It (was) January 26 in Australia — that complicated national holiday where the nation commemorates a "national tradition" begun in 1994 by an elderly culture warrior Prime Minister with a black-armband view of the future, and arguing fiercely about what being Australian means in its remaining media by mostly Anglo Caucasians. There’s music to start (Christine Anu, the Warumpi Band, King Stingray), followed by a quick history of big events on January 26 (British flag‑planting hijinks from Hong Kong to Botany Bay), and a side serve of protest, because what’s more Australian than a chorus of “We’re all mates!” followed by nobody agreeing on why.

As temperatures climb past 45°C, Melbourne roasts, and the Otways are beginning to burn. This is a big deal for people who know their Australian pre-history as well as modern bushfire history: the Otways are the last of the ancient Gondwana-era cool temperate rainforests on the south end of the Australian mainland, and it only burns one way: catastrophically. Last time it burned was 1939. Now... many more people live there & (mostly) volunteers will try to save it.

The week closes on the loss of Midnight Oil’s Rob Hirst: the drummer who gave Australia its most un‑editable drum solo and a rhythm that still won’t quit. A drummer whose legacy stretches far into the future as much as his prolific output was caught on video and captured in so many great recordings over more than 40 years.

A scorching, sweat‑stained week in which the nation wrestles with its past, its present, and its air conditioning — set, as always, to a truly great soundtrack.

Songs played:

Christine Anu - My Island Home (1994)

King Stingray - Down Under (2022)

Midnight Oil - Power and the Passion (live, 2017)

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