Penfolds Grange: Australia’s most famous wine

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Adelaide, Australia, Bordeaux wine, Grange Hermitage, Max Schubert, Penfolds, Penfolds Grange, Robert Parker, South Australia, wine, Wine Advocate, Wine Olympiad, Wine Spectator

The story of the development of Grange into Australia’s most famous wine is one of intrigue, suspense, humiliation, faith and excitement. Penfolds employee Max Schubert toured Europe in 1950 and was surprised by the high quality of 40-50 year old Bordeaux wine. Australian wine had always been made for early consumption. Schubert resolved to make a local wine comparable to Bordeaux. But the grape varieties used to make Bordeaux were not available in Australia. Schubert decided to use shiraz grapes, which were common in Australia but had previously been used almost solely for port.

In 1951, Schubert combined grapes from Penfolds Grange Vineyard and another vineyard, both on the outskirts of Adelaide, South Australia. He selected these vineyards as they had already produced wines of distinctive flavour and character individually, and felt he could produce something even better by combining the grapes. One of his innovations was to recreate the cold conditions he had found in Bordeaux wineries. He did this by using refrigeration to slow fermentation and maximise the extraction of the tannins, flavour compounds and colouring agents. Refrigeration is now virtually universal in winemaking.

Schubert called the experimental wine ‘Grange Hermitage’ after Grange cottage, built in 1844 at the vineyard of the same name. Hermitage is another name for shiraz. The first vintage was rich and pungent and he chose American oak barrels to try and tame it. He wanted to produce “a big, full-bodied wine, containing maximum extraction of all the components in the grape material used”, and was more than pleased with the results after one month and after one year. The 1951 vintage was bottled following 18 months in the barrels. (The ‘Hermitage’ part of the name, borrowed from the Rhone wine region in France, was dropped in 1990 at the request of the European Union.)

He repeated his efforts each year, despite a lack of commercial interest in Grange Hermitage. By 1956, Penfolds head office located in Sydney was worried about the amount of money being spent. A tasting of the wine was arranged for Penfolds directors and executives and some wine personalities. No one seemed to like it. Schubert arranged tasting in Adelaide and the results were no better. Comments included: “A concoction of wild fruits and sundry berries with crushed ants predominating” and “A very good, dry port, which no one in their right mind will buy – let alone drink”.

Penfolds wrote to Schubert in 1957 asking him to stop producing Grange Hermitage as it was unsaleable and hurt the company’s image. With tacit approval from a couple of Penfolds senior managers, he quietly continued making the wine almost in secret but in smaller quantities. By 1960, Schubert noticed that earlier vintages were becoming more refined with age and were receiving praise. Head office once again funded production and the wine soon became commercial. Grange was entered in the wine tasting competition at the Sydney Show and won its first gold medal. Since then, the wine has gone from strength to strength, constantly winning medals and trophies. Interestingly, the 1955 vintage, the latest when Penfolds requested Schubert to stop production, has won the most prizes with 50 gold medals and 12 trophies.

Grange is a very perfumed and concentrated wine combining the intensely rich fruit of shiraz with the fragrance of American oak. This produces a ‘meaty’ complexity as well as a roundness of flavours. The 1990 vintage was rated the world’s best red wine by ‘Wine Spectator’ magazine in 1995. US wine expert Robert Parker felt Grange was “the leading candidate for the richest most concentrated dry red table wine on planet earth”. Grange has maintained a consistent quality over the years because the grapes in any vintage come from several high quality vineyards in South Australia. The climate is consistently warm, the soil is deep and sandy, and the grapes are described as opulent with spicy flavours. Grange takes 8-10 years to peak, and then remains on a high plateau for a further 5-15 years.

Penfolds Grange is regarded as Australia’s best and most famous wine. It has won a record 117 gold medals, 97 silver and bronze medals, and 35 championships and trophies at Australian wine shows. Overseas success includes a gold medal at the Wine Olympiad in Paris in 1979, where the 1971 Grange beat more favoured French wines. Grange is considered Australia’s most collectable wine. At a wine auction in 2009, a Grange collection with a bottle from every year from 1951 to 1990 fetched A$138,000, while a bottle of 1951 Grange sold for over A$50,000. The 2004 vintage sells for around A$550 a bottle. Two influential US reviewers, Wine Spectator and Wine Advocate, each gave the 2008 vintage 100 points, a first for a wine outside Europe.

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How ‘Advance Australia Fair’ became the official national anthem of Australia

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Advance Australia Fair, Australia, Australian Anthem, Australian Hymn, Banjo Paterson, Caroline J. Carleton, God Save the Queen, John Dunmore Lang, Peter Dodds McCormick, Song of Australia, This Land of Mine, Waltzing Matilda

Australia started off as a group of British colonies and didn’t have its own national anthem, instead using ‘God Save the Queen’ or ‘God Save the King’ from the time of the first British settlement at Sydney in 1788. From the early days, there were moves to establish an Australian national anthem. John Dunmore Lang, a Presbyterian minister, was the first noted advocate of an independent Australia and wrote and published ‘Australian Anthem’ and ‘Australian Hymn’ in 1826.

Over the years, many official and commercial competitions have been held to find an Australian national anthem. The first one was in 1840. A competition by the Gawler Institute in South Australia in 1859 was won by the five-verse ‘Song of Australia’ from 96 entries. It was written by Caroline J. Carleton, an English-born poet who lived in Adelaide. She received ten guineas ($21), a handy sum of money in those days, as first prize. The music to the song was composed by Carl Linger, an Australian composer from Germany. He also received a ten guinea prize. The premier of South Australia, Charles Cameron Kingston, was so impressed with the song that he asked teachers in public schools to teach it to all students. It was suggested as a national anthem to Labor prime minister James Scullin in 1929.

‘Advance Australia Fair’ was written by Peter Dodds McCormick, a joiner who had migrated from Scotland in 1855, settling in Sydney. A teacher for 20 years, he left the service in the late 1870s to concentrate on church work and music. One of the songs he wrote was ‘Advance Australia Fair’, probably in 1878, a five-verse song about the new country and its links with Britain. His inspiration came when he attended a function at Sydney’s Exhibition Building where national anthems from all around the world were played but there was nothing for Australia.

His composition was first sung by Andrew Fairfax at the Highland Society’s St Andrew’s Day concert on 30 November 1878. The song gained in popularity and was sung by a 10,000-strong choir at the Commonwealth of Australia inauguration ceremony on 1 January 1901. The federal government awarded McCormick 100 pounds for his song in 1907. When McCormick died in 1916, the Sydney Morning Herald commented in his obituary that ‘Advance Australia Fair’ “has come to be recognised as something in the nature of an Australian National Anthem”. The song was used at the start of Australian Broadcasting Commission radio news bulletins until 1952.

Another song that was often touted as a potential national anthem was ‘Waltzing Matilda’, written by Australian-born poet Andrew Barton ‘Banjo’ Paterson of Sydney in early 1895 as a four-verse poem. The title is slang for travelling the countryside by foot with a Matilda bag slung over the back looking for work, which was a common method of seeking employment in Australia before World War II. The music actually came before the lyrics. Christina Macpherson played a tune she had heard at the Warrnambool races in western Victoria to Paterson and he said he could write some lines to it. He wrote the first verse in her presence and the rest at Dagworth Homestead in Queensland. It was first performed at a banquet for the Queensland premier at the North Gregory Hotel in outback town Winton in April 1895. The song was an instant success, and became a national advertising jingle by the company Billy Tea in 1903.

The call for a truly Australian national anthem steadily gained momentum in the first half of the twentieth century. The proportion of Australian residents born in the country rose from 65 per cent in 1901 to 88 per cent in 1954. While the majority still had a British background, there was an increasing number from other parts of the world. Britain and ‘God Save the Queen/King’ was becoming less relevant to many people. An anthem was sought that was about Australia and the lives of its residents rather than about a royal figure in another country (although Elizabeth II does remain Queen of Australia to this day). The Australian Broadcasting Commission held competitions for a new anthem in 1943 and 1945. In 1951, a competition as part of the Commonwealth Jubilee celebrations was won by ‘This Land of Mine’ by Henry Krips.

By the time of the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, the two leading contenders for a national anthem were ‘Advance Australia Fair’ and ‘Waltzing Matilda’. The stumbling block remained the conservative government, although the governments of John Gorton (1968-1971) and William McMahon (1971-1972) were moving in the direction of a possible Australian national anthem. In August 1971, a non-government body, the Australian National Anthem and Flag Quests Committee, started a competition for a new anthem and flag. It was the sixth contest for a national anthem since 1902. In the latest competition, more than 400 entries were received by Australia Day (26 January) 1972, although no actual winner was announced.

One of the Australian Labor Party’s policy platforms for the federal election on 2 December 1972 was to find an alternative national anthem to ‘God Save the Queen’. Labor won the election, breaking a long period of conservative rule. Less than two months later, in his Australia Day address on 26 January 1973, new prime minister Gough Whitlam announced that the Australia Council for the Arts would conduct a competition to find a new national anthem. Some 2500 lyric and 1300 music entries were received. Six lyric entries were each awarded a prize of $500, but no music entries won a prize. However, the Council felt that none of the songs was as good as ‘Advance Australia Fair’, ‘Waltzing Matilda’ or ‘Song of Australia’, and recommended that one of these three well known songs should be the anthem.

Subsequently, the Australian Bureau of Statistics undertook a poll of the three songs in February 1974, surveying 60,000 members of the public. ‘Advance Australia Fair’ was the choice of 51.4 per cent of respondents, followed by ‘Waltzing Matilda’ with 19.6 per cent. Whitlam announced ‘Advance Australia Fair’ as the new national anthem, except for regal occasions. However, in January 1976, the new conservative government of Malcolm Fraser reverted to ‘God Save the Queen’ for all royal, vice-regal, loyal toast, and defence ceremonies. ‘Advance Australia Fair’ would be used for other official occasions, and any of the four songs for civilian events.

Public opinion was very mixed and in May 1977, the government asked Australians for their choice of a national anthem as part of a referendum by the Australian Electoral Office. Over seven million people out of an electoral role of 8.4 million voted on the issue. ‘Advance Australia Fair’ received 43.3 per cent of the vote, followed by 28.3 per cent for ‘Waltzing Matilda’, 18.8 per cent for ‘God Save the Queen’, and 9.6 per cent for ‘Song of Australia’. After distribution of preferences, ‘Advance Australia Fair’ had 65 per cent of the vote and ‘Waltzing Matilda’ 35 per cent. Despite the result, there was ongoing widespread opposition to changing the national anthem.

The National Australia Day Council in 1981 recommended that only the first and third verses of ‘Advance Australia Fair’, with slight modification from the original, become the national anthem, as the other verses contained specific references to Britain. Finally, on 19 April 1984, more than a year after the Bob Hawke Labor government came to office, a proclamation was issued by the Governor-General that ‘God Save the Queen’ would be the royal anthem when members of the royal family were present and the amended ‘Advance Australia Fair’ would be the national anthem for all other occasions.

History of the Australian film industry

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Australasian Films, Australia, Combine, Crocodile Dundee, Don's Party, film industry, For the Term of His Natural Life, Happy Feet, Hungry Miles, Jedda, Kokoda Front Line, Mad Max, Moulin Rouge, Muriel's Wedding, On Our Selection, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Royal Commission, Screen Australia, Shine, The Adventures of Priscilla, The Great Gatsby, The Sentimental Bloke, The Story of the Kelly Gang, They're a Weird Mob, Union Theatres, Waterside Workers' Federation Film Unit

The Australian film industry led the rest of the world in the first decade of the 20th century. ‘The Story of the Kelly Gang’, released in 1906, was the world’s first feature length movie. It tells the real story of bushranger Ned Kelly and his family and friends, and their many run-ins with the law. The industry grew rapidly and by 1911, Australia was producing about 50 narrative films a year. There were plenty of cinemas and little competition from overseas.

A series of mergers and takeovers in 1913 resulted in the monopolistic ‘Combine’, comprising Australasian Films as distributors and Union Theatres as exhibitors. It had little interest in film production, making only seven films from 1913 to 1918. Instead, it concentrated on distribution and exhibitions, and showed mainly overseas films rather than those of Australian producers. The ‘Combine’ was criticised for this, but claimed that few Australian films were good enough to screen. Only four narrative films were produced in Australia in 1914.

A ban on bushranger films in 1912 did little to help the local industry. But by the time of World War I, the biggest threat came from overseas. Films could be bought cheaper from the United States. A tax on imported films didn’t stop a flood of Hollywood productions from being screened at Australian cinemas by the ‘Combine’. American films dominated the local market during the war and the 1920s, crippling the Australian film industry. US and also British film interests took over local distribution and exhibition companies.

Despite this, Australia still produced some excellent feature films in the silent movie era. One is ‘The Sentimental Bloke’, released in 1919, a film about a young larrikin, Bill, who promises to stop his constant gambling and drinking after he falls in love with pickle factory worker Doreen. Another is ‘For the Term of His Natural Life’, screened in 1926, which is about an English aristocrat transported to Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) for a crime he didn’t commit.

A Royal Commission into the Moving Picture Industry was held in 1927. It looked at censorship, taxation, tariffs, and quotas of Australian films, but it did little to improve the viability of the industry. Just 13 films were produced in 1928. The introduction of sound to movies (talkies) in the late 1920s led to higher costs and this, together with the 1930s Depression, almost brought the industry to its knees. Another inquiry in 1934, the New South Wales government Inquiry into the Film Industry, had as its main recommendation an Australian film quota system. Overseas distributors lobbied hard against the quotas and within a few years legislation was withdrawn.

The release of ‘On Our Selection’ in 1932 temporarily revived the local industry and was followed by more films based on the Dad and Dave characters of Steele Rudd. Australia’s first Academy Award was in 1943 for the documentary ‘Kokoda Front Line’, a look at the Australian campaign in New Guinea during World War II. A milestone was achieved in the film industry in 1955 with ‘Jedda’, the first local film to be in colour and the first to have Aboriginal actors in lead roles. Another notable success was the Waterside Workers’ Federation Film Unit, the first union-based film production unit in the world. It made 14 films between 1953 and 1958, including ‘Hungry Miles’, which show wharfies living in slum conditions near the Sydney waterfront.

Overall, the Australian film industry had been weak for decades and almost came to a halt in the 1960s as it couldn’t compete with the huge American film industry and also that of Britain. Regardless, films were produced in every year of the decade, although perhaps the only really successful one was ‘They’re a Weird Mob’ in 1966, about an Italian immigrant who tries to understand the Australian way of life, its values, rituals and language.

The governments of John Gorton and Gough Whitlam came to the rescue in the early 1970s. Various federal government bodies were set up to assist the industry, including the Australian Film Development Corporation in 1970 and the Australian Film, Television and Radio School in 1973, as well as some at state level. There was also some restructuring in the industry itself. Greater Union once again invested in local films from 1975 and became Australian owned again in 1981. Hoyts reverted to local ownership in 1984. The industry was given a further boost with the introduction in 1981 of a 150 per cent tax deduction for investment in local films, reduced to 100 per cent in 1989.

From 1970 to 1985, nearly 400 films were produced in Australia, more than the total of the previous seven decades. Outback and contemporary settings were predominant. Many excellent Australian films were produced in this era. ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’ (1975) tells the story of a group of schoolgirls on a picnic in the countryside who disappear without trace. ‘Don’s Party’ (1976) features a rowdy private gathering to celebrate an imminent win by a political party, but the party loses and the drinking and the sex stories increase. New wave film ‘Mad Max’ (1979), starring Mel Gibson, is about a motor cycle gang riding the almost empty highways in a lawless future setting. ‘“Crocodile” Dundee’ (1986), a comedy set in the outback with Paul Hogan as the star, was the highest grossing film in the world in that year and second highest in the US.

In the 1990s, Australia continued to release excellent films. ‘Muriel’s Wedding’ (1994) looks at the struggles of a socially awkward and overweight daydreamer who is still in the ABBA era. It achieved worldwide success. ‘The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’ (1994) is about a drag queen who travels across half of Australia with some other odd folk in a bus and meets a variety of outback characters along the way. ‘Shine’ (1996), which won an Academy award for Geoffrey Rush, tells the story of brilliant pianist David Helfgott who suffered a mental illness.

Outstanding Australian films since 2000 are many. These include the romantic musical ‘Moulin Rouge!’ (2001), in which a young English writer falls in love with the Moulin Rouge star, played by Nicole Kidman. It won two Oscars. Another Academy award winning film was the animated ‘Happy Feet’ (2006), about the lives of a group of penguins. This film was the top grosser in the US for three weeks, a feat matched by only one other film that year. The romance film ‘Australia’ (2008), set in northern Australia in World War II and starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, became the second highest grossing Australian film after ‘Crocodile Dundee’. ‘The Great Gatsby’ (2013) was an international success at the box office.

Today, the Australian film industry is reasonably successful, although it still struggles against the American industry with its huge home market and abundance of films that dominate Australian cinemas. Several government film funding and development bodies merged to become Screen Australia in 2008. There are various federal tax incentives and several state government bodies also assist the industry. Most funding comes from the industry itself, while overseas companies are increasingly co-funding local films.

The origins of Anzac biscuits

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Anzac biscuits, Anzac Day, Australia, Gallipoli, ingredients, New Zealand, Turkey, World War I

ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. It was formed in 1915 during World War I to try and take the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey and open up the Black Sea to the Allied navies. The troops became known as Anzacs. The biscuits (cookies) they ate were called ANZAC biscuits, or more commonly Anzac biscuits.

There is some uncertainty and controversy as to the origins of these biscuits. One theory is that they were initially made by the troops in their trenches from the contents of their battle rations, to make the food a bit more interesting. This is thought to be an unlikely explanation as soldiers would not have had the ingredients, the time or the cooking facilities. The First Australian Field Bakery, near Gallipoli, did have cooking facilities, but it is thought that only bread was made there.

A more likely explanation of their origins was that the biscuits were first made by the wives and mothers of the Anzacs to send to their menfolk on the front. As part of their rations, the troops were issued with army biscuits, called Anzac wafers or tiles, but these were a hardtack biscuit of flour, water and salt. These biscuits were very hard and not particularly appetising. The women back home were concerned about the quality and nutritional value of the food sent to troops and sought an alternative.

They were mindful of the fact that any food sent to the troops would go in Merchant Navy ships from Australia to Europe. These traveled at no more than 10 knots (18.5 kilometers an hour or 11.5 miles an hour), meaning that a trip took more than two months, and few ships had refrigeration in those days. Food was needed that wouldn’t perish. Some women provided the solution – a nutritious biscuit made with ingredients that would survive the long journey and not deteriorate, like bread or other biscuits. They used rolled oats, plain flour, coconut, butter, sugar, golden syrup or treacle, bicarbonate soda and boiling water. Golden syrup or treacle was used to bind the biscuits as eggs were scarce because many poultry farmers had enlisted to fight in the war.

The biscuits proved popular with the troops and were soon being made on a large scale. The Country Women’s Association, other women’s organisations, church groups and schools were busy making thousands of Anzac biscuits for the forces overseas. To keep the biscuits fresh, they were packed in airtight tins that had originally contained groceries. This kept any moisture out and the biscuits stayed crisp. Sometimes chopped nuts, raisins or other items were added if available. They became a staple at Gallipoli. Initially called soldiers’ biscuits, they were renamed Anzac biscuits after the Gallipoli landing on 25 April 1915.

A typical Anzac biscuit recipe made by these women included one cup each of rolled oats, plain flour, sugar and coconut, four ounces (113 grams) of butter, one tablespoon of treacle, two tablespoons of boiling water and one tablespoon of bicarbonate soda. The dry ingredients were combined, while the butter was being melted into the syrup on a wood stove. The water and bicarbonate soda were combined, and added to the butter and syrup. This was then added to the dry ingredients, before being baked for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Some New Zealanders claim that Australia stole the Anzac biscuits recipe from their country. The biscuits are actually based on Scottish oatmeal cakes, and there is a large Scottish influence in Dunedin on the south island of New Zealand. Scottish soldiers as early as the 14th century would carry a sack of oatmeal and a metal plate. The plate was heated over a fire, and oatmeal and water were added to make a thin, brittle oatcake. Over the centuries, oatcakes and biscuits became popular away from the battlefield and at home, and butter, syrup and other ingredients were added. But there are plenty of Scots in Australia too. Large contingents migrated from the 1820s and 1830s onwards due to poverty, epidemics and famine in their homeland, and no doubt they brought oatmeal recipes with them.

The earliest reference to Anzac biscuit recipes in an Australian or New Zealand cookbook was in the St Andrews Cookery Book, 9th edition, published in Dunedin in 1921, although they were called “Anzac Crispies”. The word “Anzac” had appeared in the 7th edition in 1915 but it referred to a cake rather than a biscuit. The War Chest Cookery Book published in Sydney in 1917 had a recipe for “Anzac Biscuits” but it was a totally different biscuit. This volume included a recipe for “Rolled Oats Biscuits”, which was similar to that for Anzac biscuits. The biscuits were often called “Anzac crisps” in the 1920s and 1930s.

Anzac biscuits are one of the few products allowed to be sold in Australia using the word Anzac in the name as it is protected by federal law. The “Anzac” (Restriction on Trade Use of Word) Act 1916 prohibits the word “Anzac” from being used in connection with any product, trade or business, without federal approval from the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs. The biscuits were first made commercially by Arnott’s Biscuits in 1935. In New Zealand, the name is similarly protected by the Flags, Emblems, and Names Protection Act 1981.

The biscuits were less common in World War II as virtually all ships had refrigeration by then, and a wider range of cakes and biscuits and other items could be sent overseas. Nevertheless, Anzac biscuits remain very popular today and are available in shops all year round, although peak sales occur around Anzac Day, April 25, which is a national holiday in Australia, New Zealand and a few Pacific islands, and commemorates the efforts of all servicemen and women from these countries in all wars. The biscuits have became a symbol of the war effort, of the bravery of the troops, and the hard work of the women at home baking these biscuits between other jobs, including those usually done by their menfolk.

Anzac biscuits are often regarded as Australia’s national biscuit, both within the country and overseas. They are made to raise funds for returned services organisations in Australia and New Zealand. A British version supports the British Royal Legion and can be bought at UK supermarkets. The biscuits are issued at Christmas to Canadian soldiers.

Why Australia is called “The Lucky Country”

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Australia, brain drain, Donald Horne, The Lucky Country, White Australia Policy

Australia was first referred to as “The Lucky Country” in 1964. It was in this year that well known Australian writer and social critic Professor Donald Horne published a book by that name. The title came from the first sentence of the last chapter: “Australia is a lucky country, run by second-rate people who share its luck.” Since then, the nickname has been used by many people in various contexts.

Horne was the author of three novels and about 20 volumes of history and social comment. “The Lucky Country” is his best known work. The book is a study of Australian society in the 1960s. He argued that Australia was stuck in a past era of narrow outlook, a lack of culture, and dependence on the old ways of doing things and on the mother country. Australia had prospered through agriculture and mining. Most of its manufacturing was based on processing the products of these industries and there was a lack of technology and innovation that was seen in other industrialised countries by that time. Protectionism had served the country well, and much of industry had become propped up by subsidies and tariffs. Banking was another sector held back by heavy regulation. Foreign policy was tied more to other English speaking countries rather than nearer Asian neighbours.

He pointed out that other countries were producing a much more highly educated and skilled workforce than Australia and this was holding the country back too. The lack of opportunities in Australia led to a “brain drain” of highly skilled people to overseas countries where their abilities were more appreciated. There was also a feeling in the 1960s that things made in Australia – films, literature, manufactured products – were not as good as those made overseas. He criticised the White Australia Policy and the country’s reliance on a political system set up to serve Britain.

Thus Australia was drifting along rather than moving with the rest of the world, but was somehow still quite successful, especially in economic terms. While other advanced countries were progressing through technology, innovation, education, home-grown culture, and by determining their own destiny, Australia seemed to be doing it through luck, and hanging onto things that had worked in the past. Other countries were creating wealth by being clever, Australia was relying on luck, meaning that it was lucky that many of the old ways still did work, but might not for too much longer. This is where Horne’s term “The Lucky Country” came from. It was his way of urging Australia to adopt the “clever” approach used in other countries.

The term was initially used in context as Australia strove to change and improve many aspects of the country’s social, economic and cultural apparatus. Australians voted overwhelmingly to give Aboriginal people the vote and to include them in censuses by the late 1960s and discarded the White Australia Policy in 1975. Tariffs were lowered and many industries, particularly banking, were deregulated. Sweeping changes were made to the education sector, with a huge increase in the range of courses and the number of people gaining qualifications. There was more support for the arts. Tax incentives for the private sector to invest in research and development were introduced in 1986.

“The Lucky Country” was soon used in all sorts of contexts not originally intended by Horne. It was used as a means of giving approval to the laid-back life style and the “she’ll be right” attitude; that things would continue to be fine with minimal effort, because we were lucky. This probably slowed progress in many areas. The term was also used to describe Australia’s natural assets such as the climate, the large amount of room for a small population, its strong economy, its lack of social tensions, no hostile neighbours, opportunities for all, sporting success, and so on. Migrant groups use the phrase as a promotional tool to attract skilled workers from other countries.

Other related phrases crept into use too, such as “the unlucky country” when Australia did poorly in sport or when asylum seekers were turned back, and “the forgotten country” when describing the plight of those in many Aboriginal communities. When pockets of poverty were found, people would ask “Whatever happened to the lucky country?” Such was the extent of misuse of the term that Horne was later moved to state: “I have had to sit through the most appalling rubbish as successive generations misapplied this phrase.”

The misinterpretations look set to continue. Australia’s economic growth over the last three decades has exceeded that of every one of the larger OECD countries. It has good weather and social cohesion. It provides a home for 13,000 refugees a year, second only to the US. It has the equal fourth highest life expectancy of all countries. It was among the top five medal winners at the four Olympic Games from 1996 to 2008 (10^th in 2012). It has Oscar and Booker prize winners and a number of Nobel laureates. Donald Horne can at least take satisfaction that Australia has made huge improvements to its economic, educational, social and cultural structure, mainly through hard work. Luck has really only played a minor role.

Biography of Edward “Ned” Kelly

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Aaron Sherritt, Ah Fook, Alexander Fitzpatrick, Australia, Beveridge, bushrangers, Charles O'Hea, Dan Kelly, Ellen Quinn, Euroa, Felons Apprehension Act 1878, George King, Glenrowan, Greta, Harry Power, Isaiah Wright, Jeremiah McCormack, Jerilderie, Jim Kelly, Joe Byrne, Justice Redmond Barry, Kelly country, Kelly gang, Kilmore, Melbourne, Melbourne Gaol, Ned Kelly, Red Kelly, Steve Hart, Victoria, Wangaratta

Ned Kelly is one of the most famous bushrangers in 19th century Australia. He is best known for constantly defying colonial authorities and has since gained folk hero status in some circles. He always denied he did wrong and claimed he and his family were the victims of ongoing police harassment. His life has been portrayed in film, television, literature, poetry and song.

Edward “Ned” Kelly was born at Beveridge, a small town 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of Melbourne in the colony of Victoria, Australia, sometime between mid 1854 and mid 1855. He was the first son of John “Red” Kelly and Ellen Quinn. Kelly Senior was from Ireland and had stolen some pigs in the early 1840s, for which he was sentenced to transportation for seven years to Tasmania. He moved to Victoria in 1848 and worked on James Quinn’s farm at Beveridge. At age 30, he married Quinn’s 18 year old daughter Ellen.

They had seven children that survived past infancy: Annie, Ned, Margaret, James, Daniel, Kate and Grace. Young Ned was baptised by Charles O’Hea, a Catholic priest who would later minister to Kelly before his hanging in 1880. Ned received some basic schooling and is credited with saving his friend Richard Shelton from drowning. The boy’s family gave him a green sash, a garment he probably wore often, including under his armour on the day of his shoot-out with police in 1880.

Kelly Senior was frequently suspected of horse or cattle stealing but was never caught. One day he was arrested for killing and skinning a neighbour’s calf. He was found guilty of removing the branding mark from the animal’s skin and was fined $50. But Red had no money and served six months with hard labour at nearby Kilmore gaol. His sentence and treatment by police took their toll on him and this impacted on young Ned who was at an impressionable age. Red died in 1866 when Ned was aged just 11 years. The Kelly family moved to a 32 hectare (80 acre) farm near Greta, just south of Wangaratta in north-east Victoria. This area is still known as Kelly country.

At age 14 years in 1869, Ned Kelly was arrested on a charge of assaulting Ah Fook, a Chinese pig farmer. Ah Fook claimed Ned had robbed him but Ned said the altercation was the result of a row between his sister Annie and Ah Fook. Ned was detained for seven days. The charges were dismissed, but Ned was regarded as a “juvenile bushranger” by police, despite the term bushranger usually referring to runaway convicts who lived in the bush to avoid the authorities.

In 1870, Kelly was arrested as an accomplice to known bushranger Harry Power. Ned was held for a month but was then released as no evidence was produced. It is unsure whether the episode was an instance of Kelly suffering police harassment or if his relatives intimidated witnesses to prevent them talking about the charge. Only a year later, he was arrested again, this time for assaulting hawker Jeremiah McCormack and for playing a part in sending a parcel with an indecent note and a calf’s testicles to the man’s wife. Kelly served six months’ hard labour as a result.

Soon after his release, a 16 year old Kelly was riding a horse he was looking after for Isaiah “Wild” Wright. He had found it after Wright lost it several days earlier. But the horse was listed as stolen and a police constable attempted to arrest Kelly over the matter. Ned resisted and the policeman tried to shoot him. Kelly overpowered him but was later arrested. Kelly said he was unaware the horse had been stolen by Wright in the first place. Despite this, Kelly received three years with hard labour. When he got out in 1874, legend has it that he beat Wright in a 20 round bare-knuckled boxing match.

Meanwhile, Ned’s younger brothers Jim and Dan were arrested for riding a horse that was not theirs, although it turned out that a farmer had lent it to them. Later, Jim Kelly was charged with cattle rustling, but claimed he thought the stock belonged to his employer. He was gaoled for five years. Ned Kelly continued to get into trouble for things like drunkenness and receiving stolen horses. He was also known to be involved in cattle rustling with his brother Dan and their step-father George King, a Californian who had married Ellen. They had three more children.

One day in 1878, policeman Alexander Fitzpatrick came to the farm to question Dan about a cattle stealing incident. After making a pass at Kelly’s sister Kate, who was not quite 15, Fitzpatrick was set upon by Ellen with a coal shovel, and other family members knocked the constable to the ground. They bandaged his left hand, hit by Ellen, and he went on his way. However, he claimed the family all had guns except Ellen and one of them shot him. Ellen was arrested (and had to take her baby), as were Ned’s brother-in-law and an associate, and all three were later gaoled for attempted murder. Dan could not be found, and it was claimed Ned was interstate, in New South Wales, at the time of the incident. The judge stated he would have given Ned 15 years had he been present at court. The pair remained in hiding and were later joined by a couple of friends, Joe Byrne and Steve Hart.

A police sergeant and three constables searched for the Kellys in October 1878. When two of the policemen shot at some birds, the brothers were hiding only a mile away and went to investigate. They ordered the police to surrender. Ned shot one dead when the constable raised his gun at him and killed another policeman in similar circumstances. He fatally wounded a third constable in a gunfight. The Victorian Parliament quickly passed the Felons Apprehension Act 1878, outlawing the Kelly gang, as the brothers and their friends had come to be known. The Act stated there was no need for arrests or a trial and that anyone could simply shoot them as they were outlaws.

The gang robbed two banks, firstly at Euroa in Victoria in December 1878, and then at Jerilderie in New South Wales in February 1879, using hostages. None was harmed. They stole over $4,000 on each occasion, equivalent to several hundred thousand dollars today. Each state government offered a reward of $8,000 for their capture. The Kelly gang lay low and nothing was heard of them between March 1879 and June 1880.

A few days after the Euroa robbery, Kelly wrote to a member of the Victorian Parliament about his grievances. In February 1879, he dictated a 7,000 word letter, the so-called Jerilderie letter, to friend Joe Byrne, describing the harsh treatment of him and his family by the police, as well as the poor treatment of Irish Catholics and leniency shown to Protestants. Neither letter was made public.

On the same day that the Felons Apprehension Act expired, 26 June 1880, Dan Kelly and Joe Byrne killed police informer Aaron Sherritt. But he had been set up by police as a traitor in their attempt to find the Kelly gang. Four constables had been living with Sherritt at the time of his murder and were at the house hiding under a bed. They didn’t report the crime until next day as they knew the gang had plans to derail a train at Victorian town Glenrowan early on 28 June and that would amount to even more evidence against them.

The gang took about 70 hostages at the Glenrowan Inn on 27 June and ordered them to pull up rail tracks to derail a train carrying police reinforcements. The four gang members each had a suit of armour weighing 44 kilograms (96 pounds) made of plough mouldboards, as well as a helmet, and a large coat to cover the armour. But a hostage convinced Ned Kelly to let him go and in the predawn he waved a lantern covered in a red scarf as the train approached. It stopped and police sieged the inn at dawn on 28 June.

A gun battle commenced, although it is unsure which side started it. Ned Kelly was hit in the foot and the left arm at a range of 30 metres (about 100 feet). He advanced, returning fire. When 15 metres from the police, he was hit a number of times in the legs, which were unprotected by the armour, and fell to the ground. Other gang members, Dan Kelly, Joe Byrne and Steve Hart, died inside the hotel.

Ned Kelly was tried before Justice Redmond Barry, an Irish-born Protestant, the same judge who had sent his mother Ellen to gaol (she was still there) and had stated he would have sent Ned there for 15 years had he been in court. The case is famous for its exchanges between judge and prisoner. After Barry sentenced him to death and stated the customary line: “May God have mercy on your soul”, Kelly said: “I will go a little further than that, and say I will see you there when I go”. Kelly was hanged at Melbourne Gaol on 11 November 1880. Ironically, Barry died 12 days later of an infection from a carbuncle on his neck.

What is Vegemite?

Tags

Australia, autolysis, Barack Obama, Cyril Callister, Fred Walker & Company, George W. Bush, happy little Vegemites, Julia Gillard, Kraft Foods, Kraft Walker Cheese Company, Marmite, Parwill, Sarah Palin, The Vegemite Tales, vegemite, yeast extract

Vegemite is a popular Australian spread eaten in sandwiches, on toast, with savory biscuits, or added to soup. It can also be enjoyed in a sandwich with cheese, tomato, lettuce, honey or peanut butter. Vegemite is a yeast extract, a by-product of beer manufacturing, and looks similar to dark chocolate icing about to be applied to a cake.

It is not sweet though. Rather, it is quite salty, somewhat bitter, and malty, and has been described as tasting like beef broth. Only a thin layer is needed. It is often regarded as an acquired taste. Ingredients are yeast extract, salt, mineral salts 508 and 509, malt extract, natural color 150 and vegetable extract, as well as B vitamins thiamine, riboflavin and niacin.

After a slow start, Vegemite has become an Australian icon. The product was invented in 1922 by Cyril P. Callister, a food technologist with Fred Walker & Company. Imports of Marmite from Britain had been disrupted by World War I and Callister was asked by Walker to come up with a similar product.

At the time, used yeast was being dumped by Australian breweries. The firm obtained a supply of this waste yeast from Melbourne’s Carlton & United brewery. Callister used autolysis, a process involving the destruction of yeast cells and adding salt and various vegetable extracts such as onion and celery. A naming competition with a £50 prize resulted in the name Vegemite being pulled from a hat by Walker’s daughter Sheilah.

The product first appeared on grocers’ shelves in 1923 but sold poorly. In an attempt to boost sales, and with increasing competition from Marmite, Vegemite was renamed Parwill in 1928. This fitted an advertising slogan of “Marmite but Parwill”, a play on the words “Ma might but Pa will”. It didn’t work and the product lost more market share.

Reverting to the Vegemite name in 1935, Walker promoted it via the Kraft Walker Cheese Company he had set up in 1925. Jars of Vegemite were given away with cheese. The product’s popularity increased with the introduction of electric toasters in 1936. A limerick writing contest with prizes including Pontiac cars was launched in 1937 and sales skyrocketed. Doctors were soon recommending Vegemite as nutritious and rich in vitamin B.

By the late 1940s, Disney characters such as Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse were used successfully in Vegemite advertising targeted to the parents of baby boomer children. Sister McDonald, a baby care expert, stated that “Vegemite is most essential”, further boosting sales. The hugely successful “Happy Little Vegemites” campaign was launched in 1954, featuring healthy young children dancing around and singing a jingle which went like this:

“We’re happy little Vegemites

As bright as bright can be.

We all enjoy our Vegemite

for breakfast, lunch and tea.

Our mothers say we’re growing stronger

every single week

because we love our vegemite.

We all adore our Vegemite.

It puts a rose in every cheek.”

Sales continued to grow due to the advertising campaign, and also on the back of a rapid increase in the number of supermarkets, post-war prosperity, and the concept of Australia as “The Lucky Country”. Vegemite was fast becoming an Australian icon.

In the late 1960s, Vegemite advertising was changed to appeal to a wider demographic, including young children, teenagers, and adults of all ages, as a nutritious food for everyone. The emphasis on young consumers returned in the 1970s with the “Pass the Vegemite please Mum” slogan. Prominent Australian identities were used to promote the product in the 1980s, including racing car driver Peter Brock, tennis player Ken Rosewall and actress Helen Morse.

The “Happy Little Vegemites” campaign made a comeback in the late 1980s, sparking a trend in retro advertising. Innovative marketing continued when, in 1994, a bus was made into a toaster on wheels and promoted Vegemite on toast. By 1996, Australians were buying 22 million jars of Vegemite a year. Its icon status was enhanced by clever slogans such as “Vegemite, a part of growing up”.

In early 2007, Kraft undertook to reunite the eight children in the 1950s advertisement in a 50 year reunion campaign. With help from the media, all eight were found and the new campaign was awarded the “Arts, Entertainment & Media Campaign of the Year” at the Asia Pacific PR Awards in late 2007.

The Vegemite name entered popular culture. It was included in the worldwide hit song “Down Under” by Australian band Men at Work in 1982. They sang: “I said, ‘Do you speak-a my language?’ He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich.” The song almost became a de facto national anthem at the time. Mention of Vegemite was made in John Williamson’s song “True Blue”.

The comedy theatrical production “The Vegemite Tales” by Australian Melanie Tait has had sell-out seasons in London. Vegemite is even mentioned in Sarah Palin’s book, “Going Rogue: An American Life”. On page 200, she states: “… of goodwill, they presented me with a jar of Vegemite”.

Despite the huge success of Vegemite in Australia, it hasn’t done well overseas, except in New Zealand and to some extent in the United Kingdom. Just one jar in 30 is exported. The product is not well known in the United States, even though it is owned by American company Kraft Foods. It is available at US stores selling imported goods.

Melbourne’s Herald Sun newspaper stated incorrectly in 2006 that the US had banned Vegemite, a report thought to have been based on an Australian traveler’s story of having to declare food items to US Customs. The paper blamed then president George W. Bush and encouraged readers to email the White House. The US Food and Drug Administration and US Customs and Border Protection made official statements to dispel the rumors.

On a visit to the US in 2011, Australia’s previous prime minister Julia Gillard and President Barack Obama talked about Vegemite at a school after a student asked what it is. Gillard said she loved Vegemite. Obama good-naturedly said: “It’s horrible”. Gillard then described it and Obama paraphrased her by saying: “So it’s like a quasi-vegetable by-product paste that you smear on your toast for breakfast.” He added sarcastically: “Sounds good, doesn’t it?” and laughed.

Asthma from exercise: its causes, symptoms and treatment

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allergic reaction, asthma, asthma from exercise, exercise-induced asthma

Asthma is where the breathing passages become inflamed, causing lack of breath. A sufferer can experience sudden attacks, although the condition often comes and goes. Sometimes the symptoms can be severe and other times they can be quite mild. On occasions, there are no symptoms.

An asthma attack is a type of allergic reaction. Asthma can be triggered by various factors, which differ from person to person. These can include airborne contaminants such as dust, smoke or traffic fumes, airborne allergens such as molds or pollen, temperature or humidity extremes, respiratory infection, emotional stress and exercise.

Exercise-induced asthma is where a person suffers undue shortness of breath from physical exercise. At rest, most of us breathe through the nose and the air becomes warm and humid before it reaches the lungs. During vigorous exercise or sport, there is often a need for more air than can normally be inhaled via the nose. The shortfall is made up by breathing through the mouth. This colder, drier air increases blood flow to the lining of the airways, which causes them to swell and produce mucus, making it hard to breathe. For some people, this is their only type of asthma. People who suffer from exercise-induced asthma tend to be more sensitive to air temperature and humidity changes.

The condition is more common in sports requiring continuous effort such as long-distance running and soccer. Swimming tends to be an exception due to higher humidity near water. Less intense and stop-start sports aren’t as likely to cause attacks. Overall, symptoms can be worse with a cold, being unfit, pollution, dry air and cold weather. Winter athletes are more prone to exercise-induced asthma.

A person is at greater risk of suffering the condition if they live in a large city, smoke or are exposed to smoke, work with chemicals, are obese, had a low birth weight, or if the condition runs in the family. Interestingly, elite athletes are more likely to have the condition. Between one-third and two-thirds of Olympic participants have asthma. Experts think the high rate may be due to other medications taken by these people, but the rate does show that asthma medication is effective.

Symptoms of exercise-induced asthma include shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, higher respiratory rate, chest pain or tightness, long recovery, and fatigue. Symptoms can start after a short period of activity or at the end of exercise. In children, symptoms may be harder to detect. Their only symptoms might be that they complain they can’t keep up in physical activities or they say they don’t like sport.

In a severe attack, a person may fall unconscious and turn blue from lack of oxygen. Or, after the initial attack, symptoms may ease or disappear for an hour or so. Athletes may bring on an attack by warming up for perhaps twenty minutes before their event, knowing they are likely to have few symptoms when they are running. Sometimes, a further attack can occur after six to ten hours with no more exercise.

A doctor can usually diagnose whether you have exercise-induced asthma. The doctor will discuss your health history, symptoms and any medications, and check your breathing. Tests will include breathing at rest and during and after exercise.

There are several measures to assess your breathing. A spirometer measures how much air is exhaled and how quickly. This can also be done before and after medication. It shows the extent of breathing impairment. A more portable gadget is a peak flow meter. It measures exhalation and can be taken with you to your sporting event. A further indicator is given by a pulse oximeter, which is put on your finger and measures the oxygen in your blood. There is no actual blood test for asthma.

Work out a plan to combat exercise-induced asthma with your doctor. You may need a combination of an inhaler or other medication, along with various tips to help reduce or avoid the condition.

A short-lasting bronchodilator-like albuterol should relieve symptoms fairly quickly. The doctor may say to take two puffs, one minute apart, and if that doesn’t work, take another puff every five minutes for up to half an hour until there is relief. This relaxes the breathing passage muscles and reduces resistance to exhaled air. The doctor might recommend a few puffs shortly before exercise as a matter of course. This should prevent an attack for four hours. At least 80 percent of people find it effective. Possible side effects are shakiness and rapid heartbeat.

A long-lasting beta-2 agonist bronchodilator such as salmeterol should give relief for about 12 hours and is suitable for children before going to school or sportspeople needing longer-term relief.

Less common medication your doctor might prescribe includes a mast cell stabilizer giving relief up to four hours or a leukotriene modifier lasting about 24 hours. Exercise-induced asthma can be treated with medication in nearly all cases.

Your plan should include various tips relating to your medication. The most important tip would normally be to only take the medications prescribed. If they don’t work, see your doctor again. Drugs to avoid may include cough medicine, aspirin and supplements. Other tips might include spending extra time warming up, avoiding exercise if you have a cold or the flu, exercising in a humid place, breathing through your nose during exercise as much as you can, avoiding cold temperatures and giving up smoking.

Exercise-induced asthma shouldn’t preclude you from your favorite sport. Symptoms can usually be brought under control through medication and by taking various actions to reduce or eliminate the attacks. See your doctor if your medication isn’t working or if you have other issues relating to your asthma.

Food allergy, intolerance, toxicity and aversion

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adverse reaction to food, allergy, articles, food allergy, food aversion, food intolerance, food toxicity, symptoms

Food allergies and food intolerances relate to the adverse reactions that occur in some people after consumption of certain foods. Allergies and intolerances are often mistaken for each other. Basically, a food allergy is where the immune system is upset after a particular food, whereas a food intolerance is where the digestive system is affected rather than the immune system. Compared with food intolerance, food allergy is less common but reaction is usually quicker and more severe. Other bad reactions to food are food toxicity and food aversion.

Food allergies

A food allergy occurs when tissue reacts abnormally to an antigen within the food, which can be a protein, something bound to it, or a food additive. The result is cell damage and histamine release, triggered by the antibody IgE. But the immune system is an amazing thing. Enzymes can change the constitution of food in the intestine, reducing the effect of the allergen. An antibody called IgA further reduces the allergen’s penetration. However, reaction can occasionally be severe and even life-threatening. An allergy can be caused by a very small amount of a food and can happen quite quickly. The protein or additive causing the reaction is actually harmless and has no adverse effect in most people.

Allergy rates are increasing worldwide. Babies and children are more prone to food allergies due to their naturally weaker immune systems. An estimated 6-8 percent of children currently suffer from food allergies compared with 2-4 percent of adults. Young children will often outgrow their allergies. However, allergies to foods such as nuts and fish are likely to remain.

Sometimes allergies run in families and can be hereditary. If a family member has an allergy, a child is 20-40 percent more likely to have an allergy. This increases to 50-80 percent if more than one member has an allergy. Breastfeeding helps strengthen a baby’s immune system and reduces the risk of allergies. Exposure to cigarettes, dust, mold, fur, and solid foods too early in an infant’s life all increase the risk.

Food intolerances

Food intolerance, on the other hand, can be the result of several things. A non-allergic histamine can be released after eating certain foods, such as shellfish or strawberries. The symptoms are often similar to a food allergy, with victims suffering headache, vomiting, facial swelling, urticaria around the body, and diarrhea. On many occasions, all that is required is anti-histamine tablets.

Then there are metabolic defects that can cause food intolerance. For example, people lacking the lactase enzyme will have trouble digesting milk or ice cream. Those intolerant to gluten in wheat can suffer celiac disease from eating bread. Another type of intolerance is where large quantities of certain food substances act like a drug in the body. An example is caffeine, which can cause palpitations and migraines. Various food additives such as colorings and flavorings can result in an intolerance in certain people. For example, sulfur dioxide affects about 40 percent of children with asthma.

Main foods causing allergies and intolerances

Main foods causing allergies include nuts, eggs, milk, sesame, fish and other seafood, grains such as wheat, and soy. Others are fruit, berries, potatoes, tomatoes, and cucumber.

Food allergy symptoms usually come on quicker than those of intolerance and can include an itchiness, burning or swelling of the mouth, tongue or lips, as well as a runny nose, rashes, urticaria, difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting, cramps, diarrhea, and anaphylaxis where the airway can be blocked within minutes and the person can die of suffocation.

The causes of food intolerance are largely meat and dairy products, including milk, cheese, chocolate, eggs, fish, pork and chicken, but also food additives, flavor enhancers, strawberries, citrus fruit, tomatoes, and wine. Vegetarians tend to suffer less from food intolerance as they don’t eat dairy or meat.

Symptoms of food intolerance vary from person to person but some of the more common ones are headache, sweating, tremor, rapid breathing, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, burning sensation, urticaria, face and chest tightness, and asthma. Longer term symptoms can include migraine, fatigue, anxiety and depression. Thus some symptoms are common to food allergies and food intolerances, sometimes making diagnosis more difficult.

Food toxicity

Neither food allergy nor food intolerance should be confused with food toxicity, where food is spoiled or becomes contaminated and the person suffers food poisoning from eating it. If you’re the only person to eat something and suffer, it’s hard to know if it’s food toxicity or another type of adverse reaction to food. However, if the whole family is sick or if a number of people at a party or restaurant are sick, then it’s probably food toxicity.

Food aversion

A fourth bad reaction to food is called food aversion, and is where a person convinces themselves that a particular food disagrees with them but tests find nothing. It is quite common.

There are several steps to take to avoid any of the four adverse reaction types to food. Determine what is causing the reaction by keeping a diary of food consumption and symptoms. Avoid the suspected foods one at a time. If you find the culprit, avoid it altogether. Check food labels to make sure it’s not in the products you buy. If you can’t isolate the problem, have skin prick and blood tests. Your doctor and dietician should be able to provide further advice.

My own experience with allergy tests

Tags

allergen, allergic reaction, allergy, hair sample test, skin prick test, swollen lips

Further to my article, ‘Allergic reaction: swollen lips’  (https://chrispearce52.wordpress.com/2015/07/18/allergic-reaction-swollen-lips/), I went to a pathology clinic and got a skin prick test done. My forearms were cleaned with alcohol before they were marked with rows of dots using a special dye, so the spot where each allergen was to be applied wasn’t lost. Each allergen was applied with a new lancet next to a dot. The instrument hardly broke the skin’s surface.

Using a single needle, I was tested for 89 substances, which meant 89 needle pricks in close succession, probably quicker than one per second. Each allergen was then applied to the surface of the skin at the point of each skin prick. On a scale of 0-5, with 0 being a negative reaction and 5 being a severe positive reaction, I rated 0 for about 75 substances and 1 for the rest, with a 1 usually indicating an inconclusive result or no allergy. My allergies continued, so for me, the skin test wasn’t accurate. The accuracy of skin tests varies from person to person.

Another way to test for allergies is hair sample analysis, although it is not generally supported by the medical fraternity as an accurate way to find food and other allergies. However, I decided to try it as, for me, the skin prick test hadn’t worked.

I sent a sample of hair in a plastic bag in the mail to a naturopath who offered this service and who lived about 60 miles to the north. The results came back a week later. He had tested for over 250 food and other items and found that I was allergic to the following:

– soy sauce

– Gravox

– Vegemite (a food paste made from yeast extract)

– Promite (a vegetable and yeast extract)

– cabbage

– peas

– hazel nuts

– oat bran

– So-Good (a soy milk product)

– Diet Coke

– green tea

– baby shampoo

– kerosene

– gold.

I found the results to be reasonably accurate. By the time I did the hair test, my allergies had improved considerably but I was still getting a bit of discomfort like a kind of heartburn from time to time. I eliminated the foods I had been eating that came up positive in the test and the discomfort disappeared.

This was about 15 years ago and I have had no real problems since. More recently, I have tried Vegemite occasionally and also peas and have had no reactions. Interestingly, I have gold caps on several back teeth and these seem fine. Also, I have worn a gold wedding ring for over 30 years and have never had any problems, so perhaps the gold finding (for me) wasn’t accurate.