G’day, mate! Welcome to our list full of wondrous and terrific facts about Australia, a.k.a. the Land Down Under or just Oz. Be sure to fasten your hiking boots, grab a bottle of bug spray and your heaviest SPF, and let’s dig into these fun facts about Australia that will tell you all about this truly wonderful, absolutely unique, and totally crazy land.
Now, before you start reading these interesting facts about Australia, you might already know some stuff about it. For instance, everything in Oz is upside-down compared to how we see things, the toilet water whirlpools counter-clockwise there, and koalas might chew off your toes while you’re asleep. And while these completely crazy notions might seem fun, the actual cool facts about Australia will shed light on the beauty of this country - from oceans to rivers, to plains and the Australian Alps… Really, it’s just so diverse and breathtaking; you could only believe what you’re about to read if you’re visiting Australia and seeing it all with your own eyes.
However, if you’ve opened this article hoping to find some weird facts about Australia instead of the normal stuff talking to you about places to visit in Australia or its prettiest beaches, you can be sure you’ll find plenty of those here too. Yet, to read them, you’ll need to scroll on down below and read the actual list! Once you are there, rank these wonderful facts the way you like them and share this article with your Aussie friends to verify them.
#1 Australia Has Multiple Pink Lakes!
Here's how you get a pink lake - you need salty water. The lake turns pink in the summer when the salts and algae in the water combine. That's all there is to it. Most pink lakes change color frequently, generally from lilac to a brilliant bubblegum pink color throughout the day and at specific times of the year. Few pink lakes are consistently pink. There is no reason why you cannot swim in a pink lake, but the majority of pink lakes in Australia are off-limits since the locals are attempting to preserve them.
40points
#2 Daintree Rainforest One Of The Oldest Rainforests In The World
Australia had a warm, humid environment with constant rain throughout its territory millions of years ago. With no arid outback or chilly climate as today, it was a wholly tropical country. The region rapidly became overrun with rare creatures and ancient plant life as a result of the region's constant rainfall and humid temperature.
36points
#3 Australia Has 3 Times More Sheep Than Humans
Australia has a massive population of 74.722 million sheep. That's almost three sheep per person in Australia!
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33points
#4 "No Worries, Mate" Is Basically The National Motto Of The Country
One characteristic of Australian culture that historians, sociologists, and linguists all seem to agree on is that Australians tend to find humor in life's less amusing moments; people who complain or can't keep a positive outlook in the face of difficulty are labeled sooks and wusses. Aussies also enjoy informality; familiarity and warmth are preferred in any situation.
33points
#5 Australia Was The 2nd Country In The World To Give Equal Political Rights To Both Men And Women
The Constitutional Amendment (Adult Suffrage) Act was approved by the South Australian Parliament on December 18, 1894. A decade-long fight to get more women involved in politics finally led to this legislation. It allowed women in the colony to run for parliament and gave them the right to vote. Just one year earlier, in 1893, New Zealand was the only nation to have done it.
32points
#6 Voting Is Mandatory In Australia
Australia requires all citizens to vote; therefore, failing to do so could result in a fine. A fine of AU$20 is imposed for first-time offenders, with a maximum penalty of AU$180, and it is regularly enforced.
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32points
#7 There Is A Mountain Called Mt Disappointment
Explorers Hume and Hovell gave Mt. Disappointment its name in 1824. They were disappointed to learn that the summit's dense forest growth prevented them from seeing Port Phillip Bay.
30points
#8 Wollongong Is One Of The Top Cities That Have The Least Polluted Air In The World
This seaside city in Australia offers not only breathtaking scenery but also fresh air. It ranks highly among the least polluted cities in the world, with yearly PM2.5 readings of about 4.51 g/m3. In comparison, in the world's most polluted city Bhiwadi, India, yearly PM2.5 readings reach 106.2 g/m3.
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29points
#9 The Most Well-Behaved Convicts Comprised The First Police Force Of Australia
Governor Phillip appointed the Row Boat Guard and Night Watch. These individuals were chosen among the prisoner population's best-behaved inmates. The Sydney Foot Police took over as the Night Watch's replacement in 1790, and they remained an organized unit (later known as the Sydney Police) until all of the NSW colonial police forces were combined in 1862.
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29points
#10 An Australian Man Has Tried To Sell New Zealand On E-Bay For 3000 AUD
With a starting bid of only one cent, competitive bidding quickly increased the price of the premium piece of South Pacific real estate to $A3,000 before eBay decided to end the auction. Daniel Feiler, a representative for eBay Australia, told the New Zealand Press Association that "clearly New Zealand is not for sale," adding that 22 bids had been placed before the business took any action.
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28points
#11 Former Prime Minister Bob Hawke Set A World Record For Sculling 2.5 Pints Of Beer In 11 Seconds
Hawke was once regarded as one of Australia's finest prime ministers and had a personal popularity rating of 75%. While Hawke's political accomplishments stand on their own, his charisma, characteristic Aussie demeanor, and love of beer all contribute to his legendary status. While attending Oxford University in the UK, Hawke developed a reputation as a beer enthusiast. He entered the Guinness Book of Records in 1954 for consuming a yard glass, or two and a half pints, of beer in just eleven seconds.
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28points
#12 The Great Barrier Reef Is The Largest Living Structure On Earth
The Great Barrier Reef stretches 1,429 miles over around 133,000 square miles and is the world's biggest coral reef system. The reef may be found off the coast of Queensland, Australia, in the Coral Sea. The reef comprises around 3,000 distinct reefs and is big enough to be seen from space. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority of Australia oversees many of the Great Barrier Reef as a marine protected area.
27points
#13 Unlike Other Continents, Australia Does Not Have An Active Volcano
In general, active volcanoes are found along the main tectonic plate borders. Because there are no plate boundaries on the Australian continent, they are uncommon there. Nonetheless, Heard Island and the surrounding McDonald Islands are home to two active volcanoes 4000 kilometers southwest of Perth in the Australian Antarctic Territory.
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27points
#14 Former Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt Went Missing And Nobody Has Been Able To Trace Him To Date
On the afternoon of December 17, 1967, Prime Minister Harold Holt dove into the waves at Cheviot Beach in Victoria. He was never heard from again. Despite a thorough search, no body or other evidence was discovered. No hints existed to explain his disappearance. Fast-emerging allegations, rumors, insinuations, and conspiracy theories have persisted to this day.
27points
#15 The Dog Fence Is 3x Longer Than The Great Wall Of China
The Dingo Fence, stretching for 5,614 kilometers (3,488 mi), is a pest-exclusion fence used in Australia to keep dingoes out of southern Queensland's sheep flocks and the continent's relatively fertile southeast (where they have mostly been eradicated).
26points
#16 Melbourne Was Briefly Known As Batmania
John Batman arrived first in June 1835, writing the iconic phrase in his diary: "The river was deep and full of fine water about six miles upstream. A community will be located here." Many people still lament that Batman's accomplishment is not seen as our founding event and the source of our identity. As a marketing strategy, Batmania would blow the "most liveable city" out of the water in the present.
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26points
#17 87% Of Australians Live Closer Than 50 Km To The Coast
In Australia, 87% of the population resided within 50 kilometers of the shore in 2019, up from 85% in 2001. This means the coast is now home to more than 22 million Aussies. Coastal townships and villages are now experiencing population expansion, formerly focused on urban areas.
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25points
#18 The Great Ocean Road Is The World’s Largest War Memorial
The Great Ocean Road's construction was finished in 1932. The 151-mile (243-kilometer) stretch of road between the Victorian towns of Torquay and Allansford is regarded as the most significant war memorial in the world. The highway is now a well-liked tourist destination, and in 2011, it was added to the Australian National Heritage List.
23points
#19 Australian Alps Get More Snowfall Than The Swiss Alps
One of the rare sites where it snows most of the year is in the Australian Alps, a portion of the Great Dividing Range. Interestingly, the Australian Alps receive more snow than all of Switzerland combined! Although Tasmania, which also has a sizable alpine environment, is not included in the region, it accounts for most of the alpine environment on the mainland.
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23points
#20 There Is A Cockroach Race Held Annually For Australia Day
When cockroach racing started in Australia 38 years ago, two Australian bar patrons argued: "About which suburb had the biggest and quickest roaches." That's the origin story of this amusing spectacle according to the pub where the races are still ceremoniously staged today. In 2018, race heroes Kim Car Squashian and Kanye Pest were among the favorites to win.
23points