You're all un-Australian.

The Sally Robbins rowing debacle (For those of you who don't like sport or who live in a cave, Sally Robbins is the women's 8's rower who stopped rowing 500m from the line at the Athens Olympics) has raised a huge debate of who is in the right and who is in the wrong?

Unfortunately, the answer seems to be reverting to the question of what it means to be Australian and, conversely, what it means to be “un-Australian”.

Anyone who stops mid race is "un-Australian" as they are not exhibiting bravery and are letting the team down. Anyone teammate who complains about it is "un-Australian" as they are a whinger.

Anyone who chastises either side is "un-Australian" because they aren't elite athletes; they don’t know what it’s like and aren't giving anyone a fair go.

For there to be a concept of “un-Australian”, there must be a definition of what it means to be "Australian". This is distinguished from being an Australian. Furthermore, it's possible to be non-Australian, yet still be "Australian" by exhibiting the characteristics that are becoming of Australians.

So, what is “Australian”?

Well, it’s “Australian” to cut down the “tall poppy”, it’s “Australian” to worship anyone successful who has ever had a link to this country and it’s Australian to go for the underdog.

It’s “Australian” to stand by your mates and it’s “Australian” to unleash physical and verbal abuse when they do something wrong.

“Australian” is a meat pie with sauce and “Australian” is a prime fillet steak with garlic infused mash and honey jus, washed down with a bottle of Shiraz.

No wonder we have a case of confused identity.

Our defining moment as a country, as opposed to an English colony, goes back to the First World War, where we were thrown into the trenches of Turkey under our own flag. To be “Australian” meant to exhibit bravery in futility without complaining.

It is not surprising, given such heritage, that one of the biggest insults you can attach to someone is the tag of "un-Australian".

What is disgraceful, however, is how the term “un-Australian” has become one of the most over-used expressions in our language. It has reached a point where "un-Australian" is used to replace logical argument.

One example that springs to mind is the question of our detention centres. Should we let these foreigners integrate into our society, or should we lock them up in the desert for years while we process their claims?

To lock them up is clearly "un-Australian" as we are bullying refugees, something many of us have been at one time, and aren’t giving them a fair go. However, to integrate them into society is "un-Australian" as they are queue jumpers.

Surely the refugees are "un-Australian" - they weren't even born here.

So, who is Australian?

Well, back in the 1980's, we had a Prime Minister named Bob Hawke. He made a lot of outlandish promises that he broke. He holds 2 world records for drinking beer. When Australia beat America in a sailing race, he declared a public holiday. I’d say that he definitely classifies as a model “Australian”

Don’t agree with me? I don’t care … you’re un-Australian.