Rangas know how to get things done

Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s rise could be linked to her locks says fellow redhead Adrian Taylor.

ALAN PORRITT

WE freckle-faced redheads might be the world’s smallest ethnic minority, and we might be blessed with fiery tempers, but we certainly know how to get things done.

As flame-haired Julia Gillard settles into the role of national leader, it might be said that her rise to prominence has everything to do with her precious genes.

Just 4% of the world’s population has a ginger mop, and as the red hair gene is recessive we will forever be a small section of the population. But not insignificant.

In fact some of the world’s greatest leaders, scientists, artists and writers have been blessed with an orange glow. High achievement is our destiny.

Julia might not have much in common with Margaret Thatcher politically, but the original Iron Lady and first woman to be Prime Minister in the UK was a trail-blazing redhead.

And two of Britain’s greatest monarchs – Henry VIII and his daughter, the Virgin Queen Elizabeth I – were copper tops who shared Julia’s Welsh heritage.

Add arguably the greatest Englishman of all, Sir Winston Churchill, and you might begin to see my point.

I say arguably because William Shakespeare, undoubtedly the greatest scribe ever to pick up a quill, was ginger too, as was Charles Darwin who is frequently named as the world’s most influential scientist. And Oliver Cromwell.

Most rangas have Scandinavian or Celtic roots and most live in the UK, Ireland and Australia. Scotland has the highest percentage population.

But Napolean, the Italian-speaking Corsican who became Emperor of France, had red hair as did Italian astronomer and philosopher Galileo and composer Antonio Vivaldi. History records that Cleopatra and even Mary Magdalene had it.

Troubled Dutch genius Vincent van Gogh, Irish icon James Joyce, America’s greatest wit Mark Twain and statesman Thomas Jefferson, author of the American Declaration of Independence, were... you’ve guessed it.

Occasionally our sense of ambition and unstoppable determination expresses itself through sport. Tennis legends Jim Courier and Boris Becker and Rockhampton’s own Rocket Rod Laver are examples. Locally we have Comets Matt Minto and Guy Williams alongside Blackwater F1 driver John Martin as further proof.

And although Julia makes no claims to be one of nature’s beauties, her hair colour places her in the company of some of the most strikingly pretty actresses such as Geena Davis, Kate Winslet, Nicole Kidman, Jane Asher and Cissy Spacek.

Katharine Hepburn, Judy Garland, Ginger Rogers – I’ll stop now to avoid giving all you non rangas the inferiority complex you so obviously deserve.