"Saint" Kilda

In February of 1841 the schooner the Lady of St. Kilda harbored in one of Melbourne’s suburbs: Port Philip. The area was soon named after the ship and became a popular Melbourne beach destination with an eclectic crowd. 

On a hot day 172 years later the small stretch of sand quickly became dotted with blankets, bathing suits, and dogs running through the shallow waters. The crowd is a mix of locals and tourists all looking forward to the calm, refreshing water. And after one hour and two busses later, our group was ready to join in the fun. 

Coming from a continent where there is snow on the ground and the average temperatures are currently in the low 50s, being on a beach in 90 degree weather was unreal. After laying out our towels, taking pictures, jumping in the water, and lying down to soak up the much needed sun, we all reflected on how amazing it was to be there. We all agreed this was one of the happiest moments in our young lives and we cannot imagine a better place to have come to live for the next 4 months. 

A little while later a friend and I went for a walk along the water and to explore a pier on the other side of the beach. We walked in our bikinis, enjoying the water and people watching, listening to the local accents and soaking up the culture like the sun. As we walked along the pier we watched jet skiers fly by and became enthralled with a man using a water jet pack to propel himself into the air. We were soon interrupted by an older gentleman walking in the opposite direction who pointed at us and told us, “It is called Saint Kilda for a reason. Saint Kilda, it’s religious,” insinuating that walking along the pier in our bathing suits was inappropriate. His friend than told him that we were obviously not from here. 

Even though there is actually no Saint Kilda (the beach was named after the ship, which was named in honor of Lady Grange who was imprisoned by her husband on the largest island in the St. Kilda archipelago on the western shore of Scotland) we were very taken aback by this accusation. We were immediately embarrassed, turning around and heading back to the beach where everyone else was similarly dressed. On the way back we looked for signs saying no bathing suits allowed, but could not find any and came to the conclusion that maybe the culture is a little more different from our own than we had initially believed. 

We also came to realize the reputation Americans carry in other parts of the world. 

This was not the only instance we received different treatment for being Americans. As a group of us tried to enter a club with American passports a $12 cover charge suddenly appeared following the comment, “oh you’re from America?” Another bouncer gave us a history lesson on how the money America received from selling their gold when they changed currency tenders went to support the Nazi party in Germany. And I can not even count the times people have immediately known we were from Loyola after saying we were from the States because of the reputation past Loyola students have left. 

So while the general population of Australians have been extremely welcoming to us as guests in their country and interested in the culture we come from, some have their judgements and are not willing to change. Now it is our responsibility to not confirm their opinions, but work to help them see Americans in a better light.