Amazing Aussie Facts
World’s 2nd Longest Straight Road
Australia use to have the longest ‘straight stretch’ of road in the world. But now Saudi Arabia claims the title. And we had to change all our signs.
World’s Largest Gold Nugget:
The Welcome Stranger was found in Victoria, Australia in 1869 weighing 70 kg. This huge nugget would be worth almost 3.5 million dollars by today’s standards. Not much considering the find – Lotto gives better odds.
World’s Deadliest Octopus:
The Blue-ringed octopus carries enough poison to kill 26 humans in minutes, yet this deadly little Aussie is only the size of a golf ball. Size doesn’t matter in Australia.
Longest Straight Stretch of Rail Track:
Australia has the longest stretch of dead-straight railway track in the world at 478 kilometres (297 miles). Australia TRAINED hard for that title. (Ouch – bad pun)
More snow than Switzerland
Australia receives more snow than Switzerland, yet many Aussies have never seen snow in their lives.
The Platypus and Echidna:
Australia is home to the world’s only egg-laying mammals. Thus the platypus and echidna must be wary of poaching and frying.
World’s Longest Golf Course
Australia has the world’s longest golf course spanning more than 1,300 kilometres. Golfers certainly deserve their beer at the 19th Hole.’
Sydney Opera House
A perfect sphere would be formed if you could combine all the sails on the Sydney Opera House. But then you’d have a ball at the opera.
2nd For Women’s Right to Vote
In 1902, Australia was the second country in the world to allow women to vote, after New Zealand. I can’t believe the Kiwis beat us.
Australia’s First Police Force
Ironically, Australia’s very first police force was made up entirely of well-behaved convicts. Naughty convicts had their resumes promptly rejected.
The World’s Richest City
Due to the gold rush, in 1880 Melbourne became the richest city in the world. Sydney was offended.
Rabbits and Galahs
In 1859, Thomas Austin released 24 rabbits in Victoria so he could enjoy weekend hunting. By the 1920, it was estimated there was a plaque of 10 billion rabbits Australia wide. Onya Thomas – ya big galah.
Beach Paradise
With 10,685 beaches in Australia, it would take you over 29 years to visit a new beach every day. Time well spent in my book.
Island Hopping
Australia has 8222 islands. It would take you over 25 years to visit a new island every day. Challenge accepted.
COOOOEEEEeeeee
‘COOEE’ is a common call heard in Australia for thousands of years. It originates from the aboriginal word meaning: ‘come here’.
Australia’s Longest Boxing Match
On 3 Dec 1855 at Fiery Creek, Victoria, J. Kelly and J. Smith slugged it out in a bareknuckle match for a face bruising 6 hours and 15 minutes. It was the world’s longest boxing match at this time.
Budgie Smuggler
Australia is the native home of budgies. In 1840, John Gould introduced budgies to England. By 1960, there were more budgies being kept in England as pets than dogs. John is original budgie smuggler.
The Australian Continent
Australia is the world’s remotest, driest, lowest, flattest and most sparsely populated continent that is inhabited. And also probably the deadliest.
Emu or Kangaroo Feathers?
In WW1, when light horsemen were asked about the feathers in their slouch hats, they said they’re special feathers plucked from kangaroos. Aussies are hilarious!
Last Great Cavalry Charge
31 OCT 1917, the Australian Light Horse bravely charged the machine-guns to take Beersheba with arguably the last great cavalry charge in history. Aussie should remember this instead of Halloween.
Deadliest Animal in Australia
The animals that cause the most deaths in Oz are horses, followed by cows then dogs. But those stats would soon change if Aussies rode sharks, milked snakes and kept crocs as household pets.
The World’s Largest:
Australia has the world’s largest reptile (Salt-water crocodile), marsupial (Red kangaroo), Pelican (Australian Pelican), moth (Hercules) and cockroach (Giant burrowing cockroach).
The World’s Smallest:
Australia has the world’s smallest penguin (Fairy / Little penguin), marsupial (Long-tale planigale), bee (Australian Quasinhesma) and starfish (Asterinid sea star), Sea Urchin (Echinocyamus Scaber)
World’s Most Common Eagle
The Wedged-tailed eagle is Australia’s largest and is also the world’s most common eagle. But this common wedgy is quite different from a standard wedgy which can be quite painful.
World’s Oldest Pure Breed Dog
Dingoes are thought to be the oldest pure breed dog in the world. They were the only dog in Australia before white settlement. Dingoes rarely bark – they howl. The Australian Kelpie is believed to be part dingo.
Australia Moons the World
On July 21, 1969, the first eight minutes of Armstrong’s historic moon walk was beamed to the rest of the world from Honeysuckle Tracking Station, near Canberra. What would the world do without us?
ANZAC Volunteers.
All the ANZACs were volunteers – none were drafted. Most had only trained for some four months before landing at Gallipoli. A very sad loss of a brave generation with a different mindset.
