4. A few big firsts

Preludes to Nothing 

“Ah yes, women. And football. I'll choose one of those for our next chapter. Whichever is the easiest, I think would be best."

―Chapter 3

The footy.

All right then. It just so happens that there was a big game here in Melbourne last night between what I think might be the two oldest clubs in professional or major league football worldwide? Counting in all codes of football? And those two teams were, and are, Melbourne and Geelong.

And I think that's really something. A big first, as it were. Because very few countries in the world even have an indigenous game of football let alone one that is such a big deal as Aussie Rules is here.

And what is it about us that got us inventing our own game of football when nearly everyone else seems happy to play one of England's? No idea. And I'm not going to bother trying to figure it out, either. Because I'm happy enough to just enjoy our game for what it is. Which is the best game in the world.

What's that? Quality is a democracy and soccer's played all over the world?

Oh all right then, fair enough. I can live with that. Because I'm a Catholic, and we're all over the world too.

Afterthought. I should have started with women instead.

Because if I had, I could have started this chapter with an even bigger first on our part. Perhaps the biggest first since Eve offered Adam an apple and Adam got the wrong idea.

Being, if I've got my language right, that first Adelaide and then a newly minted Commonwealth of Australia seem to have been the first societies ever on this planet to grant women the right to both vote and stand for election.

And finally for now, our White Australia Policy.

Was that a first on our part, of sorts? In the way we formalised that? Again, no idea. But it's a really interesting topic, I think. And one that we'll come back to if, if I remember to. For example I'm not sure that:

• Back in 1901 its authors were thinking much about skin colour (I'm pretty sure it mostly about keeping out the Chinese, and the Chinese to my eye are pretty much as white as we Euros are); or that
• If I were to travel back in time to 1901 that back then in time I would be entirely against it even if I was indigenous, let alone if I was Anglo or a Celt or whatever it is that I am.

But, as I suggest, that's all something to be thought about in more depth some another day.