Backbencher

"Society: All Blacks vs. Wallabies" was the title of Lecture 6. It was about how Australians and New Zealanders saw themselves. Australians are not English and New Zealanders are not Australian.

After World War II, many Europeans immigrated down to Australia and New Zealand. There was also an Asian and a Polynesian immigration in New Zealand. They then had a multi-culture and an Anglo-Celtic core culture. The Anglo-Celtics in New Zealand are called Pakeha. In Australia, there was a migration of people from the rural parts to the cities. New Zealand has a "green interest in the countryside." There was an increase in numbers of farm well into the 1970s. This is different from most other places in the world where the people were moving off of the farms.

Australians and New Zealanders are very into sports. The Australians have Rugby League, the New Zealanders have Rugby Union, and then there is another sport called Australia Rules which is very vicious. The All Blacks from New Zealand are the "most successful international rugby organization in history."

It is interesting that the New Zealanders are such fanatics of Rugby and that if the team does not play well but still wins, the fans are not happy with the Rugby team. They are also very competitive with the British and feel really good when they beat them. I was wondering if Australia and/or New Zealand have some kind of auto racing. If they do, is it an important part of their lives like NASCAR is with many Americans? Do they drive on tracks or are they actual road races?