Little Australia

Little Australia is a name for any of the various communities where Australians congregate upon emigrating to other countries, examples can be found in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The concept of "Little Australia" holds many different aspects of the Australian culture. Common features include shops selling Australian goods and Australian restaurants lining the streets. A "Little Australia" strives essentially to have a version of the country of Australia placed in the middle of a big non-Australian city.[1][2][3]

Mulberry Street

Mulberry Street in New York's Nolita district is commonly referred to by Australian expats as "Little Australia" due to the influence of Australian and New Zealand cafe culture in the area which includes establishments such as Ruby's, Two Hands, Happy Bones. [4] Avocado on toast or colloquially referred to in Australia as "Avo on toast" and "Smashed Avo" [5] is a uniquely Australian breakfast staple that many New Yorkers mistake for being an invention of their own.

Earls Court

Earl's Court in London had the nickname Kangaroo Valley or Kangaroo Court, although many Australasian visitors now go to cheaper districts to the north or west.

When Barry Humphries went (by sea) to London in 1959, he and Ros lived in Ladbroke Grove in Kensington. He made an impromptu visit to an Earls Court pub, smack in the middle of Kangaroo Valley, as it was sometimes called. He fell physically ill and frightened by what he saw. The packs of loutish Australian youths swilling beer and swearing revived painful memories of the bullies at Melbourne Grammar. [6]

In 1962 Clive James went (also by sea; only one friend could afford to fly) to London with a weeks accommodation booked in Earls Court, which in those days was still nicknamed "Kangaroo Valley". He said that there was no mistaking the Earls Court Australians ... with jug ears, short haircuts .... and open, freckled, eyeless faces despite their navy-blue English duffle-coats; though they had not yet taken to carrying twelve-packs of Foster's Lager, and the broad-brimmed Akubra hat with corks dangling from the brim was never to be more than a myth. After he moved, he vowed never to enter Earls Court again.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Dena Silver (2015-10-02). "New York's So-Called 'Little Australia' Gets a New Clothing Shop". Observer. Retrieved 2016-03-15.
  2. ↑ "Whistler, Canada | Australian ski workers | Welcome to Little Australia". Traveller.com.au. 2011-05-05. Retrieved 2016-03-15.
  3. ↑ "Nocookies". The Australian. Retrieved 2016-03-15.
  4. ↑ "Australian expat community living in New York City". News.com.au. 2016-02-22. Retrieved 2016-03-15.
  5. ↑ Tovey, Josephine (2017-05-18). "Why the smashed avo meme refuses to die". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2017-06-08.
  6. ↑ Pender, Anne (2010). One Man Show: The Stages of Barry Humphries. Sydney: ABC Books. p. 101. ISBN 978-0-7333-2591-5.
  7. ↑ James, Clive (1985). Falling Towards England: Unreliable Memoirs II. London: Jonathan Cape. pp. 17, 18, 23, 30. ISBN 0-224-02822-7.
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