Australia is an independent democracy located in the southern hemisphere with a population of more than 18 million. It is one of the world's most urbanised countries, with about 70 percent of the population living in the 10 largest cities. Most of the population is concentrated along the eastern seaboard and the southeastern corner of the continent.
How large is Australia?
Australia is the only nation to occupy an entire continent. It has a land mass of about 7.7 million square kilometres. It is the flattest of all continents and, after Antarctica, the driest of continents, yet it has extremes of climate and topography. There are rainforests and vast plains in the north, snowfields in the southeast, desert in the centre and fertile croplands in the east, south and southwest. About one third of the country lies in the tropics. Australia has a coastline of 36,735km.Where can I get tourism information about Australia?
Call the Australian Tourist Commission in your country for a copy of its latest tourist brochure or contact the Australian embassy or consulate. Or visit the Australian Tourist Commission web site at http://www.australia.com/.Do I need a visa to go to Australia for a holiday?
A valid passport or similar acceptable travel document is required of all people wishing to travel to and enter Australia. Everyone, except holders of Australian and New Zealand passports, requires a visa to enter Australia. New Zealand passport holders apply for a visa upon arrival in Australia. All other passport holders must hold a visa before travelling to Australia. For further information contact the Visa office at your local consulate office. For more information about visiting Australia, check out the Department of Immigration guide on visiting Australia.How can I find a place to stay while visiting Australia?
If you are looking for a hotel, motel or even a caravan (trailer) park, point your browser at http://www.wheretostay.com.au which provides a free search facility of places to stay all over Australia. You can search for a particular type of accomodation, the state and even the town or city where you want to stay.How can I find a job in Australia?
As a policy, the Australian Embassy and Consulates do not carry employment information so you would need to make your own independent enquiries. Australia has experienced quite high levels of unemployment over the last few years and it is particularly difficult for people other than Australian citizens to get work. Having said that, you can always check the links on my Employment Opportunities page for links to various sites regarding positions available in Australia. If you are interested in a working holiday, check out the Immigration Department's web site as they have some information about this too.What does the Australian Flag look like?
Just in case you missed it on one of my other pages, it looks like this. The flag of Australia is the only one to fly over a whole continent. It has a blue field with the Union Jack in the upper quarter next to the flag pole, a large seven point star is positioned under the Union Jack, and to the side are five smaller stars. The Union Jack represents Australia's historical link with Britain, the large seven point star, the commonwealth star, represents the six states and the territories, and the small stars form the Southern Cross, a prominent feature of the southern hemisphere night sky. A growing movement, separate to the Australian Republican Movement is pushing for a new Australian flag. To see some of the alternative designs for an Australian flag visit http://www.ausflag.com.au.What is Australia's National Anthem?
Australia's national anthem, Advance Australia Fair, is a revised version of the late 19th century patriotic song. It was declared the national anthem in April 1984, replacing God Save the Queen which is still used as Australia's Royal Anthem. Waltzing Matilda, a popular folk song, is often used at Australian functions, but it is not the national anthem.What are Australia's National Colours?
Green and Gold - taken from the colours of Australia's floral emblem the Golden Wattle.What is Australia's Coat of Arms?
The official emblem of the Australian Government was granted by King George in 1912. The coat of arms consists of a shield containing the badges of the six States. On either side of the shield is a kangaroo and an emu. A yellow-flowered native plant, 'wattle', also appears in the design.What is Australian Currency like?
Decimal currency, introduced to Australia in 1966, is now represented by coins five, 10, 20, 50 cents and $1 and $2 with notes of $5, $10, $ 20, $50, and $100. The currency has polymer notes in $5, $10, and $20, and paper notes in $50 and $100. Eventually all notes will be polymer to reduce costs and to prevent counterfeiting. I've also included some images of Australian currency with some background information about the people and things that appear on our currency.How do you phone or fax Australia and how much is it?
Australian telephone and fax numbers are listed with a city code followed by a telephone number - a Sydney phone number would read (02) xxxx-1234. However to access this number from outside Australia the caller would need to drop the the zero in the city code. For example, when dialling the same Sydney number from the United States a caller would dial 011(to get out of the US); 61 (to get to Australia); 2 (city code minus 0), then the actual number:Example: 011-61-2-xxxx -1234.
Traditionally Australian phone numbers were seven digits but in 1995, due to an impending shortfall of telephone numbers in the larger cities, AUSTEL (the Australian Telecommunications authority) began adding one digit to regular numbers. The system will be operating in all States by the end of 1999. Both Sydney and Melbourne numbers were changed in 1995 by adding a 9 to the front of the regular number. Sydney numbers now read (011-61-2) 9xxx-1234 and Melbourne numbers read (011-61-3) 9xxx-1234. Brisbane numbers are now preceded by the number 3 to read (011-61-7) 3xxx-1234. Adelaide added an 8 to read (011-61-8) 8xxx-1234.
You can easily search for your Australian phone number by linking up with Telstra's internet listing of Australian Telephone Directories at: The Australian Yellow Pages (business listings) and the The Australian White Pages (residential and commercial listings). Check with your long distance carrier for the cost of calls to Australia.
How do I address a letter to or in Australia?
Australia follows international standards for the addressing of letters in the following format:
Addressee -Name of person the letter is addressed to
Company or organisation (if applicable)
Street address or post office box
City State or Territory
Australia (if addressed from overseas)
Finally, the post (zip) code is placed towards the bottom right of the envelope. Australia uses a four digit post code system that helps identify the region where the mail is to go. Each state has a different code range:
| State | Code Range |
|---|---|
| Northern Territory (NT) | 0800 - 0899 |
| NSW (NSW) | 2000 - 2999 |
| Australian Capital Territory (ACT) | 2000 - 2999 |
| Victoria (VIC) | 3000 - 3999 |
| Queensland (QLD) | 4000 - 4999 |
| South Australia (SA) | 5000 - 5999 |
| Western Australia (WA) | 6000 - 6999 |
| Tasmania (TAS) | 7000 - 7499 |
I have included a listing of post codes used in Australia sorted by city and suburb in alphabetical order.
Hints for addressing mail in Australia:
- Don't use punctuation in the address if not part of the address itself (eg, commas, periods etc)
- Write the suburb (city or town) and the state in block (capitals / uppercase) letters
- Use the abbreviated version of the state name (eg. NSW)
- Always include the post code where possible, towards the bottom right of the envelope.
- If you are addressing outside of Australia, include the name Australia below the other address information.
At the time of writing, the cost of sending a standard letter anywhere within Australia is 45 cents regardless of the distance the letter has to travel. The Australian postal service is reliable and has a high standard of service.
What time zone is Australia in?
Australia straddles a number of time zones which can cause problems when communicating between the eastern and western seaboards of Australia. The eastern seaboard is approximately 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) while the western seaboard is 8 hours ahead of GMT. If you wish to call Australia, try using an international operator who will be able to provide you with a precise time in the area of Australia that you are calling.I would like to import Australian products for sale or use in my country - who can help me?
The Australian Trade Commission has a number of offices around the world and will help legitimate businesses who wish to import Australian products. You can call or write to your local Austrade Office or visit Austrade's website at http://www.austrade.gov.auI am being relocated to Australia for a year or so. Where can I get information about everything I need to know about the culture, cost of living, house prices etc?
I've included some information on the Australian way of life in my People page. This section contains information on the lifestyle of the average Australian. It is by no means a definitive guide but hopefully you will get some idea of what you will encounter if you visit God's own country.What food do you eat in Australia?
Australian cuisine today reflects the diversity of the country's population and is very similar to what is available in the US. Many of Australia's early settlers came from Great Britain and brought traditional recipes which have remained. Migration from European countries and more recently from Asia have brought new foods and cooking styles. The major cities feature a large number of diverse range of restaurants which reflect Australia's cultural diversity.What is the population of Australia and the percentage of men to women?
The total population of Australia as at January 1997 was 18 million. There are slightly higher numbers of men to women in all age groups up to the age of 64. Above the age of 64 there are more women than men.What is the weather like in Australia at this time of year?
Because Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere, the seasons are reversed to that of the northern hemisphere. Summer is from December to February, autumn from March to May, winter from June to August, spring from September through to November.Do you have the same power outlets and voltage as other countries?
No. The electrical current in Australia is 220/240 volts, AC is 50 Hz. Power outlets in Australia use a 3 prong adapter (the third prong is used as an earth). Stores specialising in travel goods have adapters which will enable some electrical goods purchased overseas to operate within Australia although not all of them will. It is also worth noting that the VCR format in Australia is on the PAL system.What is the average weekly wage
The average weekly earnings for male employees in August 1994, was $A631.80, and for female employees the average wage was $A421.40.What can you tell me about the indigenous people of Australia?
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people totaled 303,000 at the last census in June 1994, totalling nearly 1.5 per cent of the population. Two thirds of indigenous people live in towns and cities. Many others live in rural and remote areas, and some still maintain a broadly traditional way of life. It is generally thought that Aboriginal people began living on the continent 50,000 to 60,000 years ago, and some authorities believe their occupation may date back 100,000 years.| ACT | NSW | NT | QLD | SA | TAS | VIC | WA |
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