Discover
The identity of the nation
Australia is both a continent and an island nation, the sixth largest in the world by area, with about 26 million inhabitants concentrated mainly along a narrow coastal strip in the south and east. The vast arid interior, the Outback (the country’s vast arid inland), remains almost empty. The capital is Canberra, but the nation’s life pulses in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, prosperous and cosmopolitan coastal cities.
Before Europeans arrived, Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders had inhabited the land for tens of thousands of years, with some of the oldest living cultures on the planet. British colonization, which began in 1788 as a penal colony, brought Christianity and shaped the institutions, language and law of the nation that federated in 1901.
Today Australia is one of the most multicultural societies in the world: nearly half the population was born overseas or has at least one parent born abroad. Chinese, Indian, Southeast Asian, Middle Eastern and Pacific communities live alongside the Anglo-Celtic heritage, and dozens of peoples live there without ever having heard the gospel in their own language.
Although the majority still holds Christian roots, Australia is experiencing an accelerating drift away from religion. In the census, those identifying as Christian fell from 52% to 44% in just five years, while those professing no religion reached about 39%. Historic churches are losing members, and attachment to material wealth and individualism compete with faith for the soul of the nation.
The missionary calling over Australia is twofold: to revive a church growing cold amid abundance and to reach the many immigrant and Indigenous peoples still far from the gospel. It is a nation that once sent workers to the Pacific and Asia, and that today needs to rediscover the fervor of following Christ within its own borders.
- For tens of thousands of years, Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders have inhabited the land, with cultures among the oldest in the world.
- 1606 Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon makes the first recorded European contact with the Australian coast.
- 1770 Captain James Cook charts the east coast and claims it for Great Britain.
- 1788 The First Fleet arrives in Sydney; the British penal colony and evangelization begin.
- 1851 The gold rush attracts immigrants from around the world and transforms the economy.
- 1901 The six colonies unite in the Commonwealth of Australia, with self-government.
- 1967 A referendum includes Aboriginal people in the census and recognizes rights.
- 2008 The government issues an official apology to the Stolen Generations (Aboriginal children forcibly removed from their families by state policies).
- Today A developed, multicultural nation of Christian roots rapidly drifting away from religion.
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Englishde facto official, national language spoken by nearly the entire population
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Aboriginal languagesmore than 100 still spoken, many threatened with extinction
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Mandarin, Arabic, Vietnameseamong the most spoken immigrant languages at home
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Kriol (an English-based creole language of Aboriginal peoples in the north) and Torres Strait creolesspoken by Indigenous communities
Australia is the smallest continent and the largest island on the planet, surrounded by the Indian and Pacific oceans. The interior is dominated by the Outback, a vast arid and semi-desert hinterland, while the population is concentrated in the wetter coastal regions of the east, south and southwest. The Great Barrier Reef, off Queensland, is the largest reef in the world.
Major cities
- SydneyLargest city, financial center, postcard landmark with the Opera House and the harbour
- MelbourneCultural and sporting hub, known for coffee and the arts
- BrisbaneSubtropical, fast-growing city in the east
- PerthIsolated in the west, prosperous through mining
- AdelaideCity of churches and wines, in the south
- CanberraPlanned capital, seat of the federal government
Climate and temperature
Meat pie
Small pie of minced meat in gravy, served hot, an everyday icon.
Lamington
Soft cake coated in chocolate and shredded coconut, a national sweet.
Pavlova
Dessert of crisp meringue with cream and fresh fruit.
Vegemite
Dark, salty yeast-extract spread, applied thinly on toast.
Barramundi
Native fresh- and saltwater fish, much appreciated grilled.
Barbie (barbecue)
The outdoor barbecue is a social and family tradition.
Understand
Culture and spirituality
2a · The culture
Mateship
Companionship and loyalty among friends is a core value of the national identity.
Equality and informality
Australians prize simplicity and distrust those who show off or act superior.
Outdoor life
Beach, sport and barbecue are part of most people's rhythm.
Multiculturalism
One of the most diverse societies in the world, with strong Asian and Pacific immigration.
Aboriginal heritage
The oldest living Indigenous culture on the planet, tied to the land and to art.
Sense of humor
Ironic, self-deprecating humor is a welcome trait in relationships.
- Flaunting status or superiority The culture values equality and informal treatment among all.
- Treating Aboriginal heritage with disregard Indigenous history and its wounds demand respect and sensitivity.
- Confusing Australia with other countries It is a unique nation, with its own identity and history.
- Forcing excessive formality Simple, direct closeness opens more doors than protocol.
- Ignoring the heat and the sun The climate demands caution, water and protection, especially in summer.
2b · The field
Areas of spiritual battle and cultural captivity to cover in prayer. Tap each point to understand:
Faith retreats before a culture that considers religion irrelevant.
Prosperity and comfort become goals that take God's place.
Self-sufficiency makes it hard to recognize the need for the gospel.
Generations of injustice and uprooting left deep scars on Aboriginal people.
Historic denominations lose vigor and young people, weakened from within.
Heavy drinking and sports betting enslave many lives.
Vastness and abundance feed a comfortable indifference to the sacred.
Entire communities from the Middle East and Asia live without hearing the gospel.
Mysticism, self-help and diffuse beliefs fill the void left by faith.
The nation that once sent workers risks settling into complacency.
Australia is a democracy that guarantees broad religious freedom, and Christians can live and express their faith without fear of violence or imprisonment. There is no organized persecution, and Christianity remains the country’s largest religious affiliation.
The challenge is of another kind: an accelerating drift away from religion and a cultural climate that, in part, sees the Christian faith as outdated or even intolerant. Taking a public stand according to biblical convictions can attract mockery, social pressure or criticism, especially among younger generations.
More than open hostility, the Australian Christian faces indifference and the cooling of the church itself. The prayer is not for protection from violence, but for courage, faithfulness and a new spiritual awakening in a prosperous and distracted nation.
The persecution score runs from 0 to 100: the higher it is, the greater the pressure on Christians.
Australia is home to about 209 people groups, dozens of which still lack full access to the gospel. Beyond the original Aboriginal peoples, many still without the Scriptures in their language, there are large immigrant communities from the Middle East and Asia, such as Afghans, Iraqi Arabs and Kurds, predominantly Muslim and little reached. The missionary challenge combines caring for the peoples of the land and reaching the nations that have come to live in it.
- 1.8M Unreached 6,5%
- 512K Minimally reached 1,9%
- 1.1M Superficially reached 4%
- 2.3M Partially reached 8,5%
- 21.2M Significantly reached 79%
- 42 Unreached 20,1%
- 10 Minimally reached 4,8%
- 22 Superficially reached 10,5%
- 56 Partially reached 26,8%
- 79 Significantly reached 37,8%
Source of people group data: Joshua Project (joshuaproject.net). Estimates, may vary.
Malay Frontier
Thai central
Japonês
Pashtun Frontier
Litvish Jews Frontier
Kurmanji Kurds Frontier
Judeu persa de Teerã Frontier
Source: Joshua Project. Estimates, may vary.
Pray
Intercede for this nation
Every nation carries a redemptive purpose. Marks that seem woven into the identity God desires to restore:
Go
Practical details for those who want to go
Local time
Cost of living
one of the most expensive in the world, especially in the big cities
Cost by city
Reference values (source: Numbeo). Confirm before traveling.
Practical points for those who go
- English is essential: it is the language of everything, with its own accent and slang.
- Protect yourself from the strong sun: the radiation index is high, use sunscreen and a hat.
- The cost of living is high: plan lodging and meals in advance.
- People drive on the left, as in the United Kingdom.
- Respect nature and wildlife: there is unique fauna and strict environmental rules.
- The distances are enormous: domestic flights are common between cities.
Send and sustain
Not everyone goes, everyone takes part
Not everyone goes. Everyone takes part.
Behind every worker among these peoples stands a network of people who pray without ceasing, care for the family left behind, and faithfully sustain the work. Sending is mission too.
Start with your church: introduce this nation, adopt it in ongoing prayer, and walk alongside those God is raising up to go.