The Melbourne Cup reflects Australian values we'd rather not examine
The Melbourne Cup is one of few Australian events that truly captures the world’s attention, and it’s actually a very accurate reflection of Australian values – for better and worse. Just as in the broader society, few people want to examine such things too closely, because we might see some aspects of our collective reflection that we really, REALLY don’t want to acknowledge.
I have written before about the importance of the fashion industry (https://www.soupthink.com/blog-page/2018/8/3/why-fashion-has-value-beyond-appearance), and clearly the Melbourne Cup is incredibly important to tourism. This day is all about appearance and social status. Granted, the fashion industry does serve a need, and it would no doubt create an event if the Melbourne Cup did not exist - but such an event wouldn’t have half the profile that the Cup does currently.
I’m not a wowser; I like a good time, a small punt and a drink as much as the next person. But the nexus between excessive alcohol consumption and gambling goes beyond the average punter waking up with a shocking hangover the following day. There is a lot of research to suggest that the spectacle of the Spring Racing Carnival causes a spike in gambling losses[1], alcohol-related hospitalisations[2] and domestic violence[3] - and often these three things are connected[4].
Of course, there is no horse racing without horses. It took until 2020 for the industry body, Racing Victoria, to commission a report to look at the safety and care of the horses running in their races[5]. The changes flowing from the report[6] should have been standard industry practice 30 years ago, but they have only happened now because the media decided to focus upon it. In the absence of media attention – and social media – would Racing Victoria have done anything about it? And even if the Spring Carnival is now safer, are the changes the report recommends going to be implemented throughout the entire industry in Victoria? Are horses racing in Geelong or Sale or Warrnambool going to get the same standard of care, or is it just the big end of town that benefits?
There’s no mention whatsoever of Indigenous culture in the entire Spring Racing Carnival – even as broader Australian society glacially moves towards at least trying to come to terms with our history. And this despite an Indigenous jockey having won the race as far back as 1973. https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/2015/11/03/melbourne-cup-celebrating-first-indigenous-winner-frank-reys. When even the Australian Grand Prix (not a group I have previously perceived as hugely progressive) is doing a “Welcome to Country” before their events (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51-FE1bjzOw) , just how tone-deaf is the Victorian Racing Club (VRC) not to be doing the same in front of a global audience?
For all of the glamour of the Spring Carnival, there are a lot of people working to make it happen. But aside from the winning team on the day, I would have thought that an employer of choice would see the media attention to be a perfect opportunity to show appreciation for, and to give thanks to, the people who put the work in behind the scenes.
Having worked on Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington Racecourse as a student, the attitude back then was very much a “born-to-rule” one. I couldn’t believe the speech given to casual staff that day - I can still remember the tone of it as being straight out of the colonial era. We were told what a privilege it was to work there on Melbourne Cup Day and that today was not about us. We were to behave, and to do as we were told. What a great first impression!
The Careers at VRC website is abysmal[7], outsourcing their first impression to LinkedIn. There is currently a plethora of unfilled jobs showing, which speaks volumes in a time of skills shortages. If they were as good an employer as the glamourous media coverage would suggest, the VRC wouldn’t need to advertise these roles. Looking more broadly, the Racing Victoria website uses dot points to outline their offer[8]…and their video presence on YouTube is underwhelming[9]. By contrast, while the video is a bit outdated, their Sydney counterparts at the Australian Turf Club are on the right track - pun intended[10].
Finally, while in theory everyone is welcome at the Cup, not everyone has access to all areas, and there are both implicit and explicit social codes that let people know exactly where they are considered to belong. Sometimes this is subtle; sometimes it is blatant. For example, initially, Flemington Racecourse’s first Birdcage was the stabling area, with a barrier placed between horses and spectators. There was a charge for admission to prevent overcrowding, and this had an unintended side effect. The Birdcage then became a more exclusive area and is now the place for the social elite to see and be seen[11]. This is reflected in how broader Australian society functions around education and housing. Those with money, connections and social status move to the front of the queue – while those without are out of sight, and out of mind.
Given all of these topics, though, I’d argue that the Melbourne Cup – and the establishment behind it – reflects a conservative proportion of the population who want things to stay just as they are both socially and economically. But I do wonder if we need to broaden our “core” Australian identity away from something that celebrates celebrity, gambling and excessive alcohol consumption. Such attitudes were fair enough in the gold rush era, when things were rough and ready, and everyday life was hard. Now, though? We’re no longer carving a nation out of the (already peopled) wilderness, and we are clearly not as isolated as we were back then.
Is this event - with all of these issues connected to it - really what we wish to use to gain the attention of the world at large ? What do you think?
[1] https://aifs.gov.au/agrc/publications/race-betting-australia
[2] https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/media-and-resources/media-releases/melbourne-cup-number-one-day-for-bingeing
[3] https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/no-excuse-for-increase-in-violence-against-women-on-melbourne-cup-day/news-story/b7aa9bd08b8eadefcce52333af170673
[4] https://centacare.org.au/families-not-winners-cup-day/
[5] https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10155369/Melbourne-Cup-2021-not-ONE-horse-died-iconic-race.html
[6] https://www.racingvictoria.com.au/the-sport/springracingcarnival
[7] https://www.vrc.com.au/about-vrc/careers/
[8] https://www.racingvictoria.com.au/careers/why-work-in-racing
[9] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7Y1oAKhfFs
[10] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yWxsuUfTrc
[11] https://www.imagegroup.com.au/melbourne-cup-dress-code-wear-races-year/
