NOV20
All country briefings

Oceania · Country briefing

Australia

A child-friendly mission briefing for 20 November — capital, climate, school day, languages, fun facts, native animals, and five questions to ask the class on the other side of the world.

  • Capital
    Canberra
  • Population
    ~26 million
  • Time zone
    Australia/Sydney (UTC +11)
  • Currency
    Australian dollar (AUD)
Australia, with Canberra marked
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Climate in November: Late spring; warm to hot across many regions.

Canberra, the capital of Australia

The capital

Canberra

Photo · Unsplash

Fun facts

What makes Australia a bit special.

  • Sunrise first

    One of the first countries to see the new day

  • Great Barrier Reef

    Visible from space

  • Marsupials

    Home to 250+ species

  • Outback

    Vast red desert covers most of the country

  • Didgeridoo

    An instrument over 1,500 years old

  • Surf

    Bondi Beach is one of the world's most famous

Native animals

Wildlife your partner class might know best.

  • 🦘

    Kangaroo

    Can hop at 70 km/h

  • 🐨

    Koala

    Sleeps up to 20 hours a day

  • 🐹

    Wombat

    Has cube-shaped poo (true!)

  • 🦫

    Platypus

    A mammal that lays eggs and has a duck bill

  • 🦤

    Emu

    The world's second-tallest bird

School life

In a Australia classroom

Many Australian schools include outdoor learning and beach safety programmes.

Typical school day: Often 09:00–15:00 with two breaks.

School year: Late January to mid-December.

Greetings to learn

Say hello like a local

  • G'day!
    Australian English
  • Hello!
    English

Five questions to ask

Conversation starters

  1. 01What's the weather like today?
  2. 02What's your favourite sport?
  3. 03What animals live near your school?
  4. 04What's lunch at your school?
  5. 05What's a great Australian word you love?

What not to assume

Friendly cautions

  • ℹAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have rich, distinct cultures — central to Australia, not a footnote.
  • ℹMost Australians live in cities along the coast.

Culture

Food, music, sport, festivals.

  • Food

    • Vegemite on toast
    • Meat pies
    • Lamingtons

  • Music

    • Pop, indie, hip-hop
    • Traditional Indigenous music

  • Sport

    • AFL
    • Cricket
    • Rugby
    • Netball

  • Festivals

    • NAIDOC Week
    • Christmas in summer
Reflection prompts
  • “What does it mean that Christmas can be in summer?”
  • “What would you teach a class on the other side of the world?”

Could your class meet Australia?

Choose Australiawhen you register — we’ll show you the time-zone feasibility.

Register your classroom