Australian Culture

To get a good understanding of Australian culture, it is important to look into Australia’s history. Around tens of thousands of years ago, Humans arrived. The aborigines that came there numbered around 300,000 in population by the 1700s. This was around the time when European exploration was at its peak, and they set their sites on Australia. Once Captain Cook conquered it, thousands of the aborigines died from diseases, and many others were massacred. This emptiness on the continent would soon be filled up, as the Europeans found use in it as a prison. Hundreds of people, around half of which were convicts, were brought to stay there. Over the next century, tens of thousands of prisoners populated Australia.

Now despite the fact that this continent has its roots in criminals, the people and culture there is nothing reminiscent of their past. Australians, or as they are more commonly known, Aussies, are known for a lot of things, and have a vibrant culture. Let’s look at a few key aspects of it.

First, let’s look at the accent. Yeah, it’s the one thing that everyone associates Australia with. This accent was a result of the extreme diversity this country had back as a prison colony. Through the many dialects of the various English prisoners that were forced to stay here, and over time, the distinct Australian accent that we all know began to appear.

Now, let’s look at the other major aspects of this culture. Greetings are typically informal, done through referring to another by their first name while looking them in the eye and shaking hands. Very few Australians actually say “G’day,” despite many Western preconceptions. There isn’t really that much of an effect that religion has on culture here, but most people here are Christians. Also, men and women are typically very equal in society, living in loving nuclear families that, around half the time, contain at least 1 immigrant. Some of the holidays they celebrate are the same as in America, with 12 holidays that they can call their own. There isn’t a big emphasis on etiquette here, as most people are casual. And unlike how men in America do things like hold doors open for women, that can sometimes be seen as patronizing in Australia. Australians are often against boasting, arguments, and being conceited. They are chill and easygoing, but mentioning sensitive topics to Australia is a bad idea. Also, drinking is very popular, and adults do it a lot, which contributes to another major aspect of culture, although only for adults. Those are the basics of Australian culture.

Sources:

https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/History/Australia-history.htmhttps://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-16/the-story-behind-australian-english/6315078https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/australian-culture/