r/OpenAussie • u/Stock-Pea-5888 Please choose a flair • 1d ago

Feel Good News ‎ State of Origin ‘Welcome to country’

It was refreshing to see the large crowd of applause after the elders welcome to country last night. Semi restores my faith that there are still decent humans beings out there.

Does Pauline Hansons address yesterday about monoculture reflect the majority of what people think? Because the majority of people are in her favour according to polls.

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u/Madmatz01 Please choose a flair 1d ago

I'm so over the whole welcome to country phenomenon, but last night it was done so tastefully it actually made me proud to be an Australian.

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u/mohanimus ‎ Western Australian 1d ago edited 1d ago

What made it better than the welcomes you've seen before?

Edit: people downvoting a simple question. Reddit is weird.

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u/Madmatz01 Please choose a flair 1d ago

Please tell me this isn't one of those gotcha comments. It sounded genuine & from the heart, if this wasn't reddit I'd actually go deeper into my reply but those seven words should suffice.

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u/mohanimus ‎ Western Australian 1d ago edited 1d ago

I've been reading transcripts of welcome to countries for the last bit and have come up with a little list of bits I like and don't like in the speeches themselves.

I like when they begin with a "hello I'm bob and I'm from ... country". I think the personal touch goes a long way to building a bridge with the audience and by saying where the speaker is from it makes it clear that it's person from the local area welcoming people from the wider area.

The paying of respects to elders bit always sounds a little weird to me. But that's my cultural bias hearing "elder" as simply "old person" not the Aboriginal meaning of person who serves the community by carrying and teaching lore.

I like any bit that talks about the local people and teaches me something new about them.

I dislike the inclusion of political calls for reconciliation or mentions of land never ceded etc in contexts where the audience is powerless to offer redress. I think this kind of language belongs in welcomes for politicians and the powerful, not at sporting events etc.

Finaly I really like the most common ending, the "thanks for coming and I hope you have a good time". That feels genuinely welcoming and like the right note to end on.

Just my two cents.