Australia in a Nut Shell

Australian Coat of Arms

Throughout the semester, everyone has contributed to our education about Australia in a variety of aspects; from the Great Barrier Reef to feedlots. From the presentations, I have learned Aboriginal people are natives to the land and live a nomadic lifestyle based off the “Dreamtime.” Then, Australia was used as an outlet for convicts to live and work away from their criminal land. It was established in 1901 with a formal constitution and prime minister. Today the prime minister is a female, Julia Gillard. They have six states and two territories and the currency is one U.S. dollar equals 0.935 AUS dollars. Each note features an honorable individual.

Australian agriculture is a major part of the economy and overall development as it contributes to three percent of the GDP with 134000 farms. Some major food products are barley, grapes, wheat, avocado, and nuts. In addition wine production makes AU the fourth largest wine exporter in the world with $5.5 billion in exports. Australia’s economy is constructed of the service industry and the agriculture and mining industries with agriculture being 57 percent of the total exports. Each year their GDP grows an average of 3.3 percent making them the 13^th largest economy.

Merino Sheep

We learned about the different aspects of their agriculture that contribute the most to the economy. Sheep are a major production source with over 72 million head on 134 million ha area. Between live sheep and the products, the gross value is $2.9 billion and eight percent of the world’s lamb and mutton supply. Major breeds include Merino and Suffolk breeds.

Merino sheep are widely used for their high quality wool. Peepin Merino, South Australian Merino, Saxon Merino, and Spanish Merino are different strains of Merinos. Ninety percent of wool produced is exported. Suffolks are mainly bred for meat production. They are a cross between the Norfolk Horned Ewes and Southdown Rams. This breed is popular in the United States as well and is known for their adaptability, lambing ease, and strong crossbreeding.

Simmental

Along with sheep, cattle production is a large part of their agriculture industry with 27 million head and 332 million ha of land. It is the most popular fresh meat in Australia. Herefords, Angus, Shorthorn, and Simmental breeds are the few produced. Each originated in different countries and came to Australia over a century ago. A majority of the beef is grass fed and that is the desirable product by consumers there.

Another side of agriculture is the thriving Emu industry. These farms raise emus for products such as their low fat meat, emu oils, and leather.

Finally, here is some Australian lingo:

Stubby-beer bottle

Chips-french fries
Macca’s-McDonald’s

Barbie-BBQ

After this class, I am most excited about the culture in Australia in comparison to the United States. It will be interesting to learn about the agriculture differences such as production and how the consumer’s desires differ from here. On another note, the Great Barrier Reef will be amazing to visit too!