4 Australian stories you need to know (but probably don't)

Good morning! I’m very happy and a little sad today. So you know I’ve been creating content for 3 years straight. I started because I fell in love with sharing informational content that can help you get hired. Brand partnerships were never a part of this grand plan. But guess what? Your boy got a brand partnership offer last week.

It could’ve funded a two week break from work. But it came from an AI resume optimiser, and that was a deal breaker because I don’t believe in that industry whatsoever. Rejecting a brand felt pretty cool though.

Humble bragging aside, let’s talk about this newsletter. This one’s gonna be different. It’s gonna be way way more detailed than you’re used to.

If you're studying, job hunting, or even just trying to feel at home, these 4 Australian stories will help you understand the place you’re living in (or planning to move to). 4 bite-sized reads that explain:

1. Why we acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land, and when did it start

2. Who on earth decided Canberra should be the capital

3. The fight for equality, and;

4. Why are Australians so emotional about sports

Before Australia Was Australia

You’ve seen this before. On job ads, company websites, university events, even in email signatures:

“I acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land…”

By now, most of you just tune out. To you it probably feels like corporate-speak. Something people say because they’re supposed to. But little do you know, it’s part of a bigger story, one that’s shaped how Australia sees itself.

You see, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have lived here for over 65,000 years. That makes it the oldest continuing civilisation on Earth. We’re talking hundreds of languages, intricate legal systems, and land management practices so advanced that modern science is still catching up.

Then in 1770, Captain Cook rocks up and declares it "terra nullius", AKA nobody's land.  Except... 750,000 people were already here. 

What followed was, frankly, brutal. For nearly 200 years, Indigenous people were ignored in the national narrative. They couldn’t vote, weren’t considered citizens, and weren’t even counted in the census.

A ton of notable events including the Mabo decision, the Native title movement, happened in between. And after that, came the National Apology in 2008.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd stood up in Parliament and officially apologised for "laws and policies that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss." It was a huge moment. You can watch it on YouTube (I actually recommend you do).

Understanding this helps you get why reconciliation comes up so often in Australian workplaces and why companies take it seriously. It’s the country's ongoing attempt to build a better relationship with its first peoples.

Why the hell is Canberra the capital 

Everyone within Australia knows Canberra is the capital. People outside Australia? I’m not sure. Everyone also assumes Canberra is boring place, and trust me, while they are right, the story of how Canberra came to exist is actually pretty interesting.

In simple terms, Melbourne and Sydney both wanted to be the national capital. Melbourne had the money and the infrastructure. Sydney had the history and the harbour. Neither would back down. The arguments went on for years. We’re talking: Grown politicians having public arguments about whose city was better.

Eventually, someone said, "Right, we're building a new one."

So they picked a sheep station in the middle of nowhere and called it Canberra. The compromise was pretty cool:

• Put it in New South Wales (so Sydney didn't completely lose)

• But 100+ miles away (so Melbourne didn't completely lose)

Result? The world's largest purpose-built capital city.

Every single decision that affects you gets made in Canberra. Visa policies, university funding, work rights, skilled migration programs, and international education strategy. If you want to understand how opportunities get created in Australia, this is where it happens.

The fight for equality 

Australia gave women the vote in 1902. For context, that's 18 years before America and 26 years before Britain.

That’s right, while women in other countries were literally chaining themselves to parliament buildings, Australian women were voting and running for office.

Despite this head start, progress stopped for a long long time. It wasn't until 1984 that employers couldn't legally ask women about marriage plans in job interviews.

That same year, the Sex Discrimination Act was introduced, finally making it illegal to treat someone unfairly based on their sex, marital status, or pregnancy. The Act was a turning point, but like all good laws, it came after years of women pushing back against the status quo.

That fight for equality is still ongoing. Up until very recently, marriage equality became this massive political issue that dominated headlines for years. After endless debate, the government held a postal survey on same sex marriage in 2017. Thankfully, 61.6% of Australians voted yes, but the whole campaign revealed how divided the country still was about this “supposed issue”.

The fact that you can report discrimination, take parental leave, or get married to whoever you want, those rights weren’t always there. They’re the result of people fighting, loudly.

Sports wrote the national anthem before Parliament 

I remember this one clearly, and it’s not just because I love cricket. It was because of this national meltdown. It was March 2018, during a Test match against South Africa, a little thing called Sandpaper Gate happened.

Basically, the Australian team got caught tampering with the ball using sandpaper. Cheating, plain and simple. The reaction? Oh jeez! people weren’t just angry, they were fuming, they were heartbroken. The Prime Minister made a statement. Grown men cried on live TV. Schools cancelled sport to talk about it.

And that’s the thing, sport in Australia isn’t just entertainment. It’s identity. In fact, you can make the case that even the Australian national anthem, Advance Australia Fair, became official because of sport.

For decades before it was adopted in 1984, Australians sang it at cricket matches, rugby games, and other sporting events. It was already the people's anthem. The government simply followed what the fans had already decided.

This connection between sport and national identity isn’t just history. It’s alive today. Want proof? I’m sure you’ve heard about the Matildas right?

Soccer has never been Australia’s traditional sport. It’s second fiddle to AFL, rugby, and cricket. Yet, when the Matildas took the field at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the nation rallied behind them like never before. Their semifinal match became the most-watched sporting event in Australian history.

Again, this wasn’t just sports, it was a reminder that sports is a part of the Australian national identity. It isn’t just hype. It’s national pride.