Cross cultural tips

Indigenous Cultural Protocols

Australia today is a multicultural society and people from every nation on earth are represented in the population. Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders are Australia's indigenous peoples and have special and unique cultures of their own and have many important differences from the rest of the population. It is important to know and understand some of these differences if you intend doing business with Aboriginals or Torres Strait Islanders while you are in Australia.

Here is a link that gives some great tips and has a downloadable brochure for tourists around Indigenous cultural protocols and some interesting Indigenous cultural information.

• Aboriginal Tourism Australia website.

Here are some more links that may assist you in enjoying culturally sensitive interaction with Australia's Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders.

• Getting it Right: A Journalist’s Guide to Working with Indigenous Communities during the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Provides an interesting timeline of key historical events and some clear information.
• Protocols page of the Reonciliation Network: Links to protocols and good general introduction. The website also has a bunch of fact sheets on things like Indigenous history and the Stolen Generation
  
• Brief heritage and culture protocols from the Western Australian Government
• ATSILIRIN protocols resources page: loads of links to various protocols

Australian slang, our cultural melting pot, & how not to confuse cafe waiters

Do Australians really say"Bonza" and "No worries mate, she'll be right!"? (Yes, some do)

If I ask for cream in my coffee in Australia will they understand? (No, we Australians ask for our coffee white or "with milk"... cream, that's for putting on scones and jam)

To solve linguistic mysteries, avoid confusion in cafes, and generally figure out Australian culture try

• Loney Planet's Australian Language & Culture Travel Guide - a cheap, insightful, fun little book
  
• Wikipedia's Culture of Australia page
• The Australian Government's Culture & Recreation portal - yes, Alice Springs does have a "beanie festival"