text:
Talk:Braille

Digital form of writing?
I fail to understand the distinction between digital and analogue writing systems alluded to in the very first sentence of this article. I would have thought that all character based writing systems were digital. I will have to see if I can find a copy of 'The World's Writing Systems' in a reference library. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.103.197.174 (talk) 08:58, 29 July 2011 (UTC)

 * By 'digital' they mean binary: each character is composed of six bits, which can be 1 or 0, dot or not, black or white, as in any other binary system. — kwami (talk) 06:45, 27 July 2012 (UTC)

 * I think the meaning of "The second revision, published in 1837, was the first digital (binary) form of writing." is about Decapoint, Louis Braille invented in 1839. This was the first digital (binary) form of writing latin letters ever. This does not belong here and should be corrected. Fakoo (talk) 20:50, 22 December 2013 (UTC)

 * No, it's about 6-dot braille, which was published in 1837. — kwami (talk) 07:24, 23 December 2013 (UTC)

Preferred terms: contracted and uncontracted braille
The older historical terms are grade 1 braille and grade 2 braille.

Over 5 years ago, there was a consensus of braille experts and educators to shift to the terms "uncontracted braille" and "contracted braille". The problem is that some people assumed that grade 1 was for use in grade 1 in school (i.e. the year after kindergraden), and you used grade 2 braille the next year. By extension, someone starting high school would be using grade 9 braille.

Anyone who want to confirm this can google the terms involved, and will see the heavier use of contracted braille in recent years, and the decline of the use of the term grade 2 braille.

I wanted to post this first in the talk section, and then make the change, so that people will understand this is the same concept, newer terminology; and not vandalism

Silver dot (talk) 16:06, 27 March 2012 (UTC)

W and Y reversed?
It looks like maybe the W and Y Braille images are reversed? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.247.174.22 (talk) 05:52, 17 May 2012 (UTC)

 * W,X,Y all got mixed up. Thanks for catching that. — kwami (talk) 06:57, 17 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Just vandalism. — kwami (talk) 07:10, 17 May 2012 (UTC)

Widely used?
The first sentence of the Braille page reads "The Braille system is a method that is widely used by people who are visually impaired...", however other parts of the page seem to contradict the "widely used" part. A further clue that this may not be an accurate statement of fact may be found at this Bank of England FAQ page which answers the question "Has the Bank considered using braille on banknotes to help blind people identify the different denominations?" with "Yes but on the advice of The Royal Institute for the Blind the Bank has not included this because very few blind people now read braille ...".

I would like to see the statement reflect fact; something along the lines of "The Braille system is a method of reading and writing designed for use by the visually impaired. It was the first digital form of writing". Leboite (talk) 13:13, 18 July 2012 (UTC)

Lede paragraph structure and "code" snarl word
I'm writing this note here first to explain that "code" is not used in the "secret code" sense but in both the linguistics and computer science senses. Remember, languages have oral codes and written codes which must be acquired/learned in order to understand and use them.

I'm also revealing the internal structure of the lede paragraphs:

 * Paragraph 1 = direct orientation: What is Braille, who uses it, where is it used, and how is it produced? [add: how is it used]
 * Paragraph 2 = source: Who invented Braille and how?
 * Paragraph 3 = code description-explanation: How does Braille work?
 * Paragraph 4 = code differences: How does Braille encoding differ?
 * Paragraph 5 = literacy: What is the impact of Braille literacy? (forthcoming)

I will continute to maintain this structure all the while trying to keep the lede to one (small) screen length. Albeit interesting, any other sidetrack information or modifiers should appear in the proper sections below. --CJ Withers (talk) 15:10, 26 July 2012 (UTC)

 * There are two relevant uses of the word 'code' here. One is the way that (nearly) all writing systems are a code of a spoken language. However, we don't use the term 'code' in this sense in other writing-system articles, so per expectations of consistency that sense would be inappropriate here. The 2nd sense is that braille is an encoding of print the way that Morse Code, the NATO alphabet, and semaphore are. However, although that is how it was designed, that's not how it is used, any more than the ASL manual alphabet. One of the refs I added was to support that point. One of the conflicts we've been having in organizing braille (in the nav box, cats, etc) is in treating it as a simple code in this latter sense rather than as a script in its own right. (The organization above seems fine.) — kwami (talk) 22:04, 26 July 2012 (UTC)

 * I've reverted. (Kwami: Note that I had included some of of your tweaks, esp. with only a one off-hand reference.) This is a lede, not the place to stir up controversies about what people may or may not think. Also, there is no need whatsoever to repeat info in a lede: explain cells/dots BOTH in the 1st and 2nd paragraphs. Again, please do no remove the purpose of the lede. Debates on whether the general public, not experts in writing systems and linguists such as myself, feel something is a linguistic code or not have no place in the lede. Think: does any layperson call an alphabet a code? What's more, I'm surprised that you would be so moved about this and did not remove the majority of the information BEFORE my intervention, as the previous lede practically delved into ONLY the code.--CJ Withers (talk) 22:31, 26 July 2012 (UTC)

 * I'm confused by your comments: We should follow the experts, and therefore not reference the experts? Calling it a "code" when we do not call the English alphabet a "code" is NPOV, even if technically correct. Deleting a reference to it not being a code in the commonly understood meaning of the term, while continuing to call it a code, is inappropriate. The difference from s.t. like Morse Code is profound: Morse is used as an ancillary system by people who primarily use print. Braille is the primary script for its users, many of whom have never seen print. For them, it's not a code for print.
 * Frankly, some of the comments are inane. Braille is a writing system used to write words? Do we say that the English (print) alphabet is a writing system used to write words? What else would it write? All writing systems write words: that's what makes them writing.
 * Braille doesn't "represent" characters with cells, the cells are the characters.
 * What is salient about braille is that it is made of dots and is read by the fingers. That's far more relevant that the fact that it can be found on menus! The lead, esp. the first couple lines, is the place for basic orientation, not trivia.
 * Yes, technically dollar bills are not paper, but we do call them "paper money", so that seems a bit of a stretch. Also, we are not Ameripedia, so we shouldn't specify American/Canadian money.
 * It's not based on the French version of the Latin alphabet. It's based on the French alphabet. Actually, that's a good place for your word 'code': it was designed as a code for the French alphabet.
 * — kwami (talk) 23:35, 26 July 2012 (UTC)

I've made the lede more concise by using, for example, "improved", removing "fingers" (tactile, palpable + the foto are plenty), removing "supports", etc. Also, the lede, as an introduction starts with what is familiar to the reader, not details, hence mentioning supports where people can commonly find Braille messages. I've also removed the passive voice and weasel words like "may". Now, for the nitpicking. Giving a seemingly American example because it's the only one or one of two is kosher. "Paper money" doesn't work as bills also exist in plastic. Using "bills" the way it was in this article never was or is a problem on Wikipedia, so relax. :-) As for saliency, remember, the lede introduces, not delves into details. Again, the words "palpable" and "tactile" plus the image speak for themselves. If you want to get into reading techniques and rumiate on how sensitive the finger tip must be, then put your info in the reading techniques section. NPOV? I'll dismiss that fallacy. However, I'm sure you're not against the stomach being called an organ or an amoeba being a genus. Again, I wrote "snarl" word as the title of this section because that is exactly what it is for you: a word you're not keen on and which provokes a reaction. Had your read the word "as" in "As a code", you may not have reacted so hastily. Sorry that you feel your opinion to shun "code" save for one instance is more important than precise metalanguage. I'm an expert on writing systems, so saying that improving the quality of an article with precise language thanks to my expertise is NPOV is ludicrous. I repeat, just because the users do not call/consider their writing system a code does not mean it is not one. Languages are social communication codes on several levels. To say otherwise dehuminanizes the marvelous essence of language. To learn more about "snarl" and "purr" words, please see S._I._Hayakawa. It is a major bias error to say that all writing systems "write" words. Writing systems represent all types of concepts, for example numbers, images, commands, in addition to paralinguistic, communicational elements of language such as style, appearance, attitude, etc. Again, you're talking to an expert here. Please study semiotics, semantics and general linguistics so that you can be articulate in writing systems. A good place to start to understand signs and codes is with Sassure. The lede still needs work on two points: 1. concentrating contracted Braille info, and 2. A pithy one-sentence on the relevance of Braille literacy to employability. -CJ Withers (talk) 11:47, 27 July 2012 (UTC)

 * Yes, what is familiar. When we say braille is composed of dots and read with the fingers, everyone will recognize what we are talking about. It is therefore appropriate for the lead. We shouldn't have to rely on the photo to convey what's so easy to say in words. "Tactile writing system" does not capture the fact that it's read with the fingers, not unless the reader already understands that's what it must mean in this case, and we don't use "palpable" in the introduction. We can remove the word "tactile" if you think it's too much.
 * Writing systems represent words (among other things), because all language consists of words (among other things). Any system which did not represent words would not be writing. To say it's a writing system for writing words is tautologous, but it appears the point in moot.
 * In the general sense that all writing systems are codes, to say this writing system is a code is also redundant, but again that appears to be moot.
 * I see we no longer say that bank notes are not paper, so no point in arguing about that either.
 * Again, cells don't "represent" characters, they *are* the characters. That's like saying ⟨c⟩ represents the letter cee – it's simply incorrect.
 * BTW, who uses braille on their bills? I'm only aware of braille coinage. (The Canadian system isn't braille, which they found wasn't robust enough.)
 * — kwami (talk) 13:31, 27 July 2012 (UTC)

You are obviously not familiar with Sassure as shown from your "c" tautology. "C" in fact represents the sounds /s/ and /k/ in addition to forming part of a digraph. Please read up on Alphabetic principle. In fact, that is why uncontracted Braille is used to start to learn to read: the Alphabetic principle. As for bills/bank notes in Canada, they use a _tactile_ feature, i.e. the full six-dot Braille cell. The encoding is what's different, not the Braille writing system. If you google Braille banknotes, in one click you can learn that Hong Kong used them too, though with "normal" encoding for digits. --CJ Withers (talk) 15:26, 27 July 2012 (UTC)

Two comments. First, let's not dumb down the article by explaining "fingers" when the picture is clear and "tactile" and "palpable" are too. Are people going to use the least sensitive parts of their body to read Braille? Are there people who read Braille with their forehead? Come on, get off it. You're being ridiculous. In fact, the "finger" mention is fit for the Simple English version of the article and for a section on reading techniques (one or two fingers, etc.). Check it out. Second, regarding codes, read up on teaching literacy because the skills taught for reading are called "decoding skills". --CJ Withers (talk) 15:38, 27 July 2012 (UTC)

 * Correct, the letter ⟨c⟩ represents the sounds /s/, /k/, etc. However, it does not generally represent the letter ⟨c⟩. That's a secondary (meta)function of the letter, incorrect as a general statement. Similarly, ⟨⠙⟩ does not represent the character ⟨⠙⟩.
 * The opening line should also not state that braille is for reading, as if it weren't also for writing.
 * It's not "fingers" I was thinking of, but reading. Braille is no more tactile when writing than any other script. The difference is that it's tactile when reading. I see no reason to not just say this. That's not dumbing things down, it's just stating the basics to orientate the reader, s.t. we're supposed to do with all our articles. Pictures, BTW, are supplementary. We shouldn't rely on them unless we have to. — kwami (talk) 19:33, 27 July 2012 (UTC)

Blank and Space to disambiguate
the filename has been changed. -DePiep (talk) 01:00, 18 August 2012 (UTC) So "BLANK" is cell with dots-0 (U+2800): or.

Now there is also mentioned "SPACE" apparently with dots-45 (U_2818) by File:Braille Currency.svg  or  (images NOT to be mixed with visual variants dots-45: file:Japanese YoonDakuten Braille.svg and FILE:Korean Initial B Braille.svg).
 * Where is "SPACE" defined or used this way? Our English braille page uses the word space showing the blank dots-0 image. Is it recognised in Japanese (where the same dots-45 are used for Y DAKUTEN). I think we shold disambiguate these words in braille (only use space when dots-45?, and blank for blank dots-0 I expect.) I can note that in unicode the blank dots-0 character is explicitly defined not behaving as a (western regular) space. -DePiep (talk) 12:04, 27 July 2012 (UTC)

 * Descriptions say that the no-dot cell is used as the space, so even if adopted by Unicode, this is confusing terminology. We need s.t. better. — kwami (talk) 12:42, 27 July 2012 (UTC)
 * Well this I can live with (write space when meaning blank cell). The problem arose when File:Braille Currency.svg (dots 45) uses this word. What is the source for this definition (dots 45=space)? -DePiep (talk) 16:03, 27 July 2012 (UTC)
 * If it is not sourced, I'll propose renaming the file. I Currency.svg started file talk. -DePiep (talk) 16:10, 27 July 2012 (UTC)
 * These braille files are all hosted on commons. I think any name change needs to happen Currency.svg&action=edit&redlink=1 there VanIsaacWScontribs 20:40, 27 July 2012 (UTC)
 * Yes, and that name change (or deletion) will happen if there is no source. "space" and "braille dots-45"? -DePiep (talk) 21:58, 27 July 2012 (UTC)

The general name for 45 is the 'literal index'. (4 is the 'numerical index' – I have no idea why. Perhaps some non–Grade 2 technical code?) D&B say the "absence of all dots is the space character." — kwami (talk) 20:46, 27 July 2012 (UTC)
 * Braille cell dots-45 has multiple usages, even in Western brailles. But please tell me: which braille (language) definition even suggests dots-45 is space? -DePiep (talk) 21:58, 27 July 2012 (UTC)
 * Don't ask me! — kwami (talk) 05:49, 28 July 2012 (UTC)

They did not rename the file, because minor importance. I have found no source for using dots-45 as Space. -DePiep (talk) 10:56, 9 August 2012 (UTC)
 * Now moved to 'currency', as that's the French Braille usage. — kwami (talk) 21:10, 13 August 2012 (UTC)
 * So they did act upon your request... ;-) Currency marker though, is this in French braille only AFAIK. Not found in G2. How does G2 define $ or £? -DePiep (talk) 10:13, 14 August 2012 (UTC)
 * Yes, French, but quite a few of them have the French values for names. There's no good English name for it, as it doesn't correspond to anything in print.
 * G2 just uses dd (period) for $ and l for £, but these were abolished in UEB. Also accent-period for $. — kwami (talk) 21:06, 14 August 2012 (UTC)

Verification of charts
I have started commenting out charts that I cannot confirm. The UNESCO documents have proven to be wrong in every case I was able to confirm, so we cannot in good conscience use them as a primary source. Braille is the kind of thing which is easy to get wrong by people who don't use it. For Russian Braille all we have is a chart published in 1907 which is obsolete in several respects. For Yugoslav and Thai, we have nothing. Etc. — kwami (talk) 21:19, 13 August 2012 (UTC)
 * Vietnamese d is confused in diff. accounts. Sinhalese is uncertain. Dbl check Pakistani Urdu.

 * To do (on WP-fr): Maltese, Romanian, Nigerian (probably okay), Faroese
 * To do (other): Persian, Armenian (confirm), Georgian, Twi, Ethiopic

Red linked template
Template:ISO 639 name fr-Brai shows up in the template list during editing. Some sort of transcluded transclusion? Does it need sorting out? -- Alan Liefting (talk - contribs) 09:48, 22 August 2012 (UTC)
 * From plain code, in section History. If that fr-Brai a correct language code, the template should be created; otherwise the lang-template removed (Unicode kept). -DePiep (talk) 10:48, 22 August 2012 (UTC)

technology is now helping to save braille
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/feb/14/technology-brings-braille-back-apple --Espoo (talk) 07:31, 14 October 2012 (UTC)

decade
what exactly is a decade?

i think i figured it out.. but i think it should be properly defined. ≈Sensorsweep (talk) 00:07, 29 May 2013 (UTC)

 * Done. — kwami (talk) 01:24, 24 September 2013 (UTC)

How about an explanation of the colors used in the table (black, red, green) or else getting rid of them?
In the Derivation section of the article, it is nothing but confusing to try to understand a new alphabet with a table that employs colors (black, red, green) but with no explanation of them.

Or at least I can say that the article contains zero instances of the words black, red, green, or color.

To whoever is knowledgeable about Braille (I am not), please either get rid of the colors, or explain clearly why they are there. I think getting rid of them would be best, since the article already contains no explanation of them whatsoever.Daqu (talk) 14:30, 23 September 2013 (UTC)

 * Done. — kwami (talk) 01:19, 24 September 2013 (UTC)

File:Alabama quarter, reverse side, 2003.jpg
Is the Braille text actually _Helen _Keller? Where are the second Es of each word? Why don't they match with the translation given @ or the blocks of Braille? Is it a matter of Grade-2 of English Braille or Unified English Braille? Is this official coin wrong? ※ Sobreira ※ Sobreira ◣◥ (parlez) 12:48, 12 May 2015 (UTC) Based on English Braille, the last cell is 'en' and 'er'. (I maybe wrong since I don't know braille) 159.53.78.142 (talk) 16:00, 12 May 2015 (UTC)
 * It looks like that, as in English_Braille we can see the -ER and -EN symbols of the coin. Thanks. ※ Sobreira ◣◥ (parlez) 08:05, 13 May 2015 (UTC)

'Literacy' Section
Is there any particular reason that this entire paragraph even exists? It doesn't really seem to add anything at all:

A sighted child who is reading at a basic level should be able to understand common words and answer simple questions about the information presented.[10] The child should also have enough fluency to get through the material in a timely manner. Over the course of a child's education, these foundations are built upon in order to teach higher levels of math, science, and comprehension skills.[10] Children who are blind not only have the educational disadvantage of not being able to see, but they also miss out on the very fundamental parts of early and advanced education if not provided with the necessary tools. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 1416domination (talk • contribs) 16:46, 10 December 2015 (UTC)

ö?
A paragraph here said that “The next ten, ending in w, are the same again, except that for this series position 6 (purple dot) is used without position 3. These are â ê î ô û ë ï ü ö w”. Since native French words don't have O with diaeresis; should ö be changed to œ?- ✉ Hello World! 14:13, 3 September 2016 (UTC)
 * The French wiktionary have 928 French words with a ö : fr:wikt:Catégorie:ö en français (mostly names borrowed from German but at Louis Braille there was some native standard French words like « coöpérer » with a « ö »). Cdlt, V IGNERON * discut. 14:16, 1 March 2017 (UTC)
 * ö was indeed an error for œ here; I fixed it. Libhye (talk) 15:43, 1 June 2022 (UTC)

63
"64 solutions are possible using one or more dots.[3]" It's literally 63, but maybe the cited source is still more informative?2607:FCC8:620C:A000:4422:9DDB:7D2:C445 (talk) 16:03, 24 June 2017 (UTC)

64 would be correct if no dots are used, but that doesn't fit the language of the sentence. Trumblej1986 (talk) 16:53, 12 June 2019 (UTC)

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Intro ATW tag
"Braille literacy is a social-justice issue" in the intro needs to be clarified and cited. It appears that a good attempt was made in the Literacy section, but this sentence needs more of a direct tie in and citation, in order to not appear like original research. This is a topic I know little about, however, so can't address it directly. Trumblej1986 (talk) 16:51, 12 June 2019 (UTC)

User:Kwamikagami gently pointed out the ref for this. About halfway through the NPR recording is the sourced information. Tag was appropriately removed by Kwamikagami. Trumblej1986 (talk) 20:44, 15 June 2019 (UTC)

Derivation subsection needs explanation
Can someone better explain if the derivation section is talking about Braille's original system, or the modern system? And can the charts be better explained; what does "shift down" and "shift right" refer to? Trumblej1986 (talk) 17:10, 12 June 2019 (UTC)

It's the derivation of both. Unless you mean the quickly obsolete original proposal, for which see 1829 braille. I tried clarifying the wording, but rather than changing the convenient word "shift" in the table, I used it in the text. If that still doesn't work, please explain what isn't clear, so I know how to address it. — kwami (talk) 21:21, 15 June 2019 (UTC)

Excellent. Now it makes sense to me. I wasn't understanding before what exactly was being shifted: a single dot or a whole set of dots. With the edits to the text you made, it's much clearer. I appreciate it. Thank you. Trumblej1986 (talk) 21:34, 15 June 2019 (UTC)

Braille zero
An informal RFC has opened at talk: Symbols for zero that somebody familiar with Braille may be able to advise upon. Thank you. --John Maynard Friedman (talk) 13:45, 31 December 2020 (UTC)

Six raised dots arranged in a 3 × 2 matrix

 * Braille characters are formed using a combination of six raised dots arranged in a 3 × 2 matrix, called the braille cell.
 * A full braille cell includes six raised dots arranged in two columns, each column having three dots
 * Within an individual cell, the dot positions are arranged in two columns of three positions.

I would describe this as 2 × 3: width × height, columns × rows, x-axis followed by y-axis. As it is in the 2nd and 3rd quotes above, from elsewhere in the article. ◃Amniarix▹ (talk) 15:56, 18 February 2022 (UTC)

 * I wouldn't. Given that the top 2 rows are a repeating pattern across bottom row configurations and that shifting them down to the bottom 2 rows with the top row dotless is a variant of that same pattern, I would treat rows as more relevant than columns. The Crab Who Played With The Sea (talk) 04:56, 28 March 2022 (UTC)
 * I wouldn't either, as matrix is a mathematical structure, whose order is defined by convention as rows by columns. Kubis (talk) 03:15, 30 April 2022 (UTC)

Single code for all languages
Physiologically, only 29 sounds-signs of speech-thinking-worldview can be pronounced by optimal articulation. And one voiceless slit consonant sound-sign of speech-thinking-worldview "soundlessness-intuition-meaning-reason" does not have its own sound. It would be advisable at least for blind people to use the same relief-dot code for all languages to display individual letters for each sound-sign of speech-thinking, punctuation marks, and for each number and operations with numbers. To develop this code, a basis in the form of a matrix of 6 columns and 5 rows is suitable. A 6-point pattern of a standard embossed dot font gives 64 characters, including a blank character. If you give 30 characters to letters, then there are still 34 characters for numbers and other symbols. Enough for the main purposes in the letter.

A version of such a new letter code for blind people has already been developed: Makeev A. K. General classification of consonants and vowel sounds-signs of speech-thinking / A. K. Makeev // Kulturologiya, art history and philology: modern views and scientific research: sb. st. on the materials of the XXXIV International Scientific and Practical Conference "Culturology, Art History and Philology: Modern Views and Scientific Research". – № 3(30). – M., Izd. "Internauka", 2020. - 108 pp. pp. 65–75. Alex makeyev (talk) 08:06, 11 January 2023 (UTC)

Software is not a countable noun
You don't say "I have three softwares on my computer" any more than you say "I listened to five musics this morning". — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2A02:2788:1008:6D6:E2CB:4EFF:FE88:1A2D (talk) 00:14, 28 March 2022 (UTC)

 * Can you be more specific? I couldn't find any use of "softwares" in the article. The Crab Who Played With The Sea (talk) 04:58, 28 March 2022 (UTC)

Spoken article
Per user request, I plan to record a spoken version of the article soon (intro/lede only). Any feedback is welcomed. 0101Abc (talk) 01:12, 10 October 2022 (UTC)

 * After reading the intro a few times, I have some significant edits. I realize that a lot of work went into the intro, but I see room for improvement in paragraphs 3 and 4.  Any feedback is welcomed. 0101Abc (talk) 02:40, 11 October 2022 (UTC)
 * Can you be more specific? (At a glance, other than some redundancy in paragraph 3, nothing jumps out to me.) The Crab Who Played With The Sea (talk) 20:25, 29 November 2022 (UTC)
 * I am considering recording this article, but would like some guidance on how best to describe the braille code itself in the charting sections. Is there a preferred nomenclature for this? Nick Marinovich (talk) 16:05, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

Non-linearity
The article says Braille is a non-linear writing system. But is it really? It's written in lines from left-to-right. Can anyone please clarify this? Thanks <3 — Preceding unsigned comment added by Hexadecimal99 (talk • contribs) 02:54, 30 September 2023 (UTC)

 * I think it means that Braille is not written with strokes of a pen (or similar device). —Tamfang (talk) 23:52, 14 October 2023 (UTC)

title: Talk:Braille


text:
Gotland (disambiguation)

Gotland is a province, county, municipality, and diocese of Sweden, and Sweden's largest island.

Gotland may also refer to:

Relating to Gotland island

 * Gotland County, an administrative division in Sweden comprising Gotland
 * Gotland Municipality, the single municipality in Gotland County
 * Gotland official football team

Ships and submarines

 * Gotland-class submarine, of the Swedish Navy
 * HSWMS Gotland (Gtd)
 * HSWMS Gotland (1933), a 1933 seaplane cruiser of the Swedish Navy
 * MS SNAV Toscana, a cruiseferry ordered as MS Gotland

Animals

 * Gotland pony, an old Swedish pony breed
 * Gotland rabbit, a Swedish variety of rabbit
 * Gotland (sheep), a breed of domestic sheep named for the Swedish island

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Gotland (disambiguation)


text:
Category:Gotland

For the present-day Swedish county, see Gotland County.

title: Category:Gotland


text:
You Am I

You Am I are an Australian power pop band, fronted by its lead singer-songwriter and guitarist, Tim Rogers. They formed in December 1989 and are the first Australian band to have released three successive albums that have each debuted at the number-one position on the ARIA Albums Chart: Hi Fi Way (February 1995), Hourly, Daily (July 1996) and #4 Record (April 1998). Nine of their tracks appeared on the related ARIA Singles Chart top 50 with "What I Don't Know 'bout You" (February 1998), their highest charting, at No. 28. You Am I have received ten ARIA Music Awards from thirty-one nominations. The band have supported international artists such as the Who, the Rolling Stones, Sonic Youth and Oasis.

You Am I's second studio album, Hi Fi Way, appeared in the eighth position in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums (October 2010). Their third album, Hourly, Daily was listed at number fifty five. The same two releases were also voted into the "Hottest 100 Australian Albums of All Time" list compiled by Australian youth radio station, Triple J, in 2011. Fourteen of their songs have been placed on the related annual Hottest 100 lists with "Heavy Heart" (July 1998), the highest at No. 9.

1989–1992: Formation and early years
You Am I were formed in Sydney in December 1989 by Tim Rogers (ex- Pleasureheads, Glazed Expression) on vocals, guitar, mellotron and Hammond organ; his older brother Jaimme Rogers on drums; and Nick Tischler on bass guitar. Tim Rogers and Tischler were old school mates. After forming, the band members began by trying to cover songs by the Hard-Ons, X, and Aerosmith.

At an early gig, a fan provided "a big spiritual spiel about '.... I am you... you am i...'. The band took that as the inspiration for the working title" for the group's name. This initial line-up was short-lived, Jaimme left before the end of the following year after a "fight" with Tim, and he was replaced by Mark Tunaley on drums. In the band's 1993 song, "Jaimme's Got a Gal", Tim explained why his brother left.

You Am I signed with an independent label, Timberyard Records, and in May 1991 issued a six-track extended play, Snake Tide. It was recorded in February at Electric Avenue Studios with Phil Punch as engineer, mixer and co-producer with the group. Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, described the EP as "rough hewn". You Am I appeared at the inaugural Big Day Out concert, held in Sydney in January 1992.

By April 1992, Tischler had left the band "because he didn't think he could fulfill Tim's vision". He was replaced by their previous live sound mixer, Andy Kent (ex-Pupils of Love), on bass guitar. In May they released a five-track EP, Goddamn, which was produced by Tom Kazas. An alternative nine-track version of Goddamn, which was expanded by adding four tracks from Snake Tide, was also issued. McFarlane declared that "By that stage, Rogers had established his credentials as a fine songwriter and the band a reputation as an exciting, dynamic live act."

By mid-1992, they had signed with another independent label, rooArt Records, on their subsidiary rA Records, which was distributed by WEA. The group released their third EP, Can't Get Started, as a five-track set in October 1992, which was co-produced by the band with David Price. Before the end of the year You Am I supported Hoodoo Gurus on a national tour.

1993–1994: Debut album: Sound as Ever
Late in 1992, Tim Rogers sent samples of You Am I's releases to Lee Ranaldo of American rock group, Sonic Youth. In January 1993 both groups appeared at the second Big Day Out festival in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. While in Sydney, Ranaldo co-produced You Am I's five-track EP, Coprolalia, which was issued in April. McFarlane opined that it was "bursting with kinetic energy and first-rate songs." You Am I co-headlined a national tour from May to June, with stoner metallers, Tumbleweed.

You Am I travelled to Cannon Falls, Minnesota, United States, using Sonic Youth's Pachyderm Recording Studios. For eight days Ranaldo produced their debut album, Sound as Ever (November 1993), with Wayne Connolly as audio engineer. It appeared on the ARIA Albums Chart top 100. Mark Morgenstein of AllMusic felt the work "shows this power trio in top form, with enthusiastic backing to well-written songs... [if it] was a little more consistent, this would be a classic."

In May 2013, Rogers reminisced, "I lost an incredibly important person to cancer who I still think about every day and that experience pretty much coloured the whole record." He referred to his mentor, Stephen "Goose" Gray of Sydney-based rock group, Box the Jesuit, who had died of lymphoma in August 1993. "[Goose] would have wanted me to stay in America to finish the album so that's what I did. But there's no nostalgia or good feelings about that time."

In October 1993, ahead of the album's release, Tunaley was "fired from the band with a simple phone call." He had "wanted to play heavier music", however Kent and Rogers "wanted to play a more pop based rock". Rogers initially considered disbanding the group but continued with Russell Hopkinson (ex-Nursery Crimes) on drums, percussion and backing vocals. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1994 in March they won the newly created category, Best Alternative Release for Sound as Ever.

Sound as Ever provided three singles, "Adam's Ribs" (October 1993), "Berlin Chair" (February 1994) and "Jaimme's Got a Gal" (May). All three received high rotation on national youth radio station, Triple J; each was listed on the station's annual listeners' poll, Hottest 100: "Adam's Ribs" at No. 50 in January 1994, "Berlin Chair " at No. 23 and "Jaimme's Got a Gal" at No. 77 in January 1995.

1994–1995: Hi Fi Way
For seven days during mid-September 1994 You Am I decamped to Greene Street Studios, New York. Again they worked with Ranaldo, as producer, to record their second album, Hi Fi Way which was released on 20 February 1995. Ahead of the album, in November 1994, they issued a limited pressing (449 units) of "When You Got Dry"/"How Much Is Enough" as a double-A sided vinyl single. "Cathy's Clown" was released as a single in early February, which peaked at No. 36 on the ARIA Singles Chart. Hi Fi Way reached the number-one position on the related albums chart. A limited edition version included a bonus disc, Someone Else's Crowd, which had seven live tracks recorded at their gig at Memorial Stadium, Seattle, United States on 13 August 1994.

McFarlane described the album, which "remains one of the finest Australian albums of the 1990s. Full of audacious, incisive and tuneful rock'n'roll it made its debut at #1 on the mainstream national chart and went on to sell over 35000 copies." Ed Nimmervoll of HowlSpace website felt it was "reflective, lyrically nostalgic"; while AllMusic's Steven McDonald wrote it was "[a] cute outing that throws in thumpy drums, crunchy guitars and delightfully whiny Mellotron string noises along the way." By April 1995 the group had added Greg Hitchcock (ex-The Verys) as an auxiliary member on guitar and keyboards.

At the ARIA Music Awards of 1995 You Am I received their second trophy for Best Alternative Album, for Hi Fi Way. They were also nominated for Album of the Year, Best Group, Best Video ("Jewels and Bullets", directed by Robbie Douglas-Turner) and Best Cover Art (by Simon Anderson). Hi Fi Way is listed at No. 8 in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums (October 2010). The authors described it as "a textured, immediate pop record that delves through layers of memories, looking back to consider the past even as it makes sober judgements for the future." In July 2013 it re-entered the top 50 for a week.

1996–1997: Hourly, Daily
You Am I's third album, Hourly, Daily was released in July 1996, was produced by the group and recorded at Q Sound Studios, Sydney in December 1995. They were assisted by engineers, Connolly and Paul McKercher, which appeared on Ra/rooArt and was distributed by Shock Records. According to Rogers "[it] was my first attempt at a song cycle." McFarlane wrote that it is "another album of urgent, adventurous, unabashed pure pop." Nimmervoll felt it was "a nostalgic journey musically, reflecting Tim Rogers' love of The Sixties. Instead of reflecting his own life, Tim's lyrics looked at the suburban lives of others." Hourly, Daily also debuted at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Charts, and is the first on the Shock Records label to do so upon launch. A limited edition was issued with a bonus disc of seven live tracks, Beat Party.

For their US and United Kingdom versions of Hourly, Daily on WEA/Warner Bros and rooArt/BMG, in March 1997, two tracks were replaced by newly recorded material, "Trike" and "Opportunities". AllMusic's Jason Anderson opined that Hourly, Daily "did little to ingratiate the group to an America fascinated with the packaging of youth culture... [it is] a conceptual piece that is obsessed with the past but without retro trappings... [Rogers' lyrics] laces together complex ideas with a narrative that transforms the pain of growing up artistic and male in Australia into a weird rock & roll existentialism." The album provided five singles, with the first four reaching the top 50 on the ARIA Singles Chart: "Mr. Milk" (November 1995), "Soldiers" (July 1996), "Good Mornin'" (September), "Tuesday" (February 1997) and "Trike" (July). "Tuesday" peaked at No. 29.

At the ARIA Music Awards of 1996 Hourly, Daily, and the related singles, provided nine nominations, with the group winning six trophies: Album of the Year, Best Group, Best Independent Release, Producer of the Year, Best Video ("Soldiers", directed by Andrew Lancaster) and Engineer of the Year (Paul McKercher and Wayne Connolly). The album was certified platinum by ARIA by the end of 1997 to acknowledge the shipment of 70000 units. It was listed at No. 55 in 100 Best Australian Albums where the authors felt the group were "heavily under the spell of late '60s English music... in particular the Pretty Things' S.F. Sorrow... [which] follows the journey of the character... from birth through love, war, tragedy, madness and old age."

1998–1999: #4 Record
Subtle country influences were apparent on You Am I's #4 Record, released in April 1998, such as the track, "Heavy Heart". It was produced by George Drakoulias in Los Angeles, which was their third number-one album in a row – they are the first Australian band to do so. McFarlane believes it is "lean, nifty rock’n’roll"; Nimmervoll wrote it was a "back-to-basics" album. The limited edition version included a bonus disc of nine tracks, Radio Settee. By that time the rooArt label had been acquired by BMG.

The album provided three singles, "What I Don't Know 'bout You" (February 1998), "Rumble" (April) and "Heavy Heart" (July). "What I Don't Know 'bout You" is their highest-charting single, which peaked at No. 28; whereas "Heavy Heart" is their highest placed track on any annual Triple J Hottest 100, which was listed at No. 9, in January 1999.

By July 1999, the line-up of the group was augmented by Davey Lane of The Pictures on second guitar. Lane came to the band's attention via his work with The Pictures and by accurately transcribing You Am I's guitar tabs from #4 Record on an early fan site. Lane said – on The Cream & the Crock (November 2003) video documentary – that he almost decided not to be a part of the band, as he was "fucking up his favourite band by playing in it" after he had played his first show with them and stuffed up his solos.

Jack Rabid of AllMusic described #4 Record, which "beguiles, teases, sweetens, and often throbs in popcraft. It also blasts in fits and starts of harsh edge, chops, infectious attitude, and, when it suits them, abandon." Sarah Zupko of PopMatters website felt it "keeps the power in power pop" and compared their sound with "early Who, early Jam, Sloan and a touch of the Rolling Stones, but with horns."

You Am I recorded their first live album, ...Saturday Night, 'Round Ten, over a three-night series of gigs at Casa del Resaca, a warehouse in Richmond, in July 1999. It was released in September and includes Lane on guitar. McFarlane noticed that they provided "a strong, swaggering live outing that confirmed the band's standing as one of the country's premier rock'n'roll acts." It peaked at No. 7 on the ARIA Albums Chart. The limited edition version included a five-track CD-ROM.

2000–2001: Dress Me Slowly
After three years between studio albums, due to touring and record label interference, You Am I released Dress Me Slowly in April 2001 on BMG. It was Lane's first appearance on a studio album, which was produced by Clif Norrell. According to Nimmervoll the group were "under a lot of pressure to 'write hits' and 'play the game' for the sake of their US breakthrough." The album debuted at No. 3 on the ARIA Albums Chart.

Anderson felt it was "[s]ubtly toned down, yet still spunky with its clever lyrics and pure guitar pop ... [with] slightly more serious material with all the verve and personality fans should expect." Bill Partsch of Trouser Press opined that "the sound is more muscular... the album is tasty and satisfying, but not especially divine." Nimmervoll declared that "[r]ather than compromising You Am I went straight to the heart of what [they] should sound like as far as the band is concerned."

The limited edition version of Dress Me Slowly included an eight-track disc, The Temperance Union, which were solo recordings by Rogers and studio musicians. Three singles were released from the standard album, "Damage" (October 2000), "Get Up" (March 2001) and "Kick a Hole in the Sky" (July).

2002–2004: Deliverance
You Am I's sixth studio album, Deliverance, was recorded in January 2002 and released in September 2002. It did not receive the kind of critical and commercial success that the band's earlier work had enjoyed. It was produced by McKercher and peaked at No. 12 on the ARIA Albums Chart. Nimmervoll explained that the group's problems with BMG were reflected in the album, which "was the aftermath of that painful episode, relaxed, eclectic, self-produced, and stubbornly without anything resembling a 'hit' single." The band released "Who Put the Devil in You" as a download-only internet single in the same month.

In September 2003, You Am I were dropped by record label BMG after "the company refused to support a tour of the US." AllMusic's Hal Horowitz noticed it was "a slight departure from their existing catalog, Deliverance nonetheless delivers the pop-rock goods... The acoustic guitars that propel much of the last half of the disc don't soften the band's sound as much as muss it up, adding a rootsy, more organic texture."

At the Falls Festival held at Marion Bay over New Year's Eve of 2004–05, You Am I were scheduled to play a set. Rogers appeared on stage heavily intoxicated and, when a fight broke out between Rogers and Lane, the group were forced off stage much to the disappointment of festival goers. Rogers also accidentally knocked fellow artist, Missy Higgins, over. Missy Higgins and The Beautiful Girls were re-called onto stage to do a quick impromptu performance to fill the hour set-time.

2005–2007: Convicts
In late 2005, You Am I recorded their seventh studio album entitled Convicts with producer Greg Wales. The title is believed to be a tongue in cheek dig of English people referring to Australians as convicts because of their First Fleet origins. It may also refer to the alternative name used by the band to perform secret gigs during the Hi Fi Way–#4 Record era. The album was released on 13 May 2006 on the band's new record label, Virgin. The Convicts album was also released in the USA on Yep Roc Records. The band toured America in the autumn and summer of 2007 to promote the record.

2008–2009: Dilettantes
The band's 8th studio album, Dilettantes, was released on 13 September 2008, alongside the radio-only single Erasmus. The album debuted at number one on the ARIA Australian Music charts, and number twelve on the overall chart.

In August 2010, it was announced that they had left EMI to sign with new Sydney label Other Tongues.

2010–2014 :You Am I
The band's ninth self-titled album was released on 8 October 2010. In an interview with music journalist Nick Milligan on 24 September 2010, Rogers said of the ninth You Am I album:

I'm still bewildered by this record. I haven't gotten my head around it. It was extraordinary making it and I don't feel like I've finished the creation of it. I'm still yet to understand it. I like that. I think with previous records I felt I understood what went on and what we were supposed to do. What [each album’s] references were. With this [record] I just let myself freefall into it and get lost in the creation of it. I haven't got a grasp on it and I'm enjoying the exhilaration of that. I'm still listening to this record wondering who the person was that wrote that ... and whether I'd like to meet him.

To coincide with the 20th anniversary of the band's debut album, reissues of Sound As Ever, Hi Fi Way and Hourly Daily were released on 7 June 2013. A limited-edition beer brewed by the Sydney brewery Young Henrys was sold in conjunction under the name 'Brew Am I'.

2015–2019: Porridge & Hotsauce
You Am I's tenth studio album was released on 6 November 2015. Recorded in Daptone Studios in New York, the album has been described as having 'lashings of Big Star-esque power pop'.

2020–present: The Lives of Others
In December 2020, You Am I were listed at number 41 in Rolling Stone Australia's '50 Greatest Australian Artists of All Time' issue.

On 24 February 2021, You am I released "The Waterboy", the lead single from their 11th studio album, The Lives of Others. The album entered the Australian charts at No. 2, marking their first Top 3 album since Dress Me Slowly in 2001.

Live performances
After recording Sound as Ever in August 1993, You Am I had performed "a handful of American showcase gigs." At the Big Day Out festival in January 1994 they performed at the Gold Coast and Auckland shows, alongside Soundgarden. They undertook another Australian tour supporting Hoodoo Gurus and then US visitors, Redd Kross during April. In July and August You Am I supported Soundgarden on a six-week tour of North America. In 1996 You Am I played at the Lollapalooza festival and then supported Lemonheads on a tour of UK and other parts of Western Europe. In March 1997 they toured the US, again supporting Lemonheads. They headlined the Homebake festival's Melbourne concert in January 1998. In the following month they supported Oasis, during the UK group's first-ever Australian tour. Subsequently, they toured Hong Kong and Japan supporting Oasis.

The Strokes supported You Am I during their first tour of Australia, in July 2001. The opening show took place at The Arena in Brisbane, and they also played four shows at the Newtown Theatre in Sydney. On 29 January 2005 the group performed at WaveAid, which was to raise money for the relief effort after hundreds of thousands of people were killed in the 2004 Indian Ocean tidal wave disaster. In July and August 2007 they opened for Smoking Popes on a US tour.

You Am I performed at the Sydney Cricket Ground on 14 March 2009 for Sound Relief, a benefit concert for victims of the Black Saturday Victorian bushfires and the Queensland Floods. They performed at the 2010 NRL Grand Final in October.

The band was the pre-match entertainment for the 2015 SANFL Grand Final played at the Adelaide Oval. For frontman Tim Rogers who grew up in Adelaide and is a supporter of SANFL club Sturt (who did not play in the game) and attended over 600 games as a youngster (including getting his first kiss at one game), it will be his first time performing at the leagues showcase event.

Side projects
In 1999, front man Tim Rogers released his first solo album What Rhymes With Cars And Girls.

In the four years between Deliverance and You Am I's next album, Convicts, both Lane and Rogers kept busy with their own solo projects. Lane performed at the 2004 ARIA Music Awards as part of the supergroup The Wrights, featuring members of many other Australian rock bands, and in 2005 released an LP with The Pictures, Pieces of Eight. Rogers released two albums with The Temperance Union in this period — Spit Polish in 2004 and the Dirty Ron/Ghost Songs double album in 2005.

Members

 * Current members

 * Timothy Rogers – lead vocals (1989–present), rhythm guitar (1989–1996, 1998–present) , lead guitar (1989–1999)
 * Andrew Kent – bass, backing vocals (1992–present)
 * Russell Hopkinson – drums, backing vocals (1993–present)
 * David Lane – lead guitar, backing and lead vocals (1999–present)

 * Former members

 * Jaimme Rogers – drums (1989–1990)
 * Nick Tischler – bass (1989–1992)
 * Mark Tunaley – drums (1990–1993)
 * Greg Hitchcock – rhythm guitar, keyboards (1996–1998)

Former members
Jaimme Rogers and Nick Tischler were in an early incarnation of the band, lasting December 1989 to the end of 1990. This line-up is not known to have recorded any music.

Mark Tunaley was the band's first "official" drummer, and is You Am I's only drummer to date to employ heavy metal style of drumming, which included double bass drum parts. He left the group shortly after the recording of Sound As Ever, due to differing perceptions of the band's direction. His sole songwriting contribution to the band ('Off The Field') was left off the US release of the album.

Greg Hitchcock, formerly of The Verys, was a touring member of the band for the Hourly, Daily era. He played guitar and electric piano with the band for some time up until #4 Record. He was never formally a member of the band, but appeared in the video clips for 'Soldiers', 'Good Mornin' and 'Tuesday' (though ironically not in the 'Trike' clip, on which he actually played the organ solo). Rogers later said that he was never quite comfortable with the electric piano on stage because he felt the band lost its spontaneous feel.

Discography

 * Sound as Ever (1993)
 * Hi Fi Way (1995)
 * Hourly, Daily (1996)
 * #4 Record (1998)
 * Dress Me Slowly (2001)
 * Deliverance (2002)
 * Convicts (2006)
 * Dilettantes (2008)
 * You Am I (2010)
 * Porridge & Hotsauce (2015)
 * The Lives of Others (2020)

APRA Awards
The APRA Awards are held in Australia and New Zealand by the Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually.

! Ref.
 * rowspan="2"| 2022
 * rowspan="2"| "The Waterboy" (Tim Rogers)
 * Most Performed Rock Work
 * Nominated
 * Song of the Year
 * Song of the Year
 * Song of the Year
 * Song of the Year

ARIA Music Awards
The annual ARIA Music Awards are presented by the Australian Recording Industry Association. You Am I have received ten awards from thirty two nominations.

Mo Awards
The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. You Am I won one award in that time. (wins only)
 * 1996
 * You Am I
 * Rock Performer of the Year
 * Won
 * Won

Music Victoria Awards
The Music Victoria Awards, are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music. They commenced in 2005.

! Ref.
 * 2021
 * David Lane (You Am I)
 * Best Musician
 * Nominated
 * Nominated

Triple J Hottest 100
The annual music poll Triple J Hottest 100 was inaugurated in 1989 and is based on the public votes of Australian youth radio station Triple J listeners. You Am I has scored 14 songs in the annual Hottest 100. In July 2009 "Berlin Chair" came in at No. 52 on their Hottest 100 songs of all time. Hi Fi Way and Hourly, Daily were voted into the "Hottest 100 Australian Albums of All Time" list in 2011 at No. 35 and No. 26, respectively.

title: You Am I


text:
Wizards of OS

Wizards of OS (Wizards of Operating Systems, or "WOS") was a semi-annual Berlin-based conference that was held four times between 1999 and 2006. Its topics were the cultural and political potentials of free software, software technology, digital networks and media, and more generally information freedom and open cooperation in the creation and proliferation of knowledge. The conference was interdisciplinary, and included among its attendees scientists, engineers, social researchers, scholars from the humanities, artists and activists.

The name was a word play on The Wizard of Oz. The acronym "OS" stands for operating system (not open source).

Individual conferences
The first Wizards of OS conference took place in 1999.

The third conference took place in 2004, with the subtitle "The Future of the Digital Commons". It featured, among others, the launch of the German translation of the Creative Commons licenses.

Wizards of OS 4 took place from September 14 to September 16, 2006, with the subtitle "Information Freedom Rules". Some of the topics were the future of Creative Commons, open music and the compensation of artists and European copyright legislation. Larry Sanger announced an initial proposal of his project Citizendium.

title: Wizards of OS


text: Category:Shooting sports

title: Category:Shooting sports


text:
Quentin Bryce

Dame Quentin Alice Louise Bryce, (née Strachan; born 23 December 1942) is an Australian academic who served as the 25th governor-general of Australia from 2008 to 2014. She is the first woman to have held the position, and was previously the 24th Governor of Queensland from 2003 to 2008.

Born in Brisbane, Queensland, Bryce was raised in Ilfracombe, with her family subsequently living in a number of country towns around Australia. She attended the University of Queensland, where she completed a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws, becoming one of the first women accepted to the Queensland Bar.

In 1968, Bryce became the first woman appointed as a faculty member of the law school where she had studied, and in 1978 she joined the new National Women's Advisory Council (later National Women's Consultative Council and then Australian Council for Women ). This was followed by appointment to a number of positions, including the first Director of the Queensland Women's Information Service, the Queensland Director of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, and the Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner in 1988. Her services to the community saw her appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1988, and a Companion of the Order of Australia and Dame of the Order of St John of Jerusalem in 2003. In 2011, Elizabeth II invested Bryce as a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order at Government House.

Bryce was appointed Governor of Queensland in 2003. Although concerns were raised by some over her time in the office, her five-year term was going to be extended until 2009. However, on 13 April 2008, it was announced by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd that Bryce was to become the next Governor-General of Australia. The decision was generally well-received and on 5 September 2008 Bryce was sworn in, succeeding Major General Michael Jeffery and becoming the first woman to hold the office. Bryce's tenure was not without criticism. In an unprecedented move for an incumbent governor-general, Bryce made public comments in November 2013 widely interpreted as supporting an Australian republic and same-sex marriage. She was succeeded by General Sir Peter Cosgrove as governor-general on 28 March 2014.

Early life and education
Quentin Alice Louise Strachan was born in 1942 in Brisbane, the second of four daughters. Her parents, Norman Walter Strachan and Edwina Naida Wetzel, had taken up residence at Ilfracombe in 1940. Bryce—along with all of the children in her family—received home-schooling rather than attending the local State school. Her family left the area in 1949, initially relocating to Launceston, Tasmania, where they remained for approximately a year. Returning to Queensland, her family moved to Belmont. While living in Belmont she attended the Camp Hill State School, and there first met her future husband, Michael Bryce. She was a member of Girl Guides Australia as a Brownie.

During the period that they were residing in Belmont, her father moved to Tenterfield, New South Wales. In 1956, Quentin Strachan started attending boarding school at Moreton Bay College, Wynnum, Brisbane.

Upon graduating from high school, Quentin Strachan undertook studies at the University of Queensland, initially enrolling in a social work and arts degree, but transferring to law in her third year at the institution. She graduated from the university with a Bachelor of Arts in 1962 and a Bachelor of Laws in 1965. That year she became one of the first women to be admitted to the Queensland Bar, although she never practised professionally.

Quentin Strachan married Michael Bryce on 12 December 1964; the couple have two daughters and three sons. Michael Bryce died on 15 January 2021, aged 82 years.

Career
After spending some time in London, Bryce returned to Australia and accepted a part-time tutoring position at the T. C. Beirne School of Law at the University of Queensland in 1968, thus becoming the first woman to be appointed to the faculty. In 1969 she took up a lecturing position at the law school, and she continued to teach at the university until 1983.

In 1978 the Fraser government formed the National Women's Advisory Council and Bryce was "vaulted to prominence" with her appointment to the council, taking on the role of convener in 1982. In 1984 she became the first director of the Queensland Women's Information Service under the umbrella of the Office of the Status of Women and was appointed as the "women's representative on the National Committee on Discrimination in Employment and Occupation". In 1987 she became the Queensland director of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC).

Over a five-year period (1988–1993) Bryce served as Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner during the time of the Hawke Labor government. Her time in the role was a busy one, with around 2,000 complaints being handled by the commission each year and the work difficult and complex. The period was also noted as being one of "galloping legal reform" for the rights of women, yet, as Sandra McLean described it, Bryce kept a firm grip on the "reins of change" during this time. Nevertheless, concerns were raised when, in 1990, Alexander Proudfoot formally complained that the women's health centres in the Australian Capital Territory were operating in breach of the Sex Discrimination Act. This culminated in 1994 when Bryce faced an HREOC hearing after being accused of discriminating against Proudfoot – and ended when the commission found in Bryce's favour and dismissed the complaint, stating that the behaviour in question "did not reflect on the way Ms Bryce discharged her duties".

After finishing her time as the Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Bryce became the founding chair and chief executive officer of the National Childcare Accreditation Council, where she remained for three years before changing direction between 1997 and 2003 when she became the principal and chief executive officer of The Women's College within the University of Sydney, New South Wales. The move was said to have "stunned her political and legal acquaintances", but Bryce saw it as bringing "together all the life skills and attributes" that she had acquired, as well as providing an opportunity to have an influence on the students' futures.

In other roles, Bryce has been the chair of the National Breast Cancer Advisory Council and sat on the Australian Women's Cricket Board, and has been a member of organisations such as the YWCA, the Australian Children's Television Foundation and the Association for the Welfare of Children in Hospital. Bryce was also a US State Department Visitor in 1978 and a Member of the Australian Delegation to the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva, Switzerland from 1989 to 1991.

Governor of Queensland
In 2003, on the recommendation of the Premier of Queensland, Peter Beattie, Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, appointed Bryce as Governor of Queensland, the second woman to occupy the position. Once Bryce's nomination had been accepted by the Queen, Beattie opened it up for debate in the Legislative Assembly—an "unprecedented" move performed by the Premier as the first step in changing the manner by which the nominations are managed. Nevertheless, the outcome was never in doubt, as Beattie had a majority in the Legislative Assembly and had "cleared the vote with the National and Liberal leaders" prior to the debate.

Bryce's time at Government House, Brisbane, was not always peaceful, but she was considered by some as a "highly respected figure" during her time as governor. Concerns raised in the media included the "substantial" exit of staff at Government House not long after Bryce became governor, as at least eight staff, including the executive office, head chef, house manager and gardener resigned or were fired during her term, and the use of Government House for private parties. In response to the latter, Beattie argued that there was nothing wrong with holding private functions at Government House, especially as Bryce had paid for the events out of her own pocket, while the Queensland Public Sector Union stated in 2008 that the staff disputes were "with the management as a whole, but there wasn't anything specific against the Governor". Staff at Queensland Government House had "not [been] enthusiastic" about Bryce as Queensland governor. A former staff member described Bryce as a "control freak". During this time, Bryce was the Patron of Girl Guides Queensland.

In January 2008, it was announced her initial five-year term, due to end in late July, was to be extended to cover the period of Queensland's sesquicentennial celebrations in 2009. In making the announcement, Labor Premier Anna Bligh described how Bryce had been an "inspiring leader" while serving as governor, and acknowledged Bryce's willingness to spend a "great deal of time" in regional and remote areas, serving as a "Governor for all of Queensland". The extension did not eventuate, however, as she was appointed governor-general, and she was succeeded as Queensland governor on 29 July 2008 by Penelope Wensley.

Governor-General of Australia
On 13 April 2008 it was announced that, on the recommendation of the Labor Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, Queen Elizabeth II had approved Bryce's appointment as the next Governor-General of Australia. The decision was generally well received: current and previous Labor state premiers supported her selection and both the then Leader of the Opposition, Brendan Nelson, and the leader of the Australian Greens, Bob Brown, spoke in favour of the decision. Patricia Edgar described Bryce's selection as an "inspired choice", while Jill Singer in the Herald Sun said that the decision signalled "an important about face for Australia".

There was some opposition to the appointment, in particular from columnist Des Houghton, who argued that she would bring a "fair bit of baggage" to the role (in reference to the controversies surrounding her time as the Governor of Queensland) and that she had failed to live up to her promise to be outspoken during her time at Government House. Concerns were also raised in August 2008, when it was revealed that Bryce intended to replace Malcolm Hazell, who had been the Official Secretary for both Major General Michael Jeffery and Peter Hollingworth, with Stephen Brady. Rudd defended Bryce's decision, arguing that she had the right to appoint a new Official Secretary.

Bryce was sworn in on 5 September 2008. An extension of her term was announced on 24 October 2012, to expire in March 2014. During this time, she served as the Patron of Girl Guides Australia.

On the election of Bill Shorten as Leader of the Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition in October 2013, Bryce offered her resignation to Prime Minister Tony Abbott, in order to forestall any perception of bias, given that Bryce's daughter Chloe is married to Shorten. While acknowledging her magnanimity, Abbott declined to accept her resignation and asked her to serve the rest of her term. According to him Bryce provided continuity at a time of political turbulence and she should be commended for her dedication to public service.

Controversy
Greg Sheridan, in the national newspaper The Australian, suggested that the governor-general risked "politicising and misusing the office". Sheridan was commenting on Bryce's planned trip to Africa on behalf of the prime minister to lobby for a seat for Australia in the United Nations Security Council. He further stated that Bryce's "feigned interest in Africa will be seen cynically by Africans". Sheridan added that governors-general should travel overseas "only rarely and for ceremonial purposes", and "they have no right to engage in foreign policy debate, at home or abroad".

Similarly to her time as governor in Queensland, Government House in Canberra witnessed significant staff turnover, with claims that she was very difficult to work for.

In November 2013, Bryce delivered the annual ABC Boyer Lecture. Bryce stated she would like to see an Australia where "people are free to love and marry whom they choose [...] And where perhaps, my friends, one day, one young girl or boy may even grow up to be our nation's first head of state". Her comments drew severe criticism, not merely for their support of a republic while still serving as the Queen's representative, but because the role is meant to be strictly non-partisan. Senator Dean Smith called them "a slap in the face to many, many Australians, and a significant breach of trust". Amanda Vanstone accused her of possible grandstanding, and wrote: "In publicly declaring these views, she has brought that high office into a political realm in which it does not belong ... Someone might explain to her that the job is not about her ... it's about us." Then-Prime Minister Tony Abbott supported Bryce's right to comment, saying "It's more than appropriate for the Governor-General, approaching the end of her term, to express a personal view on a number of subjects, and that's what she was doing."

Philanthropy
Bryce is the main patron of Girls from Oz, a charity partner of the Australian School of Performing Arts (ASPA). Girls from Oz delivers performing arts education to girls living in remote Australian communities who lack access to these opportunities.

Bryce has been a patron of Girls from Oz since its formation in 2007. Since then, Bryce has supported Girls from Oz not only through donations, but by visiting Halls Creek and Bidyadanga, two locations where the charity works, attending numerous Girls from Oz and ASPA events, and by hosting a sleep-over for girls from Halls Creek at Admiralty House on two occasions.

Bryce has also previously been a patron of both Girl Guides Queensland and Girl Guides Australia.

Honorary military positions

 * 2008–2014: Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps

Honorary degrees
Queensland: New South Wales: Bryce is a Life Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law. She was appointed an Honorary Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia in 2010.
 * Bryce was conferred with the degree of Honorary Doctor of the University (Hon.DUniv) by Griffith University in 2003.
 * Honorary Doctor of James Cook University (Hon.DUniv (JCU))
 * In 2004, Bryce was made an Honorary Doctor of the University (Hon.DU) by the Queensland University of Technology.
 * In 2006 Bryce was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws (Hon.LLD) by the University of Queensland.
 * In 2016, Bryce was a recipient of the Queensland Greats Awards.
 * In 1998, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws by Macquarie University (Hon.LLD).
 * In 2002, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by Charles Sturt University (Hon.DLitt).
 * In 2010, Bryce was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws (Hon.LLD) by the University of Sydney, where she was the principal of The Women's College, University of Sydney from 1997 to 2003.
 * In 2012, Bryce was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters (Hon.DLitt) by the University of Western Sydney.

title: Quentin Bryce


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These are articles about the shooting events recognized by the International Shooting Sport Federation.

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