Class Distinction
Feb 22nd 2008, 9:18 pm
#16
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Re: Class Distinction
Australia seems to operate a system like many western countries where people try to advance themsleves through hard work and self-improvement.
Where we are it attracts people from all walks of life, most are reasonably well off, but they are also happy and enlightened. You don't get the troubles found elsewhere out in the suburbs where money may be plentiful but there is less social unity.
You do find that accents place people less here. I've met academics here who don't come over as academics inthe way they would in Europe.
Feb 22nd 2008, 9:20 pm
#17
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Joined: Nov 2005
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Re: Class Distinction
Most people seem more concerned about money than any sort of prestige gained say through education. At least education enlightens people, whereas money can make people go backwards.
Australia seems to operate a system like many western countries where people try to advance themsleves through hard work and self-improvement.
Where we are it attracts people from all walks of life, most are reasonably well off, but they are also happy and enlightened. You don't get the troubles found elsewhere out in the suburbs where money may be plentiful but there is less social unity.
You do find that accents place people less here. I've met academics here who don't come over as academics inthe way they would in Europe.
Australia seems to operate a system like many western countries where people try to advance themsleves through hard work and self-improvement.
Where we are it attracts people from all walks of life, most are reasonably well off, but they are also happy and enlightened. You don't get the troubles found elsewhere out in the suburbs where money may be plentiful but there is less social unity.
You do find that accents place people less here. I've met academics here who don't come over as academics inthe way they would in Europe.
I always read your posts in a posh accent for some reason
Feb 22nd 2008, 9:31 pm
#18
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Re: Class Distinction
Mate - admittedly people in the UK at times have acused me of being posh - my old dear is an gal from a public school and had my less posh friends in stitches. It's all relative - and in any case my mother married a working class Londoner who liked to have a joke about how he delivered the milk to Buck House but Mum went to the Queen's garden party..
Have to admit, Australia has knocked out some of my vowels and made me more London than SE if that makes sense but its very unfashionable to have a posh accent now - even the media is changing. But enough education, ''background'' and good diction will still get you a job in the city as I discovered, and is more important than money.
Thing is, as a result of work and interests, I mixed with a lot of different people in the UK from Etonians to the roughest blokes from S London - and I think I am a ''better'' person as a result. You could not typecast me at all.
I found in my late teens, early 20s meeting privileged people who had no idea of people from different backgrounds and found it hard to appreciate I could even entertain the idea.
Now in Australia I find I can relate to most people - in the same way so find it amusing when people on this forum bitterly can't relate to anyone here.
Have to admit, Australia has knocked out some of my vowels and made me more London than SE if that makes sense but its very unfashionable to have a posh accent now - even the media is changing. But enough education, ''background'' and good diction will still get you a job in the city as I discovered, and is more important than money.
Thing is, as a result of work and interests, I mixed with a lot of different people in the UK from Etonians to the roughest blokes from S London - and I think I am a ''better'' person as a result. You could not typecast me at all.
I found in my late teens, early 20s meeting privileged people who had no idea of people from different backgrounds and found it hard to appreciate I could even entertain the idea.
Now in Australia I find I can relate to most people - in the same way so find it amusing when people on this forum bitterly can't relate to anyone here.
Feb 22nd 2008, 9:35 pm
#19
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Joined: Nov 2005
Location: at the bottom of a wine glass
Posts: 28,176
Re: Class Distinction
Mate - admittedly people in the UK at times have acused me of being posh - my old dear is an gal from a public school and had my less posh friends in stitches. It's all relative - and in any case my mother married a working class Londoner who liked to have a joke about how he delivered the milk to Buck House but Mum went to the Queen's garden party..
Have to admit, Australia has knocked out some of my vowels and made me more London than SE if that makes sense but its very unfashionable to have a posh accent now - even the media is changing. But enough education, ''background'' and good diction will still get you a job in the city as I discovered, and is more important than money.
Thing is, as a result of work and interests, I mixed with a lot of different people in the UK from Etonians to the roughest blokes from S London - and I think I am a ''better'' person as a result. You could not typecast me at all.
I found in my late teens, early 20s meeting privileged people who had no idea of people from different backgrounds and found it hard to appreciate I could even entertain the idea.
Now in Australia I find I can relate to most people - in the same way so find it amusing when people on this forum bitterly can't relate to anyone here.
Have to admit, Australia has knocked out some of my vowels and made me more London than SE if that makes sense but its very unfashionable to have a posh accent now - even the media is changing. But enough education, ''background'' and good diction will still get you a job in the city as I discovered, and is more important than money.
Thing is, as a result of work and interests, I mixed with a lot of different people in the UK from Etonians to the roughest blokes from S London - and I think I am a ''better'' person as a result. You could not typecast me at all.
I found in my late teens, early 20s meeting privileged people who had no idea of people from different backgrounds and found it hard to appreciate I could even entertain the idea.
Now in Australia I find I can relate to most people - in the same way so find it amusing when people on this forum bitterly can't relate to anyone here.
I wasn't having a go at you
I have always done it, no idea why. 
Feb 22nd 2008, 9:40 pm
#20
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Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Posts: 16,622
Re: Class Distinction
Nor was I mate - I find it fascinating actually as I've had a ball in life (because of the mix). Should also point out that money never featured in our lives.
Incidentally, one of my biggest gripes about Brit expats are the ones who come here, decide they are too important for Australia and see themselves better than Australians but are decidedly very ordinary themselves.....
Incidentally, one of my biggest gripes about Brit expats are the ones who come here, decide they are too important for Australia and see themselves better than Australians but are decidedly very ordinary themselves.....
Feb 22nd 2008, 9:49 pm
#21
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Joined: Sep 2006
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Posts: 2,383
Re: Class Distinction
Just out of interest, does any one ever consider themselves European?
I do sometimes. I'm happy to call my nationality English or British (same thing innit?!
) but I speak bits of other Euro languages and have visited a lot of Euro countries (mainly western ones, have the east & north on my to-do list) so don't feel wrong calling myself European too, esp in contrast to someone from another continent.
Edit: Oops! This was supposed to go on the thread about nationality!! I blame my computer's crappy connection this morning. Apologies all!
I do sometimes. I'm happy to call my nationality English or British (same thing innit?!
) but I speak bits of other Euro languages and have visited a lot of Euro countries (mainly western ones, have the east & north on my to-do list) so don't feel wrong calling myself European too, esp in contrast to someone from another continent.Edit: Oops! This was supposed to go on the thread about nationality!! I blame my computer's crappy connection this morning. Apologies all!
Last edited by esperanza; Feb 22nd 2008 at 11:10 pm.
Feb 22nd 2008, 10:01 pm
#22
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Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Posts: 16,622
Re: Class Distinction
Just out of interest, does any one ever consider themselves European?
I do sometimes. I'm happy to call my nationality English or British (same thing innit?!) but I speak bits of other Euro languages and have visited a lot of Euro countries (mainly western ones, have the east & north on my to-do list) so don't feel wrong calling myself European too, esp in contrast to someone from another continent.
I do sometimes. I'm happy to call my nationality English or British (same thing innit?!
) but I speak bits of other Euro languages and have visited a lot of Euro countries (mainly western ones, have the east & north on my to-do list) so don't feel wrong calling myself European too, esp in contrast to someone from another continent.
Feb 22nd 2008, 10:05 pm
#23
Still alive
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 28,994
Re: Class Distinction
I can only assume this is a wind up, as the class distinction her in mellie, sickens me to my stomach, i hear it on a day to day basis working in the operating theatre, i am sick listening to the medical staff , i am sick listening to where they live, where their kids go to school, their holiday/investment property, even their double glazing ffs, but most sickenting of all is the talk of 'can the squeeze another medicare nos outta this operation', which means they get paid more , private or public, and they are so up their own arses they assume the nursing staff round about are too 'thick' to pick up on this:curse:
iI am sick of the talk as to wherther this patient has 'private health cover and extras, and , 'if we mention cancer will they pay more', i am sick of the comparison to the outer eastern suburbs to the inner eastern suburbs, i am sick of the statements like 'well their from dandenong, whatdoya expect,' , or even worse from the wester suburbs with no private health insurance, i am SICK! SICK! SICK! of it!!!!!
iI am sick of the talk as to wherther this patient has 'private health cover and extras, and , 'if we mention cancer will they pay more', i am sick of the comparison to the outer eastern suburbs to the inner eastern suburbs, i am sick of the statements like 'well their from dandenong, whatdoya expect,' , or even worse from the wester suburbs with no private health insurance, i am SICK! SICK! SICK! of it!!!!!
Feb 22nd 2008, 10:19 pm
#24
Home and Happy
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Posts: 93,814
Re: Class Distinction
I'm working temp in the gynae-oncology unit of a large public hospital here in Perth and can honestly say I've heard none of this from any of the staff. The doctors are all as social with us peon temp/admin staff as they are with the other doctors. I've only been in this role for 2 weeks, but have found absolutely no class distinction going on. Maybe it's the unit I'm in, but then again I never heard any of it when I worked in Adelaide, either.
Some of the Brits I've met in Aus can talk about nothing but how big the house is, and how big the pool is, how much money they brought over, how many rooms the new house will have when its built
But equally, I know a lot of Aussies who go on about their investment properties, and their share portfolios, and their new cars - the cars seems to be a biggie, comparing the latest model this and that. There are also a lot of Aussies with serious chips on their shoulders about how people are better off than they are, how they have family members who have managed to buy bigger houses and how disgraceful it is that they are doing well for themselves.
Feb 22nd 2008, 10:39 pm
#25
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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 10,375
Re: Class Distinction
Sent one of our boys to a private school for a year, not the catholic schools, a real private school, $9000 a year. If you think there is no snobbery in OZ rock on
The up youself nonsense and bollocks in that year! from the $800 of of uniform to the comparing of cars, houses, bathroom fittings $$$$$ rules, and lo behold if someone went on a overseas trip!!!!!! such a big point scorer that one especially if it involved skis. From what we saw of the posh bits of melbourne ditto, as for the stint in the prestige
acerage precinct round 'ere half of them were ferals money certainly didnt buy class but they tried hard enough.
The up youself nonsense and bollocks in that year! from the $800 of of uniform to the comparing of cars, houses, bathroom fittings $$$$$ rules, and lo behold if someone went on a overseas trip!!!!!! such a big point scorer that one especially if it involved skis. From what we saw of the posh bits of melbourne ditto, as for the stint in the prestige acerage precinct round 'ere half of them were ferals money certainly didnt buy class but they tried hard enough.
Feb 22nd 2008, 11:54 pm
#26
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Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
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Re: Class Distinction
I come somewhere in between as I am partial to the occasional ''toy'' especially if it teaches me something
or helps juggle kids with maintenance...
Feb 23rd 2008, 12:20 am
#27
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Re: Class Distinction
have met up yourself ozzies and up yourself pommes and the similarities are remarkable.
I drive a 1982 toyota and was reliably informed that this was inappropriate for my position... but have no money so what do they want me to do about that? One perk of my job is my own parking space.. I'm using that to park my own car thank you!
We live in a rental that a 'guest' at a barbeque' last week reliably informed was a 'dump' and needed bulldozing... get over it lady... its a clean and tidy roof and I have four kids... and the wedgwood china and edinburgh crystal is still packed in boxes til we buy our own place.. we can live without aircon and marble and beige in the short term.. and in the long term you wont be invited to our new house...
People are obssessed with what they have got and what you haven't got but get over it...
I eat like a princess (sorry, I'm not an anoreix/bulleamic so perhaps thats I eat like a king...) I pay my bills and I have enopugh casj=h top take the kids out and go for a drink with my work mates.. and buy a microwave if I want one..
we are all naked under our cozzies when we are at the beach...
I drive a 1982 toyota and was reliably informed that this was inappropriate for my position... but have no money so what do they want me to do about that? One perk of my job is my own parking space.. I'm using that to park my own car thank you!
We live in a rental that a 'guest' at a barbeque' last week reliably informed was a 'dump' and needed bulldozing... get over it lady... its a clean and tidy roof and I have four kids... and the wedgwood china and edinburgh crystal is still packed in boxes til we buy our own place.. we can live without aircon and marble and beige in the short term.. and in the long term you wont be invited to our new house...
People are obssessed with what they have got and what you haven't got but get over it...
I eat like a princess (sorry, I'm not an anoreix/bulleamic so perhaps thats I eat like a king...) I pay my bills and I have enopugh casj=h top take the kids out and go for a drink with my work mates.. and buy a microwave if I want one..
we are all naked under our cozzies when we are at the beach...
Feb 23rd 2008, 12:52 am
#28
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Joined: Sep 2005
Location: Somewhere South... Not Telling YOU
Posts: 10,959
Re: Class Distinction
forgot to mention that the 'lady' with the your house is a dump' comment
had so much "class" she brought her own stubbie holder with her
had so much "class" she brought her own stubbie holder with her
Feb 23rd 2008, 12:57 am
#29
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Joined: Nov 2007
Location: Adelaide
Posts: 1,409
Re: Class Distinction
have met up yourself ozzies and up yourself pommes and the similarities are remarkable.
I drive a 1982 toyota and was reliably informed that this was inappropriate for my position... but have no money so what do they want me to do about that? One perk of my job is my own parking space.. I'm using that to park my own car thank you!
We live in a rental that a 'guest' at a barbeque' last week reliably informed was a 'dump' and needed bulldozing... get over it lady... its a clean and tidy roof and I have four kids... and the wedgwood china and edinburgh crystal is still packed in boxes til we buy our own place.. we can live without aircon and marble and beige in the short term.. and in the long term you wont be invited to our new house...
People are obssessed with what they have got and what you haven't got but get over it...
I eat like a princess (sorry, I'm not an anoreix/bulleamic so perhaps thats I eat like a king...) I pay my bills and I have enopugh casj=h top take the kids out and go for a drink with my work mates.. and buy a microwave if I want one..
we are all naked under our cozzies when we are at the beach...
I drive a 1982 toyota and was reliably informed that this was inappropriate for my position... but have no money so what do they want me to do about that? One perk of my job is my own parking space.. I'm using that to park my own car thank you!
We live in a rental that a 'guest' at a barbeque' last week reliably informed was a 'dump' and needed bulldozing... get over it lady... its a clean and tidy roof and I have four kids... and the wedgwood china and edinburgh crystal is still packed in boxes til we buy our own place.. we can live without aircon and marble and beige in the short term.. and in the long term you wont be invited to our new house...
People are obssessed with what they have got and what you haven't got but get over it...
I eat like a princess (sorry, I'm not an anoreix/bulleamic so perhaps thats I eat like a king...) I pay my bills and I have enopugh casj=h top take the kids out and go for a drink with my work mates.. and buy a microwave if I want one..
we are all naked under our cozzies when we are at the beach...
I agree totally. I used to work with an english woman that used to say about would be snobs that 'They've got a spotty bums just like the rest of us'
Feb 23rd 2008, 2:00 am
#30
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Joined: Aug 2003
Location: Ellenbrook, WA
Posts: 2,732
Re: Class Distinction
I haven't really come accross this, apart from a few expats who look down at us because we are from the north (of the UK) 
I personally couldn't give a rats a** if someone is loaded, speaks 'proper' etc, I take people at face value and if I get on with them, then what they have or don't have, makes no difference to me.
Went to a black tie 'do' last week, arrived to a trio of musicians and a photographer taking pics of everyone in their finery
Next minute, the trio had gone, to be replaced with an Ozzie rock band and the host was head banging on the dance floor in his tux
Had a brilliant time and it kind of summed up for me what Australia is all about - some like to think they are 'cultured' but underneath they like to let their hair down and have a right good p*ss up
I personally couldn't give a rats a** if someone is loaded, speaks 'proper' etc, I take people at face value and if I get on with them, then what they have or don't have, makes no difference to me.
Went to a black tie 'do' last week, arrived to a trio of musicians and a photographer taking pics of everyone in their finery
Next minute, the trio had gone, to be replaced with an Ozzie rock band and the host was head banging on the dance floor in his tux
Had a brilliant time and it kind of summed up for me what Australia is all about - some like to think they are 'cultured' but underneath they like to let their hair down and have a right good p*ss up