The subject is Australian history, and I must admit that I am looking forward to reading the entries that we will get for this competition. Particularly it will be interesting to see what time periods in Australian history people will write about. There are particularly interesting periods which beg for stories to be told that have so far as I can find be left untouched.
I love history and one of my father’s passions was to read about Australian history, something he passed onto me. While members of our family didn’t do anything of historical note, apparently one of my great, great uncles (my great grandmothers brother) ran with Ben Hall, something Dad said no one spoke of when he was a kid except in private and always with a certain amount of embarrassment, which is interesting because I would think that today most people would be claiming with pride that they were related to some famous bushranger, picturing them with a certain amount of romances while conveniently ignoring such inconvenient facts such as they were generally thieves and killers. I have to admit I am one of those people and read whatever I can about Ben and his gang.
But times change and a country as young as Australia, which hasn’t undergone much in the way of exciting, daring may do events such as civil wars or the regicide of a tyrant need the ideas of rebel for the people, someone who the average person can empathise with in their struggles in life. As a result, people who, if they were alive today the public would be baying for their blood, are considered to be hero’s of a sort.
I guess what I am basically saying is that it is interesting how history has a way of erasing to gory of the past, leaving the romantic and idealised version of people we wouldn’t really want to meet in a dark alley at any time.
But I digress. The Stringybark Short Story Competition is now open. Check it out begin writing your winning entry now. While you are their check out their stunning judges including yours truly.
until next time
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