by Jack, age 10, asks about Christmas Island, Uluru, and Australia first peoples
Dear Santa,
Gday from Perth. My name is Jack, I am 10, and Christmas here in Australia is in the middle of summer, so we usually have a barbecue and a swim, and Dad wears a paper crown and burns the sausages every single year. It is a tradition now.
My questions this year are these. First: where is Christmas Island located? I heard it has my favourite holiday name and I want to know all about it.
Second, a geography question: what is the giant rock in the middle of Australia called?
Third, a school question: who were the first people to live in Australia?
I am leaving you a cold glass of milk because warm milk in this heat would be a bit much. Sorry about the flies.
Love, Jack, age 10, Perth, Australia
From the Desk of Father Christmas
Dear Jack, a cold glass of milk in an Australian summer is a genuine act of mercy. Thank you, and please thank your dad for the sausages, burnt or not. Now to your questions.
Where is Christmas Island located?
Christmas Island is an Australian territory out in the Indian Ocean, sitting to the north-west of the mainland and south of the Indonesian island of Java. It got its name because it was first sighted by a passing ship on Christmas Day, back in 1643. It is most famous for an astonishing sight: every year millions of red crabs march from the forest down to the sea to lay their eggs, turning the roads red. Scientists come from all over the world just to watch. So yes, your favourite holiday has a very lively little island named after it.
What is the giant rock in the middle of Australia called?
The giant rock is called Uluru, and it is a huge sandstone formation in the heart of the country. It glows a deep orange and red, especially at sunrise and sunset, and it is far bigger than it looks in photos, with a great deal of it hidden underground like an iceberg. It is a sacred place to the Aboriginal peoples who have cared for that land for a very, very long time.
Who were the first people to live in Australia?
The first people of Australia are the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, whose ancestors have lived on the continent for tens of thousands of years, making theirs one of the oldest continuous cultures on the whole planet. They passed down knowledge, art, and stories across countless generations. When you learn about the land you live on, you are learning something ancient and precious.
Keep an eye on those sausages next year, and I shall see you Christmas Eve, flies and all.
Ho ho ho, Santa
