What are the Aussies like?

Defining the typical Australian isn’t easy – ask Australians themselves and you get a variety of platitudes. ‘Mateship’ is an important element, as is an ingrained sense of fairness (‘a fair go’) and a love of adventure and risk taking. A mixture of irreverence, disdain for authority, humour (a sense of fun), sentimentality and charm is also part of the national identity. Australians treat people with respect and expect others to do likewise – woe betide anyone who shows a lack of respect.

   Australians are modest and self-deprecating and let their deeds and achievements speak for themselves; anyone who’s arrogant, pretentious or egotistical will quickly be cut down to size. Australians generally have a communal solidarity and sense of collectivism – all for one and one for all – and are good people to have around when you’re in a tight corner. In Australia the team is more important than the individual – you can perform badly but as long as your team wins, you’re a winner.

   Australians are hedonistic, enterprising and individualistic; independent and self-sufficient, with a strong attachment to the land. They’re generally happy and content, with a laid-back attitude to life, and eternally optimistic (although newcomers should be aware that ‘she’ll be right’ is often code for ‘everything that can go wrong will’ and ‘no worries’ means ‘it’s screwed up again’). Aussies are also good-humoured, generous and humane, but they can also be xenophobic, chauvinistic and bigoted.

   They are informal, casual, sincere and straight talking (‘tell it as it is’), and will expect you to be open and friendly. They generally take people as they find them and judge individuals on their character and not their wealth (or lack of it), race, class or heritage. Australians value honesty and while it’s acceptable to be dishonest in order to pull someone's leg or play a joke, on serious issues honesty is the only policy. This is reflected in sayings such as ‘fair dinkum’ and ‘fair crack o' the whip’.

   Rural Australia (the Outback) has suffered and been neglected in the last few decades and life in the bush is even harder – if that’s possible – than previously. There are few jobs in country areas, particularly for the young, and the country has almost seen the last days of the bushman as a national hero. The tough, reliant, straight-talking Aussie from the Outback has given way to the urban entrepreneur as a symbol of the country. Australia has, in fact, always been a more urban than rural society, but its heart is still in that hard backcountry far from the ports that became its capital cities. Ironically, in recent years more and more Australians have been turning their backs on the stress of city living and moving to the country or coast.

National Identity

A country whose profile is constantly changing, Australia has always been obsessed with its identity and its place in the world. Most Australians feel more passionate about being Sydneysiders, Victorians, Western Australians, Melburnians or Tasmanians than they do about a common Australian identity. However, when it comes to sport or when travelling abroad, Australians have a strong national identity.

   In terms of its history and culture, Australia is still tied to Britain, as the original coloniser and settler, but it also has close ties to the United States and mainland Europe, where so many immigrants have their roots. However, the nations which are increasingly important to Australia are Japan, India and China (the two fastest-growing economies in Asia), and Indonesia (the largest Islamic nation in the world).

   Australians share a sense of guilt about the abominable treatment of Aborigines and most are happy to apologise for their forebears. There’s also regret for the treatment of refugees and the former ‘White Australia’ policy (immigration and race are hot topics). However, most Australians don’t dwell on the past (‘what’s done is done’) and just get on with life. In the 21st century Australia is generally at ease with itself and filled with a dashing enthusiasm and sense of humour.

Tall Poppy Syndrome

The term ‘tall poppy syndrome’ refers to the Australian trait of cutting down to size those who are arrogant, presumptuous or attention-seeking. Australians love underdogs – people who are humble, down to earth, almost embarrassed by their own talent or achievement. The tall poppy syndrome isn’t, as is often thought, an expression of envy or resentment at a person’s fame or success (although this trait has been inherited somewhat from the British).

For more information see Living and Working in Australia by David Hampshire