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Wikipedia portal for content related to Australia

Welcome to the Australia portal!

Introduction  


The flag of Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands. It has a land area of 7,688,287 km2 (2,968,464 sq mi), making it the sixth-largest country in the world, and is the world's flattest and driest inhabited continent. It is a megadiverse country, and its size gives it a wide variety of landscapes and climates, including deserts in the interior and tropical rainforests along the coast.

The ancestors of Aboriginal Australians began arriving from Southeast Asia 50,000 to 65,000 years ago, during the Last Glacial Period. By the time of British settlement, Aboriginal Australians spoke more than 250 distinct languages and had one of the oldest living cultures in the world. Australia's written history commenced with Dutch exploration of most of the coastline in the 17th century. British colonisation began in 1788 with the establishment of the penal colony of New South Wales. By the mid-19th century, most of the continent had been explored by European settlers and five additional self-governing British colonies were established, each gaining responsible government by 1890. The colonies federated in 1901, forming the Commonwealth of Australia. This continued a process of increasing autonomy from the United Kingdom, highlighted by the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942 , and culminating in the Australia Act 1986 .

Australia is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarchy, and a federation comprising six states and ten territories. Its population of almost 29 million is highly urbanised and heavily concentrated on the eastern seaboard. Canberra is the nation's capital, while its most populous cities are Sydney and Melbourne, each with a population of more than five million. Australia's culture is diverse, and the country has one of the highest foreign-born populations in the world. It has a highly developed economy and one of the highest per capita incomes globally. Its abundant natural resources and well-developed international trade relations are crucial to the country's economy. It ranks highly for quality of life, health, education, economic freedom, civil liberties and political rights.

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A Vultee Vengeance of No. 12 Squadron in December 1943

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) operated Vultee Vengeance dive bombers during World War II. The Australian Government ordered 297 of the type in late 1941 as part of efforts to expand the RAAF. This order was later increased to 400 aircraft. A few Vengeances arrived in Australia during 1942, and large-scale deliveries commenced in early 1943; further orders were cancelled in 1944 after 342 had been delivered. (Full article... )

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Loxton c. 1948

Samuel John Everett Loxton OBE (29 March 1921 – 3 December 2011) was an Australian cricketer, footballer and politician. As a cricket player he played in 12 Tests for Australia from 1948 to 1951. A right-handed all-rounder, Loxton was part of the Invincibles, who went through the 1948 tour of England undefeated, an unprecedented achievement that has never been matched. As well as being a hard-hitting batsman, Loxton was a right-arm swing bowler who liked to aim at the upper bodies of the opposition, and an outfielder with an accurate and powerful throw. After being dropped from the national team, Loxton represented Victoria for seven more seasons before retiring from first-class cricket. He served as an administrator after his playing days were over and spent 24 years as a Liberal Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. Up until 1946, Loxton also played in the Victorian Football League (VFL) for St Kilda as a forward. In all three arenas, he was known for his energetic approach. (Full article... )

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In the news  


28 July 2026 – 2026 Victorian Labor Party leadership election
In Australia, Victorian premier Jacinta Allan resigns, triggering a leadership spill. Ben Carroll is elected unanimously as the new Premier and Victorian Labor Party leader. (ABC News Australia) (Reuters)
21 July 2026 –
The Australian reports that Australian doctor Tareq Kamleh, who traveled to Syria to join the Islamic State, is found alive in a prison in Baghdad, Iraq. (ABC News Australia) (The West Australian)
6 July 2026 – Australia–Fiji relations
Australia and Fiji sign a defence pact, making Fiji one of Australia's treaty-bound allies and committing both countries to consult on security threats and support mutual defence in the Pacific. (AFP via France 24)
3 July 2026 – 2026 FIFA World Cup
In association football, Egypt advances to the round of 16 of a FIFA World Cup for the first time after defeating Australia 4–2 on penalties, following a 1–1 draw after extra time, in the round of 32. (RFI)
2 July 2026 – 2026 Wimbledon Championships
In tennis, Alexandra Eala becomes the first Filipino woman to reach the third round of a Grand Slam tournament after defeating Australian player Maya Joint in the Wimbledon women's singles tournament. She will face reigning Wimbledon champion Iga Świątek next. (ABS-CBN) (WTA)
29 June 2026 – Foreign relations of Australia, Foreign relations of Vanuatu
Australia and Vanuatu sign the Nakamal Agreement, which expands Australian economic support and bars foreign military bases in Vanuatu. Vanuatu also commits to rejecting the militarisation of infrastructure. (AFP via Philippine Daily Inquirer)


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WikiProject  

Flag of the Commonwealth of Australia
Flag of the Commonwealth of Australia
Coat of Arms of the Commonwealth of Australia
Coat of Arms of the Commonwealth of Australia

Consider joining WikiProject Australia , a WikiProject dedicated to improving Wikipedia's coverage of topics related to Australia. The project page and its subpages contain suggestions on formatting and style of articles, which can be discussed at the project's notice board . To participate, simply add your name to the project members page.

As of 2 August 2026, there are 218,428 articles within the scope of WikiProject Australia, of which 609 are featured and 977 are good articles. This makes up 3.03% of the articles on Wikipedia, 5.16% of all featured articles and lists, and 2.19% of all good articles (see WP:AUSFG). Including non-article pages, such as talk pages, redirects, categories, etc., there are 575,440 pages in the project.

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