Luglio 2010

Alcohol has played a significant part in Australia’s history since the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, when Captain Arthur Philip and his officers raised the British flag at Sydney Cove and drank to the King’s health. Rum was used as an important commodity for bartering between early non-convict settlers.

It has been reported that the first European settlers in Australia drank more alcohol per head of population than any other community in the history of mankind. No doubt the conditions were extremely punishing, and alcohol was used as a way to escape from the dreadful realities of colonial life.

In Perth in 1836 there was a licensed house for every 75 people and labourers were supplied with nearly 12 gallons (54.5 litres) of spirits per annum.

In 1793 an American trading ship called 'Hope' turned up carrying much needed supplies as well as 7500 litres rum. The dastardly captain od the Hope wouldn't part with any provisions, however, unless the whole shipment of rum was also purchased. The New south Wales Corps, who had the ability to raise the capital by borrowing against their regimental pay, seized the opportunity to purchase the hooch, flooding the small market with a glut of rum which they sold at hugely inflated prices. The corps were immediately dubbed the 'Rum Corps'.

Towards the end of the 19th century Rum dominates spirit production in Queensland and the tropical north, while further south in the colonies 'wine regions start producing spirit too.


Since that time alcohol use has become so widespread that it is the most commonly used and socially acceptable drug in Australia.
In 1910 the Australian Capital Territory was the first country in which prohibition laws were enacted. American-born Minister of Home Affairs, shepherded the laws through parliament to address unruly behaviour.
Seventeen years later the Federal Parliament repealed the laws.

In 1916, a new law ordered bars in the state of New South Wales to close at 6 p.m. That was a disaster. Men leaving work at 5:30 rushed the pubs and frantically chugged, getting as tanked as possible before spilling onto the street, a practice known as the "six o'clock swill." Crime rates soared.

2010
In these days, The National Alcohol Strategy actually estimated that in the past 12 months they drank our way through $23 billion worth of alcohol, and our desire for drink is unslakable. Every year, every Australian is consuming, on average, about 90 litres of beer and 22 litres of wine.

It's a country where some cell phones come programmed with text messages that read, "Let's go to the pub." "Mine's a large gin and tonic."; where former cricket star and sports legend David Boon is best known for a 1989 flight from Sydney to London during which he drank 52 beers.

Throughout its history, Australia's leaders have taken on drinking with limited success and as always happened in the history: more than you ban a behaviour more than people will take it to the exasperation.

Anyway,
Chug a lug
Stefano De Blasi