What do you really know about Australia?

[Tower 87]

In Australia we have a funny notion a lot of the time that we are more or less like the Canada to the rest of the world. Friends with everyone but with a culture and identity of our own. What do you think? Is Australia a big world player or just a small backwards island off the coast of New Zealand? Seeing as it is Australia Day today post one thing that is unique to Australia. History, Culture, Film, Art, Language or Whatever.

* Don't be a tool and check the web, let this be a off the top of the head exercise to find out what the world really knows/thinks of Australia.

 

[Neverhoodian]

1. The original natives are known as "Aborigines."
2. The British used it as the world's largest prison for a while.
3. It's home to some of the most awesome animals on earth (kangaroo, dingo, koala etc.).
4. The capitol is Canberra.
5. Sydney is the largest city and is home to the Sydney Opera House (go figure).
6. It was a part of the British Commonwealth until the mid-20th century.
7. Australian gaming regulations are more draconian than most other industrialized nations.
8. The government tends to lean more conservative than the United States.
9. There are some magnificent coral reefs off-shore.
10. A "bogan" means a stupid person.
11. There are several nonnative species that are major pests, such as cane toads.
12. The outback is a place you don't want to get lost in.
13. During the World Wars, Australian troops fought tenaciously and made great sacrifices.
14. Its people have a reputation for being friendly but direct.
15. I have distant relatives that live in Australia.

That's what I can come up with off the top of my head.

 

[Palademon]

I have been given several boomerangs from my Australian relatives, yet I haven't killed any cows in the adjacent field with this magical weapon.

 

[movienut]

Paul hogan and the Irwins. Oh, and you have Yahtzee. That is pretty much all I have that wasn't covered by Neverhoodian.

 

[HellbirdIV]

Australia is a Death World. 90% of the wildlife has some way to kill you, and REALLY wants to do so.

 

[Scarim Coral]

I know that most of the spider species live over there. Oh I also know that it got some amasing marinelife over there too.

 

[lostzombies.com]

In Australia we have a funny notion a lot of the time that we are more or less like the Canada to the rest of the world. Friends with everyone but with a culture and identity of our own. What do you think? Is Australia a big world player or just a small backwards island off the coast of New Zealand? Seeing as it is Australia Day today post one thing that is unique to Australia. History, Culture, Film, Art, Language or Whatever.

* Don't be a tool and check the web, let this be a off the top of the head exercise to find out what the world really knows/thinks of Australia.

The media here basically says:

-we used to own them, they hate the queen but dont vote her away.
-they hate black people and only let white immigrants into the country up until the 80s
-they stole aboriginal babies and gave them to white familes to 'civilise them', but they said sorry recently.
-they like swimming and cricket
-they have nice beaches bt if you go on them you will get bitten/stung to death

This is what we get for having murdoch controlling vast portions of our media.

Oh and rupert murdoch is australian, and apparently hates it.

edit- these are not my opinions, just what the tabloids like the feed us

 

[Addendum_Forthcoming]

Oh and rupert murdoch is australian, and apparently hates it.

That's not fair. Rupert Murdoch is antagonistic towards most sentient life in general.

 

[Meestor Pickle]

Sure is funny you do this thread on Australia DAY.
I sure as hell don't agree with been branded as someone who likes cricket\football\beaches and beer.

 

[viranimus]

/shrug? Dingos eat babies?

I know just a few facts, but its the ones of the most relevance such as how nice of a place it can be to live.. and how vast the markup on games is there.

 

[LetoTheTyrant]

I think they recently lost some sort of sporting thingy, a couple of weeks ago. Some big thing they get all worked up about. Apparently they used to win it a lot but they just don't anymore.

What was it called again?....oh yeah, The Ashes.

(sorry, couldn't help myself).

Seriously? Well I think most stuff has been covered. Things I'd add.

1. It's damned big actually, kinda like America. Population is in small dense clusters and most of it is empty, in this case desert.

2. One of the world's biggest suppliers of coal

3. Ozone hole was around there. I'm not entirely certain on that one. It was there and now it's now, it was over New Zealand not Australia, it was over a bit of it but it's kinda moved but not entirely gone. One of those I think.

EDIT:

4. Only place where marsupials live (I'll be damned if I managed to spell that right!) because Australia broke off from the rest of the worlds land masses so long ago that they evolved in Australia and never had a chance to spread anywhere else.

5. Kinda already mentioned but, everything can poinson you. Hell the duckbilled Platopus (sp again?), for a long time considered a fake, is the only mammal with poison.

 

[ShockValue]

Irresistible accents... >.>
[sup] Most of the stuff I know was already mentioned...[/sup]

 

[Johnnyallstar]

dingo et mah bebeh

actually Australia has some of the best beaches in the world, but the outback isn't the place for candyasses.

 

[pendragon177]

Spoiler: They have outpaced the world in the entire spectrum of the Moustache Sciences.

The Internet told me so...
Has the Internet ever lied?
Has Valve ever lied?

 

[smearyllama]

Australians ride around in Kangaroos.
Kangaroo means "I don't know" in the native language
Kangaroos are cute.
Steve Irwin was a badass.
Yahtzee lives there.

...that's about it.

 

[Canid117]

Oh and rupert murdoch is australian, and apparently hates it.

Christ I hate him soooo much. Sorry about him.

Yeah thanks for that by the way.


I do know that your surfers have a reputation of being incomprehensible.

 

[Arawn.Chernobog]

On December 18th, 1788, less than a year after the first settlers colonized Australia, an old cutthroat named Nicolas Crowder arrived on a boat with some other new settlers, took one look at the heat and privations, said "screw this," commandeered the boat, and set course on a one-man voyage to conquer the South Pole. Legend tells that he lives there still.

Every December 18th, "Old Nick" returns down under to find out if Australia's children have been naughty or nice. The nice children are given the greatest gift of all -- they are not abducted along with the naughty ones and carted off to the South Pole.

For the next twelve months, the naughty children make toys to Old Nick's exacting specifications. Then, on December 17th, the presents are gift-wrapped, placed in a sleigh, and driven to Old Nick's mansion, where he opens them. Naturally, given the sheer number of hats and weapons Old Nick receives, there are bound to be duplicates -- and every December 18th, he posts them online, selling them at prices so low that he's practically giving them away.

The story of the first Aussie Christmas