They do say, convict by heritage, but guilty by choice. Though my origins are that of a free peoples, pioneers. But at times it helps to reinforce the national myth and stereotype and its probably about time to fess up.

The Australian newspaper had this piece about the Australia Day embassy party which I attended a few days ago. It was a good party and a good turn out. My mate Tom from Sydney was visiting me in The Hague, so I took Tom along with my good Dutch mate Sven, and we had a good time. As the article states, the Australian Embassy nameplate went missing. We had something to do with it. Yes, we nicked it. The nameplate was returned to the embassy on Australia Day 2009. No questions were asked.

Australia Day was celebrated with some style at the Australian Embassy in The Hague. There were drinks, more drinks, a chook raffle, more drinks – and a good time was had by all.

It was a pretty typical Aussie party for the large mob of Australians, Dutch locals and various other foreign embassy staffers lucky enough to be invited. But as often happens after drinks, more drinks and extra drinks, nasty little demons got to work in addled brains. Tom Samal, the first secretary and consul at the Embassy, was forced to send an email to all invitees this week complaining about “the unauthorised removal of some property”. Samal says two ceiling-to-floor wall hangings from the bar and the Australian Embassy nameplate from the reception area were pinched. He says he has video footage of three identifiable people who appear to be removing the nameplate and has asked for the items to be returned, no questions asked. (The Australian, 29 January 2009).

Photo: The ‘borrowed’ Australian Embassy nameplate.