The Commonwealth of Australia Society
After a period of recession and high unemployment in the early 1990s, the electorate eventually lost faith in the Labor government, and in early 1996, Labor leader Paul Keating was defeated in a landslide victory to the conservative coalition, led by John Howard. The issue of republicanism - replacing Britain's queen with an Australian president as head of state - dominated Australian politics in the late 1990s. An increasing number of people, particularly young Australians, felt that constitutional ties with Britain were no longer relevant and the only way forward was to declare Australia a republic. However, a national referendum in 1999 resulted in a comprehensive victory for the status quo.
Fine arts: Aboriginal rock carvings and paintings date back at least 30,000 years. Modern Aboriginal art has undergone a revival in the last decade or two as Aboriginal artists have explored ways to both preserve their ancient values and share them with a wider community. Australia's 20th-century artists include world figures such as Sidney Nolan, Arthur Boyd, Brett Whiteley and Fred Williams.
Literature: There is plenty of highly regarded Australian fiction, including the work of Nobel Prize winner Patrick White, and Booker Prize winners Peter Carey and Thomas Keneally. Other well known Australian writers include Thea Astley, Robert Drewe, Helen Garner, Rodney Hall, Christina Stead, Elizabeth Jolley, David Malouf, Frank Moorhouse and Tim Winton.
Opera: Dame Joan Sutherland is Australia's best-known opera diva. Prominent in the 1960s, she was the undisputed coloratura soprano of her time. Nellie Melba - who took her name from her home town of Melbourne - was the world's biggest opera star at the beginning of the 20th century. She was prima donna at Covent Garden in the 1910s and 20s. These days, Australians know her best for foodstuffs named after her - Peach Melba and Melba Toast.
Cinema: Peter Weir, Bruce Beresford, George Miller and Gillian Armstrong are all well-known Australian directors, while Mel Gibson, Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman are the country's best-known actors. The Aussie film industry is small but well-supported.
Rock/pop: The Little River Band, The Bee Gees, Nick Cave, INXS, AC/DC, Midnight Oil, silverchair, and, yes, Kylie Minogue are Australia's most famous pop music exports. Live music is common in Australian pubs, with Melbourne now hosting the livliest scene.
Sports: Sport is the Australian religion and Aussies are worldbeaters in cricket, rugby league, rugby union, swimming and cycling. Other popular sports include basketball, yachting, golf, soccer and Aussie Rules.
Physically Challenged: Disability awareness in Australia is high. Legislation requires that new accommodation meets accessibility standards, and discrimination by tourism operators is illegal. Many of Australia's key attractions provide access for those with limited mobility and a number of sites have also begun addressing the needs of visitors with visual or aural impairments; always contact attractions in advance to confirm the facilities. Tour operators with accessible vehicles operate from most capital cities.National Information Communication and Awareness Network (TTY 02-6285 3713, TTY 1800 806 769; www.nican.com.au)is an Australia-wide directory providing information on access issues, accessible accommodation, sporting and recreational activities, transport and specialist tour operators. Australian Tourist Commission (www.australia.com) is also a very useful site. Easy Access Australia (www.easyaccessaustralia.com.au), available from bookstores, provides details on easily accessible transport, accommodation and attraction options. Visit www.toiletmap.gov.au. for over 13,000 public toilets nationwide with disability access. Qantas accepts the Carers Concession Card, (13 13 13, TTY 1800 652 660; www.qantas .com.au), which entitles a disabled person and the carer travelling with them to a 50% discount on full economy fares; call Nican for details. All of Australia's major airports have dedicated parking spaces, wheelchair access to terminals, accessible toilets and skychairs to convey passengers onto planes via airbridges. Avis and Hertz offer hire cars with hand controls at no extra charge for pick-up at capital cities and major airports, but advance notice is required. Most trains are equipped to cater for travellers with disabilities. Some rural services employ hoist-equipped accessible coaches; twenty-four hours advance booking is required; V/Line Disability Services (03-9619 2300) is at Southern Cross station in Melbourne. The Travellers' Aid Society (03-9670 2873), also at Spencer St train station, provides a meet-and-greet service (arrange this in advance).
Gay & Lesbian: Australia is a popular destination for gay and lesbian travellers, largely encouraged by Sydney's annual, high profile and spectacular Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras. Throughout the country, but particularly on the east coast, there are tour operators, travel agents, resorts and other accommodation places that are either exclusively gay and lesbian or make a point of being gay-friendly. Certain areas are the focus of the gay and lesbian communities, among them Cairns and Noosa in Queensland; Oxford St and King's Cross in Sydney; the Blue Mountains, Hunter Valley and south coast in NSW; the Melbourne suburbs of Prahran, St Kilda and Collingwood, and Daylesford and Hepburn Springs in Victoria.In terms of major gay and lesbian events, there's the aforementioned Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras in February and March, Melbourne's Midsumma Festival from mid- January to mid- February, and Adelaide's Feast in November. In general Australians are open-minded about homosexuality, but the further into the country you get, the more likely you are to run into overt homophobia.

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