Victoria was the location of a defining moment of General Sir Phillip Bennett’s illustrious military history, in a life of service across Australia and overseas.
CLIVE WILLIAMS.
THERE doesnât seem to be as much Australian slang or swearing about these days â or maybe I just donât mix as much with those who use it.Â
Author Clive Williams.
I joined the Australian Army when I was 18 in Singapore and was flown to Australia to attend the Officer Cadet School at Portsea in Victoria.Â
I wasnât expecting to have a language problem in Australia because I was under the impression that Australians spoke English, but that proved to be rather an unsophisticated and naïve view.Â
My âfatherâ at Portsea (âBindyâ Bourke â a worldly senior-class cadet and my designated mentor) was a former jackaroo who was well-versed in the Australian vernacular. The same was true of most of the cadets who (unlike me) were either former diggers or had knocked around Australia before joining the army.Â