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Covering a total area of 7.69 million square kilometres, mainland Australia is the world’s largest island – but smallest continent. In distance, the continent stretches about 3700 kilometres from north to south and 4000 kilometres from east to west, making it the sixth-largest nation after Russia, Canada, China, the United States and Brazil. Australia is also the only continent that is governed as a single country. It is sometimes informally referred to as an ‘island’ continent, surrounded by oceans. Our ocean territory is also the third-largest in the world, spanning three oceans and covering around 12 million square kilometres. We also have one of the most urbanised and coast-dwelling populations in the world, with more than 80 per cent of residents living within 100 kilometres of the coastline. Australia currently has a population of almost 23 million people.
Cities, states and territories:
Australia is divided into six states and two territories.
Canberra is the national capital and the centre of government. It is located approximately 290 kilometres south of Sydney in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). Canberra lies on the ancient lands of the Indigenous Ngunnawal people, and its name is thought to mean ‘meeting place’, from the Aboriginal word ‘Kamberra’. It is home to important national institutions, including the Australian Parliament and the High Court of Australia.
New South Wales is Australia’s oldest and most populated state. It was originally settled as a penal colony on the shores of Port Jackson where the bustling capital city of Sydney now stands. More than a third of Australians live in New South Wales, and Sydney is the nation’s largest city.
Sydney
Discover Sydney, Australia’s famous harbour city and the capital of New South Wales.
Plan your Sydney holiday using our three-day itinerary, which takes in the attractions around Sydney Harbour, beaches and inner-city precincts. Read up on the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains and the Six Foot Track bushwalk. Learn about other places to visit in New South Wales and scenic journeys you can take from Sydney. Drive the Pacific Coast Touring Route north to Brisbane past the Hunter Valley, Port Stephens and bohemian Byron Bay. Or head south to Melbourne via the pure white beaches of Jervis Bay. Check out Australia’s other cities and get ideas for the rest of your Australian holiday. Melbourne, the Great Ocean Road and Australia’s Red Centre are all possible in a three-week holiday from Sydney. For more Sydney holiday ideas, read our articles on the Hunter Valley, Sydney’s sparkling beaches, the Bondi to Bronte walk and the annual Sydney to Hobart yacht race.
Victoria is the smallest of the mainland states in size but the second most populated. Melbourne is the capital and is Australia’s second most populated city. During the gold rush of the 1850s, it became one of the world’s largest and wealthiest cities. Melbourne is sometimes referred to as the “cultural capital of Australia” and is the birthplace of Australian film, television, art, dance and music. Victorians’ enthusiasm for sport is also legendary and this is where Australian Rules football began.
Melbourne
Find all you need to know about Melbourne in Australia, the capital of Victoria and a vibrant hub of style, sport, culture and dining. Plan your Melbourne holiday using our three-day itinerary, which includes Melbourne’s cultural attractions, the Yarra River and St Kilda Beach. Find out more about Victoria’s attractions you can visit from Melbourne, and the spectacular journeys you can take. Drive the Great Ocean Road to the Twelve Apostles and Victoria’s world-class surf beaches. Challenge yourself on the mountainous Great Alpine Walk or drive the Great Alpine Road through the Australian Alps and Gippsland. Learn about Australia’s other cities and get ideas for the rest of your Australian holiday. From Melbourne, you can fly or take the ferry to Tasmania, drive the Pacific Coastal route to Sydney or along the Great Ocean Road to Adelaide. Finally, match your Melbourne travel plans with one of the city’s world-famous events, such as the Australian Grand Prix, the Australian Open Tennis or the Melbourne Cup.
Queensland is Australia’s second-largest state in size. The state capital is Brisbane, the third most populated city in Australia. Queenslanders enjoy more winter sunshine and warmth than most other Australian states and it’s perfect for all types of outdoor activities and water sports. Queensland is also home to the world famous Great Barrier Reef as well as five World Heritage listed areas.
Brisbane
Discover Brisbane, Queensland’s subtropical capital city and the gateway to its many attractions. Plan your Brisbane holiday using our three-day itinerary. Laze in the lush gardens of South Bank, check out the Brisbane shopping scene and day trip to sandy Moreton Island. For something different, take on adventure along the Brisbane River. Learn about Queensland’s iconic places and the scenic journeys you can take there. Drive the Great Sunshine Way to the Gold Coast, Fraser Island and Noosa. Stretch your legs on the Gold Coast Great Hinterland Walk. Or follow the Pacific Coast Touring Route all the way north to Cairns and the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef. We’ve also got ideas to help you plan your Australian holiday from Brisbane. Sail through the Whitsundays, or hike through the primeval Daintree Rainforest. Fly to Sydney or drive southward along the Pacific Coast Touring Route via the new-age beach paradise of Byron Bay.
South Australia is a state in the southern central part of the country which covers some of the most arid parts of the continent. It is the fourth largest of Australia’s states and shares its borders with all of the mainland states and the Northern Territory. The state capital is Adelaide, the fifth-largest city in Australia. South Australia has a thriving arts scene and is sometimes known as the ‘Festival State’, with more than 500 festivals taking place there every year.
At the top end of Australia lies the Northern Territory. Darwin, on the northern coast, is the capital, and Alice Springs the principal inland town. Alice Springs is the physical heart of Australia, almost exactly at the nation’s geographical centre. The Northern Territory is home to the famous Uluru (Ayers Rock), Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) and Kakadu National Park.
Adelaide
Discover Adelaide, South Australia’s elegant and cultured capital. Plan your Adelaide holiday using our three-day itinerary, which combines Adelaide’s attractions, parklands, beaches, the vineyards and coastal delights of the Fleurieu Peninsula. Learn more about South Australia, the iconic destinations you can visit from Adelaide and the spectacular journeys which take you there. Get up close to kangaroos, koalas, seals, penguins and pelicans on the wildlife wonderland of Kangaroo Island. Fly over Wilpena Pound in the rugged, time-worn Flinders Ranges. See the Flinders Ranges and Kangaroo Island, as well as the Barossa Valley and Fleurieu Peninsula driving the South Australian Loop. Learn about Australia’s other cities and get ideas for the rest of your Australian holiday. From Adelaide, you can take the Ghan train trip to tropical Darwin, taking in whistle stop tours of Alice Springs and Katherine. You can drive the same route along the historic Explorers Highway.
Western Australia is Australia’s largest state by area. About three-quarters of the state’s population live in the capitalPerth, which is the fourth most populated city in Australia. The east of the state is mostly desert while to the west the state is bound by almost 13000 kilometres of pristine coastline. In the 1890s gold was discovered and mining is still one of the state’s biggest industries.
Perth:
Plan your holiday in and from Perth in Australia.
You’ll love Australia’s westernmost capital city, which sits on the Swan River, framed by Indian Ocean beaches and Swan Valley vineyards. Get a quick overview of Perth alongside snapshots of other Australian cities. Find out more about the places to visit in the city and surrounds. From lush Kings Park and the uncrowded beaches to the charming port of Fremantle and nearby Rottnest Island, Perth has it all. Our three-day itinerary offers ideas of what you can fit in to your Perth holiday. Learn about other Western Australia destinations you can explore from Perth. Drive south to the wineries, waves, caves and tall forests of Margaret River or north to Monkey Mia and Ningaloo Reef. Further afield experience the vast outback landscapes of the Kimberley and historic gold rush towns such as Kalgoorlie. Explore the unforgettable journeys you can take from Perth and across the continent.
Tasmania is separated from mainland Australia by Bass Strait and is the smallest state in Australia. The capital, Hobart, was founded in 1804 as a penal colony, and is Australia’s second oldest capital city after Sydney. One-fifth of Tasmania is covered by national parks and wilderness areas. It is one of the world’s most mountainous islands whose geology reflects Australia’s connection millions of years ago with Antarctica.
Australia also administers Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, the Cocos (or Keeling) Islands, the Coral Sea Islands, Heard and McDonald Islands, Norfolk Island and the Australian Antarctic Territory (covering 42 per cent of the Antarctic continent) as external territories.
Hobart
Find all the information you need to plan your holiday in Hobart, Tasmania’s historic, waterfront capital.Plan your Hobart holiday using our three-day itinerary. Wander past the 1830s sandstone warehouses of Salamanca Place, climb Mount Wellington and discover the wild beauty of Bruny Island on a day trip. Learn more about Tasmania, the iconic destinations you can visit from Hobart, and the spectacular journeys which take you there. Drive the East Coast Escape to Freycinet National Park, a paradise of dusky pink mountains, white sand and blue-green sea. It’s one part of the World Heritage-listed wilderness which comprises 17 national parks and takes up one-fifth of the island. You can see much of it, including Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park, on the Circle Tasmania drive. Walkers should read the itinerary for the six-day Overland Track, which stretches 65km from Cradle Mountain to Lake St. Clair.
Northern Territory (NT) is a federal Australian territory in the centre and central northern regions. It shares borders with Western Australia to the west (129th meridian east), South Australia to the south (26th parallel south), and Queensland to the east (138th meridian east). To the north, the territory is bordered by the Timor Sea, the Arafura Sea and the Gulf of Carpentaria. Despite its large area—over 1,349,129 square kilometres (520,902 sq mi), making it the third largest Australian federal division—it is sparsely populated. With a population of 233,300 it is the least populous of Australia’s eight major states and territories, having less than half as many people as Tasmania.[1]
The archaeological history of the Northern Territory begins over 40,000 years ago when Indigenous Australians settled the region. Makassan traders began trading with the indigenous people of the Northern Territory for trepang from at least the 18th century onwards, and very likely for 300 years prior to that. The coast of the territory was first seen by Europeans in the 17th century. The British were the first Europeans to attempt to settle the coastal regions in the 19th century; however no attempt was successful until the establishment of a settlement at Port Darwin in 1869. Today the economy is based on tourism, especially Kakadu National Park in the Top End and the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (Ayers Rock) in central Australia, and mining.
Darwin
Discover Darwin, the relaxed, tropical capital of the Northern Territory. Plan your Darwin holiday using our three-day itinerary. Visit Darwin’s attractions and Aboriginal art galleries, cruise past crocodiles on the Adelaide River and day trip to Litchfield National Park. Learn more about the Northern Territory and its many iconic destinations.From Darwin, it’s a day trip to World heritage-listed Kakadu National Park – a rich tapestry of wetlands, wildlife and Aboriginal rock art galleries. Fly to Australia’s Red Centre, home to the sacred, sandstone monolith of Uluṟu, as well as Alice Springs, Kings Canyon, Finke Gorge National Park and the MacDonnell Ranges. Darwin is also the departure point for unique Australian adventure. Travel across the continent to Adelaide on historic Explorers Highway or the Ghan train trip. You can also arc through Australia’s north-west corner driving the Savannah Way to Broome.
Why to study in Australia?
Did you know Australia has the third highest number of international students in the world behind only the United Kingdom and the United States despite having a population of only 23 million? This isn’t surprising when you consider Australia has seven of the top 100 universities in the world! In fact, with over 22,000 courses across 1,100 institutions, Australia sits above the likes of Germany, the Netherlands and Japan, ranking eighth in the Universitas 2012 U21 Ranking of National Higher Education Systems.
These are strong academic credentials, but our institutions are just as highly rated as the cities that house them around the country. Australia has five of the 30 best cities in the world for students based on student mix, affordability, quality of life, and employer activity – all important elements for students when choosing the best study destination. And with more than A$200 million provided by the Australian Government each year in international scholarships, we’re making it easier for you to come and experience the difference an Australian education can make to your future career opportunities.
Do you have a specific study area of interest? There is every chance Australia has you covered, with at least one Australian university in the top 50 worldwide across the study areas of Natural Sciences & Mathematics, Life & Agricultural Sciences, Clinical Medicine & Pharmacy, and Physics.
Given this impressive education pedigree, it’s not surprising there are now more than 2.5 million former international students who have gone on to make a difference after studying in Australia. Some of these students are among the world’s finest minds. In fact, Australia has produced 15 Nobel prize laureates and every day over 1 billion people around the world rely on Australian discoveries and innovations – including penicillin, IVF, ultrasound, Wi-Fi, the Bionic Ear, cervical cancer vaccine and Black Box Flight Recorders – to make their lives, and the lives of others, better.
