in Australian history!
Did you know that Australia has a rich and fascinating history?
From the moment European settlers arrived in 1788, Australia has been filled with interesting and unusual events. In this article, we will take a look at 6 of the weirdest moments in Australian history. From the bizarre to the downright strange, and they provide a unique glimpse into Australia's past.
So without further ado, let's get started!
The Emu War
Out of all the reasons to start a war, starting one because of a large, flightless bird seems pretty strange.
But that's exactly what happened in Australia in the 1930s. The emus were causing havoc on local farms, eating crops and destroying property.
The farmers had had enough and called on the government for help. The government sent in the military to take care of the problem. But as it turns out, fighting emus is not an easy task. They are fast, agile and difficult to hit. Plus, they travel in large flocks which made them even more difficult to deal with.
After a few weeks of trying to battle the emus, the military was forced to admit defeat and call off the war. It remains one of Australia's strangest moments in history.
The colony of cats that lived under the Harbour Bridge
It doesn't matter whether you're a cat person or a dog person, everyone can appreciate a good animal colony story (because there are so many of them, right?). And the best story about a colony of cats has got to be the one about the cats that once lived under the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
As the story goes, the Sydney Harbour Bridge's Pylon Lookout (in the southeast corner) was home to a colony of cats in the 1950s and 60s plus a little merry-go-round that the cats chilled out on!
The colony was the brainchild of Yvonne Rentoul, who was an ex-service woman who wanted to promote the cat colony, even going as far to establish an All-Australian exhibition that sold gifts to tourists.
Unfortunately, the colony was relocated in the 1970s and the pylon is now cat-free. But if you're ever feeling nostalgic for the good old days, you can always visit a cat cafe in the city and meet lots of friendly local cats.
The banning of our beloved Vegemite
Vegemite is synonymous with the Australian diet, so it goes without saying that banning it is totally out of the question. If it's been used to brew alcohol in prison though, we understand.
This is what occurred in the 1990s in Victoria. Vegemite was banned in all prisons due to its high yeast content, as yeast is used in the brewing of alcohol, and prisoners were using Vegemite to make homebrew.
As a result, the prison system decided to ban the popular spread from all prisons in the state. It's safe to say that this decision was not met with much enthusiasm.
The prime minister who ate a raw onion like an apple
While Vegemite is one of our most beloved food products in Australia, there's one person who would prefer to eat a raw onion than vegemite on toast – our ex-prime minister Tony Abbott.
You might recall a now-infamous photo of Abbott chowing down on a raw onion like it was an apple. The photo, which was taken in 2014, went viral and led to the creation of some pretty hilarious memes.
But it turns out that Abbott is a fan of raw onions! In an interview with The Guardian, he said: "I love eating them ... I've been known to eat them like apples."
Weirdly enough, this isn't the only strange thing that Abbott has done with an onion. In 2009, he was photographed wearing a budgie smuggler swimsuit with an onion print.
That's... something.
...and another one that simply vanished
If you thought eating an onion on live TV was a weird moment in Australian history, then you're in for a real chin scratcher.
Harold Holt was the 17th Prime Minister of Australia, serving from 1966 until his mysterious disappearance in 1967. Holt went for a swim at Cheviot Beach near Portsea, Victoria and was never seen again. A massive search operation ensued but no trace of the Prime Minister was ever found.
The official report stated that Holt had drowned, but many conspiracy theories abound as to what really happened to Australia's Prime Minister. Some even say that he was abducted by a Chinese submarine!
We may never know the truth about what happened to Harold Holt, but one thing is for sure – his disappearance is definitely one of the most bizarre junctures in Oz history.
The great frying pan fight of 1824
The final and perhaps the most laugh-out-loud moment in Australian history is the great frying pan fight of 1824.
This event took place between two explorers, William Hovell and Hamilton Hume, who were arguing over the correct direction to take.
The argument quickly escalated and ended with both Hovell and Hume splitting their belongings down the middle. And by splitting we mean literally cutting everything including the tent in half! When it came to the frying pan though, they both wrestled over who would get it. In the end, the frying pan broke and both got half.
Of course, they made up afterwards and eventually went on to become the first white men to lay yes on Australia's Murray River.
So there you have it, 10 of the strangest moments in Australian history! From Prime Ministers eating raw onions to explorers fighting over frying pans, we've definitely got our fair share of weird and wonderful moments.
What do you think is the strangest moment in Australian history?
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