Things I’ve learned about Australia
This would be a great timing if it was close to Australia day… but it is a good topic anyway.
So I was reading a bit online…
Tasmania is part of the Commonwealth of Australia. (I had no idea where Tasmania was)
Australia is a continent, a country and an island… and a commonwealth too. That cannot be said for any other place in the world.
The nation’s capitol is Canberra. (I had never heard of Canberra, I would have guessed Sydney).
The first use of the word Australia in English was in 1625.
Queen Elizabeth presides as Queen of Australia (the whole idea of Kings and Queens is just so foreign to me - I dont get it).
The second most common language is Australia is Chinese, and that is only slightly over 2%, next is Italian, just under 2%.
Most schools require the students wear uniforms.
Some of those later years in school, like grades 11-13 are optional and some are considered college.
White Australians have some of the highest rates of skin cancer
The earliest human remains in Australia is “Mungo Man”
What is the difference between Rugby and Australian rules football?
Australia is also the world’s biggest island.
Canberra is between Sydney and Melbourne (although closer to Syd) - The two biggest cities in Australia.
Schools only go to grade 12. Years 11 and 12 are optional (still considered high school). Everyone sits a School Certificate in year 10.
Skin cancer rates are the highest in the world here, mainly thanks to the hole in the ozone layer.
The main differences between rugby and AFL…
AFL (Aussie Rules) - They kick the ball between the goals to score. It’s played on an oval field. The players kick the ball to each other.
Rugby - They place the ball over the line to score a try. Played on a rectangle field. Players pass the ball backwards to each other. If they kick the players have to be behind the kicker.
There are more differences but those are a few main ones.
I thought I read that in Tanzania there could be a grade 13.
We call Tasmania more like a little sister to Australia, the ugly middle one at that. 
Think what Mexico is to America. Ok enough Tassie bashing hehe
With League, think about non stop gridiron where the ball can only be thrown backwards from the hands, you have a set of six instead of 4 downs where at the end you are forced to turn over possession to the other team. To score you have to get to the other end of the field and cross the line ala a touchdown which is called a try, but the ball must be placed on the ground by either your hands or torso (STUPID RULE) and then get a shot at goal from the angle from where the try was scored and get the oppotunity to kick a goal, which is worth 2 points.
There are more rules and stuff but that’s the gist of it, if you understand at all what I was trying to say.
I thought I read that in Tanzania there could be a grade 13.
there is an option at a lot of schools these days to do year 12 over 2 years, with the second year being called year 13, or if you do your 5 year 12 subjects and don’t get the grades you want, you can also do another few (again in year 13) and take the best 5 out of the two years as the scores to use for your university/tafe aggregates, which are then used (via some stupid complicated system that seems to change a lot from year to year) to calculate your TER (Tertiary Entrance Rank) which is what is used as your score to get into University…then there are all kinds of bonus points etc that are added on to your university aggregate, which affect your TER in different ways…I could go on but I already have enough…
We don’t really call the Queen “The Queen of Australia” but seeing as we voted in a referendum against becoming a republic (don’t remember the exact year - someone who actually had to vote then might) we are still a commonwealth, and as such the Queen is our monarch…The Prime Minister is still the leader of Australia though…I think
And just to confuse the issue more, there are two types of Rugby that get argued about all the time which should get to be called simply “Rugby”, the two types being League and Union…both are played in Australia (Mainly in the eastern states - although I think there is a team from WA in the Rugby League comp now?) with there being a National Rugby League (League) which has only Australian teams, and then there is a Union League (that I can’t think of the name for right now) which has teams from Australia, NZ and South Africa…
The difference between the two games could probably be explained better by someone who actually knows and plays them, because the only real difference I can see is that Union is basically stacks on whoever has the ball and they have to get it out themselves, whereas League once the player is on the ground a new play starts…and there are different points for tries (touchdowns ) and conversions (the kick after the try) in each of the games…both are, as treynolds and Jeremy said, backwards passing games (still with an oval ball), whereas AFL is kind of like…I dunno…I play it and still can’t really compare it to anything…basically the kicking & tackling parts of gridiron, with a ball thats oval but not perfectly oval, and the tackling being pretty much free flowing until the umpire calls for a ball-up (like a jump-ball in basketball), or a free kick for a high tackle (over the shoulder is not allowed), with the rebound part of basketball (when a player grabs it out of the air after someone has kicked it over 15m it is called a mark - where the play stops and the guy who marks it gets a kick with an opponent standing where the mark was taken), and points are scored by kicking it in between the two big posts (6 points) or the two areas outside the big posts in between the smaller posts (1 point)...
and again it is played on an oval, but all of the stadiums here are different size & shape ovals (ie not all the same like in most other sports…)
aaaand I’m done typing…again…sorry for the length…again…anyone want to give me forum response conciseness lessons? 
aaaand I’m done typing…again…sorry for the length…again…anyone want to give me forum response conciseness lessons?
If that existed - Someone would sign me up right away.
Thanks for the long post. I dont mind it at all.
I’d like to learn more about AUS.
I think a topic like this could be fun as the membership grows, and then also as the non-AUS population increases on here.
This could help many learn about Australia.
I find it sad that in American school we never learned more about other countries.
Everyone knows about America, but Americans know so little about everyone else. I wish it wasnt that way. It helps understand why some people / countries dont like us.
I only know slightly more about Canada than I do anywhere else, and you’d think I had been educated on CAN too, but nope.
I like to take opportunities like this to learn. Of course traveling would be my first choice. Someday - I’ll get there.
Did anyone see the movie Australia?
What did you guys think about that?
Was is more good or bad for the country and the historical accuracy?
As far as movies, I thought it was a good one.
Haven’t seen it but no doubt it was “Hollywooded” up to make it more interesting than it was at that point in time, but then again as I said, haven’t seen it don’t know what’s in it.
I’m sure there would be some brilliant scenic shots in there though.
If you want a good Australian movie go see Chopper or The Castle!!
Ohhh sno.. You break my heart.. Being a born Tasmanian, im surprised you didnt know where our little slice of paradise is… I suggest when your in Aus you check it out 
We even have a couple of mtns you can ride, not to mention the cleanest oceans and air :D
So if you were born in Tasmania, that makes you Tasmanian?
pretty cool.
So if you were born in Tasmania, that makes you Tasmanian?
pretty cool.
Correction a “Tastralian” hahhaha
You need to see “a map of Tassie” and the associated state of Australia, then you’ll never forget where it is or the shape of the island.
Tasmania has the southern most rainforest on the planet, the cleanest air on the planet and the best drinking water on the planet. Complete genocide was committed to the Aboriginal people there.
wow.
Just some social tips for Australia
If your going to a BBQ, take some alcohol.
Sometimes an invite will be something like…. “BYO fancy meat and grog”
Meaning generally a salad, bread/buns, and snags (sausages) will be provided by the host.
But if your wanting a fancy sirloin or T-Bone steak you have to bring that yourself.
Left over booze after the party (ie. your few remaining beers in the fridge or half a bottle of wine) should be left for the host as a thanks for putting on the barbie.
Dont go and get it from the fridge before leaving.
If you find yourself at a Aussie barbie you might also hear someone “taking the piss”.
This isnt what you might first think. “Taking the piss” or “pulling the piss” is having a joke or teasing someone about something in a friendly way, usually when that person is present as well.
Say, if your an American at an Aussie BBQ and during conversation someone told you American joke or a joke about your President.
Its not meant to be offensive to you, its just taking the piss out of you.
Also, lets say you were brought to the BBQ by an Australian friend of yours (lets call him Mike).
During the day someone might come up to you and ask you how you got caught up and dragged along here by that bastard Mike and how come you got stuck with a prick like him.
Its not that they think he’s a bastard or a prick, they probably really like him and are just taking the piss and trying to find out how you know Mike.
At the pub you buy rounds.
If you have 4 mates you each take turns going to the bar and buying 4 drinks (usually beer)
Its usually poor form to ask for spirits, unless everyone else in the round is getting spirits as these are more expensive as the other drinks.
The exception is if there a girl in the round, she can usually get whatever she wants (wine/mixed drinks are ok but nothing too fancy).
If you come in in the middle of a round, you have to buy the first round that comes up after you sit down.
If you are in a round you CANNOT leave before you have bought a round. Thats very poor form. If you have to leave ealier than the others you can say “i’ll get the next one” so you can buy your round before you leave.
So if you were born in Tasmania, that makes you Tasmanian?
pretty cool.Correction a “Tastralian” hahhaha
did your 1st or second head say that??
Since the daily members that come around here now, are different than those that came around here a year ago…
I’d like to continue this topic.
Keep teaching me about the AUS!
aaaand I’m done typing…again…sorry for the length…again…anyone want to give me forum response conciseness lessons?
I find it sad that in American school we never learned more about other countries.
Everyone knows about America, but Americans know so little about everyone else. I wish it wasnt that way. It helps understand why some people / countries dont like us
I agree, Growing up everything I knew about Australia was from Mad Max and Crocodile Dundee. I did learn a lot when I started meeting Aussies and Kiwis whn I worked for Vail Resorts in Colorado, tho I was not entirely prepared for the busyness of Sydney when I moved there in 2004