Empire Day

I quite enjoyed Empire Day by Diane Armstrong which is set in Sydney in 1948 and examines the changes in society brought about by the European refugees. Empire Day is the symbol of Australia's loyalty to Britain with its "cracker night" celebration. There are other changes which are not easy for some to accept such as single women bringing up children, working women, threat of communism. The polio epidemic is also highlighted. At first the story seems full of "Aussie cliches" but some serious issues are addressed - crime in Sydney, how migrants adjusted (or not) and how they were treated. Was the migration process flawed allowing "undesirables" in to the country. It's a good story of a snapshot in time in Australia. 4/5