Learn about Australia

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have lived on this continent for at least 65,000 years — the longest continuous cultures anywhere in the world. That is not a footnote to Australian history. It is almost all of it.

Before British colonisation there were hundreds of distinct nations here, each with its own Country, law and language; more than 250 languages were spoken. Many are still spoken today, and many more are being brought back.

You will meet this history everywhere you travel — in rock art older than the pyramids, in the names of the places you pass through, and in guided walks led by Traditional Owners. Taking one of those walks is the single best thing you can do on a first trip.

The First Fleet arrived at Sydney Cove on 26 January 1788, establishing a British penal colony. Over the following century colonies spread across the continent.

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples this began dispossession, violence and the removal of children from their families. That is why 26 January is marked by many as Invasion Day or Survival Day rather than celebrated. It is worth knowing before you arrive, because you will see both on the same day.

On 1 January 1901 six self-governing British colonies federated into the Commonwealth of Australia. Those six became the states you travel between today; the territories came later.

Canberra was purpose-built as the national capital — a compromise between Sydney and Melbourne, who both wanted it. It is why the capital is not the biggest city, which surprises most visitors.

Australia covers roughly 7.7 million square kilometres, making it the sixth-largest country in the world — and most of it is very sparsely populated. Around 70% of the continent is arid or semi-arid.

Practically, this means distances are deceptive. Sydney to Perth is further than London to Moscow. Almost nobody drives it in a week. Plan for two or three regions on a first trip, not six.

The climate splits roughly three ways: a tropical north, a dry interior, and a temperate south-east and south-west where most people live.

Six states: New South Wales (Sydney), Victoria (Melbourne), Queensland (Brisbane), South Australia (Adelaide), Western Australia (Perth) and Tasmania (Hobart).

Two mainland territories: the Northern Territory (Darwin) and the Australian Capital Territory (Canberra).

Each state runs its own road rules, school holidays and public holidays — which is why a long weekend can be busy in one state and ordinary in the next.

Australian Eastern Standard Time (UTC+10) covers New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania and the ACT. Australian Central Standard Time (UTC+9:30) covers South Australia and the Northern Territory. Australian Western Standard Time (UTC+8) covers Western Australia.

Daylight saving runs from early October to early April in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT — but not in Queensland, the Northern Territory or Western Australia. During those months the country briefly has five different local times.

In the south: summer runs December to February, autumn March to May, winter June to August, and spring September to November.

The tropical north does not really do four seasons. It has a wet season (roughly November to April — humid, dramatic storms, some roads cut) and a dry season (roughly May to October — warm, clear, and the best time to visit).

Yes, there is snow. The Australian Alps in New South Wales and Victoria have a proper ski season through winter. Whale watching along both coasts runs roughly May to November as the whales migrate.

Kangaroos and wallabies are genuinely everywhere outside the cities, most visible around dawn and dusk. Koalas are harder to spot than people expect — they sleep most of the day.

Australia has the world’s only egg-laying mammals: the platypus and the echidna. Quokkas live on Rottnest Island off Perth, Tasmanian devils in Tasmania, and cassowaries in the far north Queensland rainforest.

Watch, do not touch, and never feed wild animals — it makes them sick and makes them dependent. The same rule protects you.