Australian culture and handy tips

Coming to a new country to study can be exciting, but it takes some adjustment. You may find that people behave in unfamiliar ways. And services may not work the same way as they do at home. To help you adjust, here’s a glimpse of what to expect during your time in Australia.

Navigating an unfamiliar culture can sometimes be challenging. Although Australia is culturally diverse, many of its social customs reflect its British heritage as a colonised nation. You might notice, for example, that Australians express their feelings differently from the way people in your own culture do. With time, however, you'll become more comfortable with these cultural differences and better understand how to respond to them, while preserving your own social values.

Equal opportunity

Australians believe in equal opportunity where everyone is treated the same regardless of wealth, background, type of employment or appearance. Women are entitled to the same rights, status and opportunities as men.

Australian law protects people from discrimination based on:

• race, colour, ethnic origin or nationality
• sex, gender or lawful sexual activity
• marital, parent or carer status
• pregnancy, potential pregnancy or breastfeeding
• religious or political belief or activity
• industrial activity (the right to join a union and take lawful industrial action)
• age, physical feature, disability (past, present or imputed) or medical record
• personal association with someone identified by any of the above.

Social customs

• People meeting for the first time generally talk about things like the weather, sport, work, study and hobbies. Topics like personal relationships, politics and religion are usually saved for friends. But there are no strict rules for conversation – you should feel free to discuss things of interest to you.In Australia, media coverage of politics, sex and religion is considered appropriate. You may find this surprising if your home country’s media avoid such topics.
• Australians tend to be informal. They’ll often use first (given) names even with respected elders. But to avoid offending someone, initially use their title and family name (surname). You might say, for example, ‘Mrs Brown’, ‘Dr Brown’ or ‘Professor Brown’ until they invite you to use their first name. You should use ‘Ms’ (pronounced ‘mizz’) instead of ‘Mrs’ for a woman when you don’t know which title she prefers.
• Greetings such as ‘good morning/afternoon’, ‘hello’, ‘g’day’ and ‘how are you?’ are commonly used even between strangers. They’re used interchangeably.To attract someone’s attention, it’s good manners to say ‘excuse me’. You should also say ‘excuse me’ when you want to join or leave a conversation, or depart from a meal.Make sure to say ‘please’ when you ask for something and ‘thank you’ when someone does something for you or hands you something. Otherwise, you might appear rude.
• Not only do Australians have their own particular accent, they speak English with lots of idioms and abbreviations. This slang can sometimes make them hard to understand. If you’re unsure of what something means, don’t be afraid to ask.
• People form queues in various situations, such as when buying goods in shops, waiting for their turn at a bank ATM or waiting for a train to arrive. Australians consider it rude to push ahead of someone in a queue and they won’t tolerate this behaviour.Australians value their personal space and privacy so always make sure to allow a distance of about an arm’s length when you’re queuing, as well as when you’re standing around or talking to other people.
• If you want to see a staff member at University, you should make an appointment first. You should also do this before you visit an acquaintance in their home – best not to drop in unannounced.If you’re invited formally or even informally (in person or over the phone) to an event, it’s polite to reply as soon as possible. Formal invitations usually have a reply (RSVP) date and you’re expected to reply by then.If you’ve accepted an invitation and later find you can’t attend, it’s good manners to let the person who invited you know. Or, if you want to decline an invitation, it’s considered polite to say so (e.g. ‘Thank you, but unfortunately I can’t join you’).Be on timePunctuality is important. Check your appointment or event time and location and allow enough time for travel. If you can’t make it there or you’re running late, let the appropriate person know.
• People tend to dress casually at University and, during the warm summer months, clothing often covers less skin for greater comfort. For example, students may wear shorts instead of long pants and singlets instead of shirts – in Australia, it’s not considered provocative or immoral for women to do so.If an occasion requires formal attire, you’ll usually be told in advance.
• Social gatherings, such as barbeques, dinners and parties, are common in Australia. You might attend a gathering at a private home, park, restaurant or function centre. Sometimes it’s ‘BYO’ which means ‘bring your own’ beer, wine or whatever you prefer to drink. Or it might be a ‘bring a plate’ gathering where each guest brings a plate of food to share. If the gathering is in a restaurant, the cost of the meals is usually split equally amongst the diners.
• Handshakes are commonly used to greet each other or say goodbye, especially among men. In certain social situations, people might give a hug or kiss on the cheek as a greeting.You’ll also see couples showing affection in public (e.g. hugging, kissing and holding hands).
• In some cultures opening a gift in front of the giver is considered rude. But it’s just the opposite in Australia. When receiving a gift, you can open it and express your appreciation.
• Some people employ others to help with household chores, but most people cook and clean for themselves. Manual work isn’t looked down upon and it’s common to see men and women alike doing chores around the house and garden.
• Smoking and vaping aren’t allowed on public transport, in shops, in restaurants, in cinemas or at other public places and events. Nor are they acceptable when you’re outside near a crowd. You can be fined for doing so in prohibited areas. If you’re at someone’s home, it’s polite to excuse yourself and go outside to smoke or vape. Smoking and vaping aren’t permitted on any Monash campus in Australia, including buildings and grounds.
• Australia doesn’t have a strong tipping culture. Some people leave tips in cafés and restaurants if the service is good, but it’s not necessary.
• Bribery isn’t part of Australian culture. It’s illegal in this country and not accepted by society.

• Australia’s main telecommunications companies are Telstra, Optus and Vodafone, but they don’t necessarily offer the cheapest rates. You can look for other companies online and in retail stores.For international calls, you should consider using a prepaid phone card. A variety of cards are available at newsagents, convenience stores and some outlets on campus.For more about your phone options in Australia, go to how to contact your family.Paying for callsIf you’re in homestay accommodation, make sure to arrange with your host to pay for the cost of any calls you make on their private landline phone.Long-distance and international calls are itemised on each telephone bill. The bill shows details for each call, including the:Home owners can readily check if you’ve been making long-distance calls in Australia or calling overseas.If you share a flat or house with other students, reach an agreement at the start about how to fairly share payment of landline telephone bills (including any connection fee). Also, it’s a good idea to list all members of the household as account holders. That way everyone is responsible for paying the bills.
• There are many internet providers in Australia offering a range of services at varying rates. You can choose between prepaid and contract internet plans. We suggest shopping around for the best deal.
• Australia Post manages most postal services (e.g. letters, parcels, money orders and bill paying). You’ll find a post office at most suburban shopping centres. There’s one at the Clayton campus, too.Opening times are generally Monday to Friday from 9am – 5pm, but some post offices are open on Saturdays.The minimum postage cost for mailing a standard letter within Australia is $1.50. You can also buy stamps from most newsagents, convenience stores and milk bars.Australia Post delivers Monday through Friday (except public holidays).Receiving mail or parcels from homeAustralia’s strict quarantine and customs laws also apply to items received in the mail. It’s a good idea to tell your family and friends who live overseas about Australia’s quarantine requirements. Declarations on parcels need to be accurate and provide sufficient detail about the goods inside.
• During the warmer months, most Australian states observe daylight saving time where clocks are moved forward one hour. This allows more daylight hours in the evening. In Victoria, daylight saving time begins on the first Sunday in October and ends on the first Sunday in April.Here’s how you calculate standard time vs daylight saving time in Victoria:
• Melbourne has some of the highest quality drinking water in the world. You can safely drink Melbourne’s tap water without having to boil it first. Not only is it treated to meet strict safety standards, it contains fluoride to help prevent tooth decay.Monash provides free drinking water through the many drinking fountains inside and outside buildings on campus. You can drink directly from the fountains or use them to refill water bottles.
• To protect our natural environment, the Australian Government promotes a number of programs. Recycling and reducing waste. Composting. Tree planting. Saving energy and water. The list goes on.Monash also has its own environmental initiatives. For details, see campus sustainability.Recycling and compostingLocal councils provide every home with one rubbish bin (with a yellow lid) for recyclable items, another (with a red lid) for general household waste and a third (with a green lid) for food and garden organics. Some areas have a fourth bin to separate glass from other recyclables. Your rubbish collection schedule is posted on your local council’s website.When you put out your rubbish, make sure to separate items appropriately. And put your recyclable items loose in the bin – not in plastic bags – so they can be easily sorted.Things that can be recycled include:Instead of throwing out glass and plastic containers, you can reuse them to store food and other things. Also, you can exchange eligible drink containers for 10 cents at suburban refund points.Hard rubbishLarge items of rubbish (e.g. household furniture) are known as hard waste or hard rubbish. Only dispose of hard rubbish outside your house when a collection has been scheduled. For more about hard rubbish collection, contact your local council.Saving energySave energy to make a positive impact on the environment by switching off:Remember, the more electricity you use, the more it will cost.Saving waterWater is a precious resource. Residents in Melbourne have to pay for the water they use. If you leave a tap running, it not only wastes water, but increases your water bill.