The Land Down Under

Australia is often called “the land down under.” Do you know why? Look at a map or globe and you’ll see. Australia is far to the south, way down under almost everything else!

THE SMALLEST CONTINENT

Australia lies between the South Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. Like an island, it is surrounded by water. But Australia is too large to be called an island. Instead, it is considered the world’s seventh and smallest continent. In fact, Australia is the only country that takes up an entire continent.

The island of Tasmania, to the south of the mainland, is part of Australia. Thousands of years ago, Tasmania was connected to the mainland. But it split off when the ocean levels rose and water covered the connecting land.

A LAND OF STRANGE ANIMALS

Australia is famous for its many unusual animals. If you visit, you might see a kangaroo hop past. Kangaroos use their powerful hind legs to hop at speeds up to 30 miles per hour (48 kilometers per hour)! If you look up in a eucalyptus tree, you might see a koala happily munching on leaves. Koalas resemble small bears, but they are not related to bears.

Even the names of the animals in Australia are strange. Can you imagine seeing a wallaby, wombat, quokka, bandicoot, dingo, or Tasmanian devil? The most unusual animal might be the platypus. It has a body like an otter and a bill like a duck.

WHAT’S THE OUTBACK?

Australia is one of the flattest lands on Earth. It has a vast, flat interior called “the outback.” The only mountains in Australia are in the east. They are called the Great Dividing Range. The only forests are near the coasts.

The outback is hot and dry and rugged. Very few people live there. Most Australians live in cities and towns along the coasts.

Millions of sheep graze on the dry grasslands that cover much of the outback. Wool from sheep was Australia’s first major product. Today, Australia exports more wool than any other country.

A popular attraction in the outback is Uluru, or Ayers Rock. Uluru is one of the biggest rocks in the world. It measures about 2.2 miles (3.6 kilometers) long!

THE GREAT BARRIER REEF

Another famous attraction in Australia is the Great Barrier Reef, along the northeast coast. It’s the world’s largest coral reef. Thousands of kinds of animals live in the reef, including fish, dolphins, sea turtles, and sharks.

The reef is famous for its beauty. Colorful coral grows in shades of blue, purple, green, red, and yellow. Many of the animals living in the reef are brightly colored, too. Swimmers and skin divers enjoy exploring the reef and its waters, which are warm year-round.

SYDNEY

Sydney, on the southeast coast, is the oldest and largest city in Australia. A small distance inland is Canberra, Australia’s capital.

British settlers founded Sydney in 1788 as a prison colony. At that time, Britain sent many of its criminals away to distant lands. The colony’s first governor named the settlement for a British politician. Today, Sydney is a bustling city of 4 million people.

On Sydney Harbour is the Opera House, the city’s most famous landmark. The building has tall, white concrete towers that resemble shells or the sails of a ship.

THE FIRST AUSTRALIANS

Native peoples lived in Australia long before British settlers arrived. They are known as Aborigines.

Aborigines hunted wild animals and gathered wild plants for food. They practiced “firestick farming.” They burned dry grass so that new grass would grow back. Then they hunted the animals that came to eat the fresh grass.

Aborigines used a famous hunting weapon called the boomerang. A boomerang is a curved, flat piece of wood that spins when thrown.

Aborigines painted beautiful designs on rocks and bark, made music, and told stories. They played a unique musical instrument called the didjeridu. It’s a long, decorated horn made from a tree branch hollowed out by termites.

British settlers caused great hardships for the Aborigines. Many Aborigines died fighting the settlers. Many more were killed by diseases brought from Europe. Today, few Aborigines maintain their traditional way of life. Most live in cities and towns.

AUSTRALIA BECOMES A NATION

After the founding of Sydney, British settlers built several new colonies in Australia. In 1901, these colonies joined together and became an independent country.

Today, Australia has six states. They are New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia. Australia also has two territories. They are the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory.

WOULD YOU LIKE SOME TEA?

Most of Australia’s people have British ancestors. Australia still keeps some ties to Britain, and many British customs remain popular. Like the British, Australians love to drink tea. They drive their cars on the left-hand side of the road, as people do in Britain. The Australian flag even sports a Union Jack, a famous British symbol.

(MS. Encarta)
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The Unique Customs

Marriage and Family

Many couples live together before or instead of getting married, and there has been an increase in the number of single-parent families. Couples generally marry in their 20s. Church weddings are still the norm.

The average family has two or three children, and Australian family life is similar to family life in western Europe and North America, with many mothers working outside the home. In Australia, women and men are generally treated equally. Women have roughly the same amount of education as men, they earn fairly equal wages, and they occupy important leadership positions in the private and public sectors. Women make up almost half of the workforce.

Eating

A wide range of fruits and vegetables is available year-round. Take-away and fast-food outlets are popular. Popular snacks include meat pies and sausage rolls. All varieties of fish and meat are common. There is a trend toward eating lighter and more healthful foods. Australia’s cosmopolitan ethnic mix has brought with it a range of cuisine, and Asian food is now widely available. Most people eat their main meal in the evening. The evening meal is usually called dinner, although some (mostly older) people may refer to it as tea.

Socializing

Australians greet friends with a casual “Hi” or G’day (“Good day”) and a handshake. More formal greetings involve a simple “Hello, how are you?” Most adults prefer to use first names, even with those they have just met, but children use the terms "Mr.," "Miss," and "Ms." with their elders. Australians frequently entertain in the home, often hosting barbecues. Guests are greeted warmly, and Australians tend to be informal hosts.

Recreation

Australians have a passion for sports, and outdoor activities are an important part of Australian life. Australian Rules football is the country’s main spectator sport, followed by rugby and cricket (Australia’s national teams are among the best in the world). Soccer and horse racing are also popular. Australians also enjoy a wide range of other sports and outdoor pursuits, including basketball, netball (similar to basketball, but played almost exclusively by women), cycling, bush walking (hiking), golf, tennis, and lawn bowls. With the majority of Australians living on or near the coast, there is great enthusiasm for sailing, surfing, swimming, and fishing. Australians watch a great deal of television, and cinemas are also popular.

Holidays and Celebrations

National holidays include New Year’s Day (1 January), Australia Day (26 January), Easter (Good Friday through Easter Monday), Anzac Day (or Veteran’s Memorial Day, 25 April), Queen Elizabeth II’s Official Birthday (second Monday in June), Christmas Day (25 December), and Boxing Day (26 December).

Australia Day commemorates the arrival of the British in 1788. The British prisons had become overcrowded, so Captain Arthur Phillip brought a group of convicts to the spacious continent. The city of Sydney grew out of the penal colony founded by those early settlers. Aborigines do not celebrate this holiday.

On Anzac Day, Australians celebrate the anniversary of the Anzac troops landing at Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey during World War I. The word Anzac is derived from Australia and New Zealand Army Corps. Anzac Day honors those who gave their lives for their country during wartime.

Australians celebrate a warm Christmas, which falls in summertime and is accompanied by vacation from work and school.

Unofficial holidays include Canberra Day, on the third Monday in March, which celebrates the founding of Canberra, the capital city of Australia. Eight Hour Day, generally known as Labour Day, is celebrated on various dates depending on location. This holiday celebrates the improvement of working conditions since the trade unions succeeded in limiting daily working hours to eight, encouraging adequate rest and recreation among the population.

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Culture Shock Australia

Culture Shock Australia is a book which speaks in detail the everyday life of the Australian people. In the book, the author Ilsa Sharp is very optimistic towards life and her approach, very confident and positive. In fact, the accounts in this book can stimulate a novice to visit Australia and have a close look at the lifestyles of the local inhabitants.

Culture Shock Australia is an in-depth analysis and study about the unique culture of the land. The writing reflects the extensive research that the author has underwent in an attempt to offer typical pictures of the Australian daily domestic lives. The author's immediate understanding of different domestic situations is also revealed within the pages.

The author begins the book with a first-hand impression about the Australian topography, and then goes on to describe the people in general. To the author, the Australian people appear to be simple and an easy-going lot, who talk straight. A detailed analysis of their customs, attire, language and accent follow next.

The natural and environmental conditions in which the Australian population thrives also surface in the writing. There is a vivid description about the lifestyles of all those living in the country sides and the resources they utilize for a better survival. Not only this; the author also scrutinizes the typical inner character and mindsets of the Australian people in great detail.

Culture Shock Australia also examines the Australian social structure. In scripting carefully as to how the society functions in Australia, the writer incorporates information about the form and type of government existing there, the common social do's and don'ts, as well as the nature and role of the Australian press.

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