Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Aussie Day in Whistler

An Australian finds his home far away
65402_l

I remember my first day in Whistler like it was yesterday. It was December 2004 when I stepped off the Greyhound at the Visitor's Centre. I didn't know a soul in town and I had no idea where I was going. Burdened with an overloaded backpack and ski bag, I shuffled towards the closest person to ask for directions to Whistler Blackcomb Staff Housing. Lo and behold, I was greeted with an Aussie accent. I immediately felt less homesick.

I soon settled into my compact (yet affordable!) unit at Glacier Lane where my roomies were all Australians guys. I knew I was in Canada but I started to wonder where all the Canadians were hiding.

Once I started work at Whistler Blackcomb Ski School, I began to meet the rest of Whistler's congregation: Ontarians, Quebecois, Brits, Kiwis. People from Argentina and Chile, Germany and Spain. Whistler is a pluralistic community, but no other outlanders seemed to have the strength in numbers that the Aussies have. Or at least, no one else was as easy to spot around town.

My first season in 2004/2005 turned out to have the worst snow fall in 30 years. Parts of the resort didn't even open that year, but I skied every day nonetheless. At that time I had one season to experience Whistler and nothing could curb my zeal, not even weeks of non-stop rain. It would not be until spring that the snow would finally make its late entrance.

When January came along I began feel the anticipation from the Aussie community in Whistler. Everyone was booking Jan. 26 off work, many also blocked off Jan. 27th to give themselves another full day for recovery. The party starts early on Australia Day, I was told, and it doesn't stop until the clock has safely ticked over into the next day. I jumped on the bandwagon and partied my little Aussie heart out. I spent that rainy January day forgetting the sorrows of a powderless season. I drank beer, painted my face and enjoyed the camaraderie of my countrymen.

The annual celebration of Australia day is once again upon us here in Whistler. For as long as many locals can remember, January 26 has been a day where you either join the party or avoid the Village at all costs. The Village Stroll turns into an Aussie free-for-all with flags draped over half naked bodies and loud, off-key singing emanating from colourfully-clad groups of drunken jingoes. If you are Australian and it's your first year in Whistler, then get ready for the most memorable Australia Day experience of your life.

The boisterous behaviour of young Australians on January 26 in Whistler Village now seems like a tradition in itself, but what does Australia Day actually represent?

Australia Day celebrates the landing of the First Fleet of eleven convict ships in Sydney Cove on Jan. 26, 1788. The arrival of the first Governor of New South Wales and the raising of the Union Jack flag symbolised the British occupation of the eastern half of the continent, which had been previously claimed by English explorer James Cook 18 years earlier. These immigrants who prospered in Sydney, many being convicts or sons of convicts, began to mark the colony's beginnings with an anniversary dinner. They labelled it "an emancipist festival," a day to celebrate the love of the land in which they lived.

Every year at the anniversary (then called First Landing Day or Foundation Day) there was a series of toasts that included the King and Queen (of England), the British Navy and Army and various other notable gentry.  In 1826 the term Australia entered the list of toasts after being approved by the British Admiralty. The term was derived from the Latin Terra Australis Incognita, meaning "Unknown Land of the South."

In 1837 the celebration of the anniversary began to include the Sydney Regatta, a boat race held in the Sydney Harbour that is celebrated to this very day. In its inaugural year, drawing crowds to the shore of the harbour, the official newspaper, The Sydney Gazette , reported, "It was a day entirely devoted to pleasure."

The following year was the Jubilee celebration and the proclamation of an annual public holiday. First Landing Day was now in its 50th year and the Sydney Regatta was the biggest attraction, drawing crowds from all the colonies. Sailing races were starting to be recognized as a legitimate pastime, what the Sydney Morning Herald labelled as  "contrasting to the traditional violent and rowdy leisure such as gambling, drinking and blood sports." The Sydney Morning Herald affirmed this fact in 1838 when reporting on the First Landing Day celebration that "there has not been as much drunkenness as we have been in the habit of seeing."

1838 was also a year of significance for flag patriotism. One of three steam ships in Sydney Harbour that day had been hired by Australians whom hoisted the flag of the New South Wales Ensign. This flag had the Union Jack in the top left corner and featured the stars of the Southern Cross. It was one of the first incarnations of today's Australian flag. The Sydney Gazette reported that the raising of this flag drew "he most deafening and enthusiastic cheering" from the shores of the harbour.

By the Centenary in 1888, over 60 percent of Australians were native-born. The colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Van Diemen's Land (now known as Tasmania) had all ended the transportation of convicts. The other colonies were reluctant to follow New South Wales in celebrating a common birthday, feeling that the early occupation of the country was not its proudest moment. But Sydney always had the biggest party, one that seemed to unite all Australians whether native-born or otherwise.

Henry Parkes, the Premier of New South Wales, emphasized this unity when he addressed colonial representatives in 1890, saying 'the crimson thread of kinship runs through us all,' referring to the common British heritage that many Australians share.

Another 50 years later and now into the 20th Century, Australia had finally agreed on the title, date and nature of the celebration of its national day. While the country rallied for the biggest party ever, it was the first year there was an official protest.  The meeting of over 100 Aborigines in Sydney marked the first unofficial "Day of Mourning."

To the Australian Aborigines League, 1938 was the 150th anniversary of the white men's seizure of their homeland.  They appealed for new laws that would endorse equality for all Australians and campaigned for ways to achieve citizenship status. For many white Australians living in capital cities, the plight of aborigines remained out of sight and out of mind. The devastating effect of the white colonization of Australia became much more apparent after a Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody in 1992.

The remainder of the 20th century saw the government trying to mould the day into something less British and more Australian. With the decades of European immigration the country had become very much a multi-cultural society.  When Australia reached its 200th birthday in 1988 it had a new national anthem and a new flag. Aboriginal opposition to the day was still strong with protest. Signs were carried in Sydney that read "WHITE AUSTRALIA HAS A BLACK HISTORY" and "AUSTRALIA DAY = INVASION DAY." Reconciliation over Australia Day remains unresolved with many Aboriginal Australians feeling excluded from what is still a celebration of British settlement. Recently the term "Survival Day" has been more common; however any proposals to change the date from January 26 have failed to garner widespread support.

So why do we go so crazy for Aussie Day in Whistler? Our tradition of creating a ruckus when abroad isn't new. Before the Gallipoli campaign during World War 1, ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) soldiers were known to run amok in Cairo getting drunk, burning local people's possessions and starting riots. You won't quite see as much destruction on January 26 in Whistler, but the iconic Aussie larrikin is still very evident in our culture today - especially when celebrating in a foreign country.

But we cannot simply blame our heritage for our behaviour. There are a number of reasons that Whistler's annual Aussie extravaganza is the way it is.

The Population - Thanks to an extended Working Holiday Visa program, there are now more Aussies under the age of 30 within Whistler's municipal boundaries than ever before. Some may leave, but there are always more arriving the following year.

The Drinking -  The roots of Australia's beer drinking culture run deep. Our third-longest serving Prime Minister, Bob Hawke, is most famous for setting a new world speed record for beer drinking. The single feat of downing a full yard glass (1.4 litres of beer) in 11 seconds is what may have contributed to the success of his political career more than any other achievement.

The Vibe - Arms around shoulders, raised glasses and chants of patriotic pride. It really is infectious. So much so that curious non-Australians will join in.

Every national celebration abroad needs a designated HQ. Katrina Frew is the manager of the Longhorn Pub and has worked Aussie Day for the last seven years.

"From the beginning we've been the Australia Day headquarters for Whistler, and for as long as I remember we've had the line up stretching into the village stroll waiting for us to open. We open at 9 a.m. every day but the 26th is the one day of the year that we're able to fill the bar first thing. The popularity has grown every year, especially now that we have a feed from the Triple J Hottest 100."

Bar sales at The Longhorn on Jan. 26 are as much as double of an average day, but the same rules of service apply.

"If someone has had too much we have our duty of care to protect our patrons as well as our license. We don't condone over-service and will turn away individuals who we see as being overly intoxicated."

Many Aussies also choose to gear up and take their hoopla up on the mountain.  Peter Jean is the Safety Supervisor for Whistler Blackcomb and he is not opposed to responsible partying on the ski hill.

"We just want to make sure everyone plays safe. Anytime you mix celebrations, liquor and skiing, it's not good. If you are unable to ski or ride because of intoxication then don't come up. We don't give breathalysers, but if people are intoxicated and look problematic we usually have a chat with them. Obey the rules, obey the slow zones and have fun!"

As easy as it is to get caught up in the euphoria of Australia Day, it is unfortunately a very turbulent time of year back home. Throughout the worst years of the drought there were always bushfires, the worst being on Feb. 7, 2009 (now known as Black Saturday). 173 people perished in Victoria that day in the worst series of fires in the nation's recorded history.

This year the heat turned to rain. Queensland just experienced the worst flooding since 1974 with over 17,500 homes destroyed. Sixteen Queenslanders have lost their lives. Seeing your home city devastated through an internet news feed can bring up pangs of helplessness, but none of us are helpless. While you are partying this Australia Day, take a moment to think of those at home and the challenges they are facing. Give up one of your beer jugs and throw the money towards the Queensland Flood Relief Appeal. Look out for the Aussies collecting donations in the Village on Wednesday or donate online at www.qld.gov.au/floods/donate.html

There has been a somewhat negative sentiment from the locals building over the last few years towards the Aussie Day crowd, mostly incited by the rambunctious behaviour of the celebrators. The best advice I can give is to avoid the Village on Wednesday, particularly after dark when the inebriation is at its peak. If you're in town that day be wary of hazards like rugby balls being kicked around and people tripping over their own capes. And remember, we're Aussies. We get drunk, we act silly and may even get a bit obnoxious sometimes, but it's just our way of expressing ourselves. We're mostly harmless - most of the time.

 

10 TIPS ON SURVIVING YOUR FIRST AUSSIE DAY CELEBRATION IN WHISTLER

1. Get up early. If you're not in the Longhorn by 10am you're going to miss the biggest party in Whistler. Screw fresh tracks.

2. Pace yourself. There is a long day of drinking ahead of you so don't charge too hard too fast. You want to remember at least some of your country's national day, don't you?

3. Wear your colors. The more green and gold on the body the better. Buy your flags early before they sell out. Bonus points for sporting inflatable kangaroos and clip-on Koalas.

4. Check in with home. Call your loved ones and tell them how big the party is in Whistler. See if they believe you.

5. Play Safe. If you are riding on the mountain that day maybe look at the temperatures before skiing down from the roundhouse wearing nothing but a pair of Bonds and an Australian flag. And remember the ninth commandment of the Alpine Responsibility Code: "Thou shalt not ski into objects or people after consuming numerous alcoholic beverages"

6. Evacuation Strategies. Plan ahead and learn the locations of all the public washrooms in the Village so you don't have to wait to pee. For the guys: PLEASE DO NOT URINATE IN PUBLIC. This is one of the chief complaints from locals (including other Australians) every year.

7. Avoid altercations. Do your country proud, but don't show it with your fists. We want to all celebrate being Australian together- and only wankers start fights.

8. Know your limit. When you start drinking heavily around breakfast time it's easy to lose control by the time après comes around. Vomiting in the plant boxes along the Village Stroll on your way to the next party venue isn't a great look.

9. Try to be Respectful. Remember that not everyone in Whistler is celebrating with you. Don't force your enthusiasm onto others who are trying to enjoy their holiday or work their jobs that day.

10. Sing loud, be proud. If you don't already know all the words to 'Land Down Under' you will by the end of the day.

 



Comments