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- Herausgeber: Marcus Jungnickel
- Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
- Sprache: Englisch
Looking for an entertaining and fascinating read that will captivate you with tons of amazing facts about Australia? Then 'Unnecessary Knowledge about Australia' is just the thing for you!
Countless amazing facts about Australia
This book is a real goldmine for anyone interested in the land down under. It takes you on a virtual journey through Australia, from its glittering coastlines and dense rainforests to its vibrant cities and vast red deserts. You'll discover a range of incredible, sometimes bizarre facts that are guaranteed to stick in your mind.
Did you know, for example, that Australia has over 10,000 beaches? Or that there is an island inhabited entirely by penguins? Have you ever heard of the pink lake, the color of which is caused by a certain type of algae? Or that most of the buildings in the town of Coober Pedy are underground to escape the extreme temperatures?
But that's not all! 'Useless Knowledge of Australia' goes beyond geography and also looks at the country's politics, history, culture, flora and fauna, education, sport and tourism. Discover the amazing diversity of Australia's wildlife, from cute quokkas to fearsome saltwater crocodiles. Immerse yourself in the rich history of Australia's indigenous people and learn more about the country's unique traditions and customs.
The ideal gift for all fans of Down Under
Whether you're an avid Australia fan, preparing for a trip to the land of kangaroos and koalas or simply looking to expand your knowledge, 'Unuseful Australian Knowledge' is an entertaining and informative companion that will surprise you time and time again. Don't miss out on this journey into the fascinating world of Australia!
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023
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Mia Mirillia
Useless knowledge australia
Table of contents
Useful knowledge about Australia
Mia Mirillia
Geography
Australia is the sixth largest country in the world, although it only has around 25 million inhabitants.
It is the flattest continent on earth, with an average height of only 330 meters above sea level.
Australia is also the driest inhabited continent. Around 70% of the country is either desert or semi-desert.
With an area of over 7.7 million square kilometers, Australia is almost as large as the USA.
Nevertheless, it has one of the lowest population densities in the world, with around 3 people per square kilometer.
The longest river in Australia is the Murray River, which stretches over a length of 2,508 kilometers.
Despite its aridity, Australia is home to the largest solitary sandstone rock in the world, Uluru or Ayers Rock.
The Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland is the largest coral reef system in the world and is visible from space.
Australia lies on the tectonic plate "Indo-Australian Plate", which moves 7 cm to the northeast every year.
Australia has the largest number of beaches in the world, an incredible 10,685.
The highest point in Australia is Mount Kosciuszko with an altitude of 2,228 meters.
The largest natural salt lake in the world, Lake Eyre, is located in Australia. It is rarely completely filled with water.
Australia's coastline stretches for around 34,218 kilometers, which is almost 3% of the world's entire coastline.
Australia has more camels than Egypt and even exports them to the Middle East.
The 5.5 million hectare "Tasmanian Wilderness" World Heritage Area covers about 20% of Tasmania.
The Daintree rainforest in Queensland is the oldest living rainforest on earth and is over 180 million years old.
The Nullarbor Plain is the largest almost treeless limestone plain in the world and covers an area of around 200,000 square kilometers.
Over 85% of Australia's population lives less than 50 kilometers from the coast.
The city of Melbourne was once the richest city in the world, during the Victorian Gold Rush in the 1850s.
With more than 500 national parks, Australia has more protected areas than any other country in the world.
The Pinnacles Desert in Western Australia is known for its surreal, tall limestone columns formed by the natural erosion of wind-blown sand
Lake Mackenzie on Fraser Island is one of the clearest freshwater lakes in the world, as its water consists almost exclusively of rain.
Shark Bay in Western Australia is home to the oldest life forms in the world, the stromatolites, which are over 3 billion years old.
The lowest point in Australia, Lake Eyre, is 15 meters below sea level and is the lowest point on the Australian continent.
With more than 8,000 islands lining its coastline, Australia has one of the longest lists of islands in the world.
Australia is home to the largest eucalypt forest area in the world, the Blue Mountains National Park.
The highest commercial abseil site in the world, Mount Thor, is located in Australia and has a sheer vertical drop of 1,250 meters.
Australia has more snow cover in winter than the whole of Switzerland.
The longest fence in the world, the dingo fence, was originally erected in Australia to protect sheep from the Australian wild dogs, the dingoes.
The Twelve Apostles, a collection of limestone stacks on the coast of Victoria, is only a group of eight stacks despite its name.
The Whitsunday Islands are actually the tops of submerged mountains and were once part of the Australian mainland.
The smallest town in Australia, Cooladdi, has only 3 permanent residents.
The oldest meteorite crater on Earth, the Yarrabubba crater in Western Australia, is more than 2.2 billion years old.
The Simpson Desert is the largest sand dune desert in the world with around 1,100 parallel red sand dunes.
The Nullarbor Plain is the largest piece of limestone in the world and stretches over 100,000 square kilometers.
The majority of Australia's land is referred to as the "outback" and covers over 70% of the total area.
With over 1,600 species, Australia has the most diverse flora in the world, many of which are endemic and do not occur anywhere else in the world.
In 1606, the Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon was the first European to land on the Australian continent, almost 200 years before Captain James Cook.
Captain James Cook claimed Australia on behalf of Great Britain in 1770 when he landed on the east coast, a place he later named "New South Wales".
Australia began its life as a European colony as a convict colony. The first fleet of British convicts arrived in Sydney in 1788.
In 1856, the Australian state of Victoria introduced secret suffrage, the first time it had been introduced anywhere in the world.
Australia's first police force, the "Night Watch", was founded in Sydney in 1789 and consisted mainly of the best behaved convicts.
The Great Emu War of 1932 was a curious time in Australian history when the Australian military fought and lost against a herd of wild emus.
During the Second World War, Australia fought the "Battle of Brisbane", a stand-off between Australian troops and the US troops stationed in Brisbane.
The first known novel to be written in Australia was "Quintus Servinton", written by a convict named Henry Savery in 1830.
The last known Tasmanian tiger, or thylacine, died in 1936 at Hobart Zoo, Tasmania.
The first known display of the Australian flag took place during the "Federation Parade" in Melbourne on December 3, 1901.
Australia's first parliament was opened in Melbourne in 1901, nine years before the capital was moved to Canberra.
In 1855, the University of Sydney was founded as the first university in Australia, making higher education possible in the country.
The "White Australia Policy", which was in force until 1973, aimed to limit the immigration of non-Europeans to Australia.
The oldest known human remains in Australia are the so-called Mungo Man, who died around 42,000 years ago and was discovered in New South Wales.
In 1954, Queen Elizabeth II visited Australia, making her the first reigning head of state to visit the country.
Women in South Australia and Western Australia introduced women's suffrage in the 1890s, long before many other western nations.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened in 1932 and was the largest arch bridge in the world at the time.
The famous Sydney Opera House was opened in 1973, after 14 years of construction and well over the original budget.
Australia's first documented car race took place in Melbourne in 1896.
The Australian Ballet was founded in 1912 and was the first ballet company in Australia.
The legendary Australian bush poet Banjo Paterson, who wrote "Waltzing Matilda", was also a war correspondent during the Boer War.
In 1856, Tasmania introduced secret suffrage, the first country in the world to do so.
Until 1902, it was illegal to swim in public in Australia.
The city of Perth was founded in 1824 after Captain James Stirling chose it as a suitable location for a new colony in Western Australia.
The first indigenous person to be elected to an Australian parliament was Neville Bonner. He was elected to the Senate in 1971.
Politics and laws
Australia has a bicameral system with a House of Representatives and a Senate, similar to the United States of America.
Although Australia is an independent country, the British monarchy remains the head of state and is represented by a Governor-General.
Voting is compulsory in Australia. Since 1924, every registered voter has had to vote in federal elections, otherwise they face fines.
Australia has one of the highest voter turnouts in the world, largely due to its compulsory voting system.
The Australian Labor Party is the oldest political party in Australia and one of the oldest labor parties in the world.
The Australian ballot system, known as the "Australian ballot", has been adopted by many other countries, including the USA and the UK.
The Australian parliament has seen 30 prime ministers since 1901.
The Australian Constitution can only be amended by a referendum in which a majority of voters in a majority of states agree.
The Northern Territory and the capital Canberra are not states, but territories administered by the federal government.
Australia has one of the strictest quarantine laws in the world to protect its unique flora and fauna.
Flying the pirate flag is illegal in Australia and can be punished with a fine.
The death penalty has been abolished in all Australian jurisdictions. The last execution took place in 1967.
Same-sex marriage was legalized in Australia in 2017 following a nationwide postal vote in which the majority of Australians voted in favour.
It is illegal in Australia to dress up as Batman or Superman without the express permission of the rights holder.
Australia's legal system is based on common law, which has its origins in the English legal system.
Each of the six Australian states has its own constitution and parliament, similar to the USA.
"Advance Australia Fair" was only officially declared the national anthem in 1984, replacing "God Save the Queen".
The Parliament House in Canberra was opened in 1988 and is partially embedded in a hill, which gives it its unique architectural style.
The Australian government funds two public broadcasters: the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the Special Broadcasting Service.
Australia is one of the few countries to use "preferential voting" in elections, where voters list candidates in order of preference.
The green and gold color scheme of the House of Representatives and the Senate in the Australian Parliament represents Australia's national colors.
Australia's state of Queensland has no upper house, making it the only unitary state in Australia.
Freedom of Information laws in Australia allow citizens to gain access to certain types of government documents.
The High Court of Australia, the country's highest court, was founded in 1903 and consists of seven judges.
There is an unwritten legal principle in Australia that federal legislation takes precedence over state and territory laws.
In Victoria, it is illegal to run a vacuum cleaner after 10pm as this is considered a noise nuisance.
The Racial Discrimination Act of 1975 was the first law in Australia to prohibit discrimination on the basis of race or ethnic origin.
The Australian Constitution does not contain a Bill of Rights that protects fundamental human rights.
The 1992 High Court decision in Mabo v Queensland (No 2) recognized Aboriginal land rights for the first time in Australian legal history.
The didgeridoo, a traditional instrument of the indigenous people of Australia, is one of the oldest musical instruments in the world.
Australia has more than 60 separate indigenous languages, many of which are spoken by only a handful of speakers.
Australian cuisine is a melting pot of cultures, with influences from Europe, Asia and, of course, traditional Aboriginal cuisine.
"The Ashes", one of the most intense and historic rivalries in cricket, is between Australia and England.
Australia has a strong coffee culture and is known for the quality of its baristas and cafés, especially in Melbourne and Sydney.
The Sydney Opera House, a landmark and UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a world-famous performing arts center.
Australia is home to the oldest living cultural continuum in the world, with aboriginal cultures dating back as far as 65,000 years.
Vegemite, a yeast extract spread, is a distinctive and often polarizing element of the Australian diet.
Australian literature has produced a number of world-famous authors, including Patrick White, Thomas Keneally and Tim Winton.
The Australian film industry has gained worldwide recognition with films such as "Mad Max", "Crocodile Dundee" and "Muriel's Wedding".
ANZAC Day, on April 25, is a national holiday on which Australians honor those who have served in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations.
Australia has a diverse and vibrant music scene, ranging from rock and pop to country, classical music and opera.
The Australian accent is known all over the world and varies from region to region.
The Melbourne Cup horse race, often referred to as "the race that brings the nation to a standstill", is an annual national holiday in Victoria.
Australia's indigenous arts, including painting, carving and weaving, have gained international recognition.
Australia has a strong tradition of sport, with a passion for cricket, rugby, soccer, netball and swimming.
The annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is one of the biggest LGBT events in the world.
The annual AFL Grand Final in Melbourne is the most attended club championship event in the world.
Australia has a strong commitment to environmental protection and is home to numerous national parks and protected areas.
The Aboriginal art form of dot painting is one of the oldest art traditions in the world and is often used to convey stories and songs.
Australians enjoy a "barbie" or barbecue, a common leisure activity where families and friends come together to share barbecued meat and seafood.
Australia has a vibrant live music and festival scene, with numerous events taking place across the country throughout the year.
The Australian television landscape is characterized by locally produced dramas, comedy shows and soap operas, including Neighbours and Home and Away.
Lamington coconut cake, often referred to as the 'National Cake of Australia', is a popular treat at tea breaks and school markets.
The Australian accent varies greatly by region, with marked differences between urban and rural accents.
Australian slang, often referred to as 'strine', is rich in unique expressions and idioms, from 'fair dinkum' to 'she'll be right'.
Harvest Festival in Australia is an annual celebration of harvest and food, often associated with local markets and festivals.
Australia has a thriving coffee scene with a particular focus on high quality espresso and cafés are prevalent in all cities and towns.
National Sorry Day, which is celebrated annually on 26 May, recognizes and commemorates the suffering of the stolen generations of indigenous peoples.
Australia has a rich tradition of folk festivals, including the Sydney Royal Easter Show, the Melbourne Show and the Royal Adelaide Show.
Australia celebrates Christmas in the middle of summer, and it's common to spend the day at the beach or with an outdoor barbecue.
The echidna and koala are two of the few mammals in the world that lay eggs, and both are unique to Australia.
The National Gallery of Australia in Canberra is home to the largest collection of Aboriginal art in the world.
"Schoolies Week" is a widespread custom in Australia where high school graduates celebrate a week's vacation, often at popular beach resorts.
With a production of around 1.25 million tons per year, Australia is the fourth largest wheat exporter in the world.
The Australian Akubra hat, a symbol of rural Australian culture, is still commonly worn in rural and regional parts of Australia.
The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade is a major annual event and attracts participants and spectators from all over the world.
In Australia, schoolchildren are uniformed, regardless of whether they attend public or private schools.
Plants
Eucalyptus is one of Australia's best-known plant species and is a food source for many animal species, including koalas.
Australia's flora is exceptionally diverse and unique due to the country's ancient soils and variable climate.
The Waratah flower is the official symbol of the state of New South Wales and is known for its bright red color.
The Australian acacia, also known as Wattle, has more than 1000 species spread throughout Australia.
Many Australian plants have adapted to fires and even need fire to spread their seeds and promote new growth.
The Sturt's Desert Pea is a striking wildflower native to the arid regions of Australia and is known for its bright red flowers and black 'eyes'.
The Pandanus, also known as the screw palm, grows on the coasts of northern Australia and is known for its distinctive, spirally growing trunk.
The macadamia is a tree native to Australia, whose nuts are highly valued as food and exported worldwide.
The Grass Tree, also known as Xanthorrhoea, can live for hundreds of years and is known for its tall, straight trunk and grass-like leaves.
The Kakadu plum, a plant native to northern Australia, contains more vitamin C than any other plant.
The Flannel Flower is a charming wildflower with white, flannel-like petals that is native to the coastal heathlands and dry forests of Australia.
Tea Tree, also known as Melaleuca, is known for its essential oil, which is valued for its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.
The Kangaroo Paw, a unique plant found only in Western Australia, is known for its red and green flowers that resemble the paws of a kangaroo.
The Gymea lily is a spectacular Australian plant that is known for its huge flowering stem, which can grow up to six meters high.
The finger lime is an Australian citrus fruit known for its elongated shape and caviar-like pearls of flesh.
The Staghorn Fern is a striking epiphytic fern species that grows on trees in the rainforests of eastern Australia.
The Daintree Rainforest in Queensland is home to an impressive variety of plant species, many of which cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
The Cooktown orchid, also known as Dendrobium phalaenopsis, is the flower of the state of Queensland and is known for its bright purple flowers.
The snow gum, a type of eucalyptus, is one of the few plant species that thrive in the alpine regions of Australia.
Western Australia's wildflowers, including the spectacular everlastings and orchids, attract visitors from all over the country each spring.
The Saltbush is a remarkably hardy plant that thrives in the salty soils of Australia's dry inland areas.
The Australian water lily, also known as Nymphaea, is known for its beautiful flowers, which can have a variety of colors from blue to pink.
Blue gum, also known as Eucalyptus globulus, is a large tree known for its essential oil and valuable hardwood.
Old Man Banksia, one of the best known Banksia species, is often featured in Australian children's books, including the stories of May Gibbs.
The Grass Tree is a remarkable plant that grows very slowly, sometimes only 1 mm per year, and can live for several hundred years.
Australian mistletoe is a parasitic plant that grows on many tree species and is an important food source for many bird species.
Spinifex is a group of grass species that thrive in Australia's driest regions and play an important role in erosion control.
The cypress pine is a native Australian tree that is economically valuable due to its hardy wood, which is resistant to termites and decay.
The frangipani, although not originally from Australia, is common in many parts of the country and is loved for its fragrant, star-shaped flowers.
The Australian sandalwood tree is valued commercially for its fragrant wood and oil, which is used in perfumes and aromatherapy.
The quandong, or wild peach, is an Australian desert plant whose sour fruit was used by aborigines as food and for medicinal purposes.
The Huon pine, one of the oldest trees in the world, can live to be over 2000 years old and can only be found in Tasmania.
The Australian bluebell is a common wildflower found in many parts of the country and is known for its beautiful blue flowers.
The Australian Christmas cherry, which blossoms at the end of December, is often included in Christmas celebrations.
The Australian bottle tree stores water in its thick trunk to survive periods of drought.
The Wandoo is a type of eucalyptus known for its characteristic white or gray trunk and its high resistance to drought.
Australia's grasslands are home to many unique plant species, including Kangaroo Grass, Wallaby Grass and Spear Grass.
The tamarind of Australia is a native species of fruit tree whose sour fruits were used by the aborigines as food and medicine.
The callistemon or bottlebrush is known for its bright red or yellow flowers, which resemble the shape of a bottlebrush.
Kangaroos, probably the best-known Australian animals, have more species than you might think: there are actually over 60 different species.
The Tasmanian tiger or marsupial wolf is an extinct species of marsupial that survived in Tasmania until the 1930s.
The Australian emu is the second largest bird in the world after the ostrich and can reach speeds of up to 50 km/h.
The venomous funnel web spider, which lives in the humid forests and urban areas on the east coast of Australia, can kill its prey in just 15 minutes.
Koalas sleep up to 20 hours a day to conserve energy, as their diet of eucalyptus leaves provides few nutrients.
The platypus is one of the few egg-laying mammals in the world and also has a poisonous sting on its hind legs.
The Tasmanian devil, a small marsupial, is the largest carnivorous mammal that is active at night.
There are two species of crocodile in Australia: the saltwater crocodile, the largest living reptile, and the smaller freshwater crocodile.
The kookaburra, also known as "laughing Hans", is known for its loud, laughing call.
The dingo, Australia's wild dog, is actually an introduced species and not a native species.
There are more than 800 bird species in Australia, many of which are found nowhere else in the world.
The Australian bush cock is known for its exceptional nest-building skills. It builds a large, cone-shaped compost heap to incubate the eggs.
Kangaroo rats, which live in the deserts of Australia, can survive their entire lives without water.
The Australian helmeted cassowary chick, the Australian cassowary, is a flightless bird known for its colorful neck hair and high, helmet-like crest.
The ghost insect, the longest insect in the world, can grow up to 56 cm long.
Sugar gliders are small nocturnal marsupials that are able to glide from tree to tree.
The Frilled Lizard can unfold a large "collar" of skin to scare off enemies.
Box jellyfish, also known as sea wasps, are among the most poisonous creatures in the world and can kill a human in minutes.
The naked-nosed wombat, also known as Vombatus ursinus, is the largest burrowing herbivorous mammal and is known for its cube-shaped droppings.
The Goliath tarantula hunter, the largest spider in Australia, can reach a leg span of up to 28 cm.
The Australian thorny devil, a type of lizard, has the ability to absorb water through its skin.
The Maldivian flying fox is the largest bat species in Australia and the only one that eats fruit.
The Thorny Devil, an Australian lizard species, collects water through its skin and channels it to its mouth.
The Tasmanian devil has the strongest bite force per body size of any living mammal.
The Australian desert toad, introduced for pest control, has become a plague as it grows uncontrollably without natural enemies.
The Australian robber fly, also known as the robber fly, hunts other insects in flight and has an impressive ability to react.
The Australian wombat is one of the few animals that produces cubic feces, presumably to keep them from rolling away.
The Australian pygmy merganser ray can deliver an electric shock strong enough to kill a human.
The great white shark, which is often spotted off the Australian coast, is one of the most dangerous predatory fish in the world.
The Australian Magpie has a remarkable vocal talent and can imitate a variety of sounds and even human voices.
The Australian crocodile is the largest living reptile and can grow up to 7 meters long.
The Australian giant kangaroo can reach a speed of up to 56 km/h and jump up to 8 meters.
The Australian echidna, or echidna, has spines like a hedgehog, a pouch like a kangaroo and lays eggs like a bird.
The Norway rat, also known as the Bush Rat, can jump up to a third of its body length.
The ant lion is an insect that, as a larva, builds impressive sand funnels to catch ants.
The Australian Dingo is able to turn its wrists and open doors.
The University of Western Australia in Perth has a strong tradition in the fields of medicine, biosciences and agriculture.
The Australian physician and Nobel Prize winner Peter C. Doherty shares his name with a music room at the University of Melbourne.
Australia's first university for Indigenous studies, the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, was founded in 1974.
Australia has more international students in relation to its population than any other country in the world.
The Great Barrier Reef Research Foundation is one of the world's leading organizations for the research and conservation of coral reefs.
The Australian astronomer John Gatenby Bolton discovered the first radio sources, which turned out to be quasars and distant galaxies.
The University of Tasmania is the fourth oldest university in Australia and the only one in the state of Tasmania.
The Australian Academy of Science was founded in 1954 and is a leading national organization for the advancement of scientific research and education.
Australia is home to Southern Cross University, which is considered one of the best young universities in the world.
The Australian mathematician Akshay Venkatesh received the Fields Medal in 2018, which is considered the Nobel Prize for Mathematics.
Elizabeth Kenny, an Australian nurse, revolutionized the treatment of polio even though she never had any formal medical training.
Australian palaeontologist Tim Flannery is a globally recognized expert on climate change and environmental protection.
The University of Adelaide was the third university to be founded in Australia and the first to allow women to study.
Australia has more universities per capita than any other country in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
The Australian National University, founded in 1946, was the country's first university designed exclusively for research purposes.
Australia's oldest library, the State Library of New South Wales, was founded in 1826 and today holds more than 5 million works.
Sir Howard Walter Florey, an Australian pharmacologist and pathologist, co-invented penicillin and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1945.
The University of Melbourne, founded in 1853, is Australia's second oldest university and regularly ranks among the top 50 universities worldwide.
The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology is renowned for its leading role in engineering, design and technology education and research.
The University of Queensland is home to the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, which is a leader in research into genetic diseases and cancer.
Australia was the third country in the world to send a satellite into space - WRESAT was launched from Woomera, South Australia, in 1967.
In Australia, primary education is compulsory and usually begins at the age of five or six.
The University of Sydney, founded in 1850, is the oldest university in Australia.
Australia is one of the few countries to have taken part in every Summer Olympics since they were first held in 1896.
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is one of the largest stadiums in the world with a capacity of over 100,000.
Australian Margaret Court holds the record for the most Grand Slam singles titles in tennis, with a total of 24.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge Run is an annual event in which participants cross the famous bridge. The route is around 14 kilometers long.
Sir Donald Bradman, an Australian cricketer, has the highest ever average in Test cricket, with 99.94 runs per innings.
The first international rugby union match was played between Australia and Great Britain in 1882.
Cricket is so popular in Australia that it is considered a national summer sport.
The Bathurst 1000, a 1000-kilometer car race held annually in New South Wales, is one of Australia's most famous motorsport events.
Rod Laver is the only tennis player in history to have won the Grand Slam (all four major tournaments in one year) twice - in 1962 and 1969.
The Gold Coast is home to the famous Surfer's Paradise, one of the most famous surf spots in the world.
The city of Melbourne hosts the Australian Open, one of the four Grand Slam tournaments in tennis.
Australian Rules Football, a uniquely Australian game that combines elements of rugby and soccer, is the most popular spectator sport in the country.
The Melbourne Cup horse race, which has been held since 1861, is so popular that it is known as the 'race that makes the nation stand still'.
The Australian netball team is one of the most successful in the world and has won more World Cup titles than any other country.
Rugby League is particularly popular in New South Wales and Queensland, with the National Rugby League being the highest level of competition.
The first documented game of cricket in Australia took place in Sydney in 1803.
The Australian rugby union team, known as the Wallabies, is one of the most successful in the world and has won the Rugby World Cup several times.
Surf Lifesaving is a unique Australian sport and a significant movement to promote water rescue and safety.
Ironman Australia is an annual triathlon that takes place in Port Macquarie, New South Wales.
Australian swimmer Dawn Fraser won the gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle at three consecutive Olympic Games (1956, 1960, 1964).
Australia has a strong tradition in field field hockey, both men's and women's, with several Olympic gold medals in both disciplines.
The Sydney Cricket Ground, which was founded in 1848, is one of the oldest cricket stadiums in the world.
The city of Adelaide hosts the Clipsal 500, a car race that is considered one of Australia's biggest motorsport events.
The Australian Open golf competition, which has been held since 1904, is the oldest golf tournament in Australia.
Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe, nicknamed "Thorpedo", has won five Olympic gold medals, more than any other Australian athlete in history.
The first documented soccer match in Australia took place in Sydney in 1875.
The Australian cyclist Hubert Opperman set several long-distance records in the 1930s and later became a minister in the Australian parliament.
Australia hosted the 2003 Rugby World Cup, where the English team won the title in a memorable final against the Australian Wallabies.
Netball, originally introduced as "women's basketball", is one of the most popular sports for women in Australia.
The Australian Baseball League, founded in 1989, comprises six teams from all over Australia.
The Great Ocean Road Marathon is one of the most scenic marathons in the world and takes runners along the picturesque coast of Victoria.
Squash is very popular in Australia and Australian players have won numerous world championships in the sport.
The city of Gold Coast hosted the 2018 Commonwealth Games, where athletes from 71 Commonwealth countries competed in 18 sports.
Australia has a long and successful tradition in Rugby Sevens and hosted the first Rugby Sevens World Cup in 1987.
The Gabba, a famous sports stadium in Brisbane, is named after the suburb "Woolloongabba" in which it is located.
The Uluru Camel Cup is an annual camel race that takes place near the famous Uluru (Ayers Rock) in the middle of Australia.
Australia has more than 10,000 beaches - more than any other country.
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on earth and can even be seen from space.
The Tasmanian wilderness, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to the cleanest air in the world.
The Pink Lake in Western Australia is a natural phenomenon where the water actually turns pink due to an algae.
Tasmania is home to Tasmanian devils, the only carnivorous marsupials in the world.
Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, changes color depending on the time of day and weather conditions.
There is an island in Australia that is completely inhabited by penguins - it's called Phillip Island.
Kakadu National Park in northern Australia is almost half the size of Switzerland and contains some of the oldest rock art in the world.
The Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney is one of the oldest botanic gardens in the world and the oldest in Australia.
The Gold Coast in Queensland is famous for its amusement parks, including Dreamworld, Sea World and Wet'n'Wild.
The town of Coober Pedy in South Australia is known for its underground tourism, with many houses, stores and hotels built below ground.
Australia's longest straight road, the Eyre Highway, is almost 1,500 kilometers long and runs without a single bend.
Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world and home to a variety of wildlife, including dingoes.
The Blue Mountains are known for their bluish haze, which is created by the oil given off by the eucalyptus trees.
The "Three Sisters" are a famous rock formation in the Blue Mountains and play a central role in the local Dreamtime story.
The Great Ocean Road is one of the most scenic coastal roads in the world and is home to the famous "Twelve Apostles".
There are more than 150 wineries and cellar doors in the Barossa Valley region of South Australia.
Kangaroo Island, off the coast of South Australia, is one of the best places in Australia to see wildlife in its natural habitat.
Port Arthur, a former penal colony in Tasmania, is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular place for "ghost tours".
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is not only a famous landmark, but can also be climbed for a breathtaking view over the city.
The Pinnacles in Nambung National Park, Western Australia, are a collection of thousands of limestone pillars rising from the sand.
Bondi Beach in Sydney is one of the most famous beaches in the world and a popular spot for sun worshippers and surfers.
The city of Melbourne is famous for its laneways and street art, often considered some of the best in the world.
The Jenolan Caves are the oldest open limestone caves in the world and can be visited on guided tours in New South Wales.
The Wave Rock Formation in Western Australia looks like a huge, perfect wave that rises 15 meters into the air and is over 100 meters long.
Lord Howe Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is home to many rare and endemic species.
The city of Bendigo in Victoria was founded during the Australian gold rush and is known today for its well-preserved Victorian buildings.
In the city of Darwin in Northern Australia, you can dive with saltwater crocodiles during the "Cage of Death" experience.
The Whitsunday Islands offer some of the best sailing in Australia and are home to the stunning Whitehaven Beach.
Luna Park in Sydney is a historic amusement park that opened in 1935 and is still in operation today.
The Daintree Rainforest in Queensland is the oldest rainforest in the world and is home to an incredible diversity of species.
The Ningaloo Coast is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to an impressive variety of marine life, including whale sharks, dugongs and sea turtles.
On Rottnest Island in Western Australia you can see quokkas, small marsupials known as the "happiest animals in the world", in the wild.
The Ghan is a legendary train journey that takes you across the Australian outback from Adelaide to Darwin.
At 2,228 meters, Mount Kosciuszko is the highest mountain in Australia and a popular destination for hikers and mountaineers.
The Snowy Mountains in New South Wales are the only area in Australia where skiing and snowboarding are possible in winter.
The Nullarbor Plain, the largest single limestone surface in the world, is home to the longest straight railroad track in the world.
Useful knowledge about Australia
Amazing and curious facts about Down Under
