Do you want to brush up on your Australian knowledge, or are you looking for exciting and fun facts on Australia as you prepare for an upcoming game night? Look no further! In this article, we’ve compiled a list of more than 80 facts on Australia that will show you how amazing (and considerably weird) this great and beautiful country is.
We’ve put the fun facts in different categories so that it will be easier for you to narrow down your search for the particular Australian fact you are looking for. We’ve categorised the facts into weird facts about Australia, fun facts on Australia, Incredible facts on animals in Australia, facts on the popular Australian dishes, the astonishing facts on Australia that are a must know whether or not you are Australian, and interesting Australian facts.
Fundamental facts on Australia
1. The legal tender is the Australian Dollar ( it is difficult to counterfeit, made from polymer and is waterproof, making it the most advanced fiat currency).
The Australian currency is circulated in ascending order starting from 5 to 50.
2. Australia is an island surrounded by three different oceans: to the East, the country is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, while the Indian Ocean and the Southern Ocean surround the country to the West and South, respectively.
3. The only continent with one country is Australia.
4. The only continent that is entirely situated in the Southern Hemisphere geographically is Australia.
Interesting Australian Facts
5. As of 2020, sheep in Australia outnumbered people by 2.5 to 1.
6. Canberra was made the capital city of Australia because, since time immemorial, Sydney and Melbourne are constantly arguing on which city is more deserving.
7. Majority of the Australian people (90%) live less than 50 km off the coast.
NSW, Bondi Beach
8. There are 19 global heritage sites in Australia, including landscapes, cities and historic townships.
9. It is estimated that 25% of Australians were not born in Australia.
10. Australia has the lengthiest golf course in the world — the golf course found along Nullarbor plain is an 18-hole par 72 golf course that encompasses two states (SA & WA) is 850 miles (1365km) in length. This is also the most lengthy straight road globally.
11. Flying from Perth (WA) to Melbourne (VIC) is faster than flying from the South to the North of the Western side of Australia.
12. The Mainland United States of America and Australia are almost similar in size.
13. Reformed felons formed the first-ever Police Force in Australia.
14. The Great Barrier Reef (the most extensive coral reef system globally) has its post box.
15. Australian Rules Football (AFL) was formulated to keep cricket players in shape when cricket was not in season.
16. The packets of Tim Tam purchased every year are approximately 45 million translating to more than 670 million single Tim Tams.
17. The national cake of Australia — Lamingtons — was named for Lord Lamington, although he despised them and referred to them as “those bloody poofy woolly biscuits.”
18. The actual name for Caramello Koalas is George.
19. The oldest fossil in the world was unearthed in Australia and is 3.4 billion years old.
Lamington cakes are popular among foodies in Australia. The cakes are usually square and are dark brown, and are covered in desiccated coconut. The cakes are typically served on a plate cut in half to expose the centre.
Incredible Facts on Australia
20. There are 10,685 beaches in Australia (If you were to visit a different beach every day in Australia, it would take you more than 29 years to visit all of them).
21. Nullarbor pain, which is found between Kalgoorlie (WA) and Port Augusta (SA), is home to the Trans Australia train line, which is the longest straight train track globally (478 km ).
22. According to population, Australia is ranked 55th since its residents are just over 25 million.
23. Women in Australia were allowed to vote in 1902, making it the second state to implement this.
24. The only continent without an active volcano is Australia.
25. The highest number of Greeks outside Athens is in Melbourne.
26. The 6th largest country according to size is Australia —it covers 7.692 million km²
27. Australia is among the countries which founded the United Nations.
28. The largest rock in the world is Mount Augustus, found in Western Australia and not Uluru (referred to as Ayers Rock as well ). Mount Augustus is two times bigger than Uluru.
29. The first seat belt law in the world was invented in Australia in 1970.
30. The climate in Australia is one of the most extreme in the world. The highest temperature recorded in Australia was in Oodnadatta (SA) on 2nd January 1960, 50.7°C (123.3 °F). The lowest temperature to be recorded was on 29th June in 1994 in Charlotte’s Pass (NSW).
31. There are over 600 variations of eucalyptus in Australia, which are commonly referred to as gum trees.
32. The Aboriginal culture in Australia is the earliest in the world. The Aboriginal people are the native inhabitants of the continent. It is approximated that they have resided in Australia for 40,000-60,000 years.
Aerial view of Uluru — a must-see site in Australia — consists of Ayers Rock encircled by red earth.
33. The 8-hour workday in Australia was instituted in 1856 by Stonemasons.
34. Women were not permitted to play the didgeridoo in Aboriginal culture.
Strange Facts About Australia
35. The longest fence in the world (Dingo Fence) is found in Queensland and South Australia and is more than 5,530 km long. It Is three times longer than the Great Wall of China.
36. Each year, on Australia Day, the World’s Cockroach Championship is held in Brisbane.
37. An Australian man once attempted to sell New Zealand on eBay!
38. Kangaroos and Emus, both found on Australia’s national emblem, are consumed by Australians.
39. The former Australian Prime Minister, Bob Hawke, finished 2.5 pints of beer in 11 seconds, setting a new world record.
Hand pouring beer pint from a bottle.
40. Batmania is the original name of Melbourne; it lasted for a moment—you can always go to Melbourne and visit Batman Park.
41. Security officers at the Parliament House in Canberra were prohibited from using the term ‘mate’ in 2005. This lasted for only a day.
42.70 individuals and above outstay Visas weekly—this isn’t ridiculous. Who wouldn’t desire to live in Australia?
43. One time, Qantas used cooking oil to power a flight between states.
44. It was against the law to swim during the day at seashores in NSW between 1838 and 1902.
45. Australians combat crime using classical music. Victoria’s Knox Council decided to ban Beethoven and Bach from orators in the shopping malls at night-time in 2013 to discourage teenage loiterers.
Interesting Facts About The Animals in Australia
46. Above 80% of animals and plants found in Australia are distinctive to the islands—they are not found anywhere else globally, including the Koalas, Echidnas, Tasmanian Devil and Kangaroos.
Koala holding onto a front branch while seated upright in a tree.
47. More than 60 types of kangaroos exist.
48. The habitat of 21 out of 25 world’s most deadly serpents is Australia.
49. Platypus’ venom can kill a puppy.
50. The Box Jellyfish is the deadliest marine creature in Australia—it causes more fatalities yearly than sharks, saltwater crocodiles and snakes.
51. Australia has 63.9 million woollybacks.
52. A more similar species to the Indian wolf dogs are the dingoes—they are closely similar to the Indian wolf than dogs, and they howl instead of barking.
53. Australia is the home to Platypus and Echidna, the only mammals that don’t lay eggs globally.
54. Australia boasts of the highest wild camels population globally. Approximately 1.3 million feral camels are roving in 37% of Australia’s mainland across South Australia, the territory at the North, Western Australia and Queensland.
55. The population of camels is ten times more than Koalas’ population.
56. Mainstream establishments like the Museum of Australia came up with a Drop Bear thinking they lacked enough dreadful creatures to frighten tourists—it attacks people after dropping from trees.
57. The poop of a wombat is cubed shaped.
58. Australia was home to megafauna before the arrival of human beings. Megafauna includes horse-sized ducks, three-metre tall Kangaroos, marsupial lions the size of leopards and seven-metre long goanna’s.
59. The wallabies of Australia are known to break into opium plantations, get high and move around, causing “crop circles”.
60. Both emus and kangaroos can’t walk backwards—this is why they were picked for Australia’s coat of arms to symbolise a nation always progressing forward.
61. The termite mounds found in Australia are the world’s tallest animal made structures.
62. Australia is the habitat to 1,500 above spider species.
Australia’s Foodie Facts
63. More than 60 regions in Australia are designated for wine—most of which are in New South Wales and Victoria. Together they produce an estimate of 1.35 trillion wine bottles yearly.
A lady holding goon (a bag of wine) clipped to a washing line is a single way goon is dispensed in a crowd.
64. Goon, the wine cask, was invented in Australia. Word around is that the name goon was shortened from the phrase, most ‘flagon’ when a winemaker named Tom Angove was searching for a strategy to sell half-gallon wine flagons.
65. Aussies consume approximately 1.7 billion litres of beer yearly—each adult drinks about 680 bottles.
66. Vegemite, made using the Yeast leftover used in creating beer, was invented in 1922 in Melbourne.
67. The sweet and crunchy ANZAC Biscuit baked with desiccated coconuts and rolled oats was prepared for soldiers in WW1. There is a law against referring to them as cookies.
68. Damper, which is a soda bread, is the most basic food in Australia. It’s prepared using only three ingredients, water, salt and wheat flour baked over coal
69. Cadbury Cherry Ripe is the oldest chocolate bar in Australia, and its first production was in 1924.
70. Aussies consume more than 270 million meat pies.
71. Australia’s coffee variations are the ‘flat white’ and the ‘long black’.
Dark Wooden Table with a flat white coffee on the top.
Breath-taking Australia Facts
71. Australia’s Alps receive more snow regularly than Switzerland.
72. Australia has 20% of the world’s pokies(gambling machines). More than 80% OF Aussies participate in a type of gambling (move aside, Las Vegas!).
73. Australia has a population of 25.49 million, which is close to the population of Shanghai (25.5 million), a Chinese city despite being1213 times the size of Shanghai.
The Great Ocean Road’s 12 Apostles
74. The largest war memorial globally is the Great Ocean Road, and it was built by and in honour of fallen and returning soldiers from WW1.
75. World’s cleanest air is in Tasmania.
76. Australia’s width is the same as the distance between Moscow and London.
77. World’s largest living structure is the Great Barrier Reef which consists of almost 3,000 individual reefs that can be seen from space.
Fish and coral underwater at Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef.
78. The largest sand island globally is Fraser Island (QLD).
79. Anna Creek Ranch, based in South Australia, is the largest single cattle ranch in the world. It is even larger than Israel.
80. The canal system at the Gold Coast is the largest globally—it’s bigger than those of Amsterdam and Venice combined.
81. The Great Victoria Desert is larger than the entire United Kingdom.
82. The largest free festival in Australia is Moomba, and it is held in Melbourne. Its meaning in several Aboriginal languages is ‘up your bum’.
83. Maltesers were initially marketed as food for weight loss in Australia.