# Australian Stars - Most really aren't Aussie **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 25, 2010, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-stars-most-really-arent-aussie/547966 "2010-07-25T19:08:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-stars-most-really-arent-aussie/547966/21 "2010-07-26T12:54:16Z")
It’s interesting, I suppose, that many “Australian” celebrities aren’t Australian by birth, but really, I could probably think of dozens of “American” celebrities who, by that standard, aren’t “really” American. To use just a few example, Bob Hope was born in England, and Knute Rockne was born in Norway, but that didn’t prevent them from becoming American icons. And practically NOBODY would say, “Well, they weren’t REALLY American.” In the same way, NOBODY would look at Henry Ford or Colin Powell and say, “Well, they’re just BARELY American, since their fathers were born overseas.” They were born here, and they’re Americans. Period. Right now, believe me, I understand why Aussies would want to deny any responsibility for Mel Gibson! But for the most part, I’d think almost anyone who grew up in Australia and who’s spent most of his/her life there is genuinely, legitimately Australian. And I’d like to think most Australians agree with me. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-stars-most-really-arent-aussie/547966/22 "2010-07-26T17:00:11Z")
> [@](#): > > Tasmania is ‘separated’ from mainland Australia by Bass Strait, which is roughly 200 or so kilometres wide. This fact however should not be taken to mean that Tasmanians are any less Australian than those who live on the mainland. Are you implying that any person who lives on an island cannot (or should not) claim citizenship of the country who holds the territorial rights? What I said was _“Tasmania is part of Australia but it is seperate from the rest of the country.”_ Is there something in that factual statement you are disputing? ---
**Author:** ![multimediac17](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/839c29/32.png) [@multimediac17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/multimediac17)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-stars-most-really-arent-aussie/547966/23 "2010-07-26T21:34:39Z")
Just butting in slightly, I think he might have been questioning the relevance of the factual statement. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-stars-most-really-arent-aussie/547966/24 "2010-07-26T23:56:50Z")
Yeah, I was gonna say, Alaska is part of the United States, and I’ve never heard of anyone identifying as an Alaskan (or a Hawai’ian) first and an American second. Do Tasmanians do that – Tasmanian first, Australian second? ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-stars-most-really-arent-aussie/547966/25 "2010-07-27T00:54:26Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > Yeah, I was gonna say, Alaska is part of the United States, and I’ve never heard of anyone identifying as an Alaskan (or a Hawai’ian) first and an American second. Do Tasmanians do that – Tasmanian first, Australian second? No they most certainly do not, in my experience, and that’s the reason for the raised eyebrows. Everyone I know from thee would identify as Australian first and foremost, Taswegian second. It makes no difference that Tasmania is separated from the mainland - it’s still a State. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-stars-most-really-arent-aussie/547966/26 "2010-07-27T01:01:19Z")
In fact, in terms of Australian population density, Tasmania’s pretty close to where the action’s at - south-eastern seaboard. It’s more Western Australia and NT which are isolated from the rest of the country. ---
**Author:** ![Claude\_Remains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@Claude\_Remains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claude_Remains)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-stars-most-really-arent-aussie/547966/27 "2010-07-27T07:42:58Z")
[Jimmy Barnes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Barnes) ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-stars-most-really-arent-aussie/547966/28 "2010-07-27T12:44:44Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > Fun fact - a quarter of all Australians aren’t “natural born” either. Why? ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-stars-most-really-arent-aussie/547966/29 "2010-07-27T13:08:34Z")
'Cos a lot of people migrate here, and that’s been the case for a long time. F’rinstance, bunches of 80-year-old Greek ladies in my old neighborhood who came over in the 50’s. A few decades ago we were paying 'em to come here. Julia Gillard is a [Ten Pound Pom](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Pound_Poms) ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-stars-most-really-arent-aussie/547966/30 "2010-07-27T18:37:24Z")
My favorite Australian actresses are Abbie Cornish and Radha Mitchell, and a quick googling suggests they were both born in Australia proper. EDIT: Not a personal favorite, but Anna Torv from Fringe is also a native Australian. ---
**Author:** ![Carl\_Corey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Carl\_Corey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carl_Corey)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-stars-most-really-arent-aussie/547966/31 "2010-07-27T20:45:28Z")
Her parents immigrated from Poland, but Yvonne Strahovski (Chuck, Mass Effect 2) was born and raised in Australia. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-stars-most-really-arent-aussie/547966/32 "2010-07-27T23:21:59Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > A few decades ago we were paying 'em to come here. Julia Gillard is a [Ten Pound Pom](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Pound_Poms) Aha! I think **that’s** what brought Hugh Jackman’s family to Oz! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-stars-most-really-arent-aussie/547966.md?page=1)