Today in Western Australia we have a public holiday. The holiday is 'Foundation Day' and while I almost wish it were a day to celebrate Isaac Asimov's 'magnum opus' future history series, it is in fact the day that remembers the founding on the Colony of Western Australia in 1829.
This makes WA and Perth 180 years old so happy centioctogintennial everyone!
Of course once they got the business of founding the colony over with it was time for a coffee. Unfortunately they had to wait another 23 long years before coffee was roasted in the city as the first roaster commenced his trade here in 1852.
Meanwhile the local Noongar people experience the full force of European 'civilization' which seems to have left a substantial impact. The charitable might suggest that the behaviour of the early settlers towards the Aboriginal people was because they had no-coffee crabbiness, but I suspect that attitudes and policy both played a role in some of the conflicts that followed.
However, both the Settlers and Noongar people survived and today we have a vibrant and (generally) tolerant society that is worth celebrating.
So happy Foundation Day - and support your local Perth rosters!
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