Aboriginal Peoples — The Aboriginal Peoples of Australia make up the longest continuous human society on Earth. Although often referred to as a “single community”, beliefs, religious identity, pre-1788 (and often thereafter) history, practices, and communal identities have always been diverse. It is estimated that more than 400 different groups collectively made up the original Indigenous population of the continent. To see the Australian Aboriginal Peoples as a single homogeneous community is as incorrect as claiming that all Native Americans were and are of the same homogeneous identity. I found Richard Broome’s, Professor of History at La Trobe University in Melbourne, suggestions about how to write and talk about Aboriginal people extremely helpful. See here. That said, the personal use and preference comes down to the individual and you will come across a lot of variation. You will also hear “Aborigine”, “Aboriginal” and “Indigenous Person”. When in doubt what to use, just ask!
Individuality — Most Australians want to be treated as individuals rather than as representatives of a certain class, position or group. They dislike being too dependent on others. Most people in Australia think of themselves as your equal, and the taxi driver, waitress or garbage man expects to get the same respect from you as the accountant, medical doctor, or university professor.
Equality, Right, and Society — Australians grow up believing that people should have equal social, legal and political rights and the Australian Constitution protects these rights. In addition, anti-discrimination laws seek to prevent discrimination on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, and marital status. Women have had the right to vote in both federal and state elections since 1911, and Aboriginal People gained the right to vote in 1965. Voting in federal elections is compulsory and failure to participate results in fines. Australians enjoy universal health care, supported by a wage-based tax system. Gay marriage became legal in 2017. Access to abortion in Australia is largely regulated by the individual states, and can therefore be more restrictive than in the US. The largest religious groups are Catholic (23%), Anglican (13%), and other Christian denominations (13%). Around 30% of Australians do not identify themselves as being a follower of a religion. The separation of Church and State is encoded in the Australian Constitution, but from an American perspective, the separation is much more blurry in Australia. The death penalty had been abolished across Australia by 1984. Gun ownership became much more restricted and regulated in Australia after the 1996 Port Arthur Massacre. Genuine reasons are required for gun ownership, which exclude “the need for self-defense”. Public ownership of automatic and semi-automatic guns is illegal. Medical marijuana became legal in 2016, the recreational use of cannabis remains illegal. The average amount of debt domestic students accrue for an undergraduate degree in Australia is US$22,000.
Sense of Humor — It is very likely that you will make mistakes as you explore a new culture, and if you can laugh at the mistakes, it will help you learn. Other people are also more likely to respond with friendliness so you can be relaxed and receptive to others and not be self-conscious. Australian humor is directed against those people who give the impression that they consider themselves superior. Teasing (or “rubbishing” as it is sometimes called) is also a favorite pastime and if spoken in a joking way, it is an indication that you are liked and accepted by the persons concerned.
Politics — We will learn more about the political system of Australia in this course. Keep in mind that political views in the US, usually divided as “liberal” or “conservative”, are defined as such based on a uniquely American experience, history, and culture. In Australia, don’t be surprised to find that views that Americans would consider liberal are actually held by “Australian conservatives” or vice versa. To add to many an American visitor’s initial confusion, the Liberal Party of Australia is much more in line with a conservative party platform in the USA. Also, keep in mind that Australia has a multi-party parliamentary system and seats in both the House and the Senate are (currently) distributed among a dozen parties (although a lot more exist). Although dominated in numbers by the Labor Party (similar to US Democrats) and Liberal Party (similar to US Republicans), political decisions in Australia are rarely as dichotomous as they are in the US.
Alcohol — In Australia, people under the age of 18 are not permitted to buy alcoholic drinks and there are heavy penalties for people who drive while under the influence of alcohol. Australian customs regarding drinking in pubs (hotel bars) may be different from yours in some ways. You should pay for each drink as soon as you receive it, and not when you are about to leave the hotel. The Australian custom of “shouting” means that if someone buys you a drink, you are expected to “shout” them back by buying them a drink. In Australia you don’t need to tip bar tenders.
