Australian Quiz Fizz

Answer: Gough Whitlam

Whitlam was dismissed in November 1975 and the Liberal leader, Malcolm Fraser, became the caretaker Prime Minister. There was a deadlock when the Liberal dominated Senate blocked supply of the Government's budget bills (refused to vote on the bills). This was designed to force an election, but when Whitlam refused to accede to this pressure, the Governor-General controversially dismissed Whitlam and the Labor government.

Answer: Ningaloo Reef

Ningaloo Reef is 290 kilometres in length. The Great Barrier Reef is 2300 kms long and is the longest reef in the world.

Answer: Darwin

Ten weeks after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbour, Darwin was bombed with the loss of over 240 lives and more than 300 injured. It occurred on 19th February 1942.

Answer: Uluru

Uluru is a huge monolithic rock found in the Northern Territory of Australia. It was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1987 because of its outstanding universal natural and cultural values. It was first sighted by 'Europeans' in 1872 by Ernest Giles, but Aboriginal people had moved into the area about 10,000 years before. 'Uluru' is simply an Aboriginal place name which is applied to both the rock and the waterhole on top of the rock.

Answer: platypus and echidna

There are only two monotremes; the platypus and the echidna. Females lay two eggs usually and the young are fed mother's milk which oozes from the skin of the abdomen of the mother (not a teat).

Answer: Irish

Edward (Ned) Kelly was the son of Irish convicts John Kelly and Ellen Quinn who were transported to Australia from Ireland for petty crimes. Irish immigrants were generally treated abhorrently by other 'English' Australians in the 1800s. Much controversy surrounds Ned Kelly, some see him as a rebellious hero, others as a criminal who deserved to be hanged.

Answer: taken by dingo

The baby was taken by a dingo in 1980. Lindy Chamberlain, Azaria's mother, had her life sentence for murder quashed in 1986.

Answer: Fraser Island

Stretching over 123 kilometres along the coast of Queensland, Fraser Island with an area of 184,000 hectares is the largest sand island in the world. It is a World Heritage site due to its outstanding natural universal values. It is an outstanding example of significant ongoing ecological and biological processes and an example of superlative natural phenomena.

Answer: Small Union Jack with white 'Southern Cross' stars on blue background

The Australian National Flag features the five stars of the constellation of the Southern Cross and the Commonwealth Star, and the combined crosses of St George, St Andrew and St Patrick, the Union Jack. The union of crosses represents Australia's early settlers.

The Commonwealth Star with its seven points represents the unity of the six Australian states and the seventh point stands for all Australian Territories.

Answer: Sydney

Between 1788 and 1850 the English sent over 162,000 convicts to Australia in 806 ships. The first eleven of these ships are today known as the First Fleet and contained the convicts and sailors who are now acknowledged as the Founders of Australia. The prisoners suffered greatly on the voyage, many dying on route.

A minor misdemeanor could result in "transportation" to Australia, never to return home.