20 best things to come out of Australia

Everyone knows that they have Australia to thank for Hugh Jackman and the Hemsworth brothers, but did you know that it's because of an Australian scientist that you have Wi-Fi? Or that an Australian invented the cervical cancer vaccine? Here is our list of the best things to come out of Australia, from Aussie rock to UGG boots!

The Hemsworths

Chris, Luke and Liam were born and raised in Melbourne and have forged successful careers as actors. We really don't need to tell you much about why the world should be thankful for Thor and his equally wonderful brothers, just...you're welcome. Special shoutout to Chris who recently moved back home from La La Land to settle in beautiful Byron Bay!

Hugh Jackman

This man is pure sunshine, and he was born and raised on Sydney's North Shore! He made a name in theatre before earning his breakthrough role in 2000 - as none other than Wolverine. He has gone on to earn an Academy Award nomination, and on top of his success an actor, he is what us Aussies call "an all round great bloke," being involved with many charitable causes. We are super proud to call Hugh one of our own, and we're pretty sure he's had an affect overseas, too...

Aussie rock

INXS, Jet, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds...Australia took rock ‘n’ roll and made it our own, and the rest of the world reaps the rewards. Arguably the kingpin of Aussie rock is AC/DC, formed in Sydney in 1973. Back in Black is the highest selling album by any band and Acca Dacca - as they are affectionately known by in Australia - are the 10th highest selling artist in the USA and the 14th worldwide. So rock fans around the world, you're welcome!

Ugg boots

Uggs were invented in Australia in the 1960s and worn predominantly by surfers to keep their feet warm. They were mainly worn as slippers and were a symbol of "daggy bogan culture," and strangely also became a symbol of youth rebellion, since many public places banned uggs. Soon they reached overseas surfing communities in the UK and California. They became a full-on fashion statement in America in the 1990s, and it was all over from there. Love them or hate them, uggs are everywhere now - and it's all because of the Aussies.

Steve Irwin

The Crocodile Hunter, need we say more?! Steve Irwin wrestled his first croc at the young age of 9, and spent his honeymoon with his wife Terri trapping crocodiles. Footage of this romantic getaway made up the first episode of The Crocodile Hunter, which was a hit in Australia and abroad, with American audiences loving his Aussie accent, khaki get-up and exuberant nature. The world mourned in 2006 when Steve passed away after the barb of a stingray pierced his heart. He leaves a lasting legacy and a catchphrase that none of us will soon forget: "Crikey!"

Quokkas

Again, no explanation necessary. The happiest animal on earth, you can only see these babies in the wild while at Rottnest Island, a must do when visiting stunning Western Australia. Quokkas have no natural predators on Rottnest Island, meaning they approach humans without fear, leading to many a #quokkaselfie. Many famous personalities come from all over the world to snap a pic with this adorable critter, such as tennis superstar Roger Federer!

Margot Robbie

Raised on a farm in country Queensland, Margot Robbie is a true, hard-working Aussie through and through. Australians knew her from her role in iconic Aussie soap Neighbours, but the rest of the world met her after her dazzling performance in The Wolf of Wall St. Her star continues to rise and she has recently joined the ranks of Academy Award-nominated Aussies. Margot was raised by a single mother and worked three jobs at the age of 16 to make ends meet - so nobody deserves her fame and fortune more than her.

Tim Tams

Take two malted biscuits, a light chocolate cream filling and a thin layer of textured chocolate and you have one of Australia's most iconic snacks, the humble Tim Tam! People outside of Australia may not be too keen on Vegemite, but one bite of a Tim Tam is enough to make anyone want to live Down Under. However, true connoisseurs consume Tim Tams using the Tim Tam slam - a refined method of consumption involving biting both ends off a Tim Tam and using it as a straw for hot or cold Milo!

Google Maps

Alright, technically it was Danish brothers Lars and Jens Rasmussen, but they were working alongside Aussies Noel Gordon and Stephen Ma when it happened, at a startup they co-founded based in...Sydney! We think it must have been something in the Sydney air that helped make it happen, so we're going to partially claim this one. There's no questioning the extent to which we travellers rely on Google Maps to get around. So next time you're saved by this handy tech, remember there's a lil' piece of Australia in there.

Platypuses

Like most things about Australia, the first time anyone overseas heard about a platypus, they thought it was made up. British scientists convinced it was some sort of beaver with a duck bill attached. The platypus is very much a real thing - elusive, but real! They are monotremes, meaning they're the only mammals who lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young.

Just between us, we're pretty sure they were the inspiration for the Niffler in the Fantastic Beasts series...

Wi-Fi

Yep, you have Australia to thank for the lil' bit of technology that basically makes your world go around. Australian scientist John O'Sullivan was conducting experiments for CSIRO in the 1970s when he came up with the technology used to unsmear Wi-Fi signals. It was patented in 1992 and boom - the future was created. Just don't ask us about our National Broadband Network, it's a sensitive topic.

Cask wine

When the Australian wine industry was finding its feet, winemakers had to come up with a solution to having an oversupply of very average wine. In 1965, Thomas Angove of South Australia came up with cask wine (more commonly known as goon), forever changing Australian drinking culture. The point is, that if you're from overseas and an Australian friend suggests you play Goon of Fortune, you should probably decline.

Chris Lilley

People all over the world are obsessed with the ridiculous memes to come out of Chris Lilley’s various TV shows, especially Summer Heights High, Jonah from Tonga and J’amie Private School Girl. In his shows, he sends up many relatable aspects of Australian life, especially school and clique culture. His brand of comedy isn't everybody's cup of tea, but given Australian humour is so rarely understood by the international market, he has done pretty well.

The cervical cancer vaccine

Be gone, HPV! Professor Ian Frazer of the University of Queensland developed the vaccine that will go on to save lives all around the world. It is estimated that the vaccine prevents around 70 per cent of cervical cancer.

Heath Ledger

Born in Perth, this Aussie actor captured hearts in the much-loved teen movie 10 Things I Hate About You, then stopped the world with his bone-chilling portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight. He tragically passed away in early 2008, when the film was in editing stages. He posthumously won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Words nobody can understand

"Yeah nah mate, can you pull into the servo for a bit, I wanna grab a sanga." Personally, we are proud of the fact that the rest of the world has no idea what we're saying half the time. Whenever you catch a foreigner saying "heaps" to describe a large quantity or basically shortening everything, they've probably been spending time around an Aussie.

Vegemite

LOOK, VEGEMITE TASTES GREAT OKAY. We don’t hear anything to the contrary. To all the out of towners who understand Vegemite's greatness, we love and appreciate you. Remember: it's a whole lotta butter, and a tiny smear of Vegemite!

Koalas

This cuddly looking bear that isn’t actually a bear is adored all across the world, so was a no-brainer for our list. Unfortunately, mass overdevelopment means there's not as many of these little guys as there used to be - check out the Australian Koala Foundation website to find out more.

Great barrier Reef

Okay, so the Reef can’t exactly come “out” of Australia, but when countless people all over the world flock to Australia just to see it, it’s pretty worthy of a place on this list. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living thing on Earth - it's even visible from space. So it's not only a gift to Earth, perhaps there are some lil' green men out there enjoying the view too.

Kylie Minogue

"I just can't get you out of my head..." If you know, you know! Born and raised in Melbourne, the "Princess of Pop" is Australia's highest selling artist of all time. A humanitarian and cancer advocate (which she beat in 2005), Kylie is an all-round great person on top of being a Grammy-award winning artist, so we're super proud to claim her.