The Australian People

Population

Most of the population of Australia is of European descent. Australian aborigines account for less than 1% of the total population. The country is heavily urbanised with less than 15% of the population living in rural areas. Before World War II more than 90% of the people were of British origin, but since then more than 5 million Europeans from the continent have migrated to Australia. In the 1970s tens of thousands of Southeast Asians were admitted to the country, mainly as refugees.

Australia has a population of approximately 18 million with over 85% of the population living in urban areas. Most Australians live in coastal areas (primarily the east coast) due to large parts of inland Australia being covered by desert. Australia has primarily been, in the past, an agricultural and manufacturing nation, with large reserves of minerals, coal and other raw materials.

More recently, Australia has been developing it's service industries so that we are not so reliant on supplying just the raw materials for a product. This has led to a diversification of jobs available in Australia as well as economic pain as many manufacturers move their operations overseas. Australia does, however, have a good skills base, stable government and very good communications and telecommunications infrastructures making it attractive to overseas countries looking to establish a base in the Asia Pacific region. My Employment Opportunities in Australia page has links to a variety of Internet resources on finding a job in Australia as well as giving you an idea on the types of jobs available here.

Australian Capital Cities, Population and Location

English is the official language of Australia.

Government

Australia is an independent self-governing state and a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The constitution of Australia, which became effective in 1901, is based on British parliamentary traditions, and includes elements of the U.S. system. The head of state is the British sovereign (currently Queen Elizabeth II), and the head of government is the Australian prime minister (currently John Howard), who is responsible to the Australian Parliament. All powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved to the states. Australia is one of the founding members of the United Nations.

The federal government is responsible for matters of national importance - defence, external affairs, customs and excise, communications, foreign trade, social services, treasury and immigration.

The federal parliament consists of a 148 member House of Representatives (the lower house) and a 76 member Senate (the upper house). The members of the House of Representatives are voted in directly by the people of Australia. Each member represents approximately 700,000 voters. The house consists of government and opposition members (Members of Parliament (MPs)) voted in at the most recent general election. Parliament sits for 70 - 80 days a year and it is limited to a three year term. It may be dissolved sooner by the governer-general on the advice of the prime minister. It's main function is to debate and discuss bills which are proposed new laws (or amendments to existing laws).

The states have considerable autonomy in managing their affairs however, national law overrides state laws that conflict with it. Each state government has it's leader called a Premier, his/her cabinet and ministry and an opposition (and minor parties). State government deals with state affairs such as housing, trade, education, health, industry and law enforcement with some responsibilities being shared with the federal government.

The voting age is 18 and is compulsory in Federal (national), state and local elections (citizens can be fined for not voting in an election). In 1902, Australia was one of the first nations to extend the right to vote to women. The voting system is based on preferential system with one vote per person

In voting for the House of Representatives, one candidate from any one party is elected to represent each electorate. The voter must vote for all the candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives a clear majority, then there is a distribution of preference votes.

Other than preferential voting is a direct vote for a particular party with proportional representation. In this case, the vote is for a particular party with the majority vote deciding who represents the electorate. This is used mostly in the election of the Senate and in some state elections. Each Senator represents a state or territory but because the electorate is so large, there are often several senators based on the size of the population in the electorate.

In each Australian state, local government authorities are responsible for traffic and building regulation; maintenance of streets, bridges, local roads, water and sewerage, parks, libraries, and hospitals; and similar functions. Among these authorities are shire councils, borough councils, and town and city councils. Legislation granting power to local authorities exists in each state. The mayor or president is a leader of a number of councillors who are elected by ratepayers of the area.

Health and Welfare

The government of Australia has played an important role in advancing social services. Programs of assistance for people who are sick, aged, widowed, or unemployed exist. A maternity allowance is paid to mothers irrespective of income, and an endowment for all children under 16 years of age is payable to the parent or other person with custody.

The Flying Doctor Service provides medical service for persons in remote areas. The service covers two-thirds of Australia, with physicians operating from bases equipped with radio stations for communicating with distant ranches and settlements and a hospital, air-ambulance, and nursing staff. Australia has more than 2,500 hospitals and nursing homes and some 36,600 physicians. The founder of this service was Dr John Flynn who appears on the $20 note.

Australia's public health services are two tiered: private medical practitioners provide primary care and hospital systems (public and private) provide comprehensive services. A universal health insurance scheme, Medicare, gives Australian residents protection against hospital costs (excluding private patients), and medical and eye care. This is partly funded by a 1.5 per cent levy on taxable incomes.

Short stay visitors to Australia must pay for all medical and hospital treatment. Private insurance is available. Visitors from countries with reciprocal health care agreements ( Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden and the UK) are covered by Medicare. Foreign students in Australia on sponsored studies also have cover, but those paying full fees must pay an advance premium.

Education

States and Territories are responsible for providing educational services, with supplementary funding coming from the Federal Government. Schooling is compulsory until the age of 15 or 16 (varies between states). About 72 per cent of school children are educated in government schools.

There are both government and private schools in all states providing much the same curriculum. Some private schools also feature religious and/or cultural instruction. In 1994, there were more than 2.2 million children at government schools and another 884,000 were in the private system. Australia has approximately 40 higher education institutions. In 1995, there were about 356,000 full time students, and 248,000 in part time and external studies.

For those living in remote areas (eg. cattle stations (ranches)), correspondence instruction supplemented by two-way radio (school of the air) is used to educate children throught to secondary education.

Religion

Around 75 per cent of Australians are Christians of various denominations, and 12 per cent say they are non-religious. Among the many faiths followed in Australia are Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism. Not only do Australians count among their celebrations Christmas and Easter, but also Ramadan, Hanukkah, Passover, and other sacred and traditional festivals.

The Aboriginal people also have their own central belief system, called the Dreaming. The Dreaming is a term often confused with Dreamtime, the time of creation when ancestral beings roamed the country carving valleys, raising mountains and making rivers flow. The Dreaming is a specific concept that describes the web of interconnected beliefs involving value systems, and spirituality, which brings individuals together in life and after death.

Social Security

Australia's involvement in social security began with the introduction of old-age, and invalid pensions in 1910 and maternity allowances in 1912. Social security payments of this kind, then considered radical, gained Australia a reputation as a pioneer in public welfare.

Today the Federal government provides pensions for the old, the severely disabled, and sole parents; benefits for the unemployed who are seeking work and those temporarily unable to work because of illness; and allowances for families with children. Special pensions and treatment arrangements have been made available to Australia servicepeople and their dependents as repayment for their part in defending Australia.

Average Australians

The average Australian woman has a life expectancy at birth of 80 years, six more years than the average Australian man . Most Australians marry in their mid to late twenties; married couple families, including de facto families numbered more than four million in 1995. The average married couple has two children. Average families are either buying or have bought their own home. Couples with children remain the most dominant type of family, accounting for 49 per cent of all families, married couples without children make up 30 per cent, and single parent families make up 13 per cent. Four out of five children stay at home until 24. Most couples, 54 per cent, have some period of living together before marrying.

Australians overall enjoy good health and a high standard of living, comparable with most European nations and the US. Women are generally considered equal to men with the same levels of education, fairly equal wages and important positions in the public and private sectors. Approximately half the workforce is made up of women.

A wide variety of fresh fruit and vegetables is available year round, thanks to a mix of temperate and tropical climates. All varieties of meat and fish are common throughout Australia. The diverse ethnic mix has led to wider range of cuisine being available with new methods and foods being introduced. The main meal is usually eaten in the evening and is referred to as dinner or tea.

Around 85 per cent of all Australians live in cities. About 99.7 per cent of Australian homes contain refrigerators, 90 per cent contain washing machines, and 95 per cent have a telephone. They might also contain a freezer, 47 per cent, and a dishwasher, 20 per cent. Most households, 85 per cent, have at least one car, 32 per cent have two cars and 12 per cent have three cars. According to an Australian Bureau of Statistics February 1994 survey of household use of information technology, 23 per cent of households frequently use a computer at home, 18 per cent have a dedicated games machine which is regularly used by persons in the household, and 2.9 per cent have CD-ROM equipment at home. For more up to date statistics about Australia (including the last census results), visit the Australian Bureau of Statistics web site.

Crime is low in Australia, during 1993 there were 802 homicides, one quarter of which occurred in New South Wales, and only 20 to 25 per cent of which involved a firearm.

Public Holidays and Special Days

I hope to add more to this page in the near future including a brief history of Australia or at least some important dates in Australian history.

Page maintained by Grant Schmarr,
Copyright © 1997-99 Grant Schmarr.
Created: 28th September 1997. Updated: 24th November 1999