“I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains, Of ragged mountain ranges, Of droughts and flooding rains. I love her far horizons, I love her jewel-sea, Her beauty and her terror –The wide brown land for me!” – Dorothea Mackellar.
Australia is one of the most beautiful countries with an exquisitely rich and diverse culture. As tourists or immigrants, it intrigues us to know more about their culture and their ethnically distinct roots aside from their breathtaking landscapes.
Australia for us Indians seems like a warm place with fuzzy animals, interesting wildlife, beautiful cities, operas, and a bunch of water and beach sports. But there’s so much more than that! They’ve been evolving and adapting their cultural roots to suit the environment, climate, and resources of their country.
DesiPedia has specially gathered for you all the scoop of exciting facts about Australian culture, and today we’ll be taking you on a ride! We’ve broken down 7 of the most interesting things you need to know about Australian culture.
1. Aussies and their egalitarian nature
Australians believe that everyone has the right to get a “fair go”. It’s something they hold extremely high regard for. They are known for their open-minded nature which is beneficial for Indians as we also come from a very deep and enriched culture. They have a surplus of health care institutions, NGOs and educational benefits to support this assumption. They proudly show this trait and differentiate themselves from their original historic motherland’s domineering nature (the British).
2. Diversity and mixture of cultures
Australia is home to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander folk who have occupied the continent for over 60,000 years. They are the oldest surviving civilisation with about 650,000 people, 2.8 % of their population. The rest of the population consists of a mixture of so many different cultures due to major colonisation in the 18th century, from Europe from Britain and Ireland. There’s been a growing population of immigrant Asians in Australia as well which include a considerable number of Indians and desi folk. This makes Australia culturally diverse and full of life.
3. The Aussies love their sports
How much does cricket mean to us Desis? Well, that’s how much Australians love their sports. Day in and out, you’ll constantly notice several sporty games and events being hosted around the city and your neighbourhood. They have numerous popular sports like football, cricket, rugby and more with an average attendance rate of 20,000 people for most of these sports. They take their sports very seriously so pick up your sporting gear and get to the beaches and fields of the country for some thrilling waves of intense energy and good vibes.
4. Aussies are laid-back
Visiting Australia shows you some terminologies you’ll hear more often than the saying- “no worries, mate”. It could be the sunshine, the yards of beaches, or the original and pure nature of the people, or the excellent quality of life, that makes it seem like nothing much gets under the skin of Australians. Even when something does go off-centre, there’s another expression in the Aussie lingo that keeps things nice and laidback: “she’ll be right, mate”. As Indians living abroad it is important for us to understand this way of living so it doesn’t give us too much of a culture clash, since they’re also open-minded it won’t take them too long to recognize your values as well.
5. Their art
Australians are extremely imaginative and artistic, their early settlers wrote plays, folk ballads and painted. Aboriginal art is appreciated, well-regarded and desired, and their beautiful art is in the form of story-telling. It is used as a register to communicate knowledge of the land, proceedings and principles of the Aboriginal people. The Australian government supports its arts with dedicated grants that have seen a prosperous flourishing in young and fun artistic chases including Sydney’s Art and About, Vivid Sydney, Brisbane Street Arts Festival and more. Look out for these events on apps that provide information on the diverse culture of their country for Indians in Australia.
6. Beaches, food and drinks
Its diverse culture gives Australians an even more diverse cuisine, with exciting fusions and food fests all over the country. Aussies love their food, paired with relaxing days at the beach with a nice and cool drink to go on the side (according to WHO, Australia holds a rank of third in the most alcohol consumed per capita each year).
Migrants that have immigrated to Australia from all over the world, bring with them their culinary delights. You can find everything from Greek tavernas and outdoor food markets, Chinese, Thai, burgers to fish and chips, and Japanese takeaway, great Turkish, Mexican and Indian restaurants. Because of its tropical climate, Australia has plenty of fresh produce all year long so you can find lots of fresh fruit and vegetables to prepare healthy meals at home. Apps and search engines provide for accurate information on the kinds of restaurants you want to eat in with a proper description of their cuisine.
7. Their accent and slang
Australian English is Considered one of the major variations of the English language and is the official language of Australia, having originally strayed from British English in the 18th century, after the formation of the Colony of New South Wales. It has been recognised as being different from British English for almost 200 years and developed as Europeans from Britain, Ireland and Germany mixed with one another and settled there. This might be difficult for us to understand but we can easily get a hang of it within a few months, either through observation or taking a course online with Aussie slang and phrases or you can try apps that offer services with the best Indian-Australian residents teaching the local language.
