, by many Australians. One of the main ones being the fact that this country, as a political entity, sprouted from the roots of a British penal colony. And colonialism, if not strictly by definition certainly by practice, is founded on the suppression of existing,weaker and 'alien' cultures. So for every ounce of Irish tradition that is discernible in the Australian character, so too - in disproportionate measure -- the remnants of colonial rule. In the early days of the colony the Irish were perceived as a lazy and feckless lot, which they most likely were at the outset. Such traits were,after all, endemic to a poor and largely rural country like Ireland where there was very little for the natives to be enthusiastic about in the first place, save rebellion against foreign foes. Yet, when presented with the opportunity to better their lot, the Irish fast emerged as a people who thrived on hard work and later emerged with a suitably enhanced reputation. Among the greatest contributions made by the Irish to Australia was the fostering of a love for the land, and a sense of place. With notable characters like the Wicklow Chief, Michael Dwyer, there was an attitude that the Irish did not want to happen in Australia what had occurred in Ireland under British rule. And as the Irish convict immigrants were continuously encouraged to abandon their nativeness and assimilate into the Australia psyche, the further they rebelled against it. Not surprisingly, therefore, the Irish were seen as the enemy who plotted against the stability and order imposed by the governors. Renowned Irish Australian author, Tom Keneally (Schindler's Ark, The Great Shame) put it well when he said that as a modern day Australian, he had inherited this empathy for the oppressed and the underdog. "You've got to make an effort, if you have that belief, to get over siding with the underdog," he said. "Because life was tough in Ireland, they didn't expect perfection on earth but accepted stoically what came. The thing about Irishness that thrills me most is stroppiness and being troublesome. "As the colonies grew, the restlessness exhibited by the Irish began to permeate through society and the need for an all-embracing form of government was identified. But even prior to Federation, the centenary of which is celebrated this year, William Smith O'Brien was busy working on a draft of a Federal Constitution, proving that the Irish had a hand in instigating the changes that set Australia on its way. During his historic state visit to Ireland, Prime Minister Keating - whose ancestors hailed from County Galway - reflected on the bond between the two countries. He believed there was "no other country in the world more like Ireland than Australia" and said that because so many Irish people took the fateful decision to cross the world and go to other places, they "changed the lives of many others." "The great consciousness of the Irish reached way out there [to Australia],the spirit of which has impacted itself on a whole nation. We since made it a place where, in our country, we've smoothed out the differences and worn down the old enmities. People tolerate everyone else's attitudes because of their essential belief in the rights of others." Australia, he pointed out, was a great place for the Irish to go to because once there, they made their way on merit. "Australia is not a country of class, and unlike Europe and unlike the tyranny of so much of Irish life, we didn't have to make our way on the basis that we were not born equally. That we are born equally and that we are entitled to life's opportunities - because we certainly die equally - means the notion that any of us, individually or as a society, should live in some way in deference to some other class or people is a complete anathema to anyone who puts a high price on the dignity of human life. "To have Irish ancestry is to have an asset one carries forever. Because when you carry it around, you carry the wishes and feelings of the Irish people with you." Nowadays, the colour of Irish influence on Australia has changed. No longer is the Irish influence needed to safeguard the rights of the Irish community within society, because it is no longer persecuted and because so many from it have prospered and progressed to positions of high repute. And no longer is the Irish influence required to constantly nip at the ankles of a colonial power, to ensure justice for all - irrespective of race or religion. This enshrining of basic civil rights must be regarded as one of the greatest bequests by the Irish to the land under the Southern Cross.