Australian culture — Aboriginal heritage, British colonization, multiculturalism, outdoor lifestyle. Land of mateship and barbecue.
Language
English official. 250+ Aboriginal languages (most endangered). Australian English distinctive accent — strine. G day mate, no worries, bloody, fair dinkum.
Aboriginal Heritage
65,000-year-old culture — world oldest continuous. Dreamtime stories, totems, walkabouts. Dot painting, didgeridoo. Uluru sacred to Anangu people.
Sport
National obsession. Cricket, Aussie Rules football (AFL), rugby league/union, surfing, swimming, tennis. Melbourne Cup (horse race) — Tuesday national holiday. 100% Olympic medals.
Cuisine
Vegemite (savoury spread), meat pie, lamingtons, pavlova, barramundi, kangaroo meat. Barbecue (barbie) cultural ritual. Multicultural cuisine — Italian, Greek, Lebanese, Vietnamese influences.
Music and Film
AC/DC, INXS, Bee Gees, Kylie Minogue, Nick Cave, Sia, Tame Impala — global artists. Cinema — Crocodile Dundee, Mad Max, Priscilla, Lord of the Rings (filmed NZ but Aussie crew). Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman.
Outdoor Lifestyle
Beach culture — Bondi, Surfers Paradise. 80% live within 50km of coast. Bushwalking, camping, surfing national sports. Tropical wildlife — kangaroos, koalas, platypus, Tasmanian devil.
Modern Multicultural
30% of inhabitants born overseas — highest in developed world after Israel. Sydney Mardi Gras (LGBTQ pride). Indigenous reconciliation movements. Asian-Australian fusion in food and arts.