fallingblock
Member
Glad you had a good visit HD Fboy....
I've moved back and forth between the U.S. N.Z. and Australia since first immigrating to Australia in 1973. Your observations are similar to my own each time I land in one or the other.
Please bear with me OP while I comment on HD Fboy's experience.
While there's no doubt that one is less likely to be shot in nearly all of Australia than in many parts of the U.S., there are certainly places in Australia where CCW would be very useful. For example, SW Sydney (Bankstown, Liverpool, Campbelltown, Canterbury) is extremely hazardous in spots, as are certain areas in all of Australia's capital cities. The rate of violent assault is actually higher for Australia than the U.S., happening in the most seemingly safe locations. Motorcycle gang activity is such a problem that three Australian states have passed legislation to specifically target it.
I agree that Canberra is as unlike D.C. as chalk and cheese, but during my two years there it was obvious that prudent folks didn't hang around Civic after midnight or linger for long at any of the bus interchanges, Woden being particularly notorious for rapes and robberies. Lone women walk at their peril.
Rural Australia is generally less of a problem, but outback communities are rife with Aboriginal alcoholism and violence which can quickly spill over, engulfing anyone present. In five years at Alice Springs I had several close calls with roaming bands and family feuds erupting on the street as well as knowledge of many targeted attacks on tourists.
You noted that "everyone works" in Australia. If only that were true! There are huge differences in the system of unemployment compensation between the U.S. and Australia. It is quite possible to live one's life in reasonable comfort in Australia without working due to the generosity of the dole and social welfare system.
Australia began as a convict colony. Aside from bushrangers (many were escaped convicts) and the mostly disorganized, short-lived resistance from the aborigines, there was very little 'need' for self defense firearms in the Australian bush. Firearms ownership was very tightly controlled in the early convict colonies and somewhat less so through the frontier period.
The incremental clampdown on firearms ownership began after WWI and culminated in John Howard's long gun "buyback" of 1996 and handgun "buyback" of 2002. Numbers of registered privately owned guns have been rising since then, but there is little to no support for widespread private ownership of guns in Australia's overwhelmingly urban population.
Australia firearms laws are oppressive and largely ineffective with respect to what they were put in place to achieve. They are most certainly NOT cost effective - requiring a huge diversion of police resources into keeping detailed records of firearms transactions and ownership as well as performing regular home visits on law-abiding license holders. As always, the criminals ignore the laws.
I'd say that Australian gun owners are far too few in numbers and lack political power to effect much significant improvement. Unlike our Second Amendment (or any "right" for that matter as there is no codified Australian "Bill of Rights", only "Common Law" with Parliamentary supremacy), there is no legislative anchor for ownership of arms in Australian law.
When I arrive in Florida (my legal U.S. residence) and slip the Ruger LCR or S&W 640 & Desantis holster into my pocket, I experience being elevated to a higher plane of liberty than available anywhere in Australia.
I don't frequent risky neighborhoods or wander around at night (especially in Wal*Mart parking lots!
) and the likelihood of ever needing the weapon is small. But unlike in Australia, it is MY decision to make.
caspian: You'll have to come on over and try it (meeting the legal requirements first, of course) some day. There's just no substitute for individual liberty!
But durn it!:banghead:
Australia has (by American standards) an unbelievably warm and pleasant climate with thousands of miles of empty beach and outback. The perfect place for hunting, fishing, boating, camping and just plain roaming around. Those of you who frequented New Mexico or Arizona in the 1950's and '60's (and Art down there outside Terlingua) will have an idea what the outback of Oz is like.
I've moved back and forth between the U.S. N.Z. and Australia since first immigrating to Australia in 1973. Your observations are similar to my own each time I land in one or the other.
Please bear with me OP while I comment on HD Fboy's experience.
While there's no doubt that one is less likely to be shot in nearly all of Australia than in many parts of the U.S., there are certainly places in Australia where CCW would be very useful. For example, SW Sydney (Bankstown, Liverpool, Campbelltown, Canterbury) is extremely hazardous in spots, as are certain areas in all of Australia's capital cities. The rate of violent assault is actually higher for Australia than the U.S., happening in the most seemingly safe locations. Motorcycle gang activity is such a problem that three Australian states have passed legislation to specifically target it.
I agree that Canberra is as unlike D.C. as chalk and cheese, but during my two years there it was obvious that prudent folks didn't hang around Civic after midnight or linger for long at any of the bus interchanges, Woden being particularly notorious for rapes and robberies. Lone women walk at their peril.
Rural Australia is generally less of a problem, but outback communities are rife with Aboriginal alcoholism and violence which can quickly spill over, engulfing anyone present. In five years at Alice Springs I had several close calls with roaming bands and family feuds erupting on the street as well as knowledge of many targeted attacks on tourists.
You noted that "everyone works" in Australia. If only that were true! There are huge differences in the system of unemployment compensation between the U.S. and Australia. It is quite possible to live one's life in reasonable comfort in Australia without working due to the generosity of the dole and social welfare system.
Australia began as a convict colony. Aside from bushrangers (many were escaped convicts) and the mostly disorganized, short-lived resistance from the aborigines, there was very little 'need' for self defense firearms in the Australian bush. Firearms ownership was very tightly controlled in the early convict colonies and somewhat less so through the frontier period.
The incremental clampdown on firearms ownership began after WWI and culminated in John Howard's long gun "buyback" of 1996 and handgun "buyback" of 2002. Numbers of registered privately owned guns have been rising since then, but there is little to no support for widespread private ownership of guns in Australia's overwhelmingly urban population.
Australia firearms laws are oppressive and largely ineffective with respect to what they were put in place to achieve. They are most certainly NOT cost effective - requiring a huge diversion of police resources into keeping detailed records of firearms transactions and ownership as well as performing regular home visits on law-abiding license holders. As always, the criminals ignore the laws.
I'd say that Australian gun owners are far too few in numbers and lack political power to effect much significant improvement. Unlike our Second Amendment (or any "right" for that matter as there is no codified Australian "Bill of Rights", only "Common Law" with Parliamentary supremacy), there is no legislative anchor for ownership of arms in Australian law.
When I arrive in Florida (my legal U.S. residence) and slip the Ruger LCR or S&W 640 & Desantis holster into my pocket, I experience being elevated to a higher plane of liberty than available anywhere in Australia.
I don't frequent risky neighborhoods or wander around at night (especially in Wal*Mart parking lots!
) and the likelihood of ever needing the weapon is small. But unlike in Australia, it is MY decision to make.caspian: You'll have to come on over and try it (meeting the legal requirements first, of course) some day. There's just no substitute for individual liberty!
But durn it!:banghead:
Australia has (by American standards) an unbelievably warm and pleasant climate with thousands of miles of empty beach and outback. The perfect place for hunting, fishing, boating, camping and just plain roaming around. Those of you who frequented New Mexico or Arizona in the 1950's and '60's (and Art down there outside Terlingua
) will have an idea what the outback of Oz is like.
