Growing up in Australia meant sunshine, carefree days, and being terrified out of your mind by some of the most haunting characters ever seen on childrens television.
Australia’s main export is confusingly attractive celebrities, but there’s more to Australia than that. We aren’t just beaches and shrimp on the barbie. We have a rich and complex culture.
The word “icon” has become oversaturated, used to describe almost anything, but these are the true icons. Here’s to the unsung heroes, the things that shaped us, and the references that make little sense to anyone who doesn’t hail from the land down under.
The Irwin Family
Chances are that you remember exactly where you were when you heard that Steve Irwin had died. The enthusiastic and adventurous wildlife conservationist died doing what he loved- befriending wildlife and discovering the beauty of endangered animals.
Banjo Paterson
This lawyer wrote his way into our hearts, becoming one of the most well-known and well-loved poets of a brand new nation, writing a story that would become our unofficial national anthem.
Russell Coight
Who knew that spreading misinformation and causing irreversible environmental damage could make you one of the Australia’s most loved and quoted icons? Russell Coights “All Aussie Adventures” parodies the adventure genre, and although Coight does not actually exist, the love we have for him is very real. How could we not love him when he teaches us valuable lessons such as moving a tree, staying off drugs and calling birds.
Rhonda and Ketut
Advertisings greatest love story has lasted a decade and Australia’s favourite couple has welcomed a baby. Rhonda and Ketut have come a long way from making “hot like a sunrise” a successful mainstream pickup line.
Bluey
Bluey is arguably the best unintentional tourism advertisement that ever ran, capturing the hearts of people around the globe. These cartoon dogs have resulted in American children speaking in Australian accents, the ultimate payback for every 90s Aussie child adopting an American vernacular. The most-watched show ever across all Australian on-demand platforms delights people of all ages and frequently makes parents everywhere dissolve into tears.
Cathy Freeman
The first indigenous Australian to win a gold medal in an international sporting event ran right into our hearts and paved the way for those who follow in her shadow. She established a foundation to help Aboriginal children and their families, creating a myriad of change throughout Australia, and in return we bestowed upon her the highest honour: we immortalised her legacy with an attraction at Scienceworks.
The Wiggles
It doesn’t get much more iconic than the Wiggles. Throw on “rock a bye your bear” at a party and watch a roomfull of drunk adults scream with joy and nail every dance move.
Aleksandr Orlov
Does a CGI anthropomorphic russian meerkat belong on a list of Australian icons? The answer is simples. Aleksandr, his partner Sergei and their adopted son Oleg are the queer icons we didn’t know we needed until they appeared as an advertising campaign for an insurance company. Thanks to Aleksandr and his family and friends we can compare both markets and meerkats with ease.
Captain Starlight
Can you think of a better pseudonym for a bushranger than Captain Starlight? Contrary to what you may think, Captain Starlight is not a super cool superhero. He’s just some guy who pulled off one of the biggest cattle heists in the world in 1870 and was found not guilty by a jury. He may not be a superhero, but his infamy still brings tourists to Starlight’s Lookout and he’s considered a significant part of outback folklore.
Ned Kelly
Speaking of bushrangers, one cannot list Aussie icons without mentioning Ned Kelly. His job titles are listed as bushranger, outlaw, gang leader and police-murderer- now that’s a résumé we’d all like to have. The old bulletproof bucket head had a soft side we don’t often hear of- he even saved a drowning child. His famous final words, “Ah well I suppose it has come to this” and “Such is life” as he was hanged in Old Melbourne Gaol have made him Australia’s most famous criminal- and that’s a pretty significant title in the land down under.
Frank Walker
We probably wouldn’t recognise his face if we fell over him in the street, but every Australian recognises his voice in an instant- and most of us can do a fair impression of him. The sole shareholder of National Tiles is known by all for his unique voice, with his famous radio ads a clear favourite with DJs doing mashups and remixes.
Margot Robbie
To the world, she may be Barbie, but to Australia she’s Donna Freedman. Bizarrely criticized by American viewers for not dropping her natural Aussie accent and speaking in a fake American accent, Margot is a true Aussie icon and probably one of the reasons we are stereotyped as being a national full of nothing but shockingly beautiful people.
The Nutbush
Why did this song about a small American town become so huge in Australia? Why did we all learn it in primary school? What were they preparing us for? We have so many questions about the Nutbush but they’ll never be answered. The Nutbush is just something you don’t question. You hear that music come on and you start Nutbushing without hesitation.
Nancy Bird Walton
The angel of the outback paved the way for female aviators when she became the first Aussie woman to earn a pilots license and founded the Australian Women Pilots Association.
Vegemite
A list of Aussie icons wouldn’t be complete without Vegemite. The bitter umami flavour has divided the world for decades, and has even divided Australia- but, love it or hate it, it is one of our most iconic icons. Only Australians would eat brewery leftovers and declare it the best thing in the world.
Bin Chickens
When non-Australians think of Australian animals, their minds probably conjure up images of kangaroos, koalas and snakes. But true Aussies know that bin chickens are one of our most iconic native animals. They’re the birds we love to hate.
Harold the Giraffe
If you didn’t learn about drugs from a giraffe in the back of a van, did you really recieve comprehensive drug education? Healthy Harold has been educating Australian children for decades.
The Matildas
They may have come fourth in the world cup, but they came first in all our hearts. This is one of the few sports where every Australian supports the same side, and cheering for our team gave our country a sense of camaraderie and unity.
Bunnings Snag
The ultimate family saturday day out: a trip to Bunnings for the weekend sausage sizzle. Life literally doesn’t get better than this. Sausages just taste better when they’re eating in the Bunnings carpark.
Mr G
The fictional drama teacher who taught us more than our real-life teachers released his song Naughty Girl and recieved Aria Gold. Naughty Girl has been remixed various times and probably gets stuck in your head more often than you would like.
Kath and Kim
Kath and Kim represented the everyday suburban Australian and became the highest-ranking comedy series in Australia by season 2. Unfortunately their house has been knocked down, killing hopes for another reboot.
Waiting for a mate guy
His name is Clinton and he was just waiting for a mate when police confronted him after he crashed his car after driving drunk. 10 years later and this quote has been remixed, splattered on merch and used as countless Instagram captions. Legend has it that Clinton is still waiting for his mate.
Alfred from Johnson and Friends
Some childrens shows seep into your conscience, shaping the way you grow and develop. Some make you fear hot water bottles for the rest of your life. Johnson and Friends did both. Most of the toys were unnerving, but Alfred the sentient hot water bottle was on another level of scary- although he was a great source of representation for anxious, neurotic children.
VB Longneck
Your dad probably cracked open one of these to watch the sunrise when you were camping, defending himself with “It’s four o’clock somewhere!”. And he was right. A VB just tastes better in the early morning.
The family from The Castle
The fictional Kerrigan family stole our hearts in 1997 when they fought for their beloved home. This tale of injustice and greed led to us falling in love with the warm, realistic Kerrigans and this movie, which was made in 11 days with a tiny budget, went straight to the pool room.
Holden Commodores
Everybody knows someone with a beaten up mid-2000s Commodore with a P-plate, and this Commodore is an essential part of all your outings. From midnight Maccas runs to extensive road trips, your mates Commodore has your back. The backseat provides the ultimate setting for your first makeout sesh in high school and you get to make friends with the tow truck drivers who come to your rescue when it breaks down.
