Australian Culture

Sport:
Popular sports in Australia include Cricket and various forms of forms of football.  These football games come in the form of Australian Rules Football, Rugby, and Soccer.  Cricket is of particular interest to me because I played, although not competitively, during high school.

Music:
There is a wide variety of music produced in Australia.  This ranges from Indigenous music using instruments such as a didgeridoo, to modern popular music, and everything in between.

Religion/Spiritual Beliefs:
Freedom of Religion is a protected constitutional right in Australia.  As such, there is no state religion. Christianity is the dominant religion, with just under two thirds of the most recent census identifying as such.  Nearly twenty percent identified as no religion in the same poll.  Minority religions are also welcomed, and people of those religions have held public office for years.  Aboriginal culture, unique to Australia, includes a spiritual connection to animals and land.

Food:
Seafood and various meats are popular in Australia.  There is a thriving beef and lamb industry, with barbecues of the meats being a widespread tradition.  Kangaroo is also consumed in the country.

National Holidays and customs:
Australia Day: January 26
Celebrates the founding of the British colony in 1788.
Anzac Day: April 25
Commemorates Australian military members.
Labour Day: Varies
Honors workers in Australia.
Western Australia Day: Early June
Formerly called Foundation Day, celebrating the foundation of the Swan River Colony in 1829.
The Queen's Birthday: Mid June, except in Western Australia, where it is celebrated in late September or early October.
Honors the reigning Monarch of the Commonwealth.

TV/Movies:
Australia has a film production industry, but is also a popular destination for US based productions.  There are also quite a few actors in American films who call Australia home.
Both American and British produced TV shows are popular in Australia.  Australia does also produce some original content, which is aired along with the foreign shows.

Online news sources:
News.com.au
Australian Broadcasting Company News
The Australian

Online forums for expatriates:
PomsInOz

Government:
Australia is a member of the British Commonwealth, having the Queen as head of state.  The governing body of Australia is a three chambered system similar to what is found in the United states, including an Executive, the Prime Minister (currently Tony Abbott), bicameral legislature (Senate President John Hogg; House of Representatives Speaker Bronwyn Bishop), and a system of courts (Chief Justice Robert French).  Australia's major political parties consist of the Australian Labor party, a left leaning party centered around social democracy, and the Coalition of right leaning parties aimed at conservatism, economic liberalism, and agrarianism.