Australia

Australia is a country in the Southern Hemisphere, set between the Indian and Pacific oceans and made up of the mainland, Tasmania and many smaller islands. This Australia travel guide begins with its place on the map, then covers its people, history, culture and food. Distance shapes everything here, so location matters before any plan.

Last checked: November 2026

Where Is Australia Located?

The mainland lies south of Indonesia, Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea, separated from them by the Timor Sea, the Arafura Sea and the Torres Strait. New Zealand is more than 2,000 kilometres to the south-east across the Tasman Sea. The capital is Canberra, a planned inland city in the Australian Capital Territory, roughly between Sydney and Melbourne.

Australia covers about 7.7 million square kilometres, which makes it the sixth-largest country in the world by area. The Great Dividing Range runs along the east coast, the interior is mostly dry, and the Murray-Darling river system drains much of the south-east. The Great Barrier Reef stretches for about 2,300 kilometres off Queensland, and Mount Kosciuszko, at 2,228 metres, is the highest point on the mainland.

A map can make the cities look closer than they are. Sydney to Perth is about 3,300 kilometres in a straight line, so most visitors fly between regions. Our guide to flights to Australia covers the international airports, and the guide to getting around Australia explains domestic flights, trains and car travel.

The mainland has three standard time zones: Australian Western Standard Time (UTC+8), Australian Central Standard Time (UTC+9:30) and Australian Eastern Standard Time (UTC+10). New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory move their clocks forward for daylight saving from early October to early April. Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory don’t. Seasons are reversed compared with Europe and North America, so read the month-by-month guide to the best time to visit Australia before you choose dates.

Australia Travel Guide: What Should You Know About the Country?

Australia is officially the Commonwealth of Australia, a federal parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy. Its capital is Canberra, its currency is the Australian dollar and English is the main language in daily life. About 27.9 million people live there, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) estimate for 31 March 2026.

The country has six states, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania, and two mainland territories, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory. The 27.9 million figure is for the whole country and counts usual residents, not visitors. Most people live in coastal cities in the south-east and east.

Australia is known for the Great Barrier Reef, Uluru, the Sydney Opera House, surf beaches and animals such as kangaroos, koalas and wombats. Many of its plants and animals are found nowhere else, which is one reason national parks matter so much here.

Many visitors assume Sydney or Melbourne is the capital. Canberra was created as a compromise between those two rivals, and Parliament has sat there since 1927. The Constitution doesn’t name an official language, and the 2021 Census recorded more than 300 languages spoken at home.

Planning starts with entry rules, so check the Australia visa guide for tourists early. The best places to visit in Australia are grouped by type of trip, and the Australia itineraries show how to link regions without losing days to transport. When you’re ready to pick a base, where to stay in Australia compares areas by city. For official trip ideas, see Tourism Australia. The population figure comes from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

What Is the History of Australia?

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have lived in Australia for at least 60,000 years, long before European contact. Britain began a colony at Sydney Cove in 1788, the six colonies joined as one country on 1 January 1901, and Australia has since grown into a multicultural democracy.

First Nations history

Archaeological work at Madjedbebe in the Northern Territory points to human presence about 65,000 years ago, although researchers still debate exact dates. At the time of European arrival, there were hundreds of distinct nations and more than 250 languages across the continent.

European arrival and the colonies

Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon sighted the northern coast in 1606. James Cook charted the east coast in 1770 and claimed it for Britain. The First Fleet of 11 ships reached Botany Bay in January 1788 and settled at Sydney Cove on 26 January. Convict transportation continued until 1868, and the gold discoveries of 1851 in New South Wales and Victoria drew migrants from many countries.

Federation and the twentieth century

The Commonwealth of Australia began on 1 January 1901. The site for Canberra was chosen in 1908, and Parliament moved there in 1927. Australian troops landed at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915, an event remembered each year on Anzac Day. In the 1967 referendum, voters backed constitutional changes that allowed Aboriginal people to be counted in the census.

Modern Australia

The White Australia policy was dismantled in stages between 1949 and 1973, and migration from Asia, the Middle East and Africa grew afterwards. In 1992 the High Court’s Mabo decision recognised native title. On 13 February 2008, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivered a national apology to the Stolen Generations in Parliament.

What Is Australian Culture Like?

Australian culture combines some of the world’s oldest continuing cultures with British-derived institutions and waves of migration from Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific. Daily life is informal and outdoors, centred on beaches, sport, coffee and weekend barbecues. Respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures is a growing part of how people are expected to behave.

Language

Australian English has its own accent and slang, such as arvo for afternoon and servo for service station. Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages are still spoken, and several are being revived through schools and community programs.

Religion

In the 2021 Census, 43.9 percent of people identified as Christian and 38.9 percent reported no religion. Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism are also practised. For many First Nations people, spirituality is tied to Country, a word that covers land, water, sky and the relationships within them.

Festivals and public holidays

• Anzac Day (25 April): dawn services and marches honour military service.
• Australia Day (26 January): a public holiday that many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people mark as Survival Day or Invasion Day, and the date remains debated.
• NAIDOC Week (July): celebrates First Nations history and achievements.
• Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (February or March): one of the largest parades in the country.

Etiquette

Greetings are relaxed, and first names are normal in most settings. Tipping isn’t expected because wages include service, although people sometimes round up for good service. Sun protection is part of daily routine because of strong ultraviolet levels. Some sites are sacred, so follow signs and ask before photographing people. The climb at Uluru was permanently closed on 26 October 2019.

Music and arts

The yidaki, often called the didgeridoo, comes from northern Australia and is traditionally played by men in some communities. Western Desert acrylic painting began at Papunya in 1971 and grew into one of the best-known contemporary art movements. The Sydney Opera House hosts opera, orchestral music and theatre, and popular music has produced acts such as AC/DC and Kylie Minogue. Cricket, Australian rules football and rugby league fill much of the sporting calendar.

What Is Australian Food Like?

Australian food mixes British-style baking and pies, fresh seafood, native ingredients and flavours brought by migrants. Typical staples include meat, seafood, bread, dairy and tropical fruit, while café coffee culture and multicultural dining define everyday eating in the cities.

Staples

Beef, lamb and seafood are common, and bread, rice and potatoes fill out most meals. Regional differences are clear. Tasmania is known for cold-water seafood, Queensland for mangoes and tropical fruit, and South Australia for wine regions such as the Barossa Valley. Native bush foods such as macadamia nuts, lemon myrtle, wattleseed and finger limes appear on more menus each year.

Signature dishes

• Meat pie: a baked pastry filled with minced beef and gravy, often eaten with tomato sauce.
• Chicken parmigiana: a crumbed chicken cutlet topped with tomato sauce and cheese, a pub favourite.
• Barramundi: a white fish from northern waters, usually grilled or pan-fried.
• Fish and chips: fried fish and thick chips, often eaten by the sea.
• Vegemite on toast: a salty yeast spread that is best used thinly.
• Kangaroo fillet: lean meat that is usually seared and served medium-rare.
• Moreton Bay bugs: small, sweet slipper lobsters from Queensland and New South Wales.
• Sydney rock oysters: small oysters farmed along the New South Wales coast.
• Damper: a simple bread traditionally baked in the coals of a campfire.
• Roast lamb: a Sunday meal with roast vegetables and gravy.

Street food

The sausage sizzle, a grilled sausage in bread with onions, is sold at community fundraisers across the country. The halal snack pack, chips topped with kebab meat and sauces, is a late-night staple in the big cities. Markets such as Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne sell pies, dumplings, doughnuts and hot food from many cuisines.

Drinks

The flat white, an espresso drink with silky milk, is served in nearly every cafe, and both Australia and New Zealand claim its origin. Wine comes from the Barossa Valley, Margaret River, the Yarra Valley and the Hunter Valley. Lemon, lime and bitters is a popular non-alcoholic pub drink.

Desserts

Lamingtons are sponge squares dipped in chocolate and rolled in coconut. Pavlova, a meringue base topped with cream and fruit, is claimed by both Australia and New Zealand. Anzac biscuits use oats, coconut and golden syrup, and they’re linked to the soldiers of the First World War. Fairy bread, white bread with butter and sprinkles, is a children’s party staple.