Mate culture and Australian mentality
G'day mate is the characteristic way Australians greet each other. A sign of a lack of social hierarchy and a camaraderie reminiscent of the familiarity of former convicts, this term is used today in all sorts of ways: with family, friends, colleagues, neighbors, and even complete strangers when first meeting at the supermarket checkout or even at the bank! Be careful not to use it systematically, as a foreigner, it is better to tame this term little by little. By observing the interactions between Australians, you will notice this taste of mutual aid, volunteerism and this real willingness to put you at ease. Australians are known for their willingness to give back to the community, whether it's in their social circles, their neighborhoods or in various organizations. More than six million Australians (1/3 of the population over 15 years old) are volunteers, helping out in areas such as emergency services (firefighters, ambulances, first aid, etc.), social assistance, environmental protection, etc. This mentality would come once again from the "roots" of the immigrants at the origin of the Australian nation: during the first years of colonization, it was necessary to be able to count on one's fellow man to integrate and become familiar with this new environment tens of thousands of kilometers away from the mother country! Thus, human relationships are quite easy in Australia, there is no difficulty in making connections and approaching people.
The cult of sport
The ocean that surrounds the continent perpetuates the relationship of Australians with the outdoor world: the beach and the ocean shape the Australian way of life and mentality. The sea offers a constant source of leisure, the famous beach culture. The cult of surfing, with its specific codes and philosophy, is also a state of mind: on his board, the surfer drops all precepts of social categories and cultural origins. Surfing escapes the labels of society and creates a unifying feeling accessible to all.
More generally, sport is a dominant part of Australian life and conversation. Over 70% of the population plays a sport once a week, either for exercise or recreation, and almost all Australians have some sort of sporting interest. Walking, soccer, fitness, swimming, cricket, golf and tennis are practiced almost everywhere. On the coastal areas, there is of course boating, fishing, surfing and swimming. Australia has more than 120 national sports organizations and local government clubs. The most popular sports are Australian Rules Football (or footy), horse racing, motor sports, Rugby League (rugby league) and cricket.
Outback social life
Far from the modern metropolises that line Australia's coastline, farms inhabit isolated lands where the way of life differs drastically from large urban centers. These farms, known as cattle stations, employ most of theOutback's inhabitants. The sector provides over 90% of the country's food self-sufficiency and remains a mainstay of Australian exports. At the heart of these landholdings, it's not uncommon to come across the stockmens, the Australian cowboys in charge of the cattle: up to 20,000 cattle can graze here. These immense farms can exceed the size of a French department and stretch for dizzying distances. A helicopter is often needed to fly over them and round up the herds of cattle that roam wild. Australia's largest station, reputed to be the world's largest farm, is Anna Creek, located in South Australia. The property covers an area of 24,000 km², more than the size of Israel! TheOutback is dotted with remote, sleepy little towns. The atmosphere is very special and takes us back in time, sometimes more than a century, both in terms of the architecture and the behavior and lifestyle of its inhabitants. In some areas of theOutback, villages are ultimately characterized by simple crossroads where a roadhouse stands, a single building that serves as accommodation, pub, gas station, supermarket and post office! Australia has also created the Flying Doctors: with its fleet of over 80 aircraft, it is the world's leading air ambulance service. On the other hand, there are two ways for farmers' children to go to school: boarding in a remote town or taking lessons by correspondence. In 1951, the firstSchool of the Air was set up in Alice Springs, where teaching took place via radio. The principle is simple and has now been democratized, as the Internet has transformed the situation. Finally, to attract workers to the remote, inhospitableOutback mining regions, mining companies have introduced a shuttle system called Fifo ("fly-in-fly-out"): workers can return to the city during their vacation period after long shifts.
Growing up and living in Australia
Growing up and living in Australia means being subject to obligations and customs that can be quite peculiar. From the moment they start school, Australian children often wear uniforms: whether in public or private schools, uniforms are still widely worn, although they are not compulsory. The final exam at the end of high school, equivalent to the baccalauréat in France, takes place at the end of spring, i.e. in early November, just before the summer vacations. It is called theHigher School Certificate in NSW or the Victorian Certificate of Education in Victoria. It generally heralds two unmissable events for young Australians: the " prom " and the " schoolies ", two customs strongly inspired by the USA. The " prom " is the unmissable school prom for high school students. The girls invest in chic dresses with sequins, rhinestones and high heels. The boys also dress up, playing up elegance and tradition by wearing tails. The schoolies, which follow the end-of-year prom, are the few days of vacation taken by any self-respecting high-school student to celebrate the end of high school. Young Australians, generally left to their own devices during these vacations, set aside all the rules and obligations imposed during the school years. The Gold Coast is the perfect place for schoolies, and thousands of young people head there every year at this time. After the stress of exams, it's time for total relaxation, and the festivities are often synonymous with heavy drinking, accompanied by a choice of drugs, risky betting, sex games or even arrest by the police. Schoolies, an institution for young people, give rise every year to prevention messages in the press... in short, an event that doesn't always reassure parents! Growing up in Australia, over and above the school rituals and drunken festivities, also means adapting to a climate that makes you dream, but isn't always the best ally for your health. The settlers, most of whom came from England and Ireland in the 18th century, had never been used to this mild weather and almost omnipresent sun. The settlers' white, freckled skin has often been passed on to current generations, and this type of skin is not adapted to the UV rays that hit so hard in the southern hemisphere. As a result, Australia holds the sad world record for cases of skin cancer: 80% of cancers diagnosed in the country are melanomas. So don't be surprised by the endless sessions of SPF 50 sunscreen application whenever an Australian is exposed to the sun's rays. Sun protection is taken very seriously here! In fact, a campaign launched in the 1980s detailed the basic precautions to be taken: "Slip, slop, slap" - "wear covering clothing, slather on sunscreen and protect your head with a hat". A well-known Australian anthem!
Morals and society facts
In Australia, social progress came much faster than in Great Britain. By the end of the 19th century, Australian incomes were among the highest in the world, and workers earned higher wages than British workers. The 8-hour working day was introduced in Australia in the 1850s, whereas in Great Britain it was not introduced until 1919. As far as gender equality is concerned, although there is a big difference between the attitudes adopted or followed in the capital cities and in the Outback, men still predominate in Australian society, even though female independence is a recognized fact and numerous associations exist. Women's suffrage was granted in 1902 (16 years before Great Britain), and Australia is one of the countries where companies do their best to reduce the gender pay gap. The wage gap between men and women has been estimated at 13% in 2023, one of the lowest in the world.
Alongside these advances, abortion is still considered a crime in the eyes of the law, until 2019 in New South Wales, the country's most populous state. The struggle of Australian women continues, particularly with regard to sexual violence: in 2022, the culture of harassment was denounced on numerous occasions during massive demonstrations - the #MarchForJustice marches - in cities across the country.
In 2017, conservative Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who favors gay marriage, consulted Australians by mail on the adoption of a law allowing same-sex unions. In December, Parliament approved the legalization of gay marriage, after a national survey garnered 62% in favor. Since 2014, following a court ruling, a person can be recognized as gender-neutral. There is, however, a downside: Australian society, while progressive, is still marred by many forms of racial and sexual intolerance.
