I remember a Belgian friend telling me that ‘Belgium is a joke’. I asked ‘why?’. He explained that ‘it just is – that’s why surrealism began here’.
Belgium was ‘invented’ after the Napoleonic War as means of preventing another European war. Instead, it led to the Schlieffen Plan and thus another two World Wars. Australia was involved in both wars and, I suppose, this could hardly have been avoided. But the question of how politically integrated Australia needs to be is still one for the future. It may be, as many have said, that we are moving towards a world of cities and away from a world of nations, or perhaps to a world of looser nations – in a way that Deng Xiaoping pioneered with his brilliant One Country – Two Systems solution for Hong Kong. I wonder if he was inspired by Europe’s unproclaimed arrangement of One Country – Twenty Seven Systems.

As the native born ‘currency’ children began to make up the population in greater numbers confidence in the landscape setting was mirrored by a new ease in the vast landscapes of Australia, inland settlement and a new sense of spaciousness in settlement patterns.

Do you think language diversification reflects a sense of distinct cultural areas ie think Belgium?

Indigenous populations in Australia were highly culturally and linguistically diverse [ http://www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/map-aboriginal-australia ] and hence there are greater geographical divisions into ‘country’ than the original colonies prior to Federation.

Until 1948 with the passing of the Nationality and Citizenship Act Australians (excepting Indigenous Australians who were protected persons [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_protected_person ]) remained subjects of Britain.