5 things about Australian culture

Catch a glimpse of the real Australia by checking out these 5 cultural qualities.

Australians are egalitarian

One concept Australians do hold in high regard is the idea of the ‘fair go’ — the belief that everyone should be given an equal opportunity — which manifests itself in universal support for publicly funded education and healthcare systems. Australians pride themselves on that deep-seated egalitarianism, shaking off the pompous class system of the historic motherland, Britain.

Australia is diverse

Australia doesn’t have one uniform national culture because the country is made up of so many different cultures thanks to waves of migration following European colonisation in the late 18th century. Joining the hundreds of Indigenous groups are those early British and Irish settlers, European immigrants following World War Two, then growing Asian and African communities in recent decades. In fact, a quarter of Australians were born overseas, and another quarter have at least a parent born abroad, too.

Australia is home to the oldest surviving civilisation on Earth

One of the most significant components of this multicultural milieu is Australia’s First Peoples, who represent the oldest continuously existing culture anywhere in the world. Archaeological evidence proves that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have inhabited the continent for 60,000 years, and today there are 650,000 Indigenous people in Australia, roughly 2.8% of the national population.

Australians are obsessed with sport

Aussies might not take themselves too seriously, but the same can’t be said when it comes to sport. From massive international events like the Australian Open tennis and the Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne, to local leagues like the AFL and the NRL, along with the beloved summer of cricket to all the water sports that miles of golden coastline affords, Australia is a sports lover’s paradise.

Australians are tolerant

Study after study after study has shown that Australia is among the most open-minded nations on Earth, and it was put to the test last year with a postal survey on the issue of marriage equality. Despite months of distasteful public debate, 62% of Australians voted yes to legalising same-sex marriage — a thumping (and long overdue) victory for a country so proud of its progressive values.