A Look at Etiquette in Australia

There are few hard and fast rules for Australian etiquette. As a people in general Australians have little time for considered politenesses.

Oh we are friendly enough, but don’t ever think your social position is higher and therefore we will allow you stand on a higher rung. Never gonna happen here.Australians won’t give a damn if you are a prince or pauper.

If you are in line first you get in first there is no stand aside and let the prince through. Tall poppy syndrome sprouted in Australia and has flourished ever since in our backyard gardens.

Sorry, but if anything, this is the country where equality rules. Ask our prime minister, no doubt about it if the guy with the top job is still known as Kevin or Kev or KRudd if he’s your friend on twitter, then no-one else is going to be handled with care either.

The cities harbour some smarmy wanna be’s who oil the clients with mam or sir’s but step outside the city boundaries and mate is the best you can expect; and that’s a good thing. A mate is a friend, a mam or a sir is an alienation.

In Australia we don’t tip. Yes, we won’t say no if you are silly enough to tip that would be plain stupid! But we just refuse. Tipping is so totally foreign to us that should someone stood with their hand held out in expectation we would have to give back the bath gel we just pocketed, out of guilt!

Workers in service industries here are actually paid wages, tipping isn’t required to bring the incomes up to a normal wage.

As a nation birthed from expelled convicts,  Australians have a natural distrust of any authority that places itself above the ordinary man and a firm belief in the saying “Rules are made to be broken.”

.A good example is the ‘No smoking within 6 metres of this doorway’ signs, just look where the ashtray is sitting!

Logic plays a huge part in whether or not a rule is broken, adhered to rules obviously make sense. Those that are broken don’t, which makes them vulnerable to common man using his common sense!

When as Aussie is told ‘you can’t do that!’ he sees it as a challenge to prove he can and will do it: a dare if you like. 

This is why etiquette fails to conquer the everyday Aussie. Yes, he might use the soup spoon to eat his soup but to take the soup from front of bowl to back with it, highly unlikely. Just another of those stupid do nothing rules!

As to whether the bread is broken or cut or the chicken leg picked up who cares as long as it tastes good?

Australians are faster than most to come to the aid of anyone in distress. Once someone has been an Australian resident for a few short years this attitude rubs off and as a nation on the whole we are a sympathetic and empathic lot.

We don’t like to walk passed the homeless without dropping coinage, it physically hurts to have to say no to any charity situation. But rather than admit we are broke the usual smart alec will remark ‘get a job’ cringing inside as he does so.

The Aussie wit is quick and snappy, and used many times to cover discomfort. 

Even in something as simple as an R.S.V.P. where the instruction is clearly to reply by mail, the Aussie will simply shortcut the process and pick up the phone, (or just turn up on the day!).

Of course there are social situations where diplomacy is a must and we generally manage to follow the rules to a T albeit begrudgingly: we are that sort of people, we can do it when we want!