Australia Culture

200 Years of Successful Mixing (and Stirring)

Australia culture is a successful mix of values and lifestyles from the variety of settlers and immigrants who came and made their homes here.

The English military and Irish convicts were predominant among the first white settlers of this vast continent and added their own Australia culture to the mix. They took the land without thought from the native aborigines who had lived here for around 40,000 years and had their own culture.

Settlement remained dominated by white Anglo-Saxon peoples with little but British immigration. Australia culture barely changed for it was part of the then-great British Empire. Then came World War 1 (often referred to as The Great War). In 1915, tens of thousands of young Aussie men volunteered to fight and die "for King and Country" in far places such as Gallipoli and France.

At the end of World War 2, many refugees from Europe started settling here too. They included Italians, Jews and Greeks who came in significant numbers and brought their food, music and customs.

By the 1970s and 1980's the Vietnam war was over and the number of Asian immigrants increased accordingly, boosted by boat people and refugees from the middle east. There had always been some Asians, but they had been a small minority before.

Australia culture was maturing.

Sydney is now a thriving metropolis with diverse races and creeds working together with almost no friction. Australia culture has changed, albeit slowly. Most Aussies are willing to give the newcomers a "fair go", and racial violence is almost unheard of.

Multiculturism works very well here - especially in large cities where Australia culture is at its most diverse.