The White Hat Melbourne Newsletter

Archived Newsletter No.108 - 10 December 2004

Contents

Carols
The Shrine
Twilight markets
Dance
Melbourne Myths & Legends
Music
Family stuff
Country Victoria
Reader feedback

Carols

Carols in the daylight and carols sung at night,
Carols all round Melbourne keeping spirits bright

There’s carols on the farm and there’s carols by the lake,
Carols in the streets and malls and loos for goodness sake.

Carols out in Richmond, carols at The Glen,
Carols sung at midnight – “Where’s our church again?”

Carols by the cow and carols on the Yarra,
Carols in the wide streets, carols in the narreh.

(OK – you try finding something that rhymes with Yarra)

There’s carols about sleighbells and there’s carols about snow,
Carols about buying gifts – ready wrapped to go.

Good old Melbourne icon, carols in the bowl.
Flogging ‘personalities’ – kind of lost its soul.

There’s carols in the round and there’s carols in Fed Square.
Think I’ll go to Hanukah – won’t be carols there.

Details of carol performances at Melbourne Music (general). Details of Hanukah celebrations at Federation Square

Shrine

This weekend is the last chance to catch the exhibition at the Shrine Gallipoli – a Turkish view.

Twilight market

There are a couple of twilight markets on the concourse of the Dockland Stadium.

Dance

This weekend there is the Australian Dance Sports competition at Melbourne Park. Dance Sports is just ballroom dancing with fewer clothes. There is also something called World 10 Dance competitions, so anyone who knows what that means will probably want to go.

Melbourne Myths & Legends

Subtractive Myths

(rambling & self-indulgent so I suggest you jump to the next section)

Last week we mentioned Additive Myths of Melbourne. What we have called a Subtractive Myth is formed by taking a historical person and event and stripping away or ignoring numbers of aspects. This usually results in a complex three dimensional person being reduced to a simplistic one dimensional "hero" or "villain". John Batman is currently taught in many schools as a simplistic villain. The wonderful little book 1066 and All That parodied this approach to history in an entertaining way by reducing many events and characters in British history to either "A Good Thing" or "A Bad Thing".

Subtractive myths are often favoured by academics and historians to subtly push a given world view because they are not strictly lying. Quite often a subtractive myth tells the truth - it just doesn't tell the whole truth and is therefore misleading (I have read many CVs in my time that use this technique). The subtractive myth has also become particularly popular with a certain style of teaching (it is easier to teach a simplistic view of the world than a complex one) and with those promoting certain dogmas, 'isms' or socio-political causes (you simply strip out any information that doesn't fit your cause).

Perhaps Melbourne’s best known subtractive myth is Vida Goldstein. Most profiles of Vida simply don’t mention that for much of her life she regarded her early beliefs as ‘mistaken’. Nor do I think that the ‘gels’ at the Presbyterian Ladies College (her old school) are made aware of the religious views she later adopted. It’s easier to leave out the inconvenient bits – which in Vida’s case are quite large.

The Aboriginal section of the new Melbourne Museum also constitutes a subtractive myth. Whether the best way to right past wrongs is to replace an old and hopelessly distorted view of Aboriginal history with a new, sanitised and seriously incomplete one is a difficult question. Sometimes subtractive myths are presented to ‘make us think’ but often end up by replacing thinking with a pre-packaged opinion. If you haven’t been you should certainly do so. It is very well done and maybe Australia needs to live through a corrective period of subtractive myth in this area.

In the meantime beware of the subtractive myth at Christmas parties this year. Everything he’s said is true – he just left out the bit about being married.

Music

There is a free organ and orchestra concert at the Town Hall. Or you could go to A Day on the Green and spend a day on the turps while listening to Jamie Cullum & Kate Ceberano. You could also attend the  Women’s International Jazz Festival or hear Zulya in concert singing from her new album.

Family stuff

This weekend there is a free open day at Fitzroy Pool to celebrate its ‘being saved’. I think it was to be closed by the council, but its easier to blame it on Jeff. At Fed Square there is an entertainment with the Tweenies, Bill & Ben and Postman Pat. On researching this event we are shocked to have to reveal that it not really Bill & Ben who will be appearing but two actors dressed in strange costumes. We would hasten to add, however, that Santa and the tooth fairy are real. There is also the dishes fairy that comes and does the dirty dishes if you leave them for long enough. Details at Family Activities in Melbourne.

Country Victoria

There is the Sawpit Gully Food and Wine Festival where you can learn sushi making and there will be a visit by Santa. Just a warning – those families who this year leave out sushi and a glass of soy milk for Santa may not get a visit next year.

Reader feedback

“. . we were investigating your hidden harbours last weekend when we came across another pair carrying some printed sheets. Sure enough, it was the white hat newsletter. Maybe white hatters should learn some sort of secret handshake. .”
Jess & Jim

“ . . I started reading your newsletter several years ago. Back then I read it mainly for the wit. I still enjoy the wit, but find I am reading it more and more for the wisdom. The week wouldn’t be the same without your newsletter ..
Don”

“Unsubcribe – arty pretentious xxxx
The Zingman”

I suspect the truth is somewhere half way in between the last two evaluations of the newsletter.