In Canberra, this unofficial rule has become a local badge of honour. Forget birthplace - if you've endured the mid-April chill without touching your heater, many consider you a true Canberran. Tim the Yowie Man delves into the history behind a long-standing Canberra tradition.
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00:01To light the fire or not to light the fire? That is the question.
00:07I'm sure you've all heard the unwritten rule that you're not a true Canberran
00:12if you light your fire or put your heater on before Anzac Day.
00:17But what are the origins of this absurd tradition?
00:2092-year-old John Howard of O'Connor thinks he has the answer.
00:25When we first came to Canberra and the hostels and places like that,
00:32government buildings, had log fires.
00:34And we were sitting there shivering because Anzac Day hadn't arrived, you see.
00:39So they wouldn't provide wood for the log fires until after Anzac Day?
00:43That's right.
00:44Was that the rule?
00:45It seemed to be. I don't know who wrote the rule or what.
00:48It was, you know, winter started early in those days, Tim.
00:53Until, what, the Monday after Anzac Day? Or Anzac Day was it?
00:56I'm not sure, but Anzac Day roughly was it.
00:58Because all these hostels and places had janitors and so on.
01:01And it was one of their responsibilities.
01:03Right.
01:04But as far as I work out, this cottage behind us was the home of the little old fireman, I suppose.
01:12I would have spent the year probably stockpiling firewood here.
01:16And then going around and setting up in the yards of these public buildings like Hotel Canberra and so on.
01:23A heap of logs ready for winter.
01:25So this had the reputation of what was known as the Log Cutters Cottage?
01:29Yes, yes.
01:30As far as I understand it.
01:31Did you have a log fire here where you live?
01:33No, we had a slow combustion stove, but that was important in those days because it was darn cold like that.
01:41Did you wait till Anzac Day?
01:43No, we just lit it when we wanted it.
01:46And when you lived at Gorman House, what were the conditions like there?
01:49What years was that?
01:50It would have been 57, something like that.
01:53It was pretty primitive.
01:54The rooms were not heated.
01:57If you wanted to, you could put your own heater on and pay for the electricity, of course.
02:03There was no hot water in the rooms.
02:06You had to wander down the corridor every time you wanted to go to the toilet to have a shower.
02:11It was terribly cold, you know.
02:13We didn't have electric blankets and you warm yourself at the fire and jump into bed.
02:20And you think the winters have become warmer in Canberra?
02:23I'm sure.
02:24The cyclists used to come to our work in the morning with frost on their eyebrows.
02:30Now you wouldn't see that today.
02:32Frost on the eyebrows.
02:33Yeah, that's right.
02:34I don't know what happens in your place, but here in the Yowie Bunker, there's one simple rule.
02:41If it's cold, we light the fire.
02:50I'd be thinking it's cold and cold.
02:51It's cold, but there's a risk for you.
02:52It's cold, but probably cold.
02:53Even when you're weak, we're just going to die.
02:55But I still think it's cold.
02:56It's cold.
02:57You know, we do the time.
02:58I'm ready.
02:59Yeah, thanks.
03:00I'm not a big either.
03:01I'm just gonna give you some money.
03:02It's cold.
03:03You're not a big one.
03:06I'm good.
03:07I'm not sure.
03:08I'm good.
03:09You're not a big one.
03:10I'm a big one.
03:11You're not a big one.
03:12I'm not a big one.
03:13Usually I'm good.
03:14You're not a big one.
03:15I'm really good.
03:16You're not a big one.