Learn About Australia

 


Learn more about Australia and its people, landscape, history and fascinating wildlife with our large collection of worksheets. You might like to save yourself time with our handy Australia Study Pack

Uluru, Australia's Northern Territory
Uluru, or Ayers Rock, in Australia's Northern Territory, is sacred to the Aboriginal people of the area and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

A Little Geography

  • Australia is the only country in the world that covers an entire continent (the smallest of the world's continents). It is one of the largest six nations that is surrounded completely by water.
  • Australia is the world's 6th largest country by area and has a population of around 22 million.
  • Australia's land mass is 32 times greater than the United Kingdom.
  • The mainland and island of Tasmania are surrounded by many thousands of smaller islands.
  • The lowest point is Lake Eyre (16 metres below sea level) and the highest peak is Mt. Kosciuszko (2228 metres above sea level).
  • Nearly 20 per cent of Australia's land mass is classified as desert, with other climatic zones ranging from tropical rainforests to snow covered mountains.
  • 80 per cent of Australian plants and animals are unique to Australia and not found anywhere else in the world, and include the kangaroo, koala, echidna, dingo, platypus, wallaby and wombat.

A Little History

  • Because it was isolated from the rest of the world, Australia was an uninhabited island until about 60,000 years ago. It is thought that the first people arrived from Indonesia in boats that were able to carry them across the Timor Sea.
  • Before the arrival of British colonisers in 1788, Australia was inhabited by the Indigenous peoples - Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders (also sometimes referred to as the First Australians). 
  • Europeans first discovered Australia in 1770 when Captain James Cook mapped the island's east coast and claimed the land for Great Britain.
  • Colonization of Australia began in 1788 when Captain Arthur Phillip landed in Port Jackson, which later became Sydney. On February 7 1788, he issued a proclamation that established the colony of New South Wales. New South Wales was settled as a penal colony – a place where Britain could send convicted criminals because the prisons in Britain were overcrowded. The movement of prisoners to Australia ended in 1868.
  • In 1851, gold was discovered in Australia, which significantly increased the population and boosted the economy.
  • Five more colonies were founded by the mid-1800s (Tasmania in 1825, Western Australia in 1829, South Australia in 1836, Victoria in 1851, and Queensland in 1859).
  • On 1 January 1901, Australia became an independent nation when the British Parliament passed legislation allowing the six Australian colonies to govern in their own right as part of the Commonwealth of Australia. The Commonwealth of Australia was established as a constitutional monarchy. Under the Constitution, the reigning British monarch is also the Australian monarch, and therefore Australia's head of state.

And Some Interesting Facts...

  • Australia is the driest of any continent on earth other than Antarctica.
  • The Great Barrier Reef is regarded as the world's largest living organism, and is often listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World.
  • There are three times as many sheep than people living in Australia. There are also more kangaroos than people!
  • 17 of the world's most poisonous snakes can be found in Australia.
  • The Australian state of Tasmania has the world's cleanest air!
  • The popular sport 'Australian Rules Football' was originally created for cricket players to play in their offseason.
  • Sydney is Australia's largest city, but NOT its capital – Canberra is the country's capital city.
  • Uluru (Ayers Rock) is known as the largest monolith in the world and is over 8km wide at its widest point.
  • Australia has over 10, 000 beaches, so sports like surfing are very popular!

Our "Learn About Australia" Resources

A Day In Australia Diary

A Day In Australia Diary

What do you imagine a day in Austalia to be like? Write about a typical day in this diary entry...

Australia Coat Of Arms Worksheet

Australia Coat Of Arms Worksheet

It's perhaps no surprise that there's a kangaroo on the Coat of Arms of Australia, but can the kids describe the other parts and their significance? They can have a go at designing their own on worksheet 2...

Australia Compare And Contrast Venn Diagram

Australia Compare And Contrast Venn Diagram

Some things about living where you live and life in Australia might be the same (and appear in the intersection of the circles), others might be different - this Venn diagram is a simple way to find out!

Australia Fact Worksheet

Australia Fact Worksheet

Use this Australia fact worksheet to collect and record your research on this fascinating country!

Australia Facts Poster

Australia Facts Poster

Kick off your Australian studies with the help of this simple, easy-to-print facts poster...

Australia Factsheet

Australia Factsheet

Use this Australia factsheet to start off your Australian studies or in displays or lapbooks. 

Australia On Map Of Oceania

Australia On Map Of Oceania

This simple, printable map of Oceania clearly shows Australia marked in red - perfect for displays and topic work.

Australia Picture Gallery

Australia Picture Gallery

You could draw five Australian animals, famous landmarks or anything you choose in this fun picture gallery!

Australia Postcard 1

Australia Postcard 1

Practise postcard and address writing skills with this fun printable postcard from Australia!

Australia Postcard 2

Australia Postcard 2

This fun postcard from Australia activity involves writing and drawing! Can the children design their own postcard from Australia and write it too?

Australia Poster 1

Australia Poster 1

Here's a poster of Australia's impressive coastline to print and use in your displays.

Australia Poster 2

Australia Poster 2

Here's the flag of Australia set within the outline of the country, perfect for classroom displays.

Australia Story Paper

Australia Story Paper

This Australia story paper should spark some creative story writing, or use for writing down your research on the country.

Australia Study Pack

Australia Study Pack

We've got your Australia studies covered with this 25-page pack of activities - some are fact-finding, some are creative!

Australia Tourist Leaflet

Australia Tourist Leaflet

Create your own 3-fold tourist leaflet for Australia with this handy printout - you just need to add some information!

Australia Word Search

Australia Word Search

Find the 15 Australian- themed words in the word search grid - a perfect way to start of your studies on the country.

Australia Worksheet

Australia Worksheet

This simple worksheet is a great introduction to Australia - you can do your own research, or use some of our resources at Activity Village to help you (maybe try our Australia Study Pack)?

Climate Of Australia Worksheet

Climate Of Australia Worksheet

We tend to think of Australia as being hot, but there's more to the climate there than warm sunny weather. Find out a little more then fill in this climate worksheet.

Culture In Australia

Culture In Australia

Sports are popular in Australia, but can you find out which ones? Find out about other aspects of culture in Australia too and fill in the boxes on the worksheet.

Food From Australia Worksheet

Food From Australia Worksheet

Do you know what kinds of food are grown and eaten in Austalia? Do some research then fill in this fun worksheet, which includes a plate for drawing a meal on...

Guest Post - Learning About Australia

Guest Post - Learning About Australia

Activity Village has lots of resources and activities to help the kids learn about Australia. In this guest post, Shelly and her kids learn about this unique country using colouring maps, a quiz and a wordsearch puzzle.

Introduction To Australia

Introduction To Australia

Learn some useful (and interesting!) facts about the fascinating country of Australia by reading our two-page fact sheet.

Packing For Australia Worksheet

Packing For Australia Worksheet

Going to Australia would be a fantastic adventure, but what would you need to pack if you were going there? Do some research then write or draw the items in the suitcase...

Wildlife Of Australia Worksheet

Wildlife Of Australia Worksheet

Over 80 per cent of Australian plants, mammals, reptiles and frogs are unique to Australia and found nowhere else in the world. Find out about some of them (and the plants of Australia too) and fill in this Wildlife of Australia worksheet...

More About Australia

Australia Worksheets
Australia Worksheets

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