It is considered impolite to ask a direct question about a person's salary or wealth. Inquiring about someone's weight or age is also highly inappropriate in many situations. Spitting in public is rude. If there is a line for something, always queue and wait for your turn.
Aussies pride themselves on being good friends and neighbours, and not just to people they know. They tend to greet everyone from the mail carrier to the cab driver with a “g'day” or “how ya going?”. For Australians, this emphasis on mateship creates a cheery, welcoming attitude, and one that says anyone can be a mate.
Most Australian parents do not use corporal punishment but instead discipline their children by enforcing consequences for their actions – for example, withdrawing privileges for bad behaviour and rewarding good behaviour. Using violence towards one's family members is widely considered unacceptable in Australia.
Australians respect people with strong opinions, even if they don't agree. Avoid discussions about the treatment of the aboriginal people. Don't comment on anyone's accent. Accents often distinguish social class.
Australians are usually humble, quite welcoming, polite and contact seeking when meeting strangers. Do not be surprised that strangers greet you, look you in the eyes and start a conversation with you in situations that you perhaps never had expected someone to do in your home country.
In addition to being herding dogs, Australian Shepherds serve as Seeing Eye dogs, hearing dogs, drug sniffing dogs, and search and rescue dogs. Because of their high intelligence, Aussies are well suited to do a wide variety of jobs.
cocky. A small-scale farmer; (in later use often applied to) a substantial landowner or to the rural interest generally. In Australia there are a number of cockies including cow cockies, cane cockies and wheat cockies. Cocky arose in the 1870s and is an abbreviation of cockatoo farmer.
In NSW, it's illegal for bus drivers to splash mud on bus passengers. A driver must slow down or stop the bus if necessary in order not to splash mud on any person in a bus, or leaving a bus – or passengers waiting at a bus stop. The penalty? A fine of about $2200.
Australia is home to a number of dangerous animal species. Crocodiles, jellyfish and sharks, venomous insects, spiders and snakes are found in many parts of the country.
Australia is a large country, which can lead to feeling isolated. This is because the country's major cities are spread far apart, making it difficult to leave your town for a day, or even a weekend trip. If you enjoy living abroad for the travel opportunities, Australia may not be right for you.
The rule of law limits the powers of governments, businesses and citizens, and protects citizens against the use of arbitrary power – autocratic decisions not based on law. The rule of law is a key feature of Australia's democracy.
In a nationally representative survey of Australian 15-year-olds, 87 per cent said they 'treat all people with respect regardless of their cultural background' and 85 per cent said they 'respect the values of people from different cultures', compared to the OECD average of 81 per cent and 79 per cent respectively.
Australia ranked near the top of the list in the 2022 World Happiness Report, with a happiness score of 7.162 (on the 0 to 10 scale), placing it as the 12th happiest country in the world out of 156 nations.
Australians are very friendly and easy-going people. In fact, Australians are renowned for their laid-back nature and unique sense of humour. Another thing Australians are known for is their love of sport, recreation and the great outdoors.
The Australian flag has the nation's vote for being the image or symbol about which we are most proud. 95% of Australians take pride in the national flag, which is enjoying increasing popularity, with half (50%) saying that they are extremely proud.
Becoming an Australian citizen means that you are making an ongoing commitment to Australia and our shared values. It is also the beginning of your formal membership of the Australian community. It is the step that will enable you to say 'I am Australian'.
The phrase 'the lucky country', originated by author Donald Horne in 1964, has been used in the past few decades to describe Australia as a land of economic opportunity and bountiful natural resources.
Australian customs & etiquette basics
People often call each other “mate”. Communication: Australians are very casual, direct and humorous when communicating. Honesty is appreciated and arrogance is looked down on. Punctuality: Always be on time in business settings.
Swearing: Swearing is more common in Australia than in many other cultures. Television programmes are less censored and mainstream society is largely desensitised to words that foreigners may find vulgar. It is normal to hear an Australian swear at some point during a conversation.