Oi, they're ours, mate!

In case you haven’t heard those people across the ditch are celebrating their national day on Tuesday.

This Australia Day, like every other year, there’ll doubtless be a countrywide outpouring of adoration and pride in their national heroes – even if half of them aren’t actually Australian. Aussies like to claim everyone as their own and forget that we Kiwis have long been responsible for some of the greatest talent on earth.

For a long time the Aussies even claim our horses, starting with Big Red way back in the 1930s. So let’s give it up for our great Kiwi stars:

Russell Crowe

Aah Rusty, love him or not he is a mixed bag and a talented one at that. The man can sing (ok, he can belt out a pub tune on mic night) and act. Only in the good times of Oscar wins does Australia embrace Russell. The media quickly discards him when he is bad (think a brawl at a UK restaurant in early 2000s and throwing a telephone in a US hotel then they like to remind the world he is a New Zealander). Wellington-born Rusty, whether you are good, bad or somewhere in between we will always love you. Take that Austraya.

^{Credit:
State Library of Victoria}

Phar Lap

Hard to believe, for some, this legend of Australian racing was foaled in New Zealand. He won 37 races from 51 starts including the prestigious 1930 Melbourne Cup. His death amid mysterious circumstances in1932 resulted in an outpouring of anger and grief around the nation. No, it wasn’t us who did it.

Tim Finn and Neil Finn

Hands off our brothers, we say! The Finn boys were at some stage both members of cult band Split Enz. The band had ripper chart success in the 70s and 80s with songs such as I Got You and I See Red. After Split Enz disbanded they later joined Melbourne band Crowded House in the 1980s. Crowded House went on to dominate charts in here, in Oz and internationally (yes, both nations can lay claim to good music). Thanks for the music boys.

Keith Urban

Those piercing blue eyes, that floppy hair, producer of beautiful lyrics and the giver of kind words on the national US TV show American Idol, the man reeks of niceness. We adore that he is fallible and has found true love with actor Nicole Kidman (yet another person Aussies claim as theirs, despite her born in the US label – at least she’s not another one of ours). The multi-Grammy award-winning country music singer, songwriter and guitarist, was born on our northern island of Whangarei in 1967. He was named the Country Music Association's Entertainer of the Year in 2006. We love you Keith.

Lorde

Born Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor in Takapuna and later raised in Auckland, Lorde has been a staple on global music charts for the past three years. In 2014 as a 17 year old she bagged two Grammys. Rather than get a big head and sit on her laurels she actively writes and is known for spending time talking to her fans via social media. Gotta love that. There is no justification at all for the Aussie icon label.

Sam Neill

It’s a draw for both nations laying claim to the acclaimed actor. Sam was actually born an Irishman, who was raised in Kiwi land and worked in film and TV in Australia before spreading his wings for international stardom and acclaim. We will always love Sam.

For the many others we have not mentioned here, we are glad to say you are some of our best exports. Thanks for helping put NZ on the world stage… and remember we don’t need just one day to celebrate our great nation, we’re happy to have anniversaries the whole year through.

Cheers to Australia Day.