What is Australia famous for? (25 reasons)
Interested in learning about what Australia is famous for?
You’ve come to the right article as I’ve created a detailed list of reasons Australia is famous.
Australia is one of the most unique countries in the world.
The sixth largest country in the world and the largest in Oceania.
A country filled with curiosity, fascination and fame. A popular tourist destination undoubtedly.
But what is Australia famous for?
Here are 25 of the top reasons that Down Under is famous around the globe.
What is Australia famous for?
There are endless reasons why Australia is famous and it would be impossible to list them all, so I’ve compiled a list of the 25 most common things people think of when they hear the word “Australia”. Without further ado, let’s go.
1. Deadly Animals
One of the main things Australia is famous for is its thousands of unique animal and wildlife species. Mainly snakes and spiders.
The stories of finding life-threatening spiders in shoes or venomous snakes underneath beds are never-ending outside Australia.
As such, Australia has a reputation for being a country filled with deadly creatures. While this is true to an extent, they are much less of a problem than many people think!
2. The Outback
We’ve all seen a movie where a car or a van is travelling through the outback, runs out of gas and is stuck, deserted in the middle of nowhere, right?
The orange-red sand is infamous around the world and is one of the first things to come to mind when someone says “Australia”. In reality, very few people live in the outback.
It’s absolutely huge, covering millions of square miles. Making up most of Western Australia, in fact.
3. The Accent
G’day, mate. Put another shrimp on the barbie ey?
The Australian accent is one of the most famous accents in the world, imitated on a daily basis globally. If you hear the accent, you think Australia.
In fact, the chances are if you hear a similar accent from New Zealand, you assume it’s an Australian one too.
4. Sydney Opera House
The most famous building in Australia is by far the Sydney Opera House.
It attracts tourists from all around the world and for a good reason. It’s beautiful.
Sydney in itself is a reason Australia is famous, there are a number of iconic sites like the Sydney Harbour Bridge, a famous steel arch bridge in the Sydney harbour.
The harbour really is the place to be in Sydney!
5. Surfing
Australia is famous for its surfing and surfers. When you picture a chill surfing vibe with tanned males with long blonde hair, you’re pretty spot on.
Australia has endless amazing surfing opportunities and surfing is extremely popular amongst Australians and tourists, creating the stereotypical surfing chilled vibe.
But it’s great and definitely something that Australia is famous for.
6. Kangaroos and Koalas
Continuing the animal theme, Australia is famous for kangaroos and koalas. There’s no disputing it.
These animals are indigenous to Australia and are famous all around the world.
Kangaroos, for being animal boxers built like tanks and koalas for being these cute cuddly bears that sleep 20 hours a day and carry Chlamydia.
7. Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the world.
It’s famous all around the world for its natural beauty and being a fairy-tale-like snorkelling and scuba diving spot.
It’s nearly 350,000 square kilometres.That’s nearly 90,000 acres!
Diving here is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and it’s clear to see why people come to Australia just for diving.
8. Backpacking Culture
There’s a large and ever-growing backpacking community in Australia.
Backpacking is a form of budget travel and Australia is one of the most popular countries to visit, rivalling backpacking Thailand and the rest of South-East Asia.
Usually focusing on the East coast from top to bottom, backpacking in Australia is very popular, especially due to the Working Holiday Visas.
9. Steve Irwin
Okay, okay, this is the last animal-related thing. Steve Irwin is arguably the most famous Australian ever.
Not only is he a national treasure, but he is also loved worldwide for his animal conservation shows which helped millions of people fall in love with animals the same way Steve did.
Known as “The Crocodile Hunter”, Irwin had a number of shows which became popular globally. It’s great to see his family continuing his legacy.
10. Bondi Beach
Bondi Beach is debatably the most famous beach in the entire world.
Famous for its beautiful white-yellow sand, gorgeous blue waves ideal for surfing conditions, and hippy vibes. It’s not uncommon to see it absolutely packed.
The picture below shows Bondi Beach on a good Summer’s day. It’s a popular tourist attraction that’s for sure.
There are 12,000 beaches in Australia, and Bondi Beach is definitely one of the famous things in Australia.
11. Christmas in Summer
Usually, Christmas is associated with snow, cosiness, and Winter days; but not in Australia.
As Australia is in the south of the southern hemisphere, the seasons are the other way around. Australia’s winter is from June to September.
Meaning December falls in Australia’s summer. To combat this, Australia celebrates a second Christmas in July so they can get a Winter Christmas when it snows in Australia.
12. Blue Mountains National Park
When asking yourself “What is Australia famous for?” you may think of The Three Sisters.
Found in the Blue Mountains National Park, these sandstone formations are famous all around the world. Rightly so too!
The views you get to see in the Blue Mountains area are unbelievable and if you visit Australia, it’s a must-do.
13. Sydney…no wait Canberra
Many people confuse the Australian capital to be Sydney as it is the most popular city due to the Opera House and co.
Many people also think the capital is Melbourne. However, the capital is actually Canberra.
Here you will find the Australian Government. Canberra is in southeastern Australia, withheld within New South Wales but within the state of ACT.
14. Cork Hats
Although you may not think of cork hats straight away when brainstorming Australian associations; if you see a cork hat, you definitely think of Australia, right?
Cork Hats were originally invented to ward off insects as the corks swing when the head moves.
Nowadays, they’re more of a symbol of Australia, but you will still see them used in rural areas like farms.
15. Australian Football League
Australia has its own sport known as Australian Football. Playing in the AFL, the sport is extremely popular amongst Australians and is known worldwide.
It’s a unique mix of football, rugby and soccer and is played in four 20-minute periods. Australian Football is a pretty tough sport but definitely entertaining to watch!
16. The Didgeridoo
The Didgeridoo is a long wooden shaft played with the lips using circular breathing. Although not played across the world, most people would recognise one and associate it with Australia.
Didgeridoos originated in the north of Australia from the Aboriginal people of Australia over 1500 years ago. The Aboriginal culture still lives on in some parts of Australia too.
17. The war against Emus
Known as the Emu War or the Great Emu War, an Australian military operation to combat the emus damaging crops in Australia, failed as the military was unable to control the emus.
Thus, a running joke that Australia lost a war against emus began. It was over 90 years ago (1932) but it is something that Australia is famous for to this day.
18. The Ashes
Every two years, England and Australia play a five-match cricket test series.
Alternating between England and Australia as the hosts, the Ashes are a very popular and famous sporting occasion. In 2023, the Ashes are in England, across multiple venues including Manchester’s Old Trafford and Leeds’ Headingley.
19. The Great Ocean Road
Australia has many road trips but The Great Ocean Road is definitely the most popular. It’s without a doubt something that Australia is famous for.
It brings you along the coast of Victoria, over 240km of coastline. From beautiful rocky cliffs to golden beaches, any good Great Ocean Road itinerary has it all.
You can also stop at some national parks along the way.
20. Uluru National Park
Uluru is a 550 million-year-old sandstone monolith which is infamous around the world. It’s postcard-worthy and even more beautiful in real life.
Fun fact: the majority of Uluru is underground! We are only seeing the tip of the iceberg.
Uluru is owned by the local Anangu people who live in the surrounding area. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.
21. Being fearless
Aussies tend to have a reputation for being fearless. Whether it’s picking up random venomous spiders or snakes with their bare hands, or the viral video of a guy punching a kangaroo that had his dog held hostage, the reputation certainly has some truth to it
Want to feel like a fearless Australian during your trip? Take a hot air balloon flight over Melbourne.
22. Aussie Slang
This one might be cheating a bit as we already had the Aussie accent. But the slang also makes Australia famous.
Words like “Crikey” or “Dunny” are famous around the world for their Australian origin.
Steve Irwin, mentioned above, helped to universalise the use of “Crikey” as he would commonly say it in his shows.
23. Boomerangs
Boomerangs-the wooden boomerang, not Instagram’s feature- are dated back to over 10,000 years ago in Australia.
Originally used as hunting weapons, they weren’t originally intended to return to the thrower.
In the modern world, they are a common toy amongst kids who use them for their secondary purpose: they return to the thrower if thrown correctly.
24. The Flag
The Australian flag is recognisable all around the world.
Although, it is often confused with New Zealand’s flag due to them both being blue, having the British flag and having stars.
An easy way to spot the difference is Australia has white stars, New Zealand has red stars!
25. Hugh Jackman
Last but by no means least, Australia is famous for Hugh Jackman.
The actor and A-List Celebrity has starred in a number of popular movies including Wolverine, The Greatest Showman and X-Men.
Hugh Jackman is definitely a widely popular actor and brings a good deal of attention to Australia, his birth country.
What is Australia Famous For: FAQ
Below are some questions related to “What is Australia famous for?” along with their answers.
There are lots of animals unique to Australia. Some of these animals include kangaroos, dingos, wallabies and wombats, the platypus, koalas, and echidnae. All of these animals are native to Australia and cannot be found anywhere else in the world in the wild.
The national dish of Australia is Roast lamb. After a major poll in Australia, the national dish was decided to be Roast lamb.
There are endless reasons why Australia is popular. From the incredible landscapes from beautiful beaches to Kakadu National Park, the diverse wildlife, the people, the atmosphere and the culture of Australia all play a part. Australia is one of the best countries in the world to visit.
What is Australia Famous For: Conclusion
And there you have it. 25 reasons for “What is Australia famous for?”
Hopefully, you can now see why Australia is famous. It is one of the most amazing countries in the world.
If you get the chance to visit, I would definitely recommend a trip down under!
From Koalas and Kangaroos to the Outback and The Three Sisters, Australia has a little bit of everything. It’s clear to see why Australia is so famous after all.
