Australia trivia: 46 questions and answers

Canberra. Canberra, a planned city in the Australian Capital Territory, has been the seat of Parliament since 1927. Sydney is the biggest and oldest city, but not the capital.

Mount Kosciuszko. Mount Kosciuszko in New South Wales, 2,228 m high. Uluru is a 348 m high rock, Mount Wellington rises above Hobart in Tasmania, and Aoraki / Mount Cook is in New Zealand.

False. False. English has no legal status as an official language in Australia, although it is the national language in practice.

False. False. Australia has no land borders. Its nearest neighbour is Papua New Guinea, just across the sea: Saibai Island in the Torres Strait is only about 4 km from the Papua New Guinea coast.

At least 50,000 years. At least 50,000 years. Dating at the Madjedbebe rock shelter in Arnhem Land suggests people may have been there about 65,000 years ago.

26 January. 26 January 1788. For many Aboriginal people the date is also a day of mourning and protest. 25 April is Anzac Day, 1 January 1901 was Federation, and 9 May saw the openings of Parliament in 1901, 1927 and 1988.

The Netherlands. The Netherlands. The Duyfken was a small Dutch ship, captained by Willem Janszoon, sailing from Java. The Dutch called the land New Holland.

False. False, although this is often said. All Aboriginal people could already choose to vote in federal elections from 1962. The 1967 referendum, approved by 90.77 percent of voters, let the federal Parliament make laws for Aboriginal people and counted them in the national population.

True. True. The case brought by Eddie Mabo and others from Mer in the Torres Strait rejected terra nullius and recognised native title.

No won, with about 55 percent. No won, with about 55 percent: 54.87 percent voted No, and no state had a Yes majority, so Australia remains a constitutional monarchy.

False. False. The proposal was not approved: about 60 percent of voters, and a majority in each of the six states, voted No.

The landing at Gallipoli in 1915. The landing at Gallipoli in 1915, when Australian and New Zealand troops landed in Turkey during the First World War. Today Anzac Day remembers all who served and died in war.

Leftover brewer's yeast. Leftover brewer's yeast. Cyril Callister developed the salty spread in Melbourne in 1922, and it is spread very thinly on buttered toast.

Chocolate icing and desiccated coconut. Chocolate icing and desiccated coconut. Lamingtons are believed to be named after Lord Lamington, Governor of Queensland from 1896 to 1901.

Anna Pavlova, a Russian ballerina. Anna Pavlova, a Russian ballerina who toured Australia and New Zealand in the 1920s. Both countries claim to have created the dessert.

A sausage in bread sold at a polling place. A sausage in bread sold at a polling place, usually at a sausage sizzle raising money for a school or club.

True. True. They also contain flour, sugar, butter and usually coconut, and are baked especially around Anzac Day.

False. False. It comes from Italian immigrant cooking in the United States. It was known in Australia by the 1950s and is now a pub classic, called a 'parma' or 'parmi'.

Macadamia. Macadamia. The trees grow wild in Queensland and northern New South Wales, and the nuts were an important bush food for Aboriginal peoples.

As a compromise between rivals Sydney and Melbourne. As a compromise between rivals Sydney and Melbourne, which both wanted to be the capital. The new city was named in 1913, and Parliament moved there in 1927.

The Anangu. The Anangu of Central Australia. The Eora are from the Sydney area, the Noongar from the south-west around Perth and the Larrakia from Darwin.

False. False. Out of respect for the Anangu, climbing Uluru has been banned since 26 October 2019, and the chains that helped climbers were removed.

Queensland. Queensland. The reef stretches for over 2,300 km, and boats from Cairns take visitors out to it.

Jørn Utzon. Jørn Utzon, from Denmark, won in 1957. Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin designed Canberra.

False. False. There were probably never twelve: nine stacks were counted, and seven are still standing.

True. True. It opened there on 9 May 1901. In 2004 the building became the first in Australia to be listed as a World Heritage Site.

Platypus. Platypus. The platypus and the echidnas are the only living mammals that lay eggs, and they are found only in Australia and New Guinea.

5,614 km. 5,614 km, one of the longest structures in the world. It keeps wild dogs away from sheep in the south-east.

True. True. A law of 1924 made voting compulsory, and it was first used at the 1925 federal election.

False. False. They are made of polymer, a kind of plastic. Australia issued the first polymer banknote in 1988, and by 1996 all its notes were polymer.

More than 250. More than 250, with many more dialects. Far fewer are still spoken today.

The afternoon. The afternoon, as in 'See you this arvo'. A pickup truck is a ute, and a cool box is an esky.

Flip-flops. Flip-flops, the rubber sandals. Sunglasses are sunnies, swimming costumes are togs, swimmers or bathers, and sausages are snags.

A sausage. A sausage. A chicken is a chook, and the barbie is the barbecue itself.

True. True. It comes from gangurru in the Guugu Yimithirr language of far north Queensland, first written down by Joseph Banks in 1770.

You're welcome, no problem. You're welcome, no problem. It is a very common Australian phrase, used to reassure someone that everything is fine.

I'm paying. I'm paying, often for a round of drinks or the coffees. Friends usually take turns to shout.

Make a U-turn. Make a U-turn. 'Chuck' means throw, and a 'U-ey' is a U-turn.

True. True. Since 1981 it has meant slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat. In 2007 'seek' shade and 'slide' on sunglasses were added.

True. True. 'Heaps' is used for 'very' or 'a lot' all over Australia, and 'heaps good' is especially loved in South Australia.

000. 000, called Triple Zero. From a mobile phone, 112 also works and is connected to 000. 999 is used in the United Kingdom and 111 in New Zealand.

Between the red and yellow flags. Between the red and yellow flags, where lifesavers are watching. Calm-looking water can hide a rip current, the main danger on Australian beaches.

False. False. Australians drive on the left, as in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Japan.

Call 000, keep them still and wrap a firm bandage over the bite and up the limb. Call 000, keep them still and wrap a firm bandage over the bite and up the limb. Do not wash the bite: venom left on the skin can help doctors identify the snake.

True. True. They are found from Broome in Western Australia across the Top End to Gladstone in Queensland, so obey crocodile warning signs.

New Zealand. New Zealand. New Zealand citizens receive a visa on arrival. Everyone else, including British, American and Canadian visitors, must apply before travelling.