15 Amazing Things To Come Out Of Australia
Australia is full of amazing things. With such a huge territory, vast landscape, mix of cultures, so many interesting things come from the land down under. Too many to list them all, but read on to discover 15 things you probably don’t know are from Australia….
1 The Selfie
An Australian man can claim the first written use of the word ‘selfie’, made in a 2002 forum post. From those humble beginnings, we’ve reached a point of full-on selfie saturation in 2017 with space selfies, funeral selfies, plane crash selfies and more.
2 Vegemite
This yeast extract powers the continent. If Australians didn’t have Vegemite on toast for breakfast, it’s very likely the economy would slide into collapse within a week.
3 Baz Luhrmann
This living legend director brought us the fish tank scene in Romeo + Juliet, the cinematic Marmite that is Moulin Rouge! and a 3D version of the Great Gatsby.
5 UGGS
Before they pounded every high-street in every city from London to Timbuktu, Ugg boots were used for decades to keep surfers’ feet warm on Australian beaches.
6 AC/DC
Did you know AC/DC’s Back in Black (1980) is the world’s 2nd-highest ever selling album, only beaten by Michael Jackson’s Thriller? I imagine that’s what lead singer Angus Young says to anyone laughing at him for performing in a school uniform since 1973.
7 Sydney Opera House
With over 1 million roof tiles, and a cost of $102 million to build, which, by the way was paid for largely by a State lottery. The Sydney Opera House is a cross between a spaceship and a giant, crumpled bit of tissue, Sydney Opera House still generates a sense of wonder in all who clap eyes on her.
8 Heath Ledger
Died by accidental overdose in January 2008, and winning an Oscar for the role of the Joker in the Dark Knight, he is a talent to be missed.
9 The Airplane Black Box
The black box is an electronic device used to record both flight data of an aeroplane as well as recordings of pilots’ and internal cock-pit voices. It is compulsory for all large planes to carry a black box. It was invented by Dr David Warren, an Australian scientist. The point of having the black box is to find out information about how a plane crashed.
10 Kylie Minogue
She is known as ‘Kylie”, and no not Kylie jenner. This Aussie pop princess is on first name basis here.
11 Amazing Olympians
The Sydney Olympic Games in 2000 were a triumph, and Australia has produced many a legendary Olympian, including Ian Thorpe (swimming), Cathy Freeman (400 metre sprint) and Dawn Fraser (swimming).
12 Steve Irwin
Steve Irwin died in September 2006 from a stingray barb to the chest while filming a documentary called Ocean’s Deadliest. The much-loved wildlife expert ran Australia Zoo 80 miles north of Brisbane, as well as hosting popular animal show The Crocodile Hunter with his wife Terri.
13 Hot Actors
Ah-hem,..Hugh Jackman? Chris Hemsworth…need we say more?
14 Wi-Fi
How on earth did we survive without Wi-Fi? (Serious question). John O’Sullivan of Melbourne’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation is seen as paving the way for the now-ubiquitous wireless internet technology in the early nineties.
15 Penguins
Penguins are amazing creatures, able to jump up to six feet out of the water and into the air and some can even walk faster than humans. They’re also super cute and the smallest species of penguins, Fairy Penguins, can be found in Australia.
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