The Bachelor Australia star and noted history buff Bella Varelis claims a thousand-year-old castle in the UK has been around since “before anyone even knew Australia existed” and has, understandably, been called out for it.
Like every man and his dog from Australia, Varelis is currently gallivanting around Europe. It was in the UK that she made a galaxy-brain boo boo on her (now deleted) Instagram stories, which have since been reshared by Influencer Updates.
Veralis uploaded a photo of a castle to her story, which is innocent enough. Who doesn’t go ham for a gorgeous piece of ancient brickwork? But the caption that accompanied it was a take, to say the least.
“This castle has been around for over one THOUSAND years. ONE THOUSAND,” it read.
“This was before anyone even knew Australia EXISTED.”
Look, I’m going to have to stop you there. Geologists estimate that, as a unique continent, Australia is around 55 million years old. One might say it’s been around the block.
But beyond the literal landmass, there’s the fact that DNA has confirmed First Nations people are one of the oldest living populations in the world having left Africa 75,000 years ago — at least 24,000 years before humans migrated to Europe and Asia.
A study from the West Australian Museum and the University of Western Australia has also found that, from as early as 1700, First Nations people traded with South-East Asian fishing crews.
The British started colonising Australia in 1788 so, you know, it just goes to show that people who weren’t European already knew the place “existed”.
But Varelis wasn’t done.
“Queen Margaret who became a saint was the first to live here,” she said.
“Go back and read that again and process that mindfully.”
It brings me no pleasure to announce that string of words has sent me into orbit. I will most definitely be storing it for later when my future husband buys the wrong type of alternative milk I wrote on the shopping list.
It’s iconic, I’m sorry to say. It’s giving “I sat my white ass down and I listened”.
Varelis concluded her, quite frankly, ignorant historical ramble by saying her “ancient history soul” was “so excited”.
My sister in Christ, wait until you realise that First Nations people have been living on this land we call “Australia” for 75,000 years! Your ancient history soul won’t bloody know what hit it.
Varelis then doubled down on her comments in a separate story.
“P.S. fam, I meant before anyone here in the UK knew that ‘Australia’ existed. Obviously,” she said.
Trying to save your ass by clarifying you were referring to the British knowing that Australia “existed” is a choice, seeing as the only reason they cared about the land was because they wanted to colonise it. The statement was, dare I say it, the floppiest flop to ever flop.
BRB, reading back on everything and processing it mindfully.
