Indigenous Australian bush food
Hunting of kangaroo, wallaby and emu was common, with other foods widely consumed including bogong moths, witchetty grubs, lizards and snakes. Bush berries, fruits, and nuts were also used, including the now widely cultivated macadamia nut, and wild honeys were also exploited.
1. Chicken parmigiana. This classic Aussie chicken dish – with roots in Italian-American cooking – is a staple offering at many pub menus in the country. Whether you call it a parmi/parmy or a parma (but never a parmo), there's huge debate about where does the best parmigiana in Australia.
In a nationwide survey launched by Continental to find out which dish was considered by most residents as “Australia's National Dish”, roast lamb was number one. Other runners-up to the title of “National Dish of Australia”? Meat pies, barbecue prawns, and steak and veggies.
Australia is known for many things, including swathes of tropical beaches, marine reserves, Aboriginal culture, cute koalas, rolling wine country, and lush rainforests.
What is Santa Claus called in Australia? These days most Australians call Atnas (his real name) “Santa”.
The Big Banana was the first Big Thing, built in 1964 in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, as a promotional sign for a banana stall. Now there are more than 150 Big Things in Australia.
Western Australia is internationally significant for its variety of stromatolite sites, both living and fossilised. Fossils of the earliest known stromatolites, about 3.5 billion years old, are found about 1,000km north, near Marble Bar in the Pilbara region.
While Indigenous Australians have inhabited the continent for tens of thousands of years, and traded with nearby islanders, the first documented landing on Australia by a European was in 1606. The Dutch explorer Willem Janszoon landed on the western side of Cape York Peninsula and charted about 300 km of coastline.
Some of Australia's world-changing inventions: plastic money, Google maps, latex gloves and the electric drill.
One of Australia's Finest Inventions
Although the process has been refined, and people no longer use ether as a refrigerant, Harrison's refrigeration system is still the blueprint for today's refrigerators. James Harrison has taken his place amongst the most significant scientific pioneers.
Chemist CP Callister invented Vegemite in Melbourne in 1923 when Australian food manufacturer Fred Walker asked him to create a spread similar to British Marmite.
"Barbie" is Australian slang for barbecue and the phrase "slip a shrimp on the barbie" often evokes images of a fun social gathering under the sun. Australians, however, invariably use the word prawn rather than shrimp.
Some diminutives are rarely used, but widely recognised. For example, chalkie means teacher, but most Australians simply call a teacher a teacher.
But did you know that we Australians celebrate Christmas in July? It's pretty confusing if you really think about it, but Australians get to celebrate Christmas twice a year. Once on the traditional December 25th, and then once again in July.
Varied landscapes
As well as the beautiful beaches, Australia is also home to snowy mountains, incredible national parks, rainforests and desert. The landscape truly differs from state to state, which is why this country is so fun to explore.
Australia has plentiful supplies of natural resources, including the second largest accessible reserves of iron ore in the world, the fifth largest reserves of coal and significant gas resources.
Australia is the world's largest producer of iron ore, bauxite, and opal. It is the second largest producer of gold, manganese, and lead. Then there are other commodities that are present within the Australian economy such as zinc, cobalt, uranium, natural gas, coal, and many more.
Australia: An ABC News article published in 2018 described lemon, lime, and bitters (LLB) as "Australia's national drink". Lemon, lime, and bitters is a mixed drink made with (clear) lemonade, lime cordial, and Angostura bitters. The lemonade is sometimes substituted with soda water or lemon squash.
Frequently Asked Questions About Australian Desserts
Pavlova, is the national dessert of Australia.