Spain - Australia
Curiosa
The Spanish language in Australia
Music
Spanish sailors
Time line
Bibliography
10
reasons to learn Spanish
Curiosa
The Australian merinos have their origins in Spain, some of them directly,
the "Spanish merinos". The first twenty six merino type sheep
were introduced in Australia in 1797 from Cape Hope, South Africa. Merinos
are originally the typical Spanish sheep; bred five thousand years ago
by the Tartessos at the valley of the river Guadalquivir, southern Spain.
The first camels to arrive in Australia came from Spain. The first ones
were brought to Port Adelaide from Tenerife, Canary Islands, in 1840
in the ship Appoline. Out of six only one survived, its name was "Harry".
The famous explorer John Horrick bought it.
The Spanish dollar (eight reales coin) was an international currency
during the XVI-XVII century. The USA and Australian dollar take their
names from it. The symbol $ may come from the Spanish heraldic signs
of the columns of Hercules printed in the coins.
In 1792 the British brought Spanish dollars to Australia and from 1813
to 1828 this coin became the legal currency of Australia, but making
a hole in the centre (the holey dollars).
There are more than 320 places in Australia with Spanish names.
Guitars began to be made in Australia in the 1950s.
Spanish Jesuit priest, St Francis Xavier (1506-1552)is the patron saint
of Oceania, including Australia.
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The Spanish language in Australia
There are almost ninety thousand Spanish speaking people (ABS Census
2006).
The lectores sent by the government of Spain to universities around
the world, intend to reinforce wherever needed the teaching of Spanish
during a whole academic year, with possibility of extension up to three
years. Until 2005 there was only one in Australia, at La Trobe University,
but since 2006 there were two more, one at University of Queensland,
Brisbane, and another at Flinders University, Adelaide. Since 2009 there
will be two more, one at The University of Sydney and another at The
University of Melbourne.
There are eleven advisers and teachers in Primary and Secondary schools
sent by the Spanish Government.
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Music
The Abbey of New Norcia, founded by Spanish monks has been an important
centre of sacred music and its most celebrated composer has been Esteban
Moreno (1899-1953).
Two operas written by Australian authors have Spanish stories, Medea,
by Gordon Kerry, based on the book of the same title by Spanish philosopher,
Seneca; and Quirós, by Peter Sculthorpe, based on the poem of
the same name by James Mc Auley about Pedro Fernández de Quirós.
Sculthorpe made a suite for orchestra, "Quirós" to
commemorate the IV hundredth anniversary of this Spanish explorer in
2006. He has also composed: Nourlangie, Little Nourlangie and New Norcia
and Visions of Captain Quirós.
Other pieces of classical music with Spanish inspiration written by
Australian composers are: , Betty Beath, The cry; Colin Brumby, Three
songs from a Spanish madrigal; David Cundy, Spanish evening; Richard
Meale, Las alboradas and Three Miró pieces; Vincent Plush, Cristóbal
Colón-Guamiquiná, and Pacífica.
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Spanish sailors
Pedro Fernández de Quirós, in 1606, was the first European
to arrive to Vanuatu. He named some of the islands, such as Torres (the
second in command of his expedition), Espíritu Santo, Santa María
and Pentecostés. The 14th May 1606 he gave the first official
European name to what he thought to be the Great South Land and turned
to be present Espíritu Santo: Austrialia del Espíritu
Santo.
Luis Váez de Torres, in September-October 1606, was the first
European to cross the Straits that bear his name, and the first Spaniard
to land in Australian islands (Yam, Long, Mount Ernest and Twin) and
to meet its Aboriginals. He proved to Europeans that Papúa New
Guinea was an island.
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Time line
21 December 1605: Pedro Fernández de Quirós and Luis Vaez
de Torres, leave El Callao, Perú, with the ships San Pedro y
San Pablo, San Pedro and Los Tres Reyes.
12 May 1606: Quirós and Torres enter St Philips and St James's
Bay (Bay of Pigs) in Vanuatu.
13 May 1606: first landing of Quirós and Torres in Vanuatu.
Sunday 14 May 1606, Whitsunday: Quirós names Austrialia del Espíritu
Santo and takes possession of it on behalf of the King of Spain and
Portugal, Philip III.
11 June 1606: Quirós leaves Santo for good.
26 June 1606: Torres leaves Santo for good.
21 September 1606 : Torres sights the Australian continent (Granville
Allen Mawer).
1-9 October 1606: Torres crosses the Straits that bear his name (Brett
Hillder).
3-4 October 1606: Torres anchors off Cape Cornwall (Brett Hillder).
21 October 1606: Quirós arrives to Acapulco.
22 May 1607: Torres arrives to Manila.
October 1607: Quirós arrives to Spain.
1615: Quirós dies in Panama.
7 December 1792: Alejandro Malaspina with the corvettes Descubierta
and Atrevida, leaves Cadiz, Spain, for a journey through the Pacific.
12 March 1793: Malaspina arrives to Botany Bay.
11 April 1793: Malaspina leaves Botany Bay for good.
24 February 1793: Malaspina arrives to New Zealand.
21 September 1794: Malaspina arrives back to Cadiz.
1797: the first merinos or "Spanish sheep" arrive to Australia.
1813-1828: 40.000 reales de a ocho become currency in Australia as the
so called "holly dollars".
1846: fathers Rosendo Salvado and Jose Serra found the Monastery of
New Norcia, Western Australia.
24th October 1853: Appointment of the first Consul of Spain in Sydney,
Antonio Arrom de Ayala
1 January 1855: Antonio Arrom de Ayala, takes office.
1928-1929: first visit to Australia of the Spanish Armada training vessel,
Juan Sebastian Elcano (Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney). It was its maiden
world voyage.
1935: José Paronella opens Paronella park, Mina Creek, Queensland.
1955-1958: Spanish boxer, Ricardo Marcos "Bolita", semi-heavy
Australian boxing champion.
1959: first organized arrival of Spanish immigrants by boat, on board
the ship Montserrat. The last group arrival on ship took place in 1961.
1964: James Mc Auley publishes Captain Quirós: a poem.
1964: first Spanish club opens, the Spanish Centre of Victoria.
11 July 1964: first newspaper in Spanish published.
26th October 1967: Establishment of diplomatic relations between Spain
and Australia
3rd May 1968: The embassy of Spain in Australia opens.
1970: the first Andalucian horses arrive to Australia.
1972-1974: Spaniards son Al Grasby, minister of Immigration of the Commonwealth.
1980: Peter Sculthorpe composes Visions of Captain Quirós, music
for guitar and orchestra.
1 July 1982: World premiere of the opera Quirós by Peter Sculthorpe,
broadcasted by the ABC as a part of the commemorations of the 50th anniversary
of ABC television.
1997-1998: the Juan Sebastian Elcano, tours Fremantle, Melbourne, Hobart
and Sydney (LIX training voyage), and participates in the naval parade
of 26th January 1998 celebrating the Bicentennial of Australia.
13-19 June 1988: State Visit of the King and Queen of Spain, Don Juan
Carlos and Doña Sofia. A statue of Pedro Fernández de
Quirós is donated to Sydney City Council. It now stands at Latin
American Square, Sydney.
5-10 July 1990: official visit of the Crown Prince of Spain, the Prince
of Asturias, Don Felipe, Canberra, Sydney, Ulurú, Darwin and
Kakadú.
2002: The novel "Quirós", by John Toohey is published.
17 September-16 October 2005: Sculpture garden Don Quixote and Sancho
Panza tilting at windmills at Floriade, Canberra to commemorate the
400th anniversary of the publication of Don Quixote de la Mancha, by
Miguel de Cervantes.
16 September-15 October 2006: Sculpture garden Spain, at Floriade, featuring
a sculpture of galleon San Pedro to commemorate the 400th anniversary
of the crossing of Torres Strait by Luis Váez de Torres.
12 October 2006: Unveiling of a bust of Quirós at Windsor Walk,
opposite the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra to commemorate
the 400th anniversary of the voyages of Pedro Fernández de Quirós
and Luis Váez de Torres to the Southern Seas.
27 October 2006: Friday: World premiere of suite "Quirós",
performed by the Orchestra of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, conducted
by Imre Palló, pianist Gerard Willems.
1-20 March 2007: F100 warship Alvaro de Bazán, tours Australia:
Perth, Adelaide and Sydney.
20 June 2007: The government of the Commonwealth chooses the offer of
Spanish company Navantia to build three Air Warfare Destroyers and two
Amphibious Ships.
14th November 2007 Gammsonics Institute for Medical Research, of Dr.
David Muñoz-Ferrada, wins the 19th Ethnic Business Award.
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Bibliography
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of Wollongong Press, 2005, 766 pags.
COLLINGDRIDGE, George A., The first discovery of Australia and New Guinea,
being the narrative of Portuguese and Spanish Discoveries in Australian
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COUTINHO, Gago, Portugueses no descobrimiento da Australia. En "A
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