Proverbial Wisdom from Australia
Sayings of Australian origin
The clash of ideas brings forth the spark of truth.
Blood is thicker than water.
One man’s meat is another man’s poison.
Australia – land of tomorrow.
Once bitten, twice shy.
Half a loaf is better than none.
In the planting season visitors come singly, and in harvest time they come in crowds.
Dog must not steal from dog.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
If you catch a man, throw him back!
About Australia (An excerpt from Wikipedia)
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is an Oceanian country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It is the world’s sixth-largest country by total area. Neighbouring countries include Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and East Timor to the north; the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to the north-east; and New Zealand to the south-east.
For at least 40,000 years before the first British settlement in the late 18th century,Australia was inhabited by indigenous Australians, who spoke languages grouped into roughly 250 language groups.
Although Australia has no official language, English has always been entrenched as the de facto national language. Australian English is a major variety of the language with a distinctive accent and lexicon, and differs slightly from other varieties of English in grammar and spelling.
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of 381,488, it is Australia’s largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), 280 km (170 mi) south-west of Sydney, and 660 km (410 mi) north-east of Melbourne. A resident of Canberra is known as a “Canberran”.
More Australian Proverbs & Sayings:
The bigger the hat, the smaller the property.
This land shall be inhabited.
You might as well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb.
The flounder does not return to the place he left when disturbed.
Those who lose dreaming are lost.
A bad worker blames his tools.
Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.
God helps those who help themselves.
None as deaf as those who would not hear.
The more you know, the less you need.
Women! Australia needs you too!
One nation, one people, one destiny.
Don’t blow your own trumpet.
It’s like the axe that’s had two new blades and three new handles but otherwise is just as it was when grandfather bought it .
We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love… and then we return home.
May as well be here we are as where we are.
Out in the bush, the tarred road always ends just after the house of the local mayor.
“Advance Australia Fair” is the national anthem of Australia.
Australian National Anthem Lyrics:
Australians all let us rejoice,
For we are young and free;
We’ve golden soil and wealth for toil;
Our home is girt by sea;
Our land abounds in nature’s gifts
Of beauty rich and rare;
In history’s page, let every stage
Advance Australia Fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia Fair.
Beneath our radiant Southern Cross
We’ll toil with hearts and hands;
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands;
For those who’ve come across the seas
We’ve boundless plains to share;
With courage let us all combine
To Advance Australia Fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia Fair.
Australian Proverbs and Their Meanings
Australian sayings blend inherited British proverb wisdom with the wry, understated humour of the bush and the deep spiritual insight of Aboriginal culture, the oldest continuous living culture on earth. Here is what some of the most characteristic of them mean.
- “The bigger the hat, the smaller the property.” — A classic bush saying: those who make the loudest show of importance often have the least behind it. All display, little substance.
- “We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love… and then we return home.” — A well-loved Aboriginal proverb on the brevity of life and the simple purpose of our short stay in the world.
- “Those who lose dreaming are lost.” — An Aboriginal saying: to lose the Dreaming — one’s spiritual tradition and connection to land and ancestors — is to lose one’s very way in the world.
- “Don’t blow your own trumpet.” — Don’t boast about your own achievements. The saying reflects a strong Australian dislike of showing off, close cousin to the “tall poppy” instinct.
- “A bad worker blames his tools.” — People who lack skill fault everything but themselves; a poor result is rarely the fault of the equipment.
- “One man’s meat is another man’s poison.” — What nourishes or delights one person may sicken or repel another; tastes and needs differ from person to person.
- “Once bitten, twice shy.” — A painful experience makes a person cautious the next time round.
- “Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.” — Do not rely on a hoped-for outcome until it has actually come to pass.
- “God helps those who help themselves.” — Good fortune tends to favour the person who takes action, not the one who sits and waits to be rescued.
- “Blood is thicker than water.” — The bonds of family run deeper than other loyalties and tend to hold when others give way.
- “Out in the bush, the tarred road always ends just after the house of the local mayor.” — A dry piece of outback humour about officials who see that public works reach as far as their own front gate and no further.
Frequently Asked Questions About Australian Proverbs
What are Australian proverbs?
They are the sayings used in Australia, blending British and English proverb heritage, the ancient wisdom of Aboriginal Australians, and the laconic, self-mocking humour that grew out of bush and outback life.
What is a famous Australian proverb?
“The bigger the hat, the smaller the property” is a much-quoted bush saying, gently mocking show over substance — a very Australian sentiment.
What do Australian proverbs value?
They value egalitarianism and modesty (“don’t blow your own trumpet”), self-reliance, mateship, and a strong connection to the land — with a healthy suspicion of anyone who takes themselves too seriously.
Are there Aboriginal proverbs?
Yes. Sayings such as “Those who lose dreaming are lost” come from the spiritual traditions of Aboriginal Australians, whose culture reaches back more than forty thousand years and is the oldest continuous living culture in the world.
Explore more in our full library of proverbs and their meanings, or browse related collections of English and Irish proverbs.