Fun Facts about Australia

Graphics & Words by Caitlin Chuah

From cuddly quokkas, to pink lakes, to the largest rock in the world…Australia is truly a country unlike any other. Apart from its one-of-a-kind attractions, Australia is known for its high quality of life, friendly people and high-ranking universities, making it the ideal study destination for students across the globe.

Hence, below are 25 fun facts about Australia that will have you bewildered and awe-struck.

1.Australia has more kangaroos than people (25 million kangaroos vs 20 million people).

2. More impressively, there are 150 million sheep in Australia.

3. Australia has over 10,000 beaches; if you visited a new one every day, it would take you 27 years to visit them all!

4. There are more than 100 Australian slang words, including: Barbie (barbeque), bathers (swimsuit), brolly (umbrella), coppers (policemen), dunny (toilet), billy (teapot) and more!

5. Western Australia has pink lakes; scientists still don’t fully understand this phenomenon.

6. There are different time zones in Australia: Western Standard Time, Central Standard Time and Eastern Standard Time.

7. The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system and ecosystem.

8. The Great Emu War of Australia refers to sudden and rapid growth of the emu population, which led to the destruction of crops.

9. What’s more, Australia’s government even hired former World War I soldiers to fight the emus; surprisingly, the emus won when the government decided it was not worth the manpower and money.

10. Australia created the world’s first “seatbelt law”, which was eventually adopted by other countries and made transportation a lot safer, as we can see now today.

11. 27% of Australians were born abroad; Australia has the world’s highest proportion of migrant settlers in a developed country.

12. The Dingo Fence is the longest fence in the world, longer than the Great Wall of China!

13. The Ayers Rock of Australia is the world's largest rock, at 2,831 feet.

14. The word “selfie” was created by an Australian.

15. It is estimated that Australia’s original inhabitants, the aboriginal people, have been in Australia for between 40,000-60,000 years.

16. Every 25th of April, Australians celebrate Anzac Day, to commemorate those who served and died in all wars and conflicts.

17. Australia is home to the world’s “happiest” animal, the quokka, which has become the most popular tourist attraction at Australia’s Rottnest Island.

18. We use butter and kaya for our toasts; Australians use Vegemite.

19. The highest temperature ever recorded in Australia was 50.7°C with the lowest being -23°C.

20. If you were to scatter all the people in Australia, there will only be 3 people for every 100 hectares (107,639 sq. feet) all around the country.

21. The 241km-long Great Ocean Road is the world’s largest war memorial, built in dedication to those who died in World War I. It is one of the most popular tourist spots as of today.

22. 80% of Australia’s plants and animals are unique to the country and cannot be found anywhere else, including koalas, Tasmanian devils, kangaroos and echidnas.

23. Australians use green ants as a cooking ingredient.

24. Australian wallabies have been known to break into opium crops, get high, and run around creating “crop circles”.

25. The termite mounds that can be found in Australia are the tallest animal-made structures on Earth.

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