13 Of The Best Original Things To Come Out Of Australia

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1. The Melbourne Shuffle

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Born in Melbourne's underground rave scene in the late '80s/early '90s, the Melbourne Shuffle typically combines the "T-step" with the "Running Man" and, let's be honest, a whole lot of stomping.

2. The Hills Hoist

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In Australia during the 1950s and 1960s, the Hills clothing hoist was a staple of every suburban backyard. Great for drying clothes and swinging on when your parents weren't looking.

3. Plastic Money

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The first polymer banknote was released in 1988 by the Reserve Bank of Australia and the CSIRO. A great moment for everyone who'd ever forgotten to check their pants pockets before washing.

4. The Utesky

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When you consider how hot Australia is, it's not surprising we know how to innovate when it comes to cooling. The utesky (yes, we made this word up) is surely one of the ~coolest~ things we've created. Tips on how to make your own here.

5. The Word "Selfie"

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The first use of the word has been traced back to an online forum in 2002, and in 2013 it was named Oxford Dictionary's Word of the Year. Finally, some recognition for shortening every word. BEAUT!

6. The Quokka Selfie

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Arguably Australia's cutest invention, after the word selfie came the quokka selfie. Just take one look at this quokka – AKA the happiest animal on Earth – and it's easy to see why.

7. Wi-Fi

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While there has been some controversy around who can claim it, we do know that CSIRO astronomer and electrical engineer John O'Sullivan invented a key patent used in Wi-Fi. So we'll take it, thank you!

8. The Cork Hat

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A genius solution to Australia's fly problem, these little rippers kept the bugs away before spray-on insect repellant was even a thing. Function: 1, Style: 0. Buy one for someone you hate here.

9. Cask Wine AKA the Goon Bag

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This year marked the 50th anniversary of cask wine AKA goon bags AKA the silver pillow, invented by winemaker Tom Angove back in 1965. And, in 2015, we introduced goon coffee too. How far we've come.

10. Australian Rules Football

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Aussie rules was created by Thomas Wills in Melbourne in the late 1850s. Considering how popular it is now, it's funny to think it was originally developed as a way to keep cricketers fit during winter.

11. Backyard Cricket

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There are some basic ground rules but every house usually puts their own spin on the game (pun intended). All you really need to play is a bat and a ball (and at least one friend).

12. The Sausage Sizzle

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How do people overseas raise money for anything without these? You can find your closest sausage sizzle here, because 'Straya.

13. "Yewwww!"

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OK, so it has proven pretty hard to track down the EXACT origins of this word, but we're gonna take a stab and say it's an Aussie surfer thing. Plus one of the guys down at Maroubra said his mate came up with it, so it must be true.

Let's not forget one of Australia's most epic creations: Oporto's Original Chilli Sauce. It's now back and it's here to stay!

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