The Australians have great sympathies for “mateship” and everyone’s right to a fair chance, as well as feeling compassion towards anyone struggling at a disadvantage, values originating from a time when the colonies were newly established. Again, and again, these values are found in various heroic stories, and well-known Australians are known and loved just because of their quest to improve the life and conditions of the little man.
Ned Kelly, Australia’s most famous “Bush Ranger” was admittedly a gangster, but at the same time he protested against the poverty and injustice the British class system brought with it into the new colony. The theme of passionate, but far from flawless heroes struggling for what is right, is found in many situations and has inspired several books and films in Australia; Perhaps Julian Assange (known from Wikileaks and as for being accused by two Swedish women of abusing them) is the latest to play the role of an Australian “hero” who fights both for what is right and against his personal demons.
Famous Australian actors/actresses
Perhaps without knowing it, you have seen Australian actors on film, for example;
- Cate Blanchett (wikipedia.org/wiki/Cate_Blanchett)
- Russel Crowe (wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Crowe)
- Errol Flynn (wikipedia.org/wiki/Errol_Flynn)
- Mel Gibson (wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Gibson)
- Chris Hemsworth (wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Hemsworth)
- Hugh Jackman (wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Jackman)
- Nicole Kidman (wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicole_Kidman)
- Heath Ledger (wikipedia.org/wiki/Heath_Ledger)
- Margot Robbie (wikipedia.org/wiki/Margot_Robbie)
- Geoffrey Rush (wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Rush)
- Naomi Watts (wikipedia.org/wiki/Naomi_Watts)
- Hugo Weaving (wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Weaving)

Famous Australian athletes
Sport is a central part of Australian culture, and the country has nurtured several major athletes, for example;
- Allan Border (cricket) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Border)
- Sir Donald Bradman (cricket, the best player in history) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Bradman)
- Pat Cash (tennis) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Cash)
- Dawn Fraser (swimming) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawn_Fraser)
- Cathy Freeman (running) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathy_Freeman)
- Shane Gould (swimming) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Shane_Gould)
- Lleyton Hewitt (tennis) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Lleyton_Hewitt)
- Nick Kyrgios (tennis) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Kyrgios)
- Rod Laver (tennis) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_Laver)
- Glen McGrath (cricket) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_McGrath)
- Kieren Perkins (swimming) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Kieren_Perkins)
- Pat Rafter (tennis) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Rafter)
- Ian Thorpe (swimming) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Thorpe)
- Bernard Tomic (tennis) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Tomic)
- Shane Warne (cricket) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Shane_Warne)
Australian singers and composers
There are dozens of musicians who are big in their homeland, but with a limited international success. Here is a list of some world-renowned and lesser-known Australian musicians;
- Peter Allen (pop) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Allen_(musician)
- Tina Arena (singer) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Tina_Arena)
- Iggy Azalea (rap) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Iggy_Azalea)
- Jimmy Barnes (rock) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Barnes)
- John Butler (roots) (wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Butler_(musician))
- Nick Cave (rock) (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Cave)
- Kasey Chambers (country) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasey_Chambers)
- Smoky Dawson (country) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoky_Dawson)
- Slim Dusty (country) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Slim_Dusty)
- John Farnham (pop) (wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Farnham)
- Sia Furler (pop) (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sia_(musician))
- Peter Garret (rock) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Garrett)
- Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu (Aboriginal songs) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Gurrumul_Yunupingu)
- Missy Higgins (indie) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Missy_Higgins)
- Michael Hutchence (rock) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Hutchence)
- Paul Kelly (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Kelly_(Australian_musician))
- Jimmy Little (Aboriginal songs) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Little)
- Dame Nellie Melba (opera) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Nellie_Melba)
- Kylie Minogue (pop) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Kylie_Minogue)
- Olivia Newton John (pop) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Olivia_Newton-John)
- Guy Sebastian (pop, Eurovision) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Sebastian)
- Harley “Flume” Streten (DJ) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Flume_(musician))
- Dame Joan Sutherland (opera) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Sutherland)
- Keith Urban (country) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Urban)
- John Williamson (country) (wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Williamson_(singer))

Famous Australian artists
For art lovers, there is a lot to discover in Australia, with artists inspired from all kinds of parts of the world. If you can stay away from the beach one day, your local art museum might be worth a visit. Out of many big artists to know of, here is an example of some:
- Arthur Boyd (surrealism) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Boyd)
- Grace Cossington Smith (modernist) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Cossington_Smith)
- Ken Done (colourful paintings and designs) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Done)
- Max Dupain (photography) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Dupain)
- Bill Henson (photography) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Henson)
- Emily Kngwarreye (Aboriginal art) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_Kame_Kngwarreye)
- Norman Lindsay (nude portraits) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Lindsay)
- David Malangi (Aboriginal art) (wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Malangi)
- Queenie McKenzie (Aboriginal art) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Queenie_McKenzie)
- Tracey Moffatt (photography) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracey_Moffatt)
- Albert Namatjira (Aboriginal art) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Namatjira)
- Sidney Nolan (surrealism) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Nolan)
- Margaret Preston (modernist) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Preston)
- John Olsen (landscape paintings) (wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Olsen_(Australian_artist))
- Tom Roberts (impressionism) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Roberts)
- Florence Rodway (modernist) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Aline_Rodway)
- Arthur Streeton (impressionism) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Streeton)
- Rover Thomas (Aboriginal art) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Rover_Thomas)
- Albert Tucker (surrealism) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Tucker_(artist)).
- Brett Whitely (avant-garde) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Brett_Whiteley)
Known Australian authors
Some authors and writers you may come across are, for example;
- Germaine Greer (renowned feminist who is known for the book “The Female Eunuch”) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Germaine_Greer).
- Bryce Courtenay (author behind best-selling book “The Power of One”) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryce_Courtenay)
- Colleen McCullough (wrote the book “The Thorn Birds”) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Colleen_McCullough)
- Patrick White (Nobel prize winner in literature) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_White)
- Thomas Keneally (wrote the book “Schindler’s Ark,” the book behind the film “Schindler’s List”) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Keneally)
- Peter Carey (novelist writer, wrote the books “Oscar and Lucinda” and “True History of the Kelly Gang”) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Carey_(novelist))
- David Malouf (wrote the book “Remembering Babylon”) (wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Malouf)
- Tim Winton (wrote the book “Cloudstreet”) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Winton)
- Kate Grenville (known for e.g. the book “The Secret River”) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Grenville)
- Helen Garner (wrote the books “Monkey Grip” and “The Spare Room”) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Garner)
- Christopher Koch (known e.g. for the book “The Year of Living Dangerously”) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Koch)
- Geraldine Brooks (known for the book “March”) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Geraldine_Brooks_(writer))
- Clive James (journalist and author behind “Unreliable Memoirs”) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Clive_James)
- Germaine Greer (renowned feminist, and among other things, known for the book “The Female Eunuch”) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Germaine_Greer).
Historical writers and poets are, for example;
- Henry Lawson (1867-1922, “The Drover’s Wife”) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Lawson)
- Banjo Paterson (1864-1941, “Waltzing Matilda” and “The Man from Snowy River”) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Banjo_Paterson)
- Henry Handel Richardson (alias for author Ethel Florence Richardson 1870-1946, known for e.g. “The Getting of Wisdom”) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Handel_Richardson)
- Christina Stead (1902-1983, “The Man Who Loved Children”) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Stead)
- Marcus Clarke (1846-1881, best known for the novel “For the Term of His Natural Life”) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Clarke).

Australian politicians
Contemporary politicians to know of, for example;
- Scott Morrison (Prime minister 2019-) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Morrison)
- Marise Payne (Foreign minister 2019-) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Marise_Payne)
- Malcolm Turnbull (ex-Prime minister) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Turnbull)
- Tony Abbott (ex-Prime minister) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Abbott)
- Julie Bishop (Foreign minister 2013-2018) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Bishop)
- Anthony Albanese (leader of the opposition (2019-) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Albanese)
- Bill Shorten (former opposition leader) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Shorten)
- Julia Gillard (ex-Prime minister) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Gillard)
- Kevin Rudd (ex-Prime minister) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Rudd)
- John Howard (ex-Prime minister) (wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Howard)
Previous politicians that sometimes shows up in newspapers are, for example;
- Sir Henry Parkes (a driving force in uniting the colonies into a federal commonwealth) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Parkes)
- Edmund Barton (Australia’s first Prime minister) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Barton)
- Alfred Deakin (Australia’s second Prime minister, leading the Government for three terms) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Deakin)
- Robert Menzies (Australia’s longest serving Prime minister, and founder of the Liberal Party) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Menzies)
- John Curtin (Prime minister during the Second World War) (wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Curtin)
- Gough Whitlam (Prime minister known for his many social, visionary and sometimes controversial reforms) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Gough_Whitlam).
Famous explorers
Many adventurers took to exploring the new continent after Captain Cook’s landing just south of present Sydney in 1770, and the First Fleets arrival in 1788, for example;
- George Bass (wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Bass) and Matthew Flinders (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Flinders) (mapped Tasmania)
- Burke and Wills (led a fatal expedition of nineteen men from Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria in north – only one survivor came back) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Burke_and_Wills_expedition)
- Hume and Hovel (who walked all the way from Sydney to the Victorian coast) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Hume_and_Hovell_expedition)
- Ernest Giles (who ventured through the western deserts on camel) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Giles)
- Sir Douglas Mawson (polar traveller venturing to Antarctica) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Mawson).

Other well-known Australians
Renowned other Australians worth knowing of is, for example;
- Victor Chang (heart surgeon, driving the development of artificial heart valves) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Chang)
- Fred Hollows (ophthalmologist that helped millions of people regaining their sight in developing countries) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Hollows)
- Rupert Murdoch (media mogul) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert_Murdoch)
- Kerry Packer (media mogul) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerry_Packer)
- Database Lurhmann (film director) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Baz_Luhrmann)
- Peter Weir (film director) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Weir)
- John Bradfield (engineer, who for example built Sydney Harbour Bridge) (wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bradfield_(engineer))
- Sir John Monash (engineer) (wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Monash)
- Ben Hall (bushranger) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Hall_(bushranger))
- Ned Kelly (bushranger And Folk hero) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Ned_Kelly)
- Barry Humphries (comedian) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Humphries)
- Eddie Mabo (ran a successful campaign about increased Aboriginal rights and to own their land) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Mabo)
- Julian Assange (leader for Wikileaks) (wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Assange).