About Australia

Land, population and flora and fauna

Australia is a nation that is almost as big as the USA or China in land area, but has a population of only 21 million, most of whom live in the eastern and south-eastern coastal areas of the continent. Australia is the only country in the world to occupy an entire continent. Its isolation for 55 million years caused Australian plants and wildlife to develop uniquely, so that more than 80 percent of its mammals, reptiles and flowering plants can be found nowhere else in the world.

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Weather and climate

Like all countries in the southern hemisphere, the Australian summer is December to February, autumn is March to May, winter is June to August and spring is September to November. This means that Christmas in Australia happens in summer and coincides with the long student summer break, whilst the student mid-year break is in winter.

Because of its size, Australia’s weather varies significantly in different parts of the continent. The north is tropical, the southeast and south-western tip are temperate and much of the central region is desert. Australia experiences many of nature’s extreme phenomena, including floods, droughts, bushfire, storms and cyclones.

Depending on where you plan to study, living in Australia can involve sunbathing at the beach during a sweltering summer’s day, cheering for your favourite football team in the pouring rain or enjoying a weekend of skiing in winter. The variety in climate and landscape provides many excellent tourist opportunities for international students.

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Diversity and multiculturalism

Australia’s culturally diverse society includes its indigenous people, who have inhabited Australia for more than 40 000 years. Much evidence of this period still exists today and there are more than 2 000 Aboriginal rock painting, drawing and engraving sites in Sydney and the surrounding areas alone. The first European settlers arrived in 1788 and people from about 200 countries have migrated to Australia since that time. The multicultural nature of Australian society means that tutors are highly experienced in teaching students from different countries and other students readily accept and interact with international students.

As an international student, you will find Australians open, welcoming and willing to help you adjust to the Australian way of life.

Australia is a safe country with a very peaceful history. Your study progress is unlikely to be upset by political or civil unrest.

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Australian social culture

Australia is a truly democratic nation. Australians believe that they have the right to express their opinions about any aspect of government. They respect the rights of others even though they may not share their views. Australians are free to meet with other people, in small or large groups, in public or private for social or political reasons and to practice their religion of choice. As an international student, you enjoy the same rights as every other member of Australian society and may openly celebrate your festivals in Australia.

When you meet Australians for the first time, they will usually shake your right hand. When you talk to Australians, it is customary to maintain eye contact to show that you are listening to the other person. It is considered impolite to ask someone you have just recently met about their age, their marital status or how much they earn. ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’ also form part of most polite conversations in Australia.

Punctuality is important in Australia. If you are running late for a meeting or appointment, you are expected to contact the other person to let them know.

Adjusting to the Australian way of life may seem daunting. This is why UAC’s participating institutions have specialist student support services that will help you settle into your new environment and provide practical advice for living in Australia and completing your studies.

For more information on student support services, check the institution entries.

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Australian lifestyle

Australians work hard during the working week and enjoy spending time away with their families and friends on weekends or public holidays. Many public holidays are celebrated nationally; some are only for individual states. On weekends many Australians spend time on recreational activities such as sports, which are an important part of the Australian lifestyle. Popular Australian sports include cricket, Australian Rules football, rugby league, rugby union, soccer, swimming and tennis. Australians love to cheer their favourite team on with the chant 'Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oi, oi, oi!'

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Australian national flag, national anthem and national colours

The Australian national flag features the Commonwealth Star, the five stars of the Southern Cross constellation, and the combined crosses of St George, St Andrew and St Patrick. The union of crosses represents Australia’s early settlers. The Commonwealth Star with its seven points represents the unity of the six Australian states and the seventh point stands for all Australian territories. The stars of the Southern Cross constellation represent Australia’s geographic location in the southern hemisphere.

'Advance Australia Fair' was declared the Australian national anthem in 1984. In the same year, green and gold were proclaimed as the national colours of Australia. Green represents the forests, gum trees and pastures of the Australian landscape, while gold represents the country’s beaches, mineral wealth, grain harvests and the fleece of Australian wool.

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Australian states and territories

States and territories

Australia has six states:
• New South Wales
• Queensland
• South Australia
• Tasmania
• Victoria
• Western Australia.

It also has two main territories:
• the Australian Capital Territory
• the Northern Territory.

Most institutions participating in UAC are located in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. These include: Australian Catholic University; Australian National University; Charles Sturt University; Macquarie University; Southern Cross University; University of Canberra; University of New England; University of New South Wales; University of Newcastle; University of Sydney; University of Technology, Sydney; University of Western Sydney; and University of Wollongong.

New South Wales

New South Wales (NSW) is Australia’s oldest, most densely populated and heavily industrialised state. Sydney is the capital city of NSW and the parliament of NSW in Sydney is the oldest parliament in Australia. Australia’s tallest mountain range, the Snowy Mountains, contains Mount Kosciuszko, Australia’s tallest mountain, which towers over the snow-capped ski fields in southern NSW. Australia’s longest river, the Darling River, flows from northern NSW to join the Murray River in the far south west near the Victorian border. NSW is also home to beaches, national parks, museums and galleries, the Outback, the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

The climate in NSW is generally temperate, although it can get very hot in the north-west and cold in the southern alpine regions.

For more information about NSW, visit the NSW Government website at www.nsw.gov.au.

The Australian Capital Territory

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is the capital district of the Commonwealth of Australia. Australia’s capital city, Canberra, is located within the ACT. The city of Canberra is home to the National Library of Australia, the National Museum of Australia, war memorials and the Australian Institute of Sport. Being an enclave of NSW, the ACT has a similar temperate climate with generally lower humidity than coastal areas. For more information about the ACT, visit the ACT Government website at www.act.gov.au.

Other states

Two institutions close to the northern and southern borders of NSW offer courses through UAC. These are the Gold Coast campus of Griffith University in Queensland and the Albury-Wodonga campus of La Trobe University in Victoria. The Australian Maritime College in Tasmania also offers courses through UAC.

Queensland
Queensland is in the north-eastern corner of Australia. Queensland abounds in places of great natural beauty, including the Gold Coast, which has some of the state's most popular beaches, the Bunya Mountains and the Great Dividing Range with numerous lookouts, waterfalls and picnic areas. Brisbane is the capital city of Queensland. The Great Barrier Reef, Whitsunday Islands and Fraser Island are spectacular tourist attractions, also located in Queensland.

The climate in Queensland is hot and humid and you can swim at most beaches at most times during the year.

For more information about Queensland, visit the Queensland Government website at www.qld.gov.au/.

Victoria
Victoria is in the south-eastern corner of Australia. Melbourne is the capital of Victoria. Victoria is Australia's premier gold heritage region offering historic towns, buildings and gold history.

Victoria’s climate is semi-arid and hot in the north to temperate towards the south. For more information about Victoria, visit the Victorian Government website at www.vic.gov.au/.

Tasmania
Tasmania is a natural island, south of the Australian mainland. It is home to the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, a refuge and habitat for rare plants and animals, including survivors of the ancient southern super continent, Gondwana.

Tasmania has a mostly temperate maritime climate, with a prevailing westerly airstream. The west coast and highlands are generally cool, wet and cloudy, while the east coast and lowlands are milder, drier and sunnier.

For more information about Tasmania, visit the Tasmanian Government portal at www.tas.gov.au/.

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