Author Archives: mjbrown

Days commemorating important historical figures typically fall on the anniversary of those persons’ birth or death. John Curtin Day, on 7 October, defies this convention, commemorating instead the day in 1941 on which its namesake became the 14th Prime Minister … Read More

A record number of attendees descended upon the historic gold-rush city of Ballarat over the pre-Easter weekend for the fifth National Annual General Meeting of the revived Australian Natives’ Association. The Victorian branch was thrilled to host what is not … Read More

An address to the men of the Australian Natives’ Association Victorian branch On 23 January 1788, Governor Arthur Phillip gave orders for the First Fleet to sail out of Botany Bay for Port Jackson. Only four days earlier, the last … Read More

For the typical Australian, late October and early November are likely most closely associated with horse racing and – increasingly – Halloween. From a nationalist perspective, this is a shame for several reasons. Halloween may well count among its Australian … Read More

Australia’s first Islamic bank is projected to begin operations in 2025. Islam prohibits usury, so this bank advertises “profit-share” on deposit accounts, and “interest-free” loans in which the bank takes a sort of partnership role with borrowers, sharing in the … Read More

The planting of wattle trees has, for obvious reasons, long been at the heart of Wattle Day commemorations. The original conception of the day, however, involved something more substantial. In her excellent article “Wattle Nationalism”, which presents an overview of … Read More

When we nativists speak of Australian identity, we tend to do so as though it were a monolithic entity. We do so for practical reasons, of course; in seeking to resist the forces of multiculturalism, it is far simpler to … Read More

It is fortuitous for our association that, of all the triumph and tragedy to emerge from Australia’s nation-defining experience in the Great War, the anniversary of the Gallipoli landing has been chosen above all else as the lasting monument to … Read More

Lest we forget. It is the phrase around which Anzac Day commemorations revolve; the raison d’etre of the entire day. And yet, ironically, it seems we are increasingly expected to forget much of the Anzac legacy, particularly where it intersects with matters … Read More

On Saturday evening, 17 February, the Victorian branch of the Australian Natives’ Association hosted its inaugural Banjo Paterson Night in honour of the 160th birthday of our unofficial national poet. The evening included speeches and discussions about Paterson’s life and … Read More

An address to the men of the Australian Natives’ Association Victorian Branch We gather here today in recognition of our national day – Australia Day. That we should do so, as nationalists, is hardly surprising. And yet it seems our … Read More

While the news media has focused heavily on the upcoming referendum to enshrine an Aboriginal lobby group into the constitution (“The Voice”), little attention has been paid to or analysis provided of Victoria’s experiences with promoting so-called “Aboriginal self determination” … Read More