Random Facts

It's always fun to know random facts about a place before you go there, so here is a list of random facts you might not have known before you read this!

-The Great Barrier Reef is the longest reef in the world. It's over 2010 kilometers.
-The average Australian will consume 165,000 eggs in his or her lifetime.
-The average family in Australia has 1.65 children.
-In 1838 it was declared illegal to swim at public beaches during the day. This law was enforced until 1902.
-It has been reported that the first European settlers in Australia drank more alcohol per head of population than any other community in the history of mankind.
-Australia's first police force was a band of 12 of the most well behaved Convicts.
-In 1832, 300 female Convicts at the Cascade Female Factory mooned the Governor of Tasmania during a chapel service. It was said that in a "rare moment of collusion with the Convict women, the ladies in the Governor's party could not control their laughter."
-A baby kangaroo at the time of its birth measures 2 centimeters.
-Kangaroos need very little water to survive and are capable of going for months without drinking at all.
-A kangaroo being chased by a dog may jump into a dam. If the dog gives chase, the kangaroo may turn towards the dog, then use its paws to push the dog's head underwater in order to drown it.
-The day of the Melbourne Cup (a horse race!) is a public holiday in Melbourne.
-The 'dingo fence' in Australia is the longest fence in the world, and is about twice as long as the Great Wall of China.
-Australians may refer to Americans as 'Seppos'. This is an abbreviation for 'Septic Tank' which is rhyming slang for 'Yank'.
-In 1967, Harold Holt, the Prime Minister of Australia went for a swim at the beach and was never seen again. Theories about his disappearance include kidnapping by a Russian submarine, eaten by a shark or being carried away by the tide.
-Per capita, Australians read more newspapers than any other nation.
-It is estimated that 50% of Australians aged 14-19 are active users of Cannabis.

These facts came from:
http://www.australianhistory.org/australian-facts.php
http://www.convictcreations.com/culture/facts.htm