All Australian practice questions
Open a question to try it and to see the answer.
Australia and its people
- Who were the first inhabitants of Australia?
- What is special about the cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples?
- Where do Torres Strait Islander people come from?
- The archaeological record says Aboriginal peoples arrived in Australia when?
- How do Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples express their deep connection with the land?
- How many ships made up the First Fleet that arrived from Great Britain?
- Why did the British Government send convicts to the other side of the world?
- Who was the first Governor of the colony of New South Wales?
- Where did the early free settlers come from?
- In 1851, gold was found in which colonies?
- Who was the first large group of migrants to Australia that was not from Europe?
- What happened to Australia’s population in the 10 years after the 1851 gold rush began?
- What happened to the separate colonies in 1901?
- Which national institutions were set up under the new Australian Constitution in 1901?
- After the 1967 Referendum, who was included in official estimates of the population?
- What is Australia’s national language?
- The booklet values Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages. How many distinct ones are there?
- Which event led to a wave of non-British migration to Australia?
- How many states and mainland territories make up the Commonwealth of Australia?
- Which is the largest Australian state?
- Which body of water separates Tasmania from the mainland?
- Which was the first colony established by the British?
- Where does the Great Barrier Reef run?
- Which territory has Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon as icons?
- Where is the Australian Capital Territory?
- Who performs a Welcome to Country?
- At a meeting, who usually delivers an Acknowledgement of Country?
- On what date is Anzac Day each year?
- What does Anzac stand for in Anzac Day?
- What does the Union Jack on the Australian National Flag represent?
- What does each point of the seven-pointed Commonwealth Star stand for?
- What does the red half of the Australian Aboriginal Flag represent?
- What is Australia’s national flower?
- Which gemstone is Australia’s national gemstone?
- Which colours are Australia’s national colours?
- The points of the white star on the Torres Strait Islander Flag represent the island groups in the Torres Strait.
- Australia Day is a public holiday in every state and territory.
- During Australia Day, the Australian of the Year Awards are announced in Canberra by the Prime Minister.
- Sydney is the capital city of Australia.
- Among the mainland states, Victoria is the smallest.
- The yellow circle on the Australian Aboriginal Flag stands for the sun.
- The 1901 estimate of Australia’s population included Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
- On the Australian National Flag, the Southern Cross is in the top left corner.
- ‘Advance Australia Fair’ is sung at Australian citizenship ceremonies.
- Darwin is the capital city of Queensland.
Democratic beliefs, rights and liberties
- In a parliamentary democracy, where does the government’s power come from?
- How do representatives in parliament answer to the people for their decisions?
- What does the Rule of Law mean?
- How do Australians believe change should happen?
- Australia’s democratic system is based on what principle about individuals?
- What does freedom of speech mean?
- Which of these is an example of freedom of expression?
- What can people do under freedom of speech, as long as they obey the law?
- What is freedom of association?
- Which group may a person freely join under freedom of association?
- What must be true of a gathering to protest against a government action?
- What does it mean that the Australian government is secular?
- Which statement about religion in Australia is correct?
- What happens when an Australian law conflicts with a religious practice?
- What does Australian law say about discrimination based on gender?
- What does a ‘fair go’ mean in Australia?
- Which of these is a responsibility of Australian citizens?
- Which of these is a privilege of Australian citizenship?
- Is service in the Australian Defence Force required of all citizens?
- What is the minimum age to vote in Australian federal elections?
- What is a referendum?
- In which elections might voting not be compulsory in some states?
- What does a jury do?
- Which citizens can be called to serve on a jury?
- Who can seek election to parliament?
- What can an Australian citizen do when they travel overseas and return home?
- Who can an Australian citizen ask for help when in trouble overseas?
- What can an Australian citizen apply for on behalf of a child born overseas?
- Which Defence Force branches can citizens apply to join?
- Which organisation collects income tax in Australia?
- Which services are paid for with taxes?
- Which of these is a way for citizens to take an active part in Australian society?
- Under the Rule of Law, police and government leaders must also obey Australia's laws.
- Voting in federal and state or territory elections is compulsory in Australia.
- A person can be forced to join a trade union.
- Australians accept violence as a way to change the law.
- Paying tax is optional for people who earn money in Australia.
Government and the law
- What may happen if you do not vote in an election and have no good reason?
- Which body runs federal elections and keeps the Commonwealth electoral roll?
- Political parties can influence the decisions of the Australian Electoral Commission.
- Why is voting in Australia done by secret ballot?
- What happens if you are not correctly enrolled to vote?
- At what age must Australian citizens enrol to vote?
- What should an elected representative do if a citizen says a law needs to change?
- Before 1901, what was Australia made up of?
- Which problem between the colonies helped lead to Federation?
- What does the Australian Constitution do?
- Which court did the Constitution set up with the ultimate power to apply and interpret Australian law?
- In what way did the Constitution first become law?
- How can the Australian people change the Constitution?
- What did the 1967 Referendum allow?
- What does a 'double majority' mean in a referendum?
- Why does the Constitution divide the power of government?
- What is legislative power?
- What is executive power?
- Who holds judicial power in Australia?
- Which group is part of the Executive?
- Courts and judges must follow orders from parliament and government.
- Who is Australia's Head of State?
- Who appoints the Governor-General?
- The King has a day-to-day role in running the Australian Government.
- What does 'constitutional monarchy' mean in Australia?
- Who is the leader of the Australian Government?
- Who represents the King in each Australian state?
- What is the name for the Governor-General signing a Bill into law?
- The Governor-General is part of the government and may take sides.
- What military role does the Governor-General have?
- Which two Houses make up the Australian Parliament?
- What is another name for the House of Representatives?
- How is the number of MPs for each state and territory decided?
- Larger states elect more senators than smaller states.
- How many senators does each state elect?
- Who is appointed as the Administrator of the Northern Territory?
- The Australian Government can change or cancel the laws of a self-governing territory at any time.
- Which level of government is responsible for defence?
- Which level of government is mainly responsible for hospitals and schools?
- Which service is mainly handled by local councils?
- Which of these is a federal responsibility?
- What is a political party?
- Who generally forms the Australian Government after a federal election?
- What is the Opposition?
- What is the Cabinet?
- The Prime Minister recommends who will become ministers in the Australian Government.
- What is a proposal for a new law called?
- What must happen before a Bill goes to the Governor-General?
- The government can remove a judge from the job if it disagrees with the judge's decisions.
- What do Australian courts base their decisions on?
- Who is the jury in a court case?
- In Australia, people are considered innocent until a court finds them guilty.
- Who decides whether a person is guilty of a crime?
- Which police force investigates crimes against federal laws?
- Offering a bribe to a police officer is a crime in Australia, even if the officer says no.
- If you break an Australian law that you did not know about, you cannot be charged.
- Which level of government controls road and traffic rules?
- Using a hand-held mobile device while driving is legal in Australia.
- Domestic and family violence is against the law in Australia.
Australian values
- Which set of ideas do Australian values rest on?
- Who must follow Australian laws?
- You should obey the law even when nobody sees you.
- What does compulsory voting show?
- How far does freedom of speech go in Australia?
- Newspapers, television and radio have less freedom of speech than people.
- Why are Australians allowed to peacefully protest against the government?
- Promoting violence against a group because of its culture or religion is acceptable free speech.
- What does freedom of association mean?
- What is the legal status of religious laws in Australia?
- Polygamy and forced marriage are against the law in Australia.
- Religious practices may break Australian laws if they are part of a person's faith.
- Which statement about equality is true in Australia?
- Two people of the same sex can marry each other under Australian law.
- If a woman has better qualifications and skills for a job than a man, what does the booklet say?
- Physical violence against a spouse or partner is a criminal offence in Australia.
- Under Australian law, how are people from different backgrounds treated?
- On what should a job offer be based?
- What does mutual respect and tolerance mean?
- Verbal abuse is legal in Australia as long as it does not cause physical harm.
- What should you do when the police make a lawful request?
- What does the booklet say about racism?
- What responsibility does everyone have if they are able?
- What does the Australian value of 'mateship' mean?
- What must applicants for citizenship undertake if English is not their native language?
- What should you do if you suspect a friend is planning a serious crime?
- Who should you report to if you know a child is being abused?
- Several kinds of cyber abuse break Australian law.
- Australian citizens must give up any other citizenship.
- Which activity is illegal for Australians even overseas?
- Which action would undermine Australia's interests and security?
- What do citizens pledge their loyalty to in the citizenship pledge?