Australia is the largest prison in the world. How prison labor hinders economic development

Sue Paull photographed the inmates of Australia's most famous prisons for 15 years as an art teacher. Her stunning photographs show the world of murderers and rapists hidden behind bars.

Before becoming a prison art teacher and photographer, Poll worked in a school system whose rules she didn't like. When she came to classes with especially dangerous prisoners, she felt quite at ease.

Under her direction, hundreds of prisoners painted pictures, made pottery and sculptures, which were later exhibited at the entrance of the Long Bay prison and in many foreign galleries.

While working in the penitentiary system, Poll began photographing prisoners, at first only in the art studio, and later outside of it. Her stunning black and white images provide a glimpse into the hidden world of Australian prisons between 1993 and the late 2000s.

While using a documentary style in many of his photographs, Pall nonetheless draws attention to beautiful images, such as the tattoos of prisoners and their physical strength, which is essential for surviving behind bars.

Prisoner Terry stands in front of one of his paintings called "Long Bay Hilton Foyer".

An inmate at the gym at the Long Bay Correctional Complex in 1993 during the daily exercise that many inmates do to keep fit in a rather dangerous prison environment.

Officer Jane in full gear at Goulburn Correctional Center where a female officer rescued male officers during a prisoner uprising in 2002, sustaining stab wounds and severe head injuries.

Inmate Tom Foster shows off his powerful physique and tattoos while working in the garden statue workshop at Silverwater Penitentiary, where he was transferred from Long Bay Prison.

Jailer on duty in 1996 on the top tier of the Parramatta Correctional Center, which opened in 1798 and closed in 2011, an old crumbling sandstone prison infested with rats.

Amanda and Michael in 1993 at Long Bay Prison, one of 34 New South Wales correctional centers where transgender relationships are part of prison life.

Convicted murderer Geoffrey Websdale, described by Sue Poll as a "superb specialist", next to one of his jobs at Long Bay Prison in 2004. In 1989, as a combine harvester trainee, he shot and wounded two people at a combine harvester camp, earning the maximum 25-year sentence.

Inmate Wayne Brown, dressed in prison green sweatpants, poses for prison art teacher and photographer Sue Poll inside the Long Bay Correctional Complex in 1997. Poll was interested in his tattoos, which included the word "Mum" ("Mum") on his right arm.

Barbed wire and steel bars entangled the gates of the old part of the Long Bay Correctional Complex in 1997, where high-risk prisoners, including murderers and rapists, were then housed. Later, the prison began to accept less dangerous criminals.

Prisoner Andrew in the statue workshop at Silverwater Prison in 1997, during one of the final stages before being released.

A shirtless prisoner sunbathing at Long Bay Prison in 1994

An armed jailer in Tower 8 of the Long Bay Correctional Complex in 1997. Only guards in the tower can carry weapons and, if necessary, shoot at fugitives or rioters.

An inmate at Long Bay Prison plays sports in the yard in 1993.

A female jailer at the gates of the Long Bay Correctional Complex in 2007, through which all guards must pass to enter the working part of the prison.

Prisoners make a variety of sharpeners from any pieces of metal found and even from toothbrushes.

Prisoner Steve shows off his tattoos at Long Bay Correctional Center in Sydney in 1994.

Isolated courtyards at the Parkley Correctional Center in 1996 for violent and violent inmates.

An inmate at the Long Bay Prison gym in 1994.

Sue Pall worked with the prisoners as an art teacher. She found creative talents in hundreds of especially dangerous criminals.

Sue Pall photographed the tattoos of some of the prisoners.

A wedding between a woman and an inmate at the Long Bay Correctional Complex in 1996, before authorities banned weddings in maximum security prisons. The few that take place behind bars now have to be cleared by the commissioner.

Some of the tattoos are quite difficult to decipher.

Inmate Tom Foster at the Long Bay Correctional Complex in 1997 depicted a flower in his painting.

The interior of Wing 9 of Long Bat Prison in 1997 shows the cell doors during the renovation period when their inmates were relocated to other prisons.

A cigarette-toothed payroll official poses for Sue Poll at Long Bay Jail in 1993.

A female rifle-wielding guard at Goulburn Correctional Center in 2004, two years after a riot in which 30 inmates with homemade weapons attacked staff, injuring seven guards and nearly killing one.

Aboriginal prisoner Doug Pierce from one of his paintings. His works are now in collections in Canada, the US, France and the UK.

Prisoners' clothing hanging from the railing at Bathurst Correctional Center in 2000.

Young prisoner Simon at Long Bay Prison in 1993.

Aboriginal Jason stands in the shade of barbed wire from his large-scale painting outside the art studio at Long Bay Prison in 1999.

This, at first glance, strange, but often mentioned prefix to the name of the country sounds like “prison continent”. However, in fact, how many countries in the world can be found whose eleven prisons have been included in the list of world historical heritage UNESCO? Or is there another state that issued a collection of gold coins dedicated to the domestic penitentiary system, which was done by the Central Bank of the Commonwealth of Australia - this is the official name of the country, in 2012? And so we will take this series as a guide.

Prison numismatics

The history of prisons in Australia and Oceania began back in the eighteenth century, when the first batch of convicts landed on the shores of the continent in the Botany Bay area, who were forced to spend the rest of their lives away from their native Great Britain - laying roads in the thickets, building new berths in ports. Along with them came an army of officials, who took up residence in the farm building, which has been preserved to this day under the name "Old Government House" and minted on one of the coins.

So, the first prison camps appeared on south coast Australia, which later became known as the state of South Wales, and hard labor coal mines on the island of Tasmania, also immortalized on the coin. Three more coins are dedicated to the Hyde Park Barracks government institution, a hard labor prison in and the Kesnay Women's Prison. The five-dollar series was completed by the Fremantle Prison, one of the very first prisons built to contain especially dangerous criminals. Its history began in 1850, when 75 convicts on the ship "Skindian", which arrived on the shores of the fifth continent, began construction, which lasted nine years. Some time later, again by the forces of prisoners, a unique kilometer-long hydraulic structure was built under the prison - a system of tunnels with catchment tanks. And at the beginning of the 20th century, when the number of serious crimes sharply increased during the beginning of the “gold rush”, a block was added to the main citadel, in which death rows were located and sentences were carried out. The last to be hanged here in 1964 was serial killer Eric Edgar Cook.

Unfortunately, the inattention of the prison authorities to the conditions of detention of prisoners led to tragic consequences. In January 1988, when a fifty-degree heat hit Australia, due to the lack of air conditioning, several inhabitants of the cells died from heatstroke, and the rest started a riot, during which several more prisoners died. Among other things, due to the outbreak of fire, a significant part of the premises received significant damage.

After this incident, the authorities decided to transfer the prisoners to the renovated and expanded prison in the city of Perth, and turn Fremantle into a museum. Now visitors can get acquainted with the history of the prison and its inhabitants, but also get married in an Anglican church. The building of the former hospital houses the Children's Literature Club, an art college and an art gallery of paintings created by prisoners during art therapy sessions.

Pioneers in chains

Strangely enough, the first to be sent here were not the most hardened criminals. It's just that the prisons of Foggy Albion turned out to be so overcrowded that it was decided to send all the prisoners there indiscriminately - no matter if he was a murderer or a petty swindler. But the fate for both was the same - shackles, an iron collar with spikes, punishments in the form of whipping or being stripped naked and chained to a pole under the scorching rays of the sun. However, those who could pay the guards, not only did not spend the night in miserable shacks, but according to the "representation" of the authorities, those who were not suitable for physical labor could spend all the time in solid houses rebuilt at their expense.

Relative privileges were also enjoyed by convict women, who were sent to a nearby weaving factory. However, some of them, trading their bodies, successfully married their regular clients, often the same convicts.

How are we sitting?

The main prison of Australia today is quite rightly called the Parramatta prison in the state of New South Wales, where prisoners who have committed the most serious crimes are serving their sentences. We will return to this list, but for now it is worth noting that the inhabitants of this prison can afford at public expense such things that are beyond the means of other ordinary taxpayers. For example, insert an artificial jaw for yourself, undergo cosmetic surgery, or even change your gender. The rules here were so liberal that the administration even allowed parcels with condoms for men and latex wipes for women to be received from the outside, and even mobile phones. However, as it turned out in 2005, a lot of prisoners, mostly from among the "godfathers", tried to use mobile phones to guide their groups even from behind bars. The radio interception police service detected 17 cases of such conversations in just one month. After that, the guards staged general searches, confiscating cell phones. The alerted occupants of the cells tried to hide the tubes in various places. Men - by disguising them in pieces of bread, and women - by hiding them in ... intimate places. It turned out to be difficult to fight the penetration of this infection into the cells, so the director of the prison ordered the installation of "jammers". It is also curious that after the introduction of this ban in another Rimutaka prison, the guards organized a business. Some sold pipes to convicts, while others confiscated them after a while, and then sold them again.

It also turned out that during the Christmas period, numerous Santa Clauses brought various gifts to the prisoners. In the course of the operation carried out by the prison authorities, in just two weeks, dozens of cold weapons were confiscated from Father Frosts - knives, machetes, sharpeners, and even (just in case) lady's false acrylic nails.

Last year, at the government level, it was proposed to close this oldest penitentiary, founded in 1852, and turn it into hotel. But so far this year they decided to reconstruct it for residential and shopping malls another prison of the nineteenth century - "Pentbridge".

Meals for prisoners by Russian standards can be equated to sanatoriums. Moreover, the menu claims to be international. Breakfast is typically English: scrambled eggs, oatmeal, bacon, sausages, buns, coffee, tea or juices. But for lunch, prison chefs can offer dishes from Malay, Japanese or Chinese cuisine. Most of the diet is occupied by vegetables grown in the auxiliary prison farms. Agricultural production is especially developed in the prison of the city of Banbury, from where vegetables are delivered to other prisons. For example, in 2008, a pumpkin weighing 135 kilograms was grown here, which not only won a prize at a food exhibition, but was also used as the main ingredient for the soup served for dinner to the inhabitants of this correctional institution.

Without the right to pardon

We will not dwell on the Australian judicial system for the reason that it can be described as "legal chaos". Surprisingly, this civilized country still does not have a single criminal code. The only document that is valid in all states determines the degree of responsibility for committing state crimes. But at the level of counties and districts, the main legal instruments, according to which the classification of crimes, whether it is murder or petty theft, are special acts. Yes, besides, the judiciary itself is extremely confusing: in the country there are county and district courts, magistrates (intermediate), small session courts, and family courts for divorces. In the state of Victoria, there is even a special tribunal that deals with controversial issues that arise during construction. In several states there are also "industrial" tribunals that arbitrate in resolving conflicts between entrepreneurs. True, sentences for serious crimes come into force only after their approval by the Supreme Court.

But the laws in the country are quite severe. Today, Russians are waiting with interest to see what amendments deputies will make to laws that toughen responsibility for car recklessness, including for driving vehicle drunk. This problem has already been solved in Australia. In October 2012, ex-kickboxing champion Gürkan Ozkon in Melbourne swept in his racing Mazda at a red traffic light at a speed of 180 kilometers per hour. So, the district court did not accept as extenuating circumstances either the fact that the trip ended without serious consequences, or the fact that the Turk was an honored guest in the Australian Martial Arts Association. The traffic offender was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for dangerous driving. Moreover, parole can only come after two years.

And there is a category of convicts for whom early release does not shine at all. These are, firstly, members of the Mark Hayden gang from the town of Snowtown, serving their sentences in the special block of the Prarramat prison. The ringleader and three more of his accomplices were convicted of luring victims to the rented building of a former bank since the mid-1990s. After that, representatives of the so-called sexual minorities were killed after torture, and their bodies were dismembered, and the remains were preserved in barrels. So, according to the leader, they "cleansed the world of filth." Hayden will spend the rest of his life behind bars, his friends received terms from 26 to 48 years in prison. That's just with a note on the verdict "Without the right to pardon."

Barra John Watts and his girlfriend Wally Fay Back are now in the same prison. These two loafers, who traded in fraud and theft, having smoked "weed", decided to use the seven-year-old Xiang King for their sexual amusements. When they traveled around Australia, in the small town of Noosa, they kidnapped a girl, and then, having abused her, Watts killed the baby.

Vincent Farrow also became a kind of convict of this prison. At the age of twenty, he organized a gang that was engaged in robberies and murders, but thanks to the efforts of lawyers, it was not possible to prove the guilt of the young man as the leader of a criminal group. But the judge still measured him a substantial term of 55 years in prison for ... participation in a sinful sin, which, through the efforts of the prosecution, was qualified as a gang rape. As State Attorney General Bob Dabus noted, this is the most severe sentence handed down in Australia for such an act.

But the most famous prison inmate remains the great-grandson of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Nicholas Bartan, who, having settled in Australia, did not find anything better than to start producing ecstasy drugs, supplying them not only to clubs and discos, but also to prisons. As a result of the operation carried out by the police, his clandestine laboratory was liquidated. The extraction was 55 kilograms of raw materials for the production of the potion, stamping equipment and production manager Ross Woodrit, a New Zealander. Both were sent to jail, and their former buyers were not discouraged for long. After the potion supply channel was blocked, for example, in the same Parramatta prison where the accomplices ended up, the prisoners began to breed poisonous black widow spiders, from the extract of which, diluted with water, the drug was made.

And in Golburn Prison, things got to the point that the prison administration, rejoicing at the desire of their wards to work in greenhouses, was unpleasantly surprised to learn that “agronomists” grew hemp there, which is then processed into marijuana.

However, the prisoners did not long grieve for the lack of "dope". One of them came up with a brilliant plan. The fact is that one of the troubles of Australia is the rapidly expanding range of frogs that eat useful insects, and on which a total hunt has been declared. So, a smart convict suggested that the authorities start sewing leather shorts in a prison workshop. "Good" was received, the work began to boil, but the final product was in no hurry to be born. It turned out that craftsmen boiled a drug from the skin of a poisonous amphibian, which in its qualities is in no way inferior to the drug LSD.

Beware Al-Qaeda!

The psychosis that gripped Europe and the United States in connection with the activities terrorist organizations, did not bypass Australia either. The authorities even determined the Barwon prison near Melbourne to contain such terrorists. For example, Jack Roche, filed by Great Britain, spent nine children in it. An Englishman who converted to Islam was accused of trying to organize terrorist act at the Israeli embassy. During his arrest, he himself admitted that he had been trained in one of the al-Qaeda camps in Pakistan and even met with bin Laden.

However, after serving his sentence, a decision was made for his early release on the condition that Jack would regularly appear at the police station for registration, and his telephone conversations and communications via the Internet would be monitored by Australian counterintelligence. Far less fortunate was another "Australian Islamist," taxi driver Joseph Thomson. He was sentenced to 25 years for participating in the preparation of an explosion at a nuclear power plant. He did not manage to serve his full term, because in April 2006 he was beaten to death by fellow inmates.

By the way, the most extravagant convict committed from this prison. Robert Cole, in order to gain freedom, made a hole in the wall, but because of the fullness he could not squeeze through it. And then he went on a diet. After several months of fasting, he lost 14 kilograms, and then carried out his planned escape.

Sergey Uranov
According to the newspaper
"Behind Bars" (#5 2013)

The new Hunter High Security Prison in northern Sydney bears little resemblance to a prison at all. There are no cells or doors, and prisoners can call until late at night or watch touch-panel TV. At the same time, they are under the close attention of 600 video cameras 24 hours a day, and in case of incidents, an elite rapid response team is always ready.

The prison authorities believe that this is the future of the rehabilitation system for criminals such as murderers, rapists and repeat offenders.

What may surprise those who smiled skeptically when reading this: in the first six months of the work of the Hunter Correctional Center, there was not a single attack on the guards and not a single skirmish between the prisoners. Not a single death, escape, and only one prisoner harmed himself. And this is an excellent result compared to other maximum security institutions.

The goal of the prison is "to achieve a 100% result in the employment of prisoners, the acquisition of life skills, education and programs that correct their illegal behavior."

Prisoners work five hours a day for $65 a week. They also have three hours of leisure time, which includes a treadmill and other exercise equipment, a library and a multi-faith chapel.

Hunter Prison was built in just a year and opened on January 30th. The building has four wings, each with four shared bedrooms, or "blocks". Each block accommodates 25 prisoners who live in open single rooms, more like an office. The rooms have a table, chair, mattress and interactive TV.

Although the Hunter Correctional Center operates differently, it is still a prison.

The Rapid Response Team is always ready.

Chief Warden Melanie Campton watches one of the dormitories through a window before dinner.

Prisoners can store food and personal hygiene items in their room.

The 60 cm interactive TV has access to free TV channels, radio and some movies.

Unlike the usual prisons, the prisoners of the Hunter Correctional Center do not sit behind bars.

Through such windows, guards watch the dormitories.

The prisoners are provided with toilet paper, plastic kitchen utensils and a safety razor. All this they can store in their room.

Wall with posters in the room of one of the prisoners.

The criminals lined up for roll call. Each of them, having heard his last name, must answer "Yes, miss" or "Yes, sir."

The officers of the rapid reaction team will be in any part of the prison in two minutes to prevent a dangerous situation.

The guards have pepper spray and stun grenades in their arsenal. However, since the opening of the prison, they have never been needed.

Personal hygiene items - baby powder, shampoo and deodorant.

Every prisoner is required to work. They can learn, for example, to work with metal, which will be useful to them in life outside the prison walls.

Also, prisoners can learn the craft of a draper. The furniture they make is used in other NSW prisons.

Hunter Correctional Director Richard Haycock wants the convicts to rehabilitate and return to society.

Prisoners have more access to recreational facilities than in other Australian maximum security prisons.

The dormitories have high ceilings and sound-absorbing partitions. Surprisingly, the rooms are usually very quiet, even if all the prisoners are in place.

In total, there are 400 prisoners in Hunter Prison. Most of their day is taken up with work, training, and other programs.

The correctional facility has a multi-denominational chapel.

There is even a place for washing feet.

The menu for the week hangs in the kitchen, and the prisoners can choose their meals.

Touchball is a popular game in Hunter Prison.

The prisoners are preparing dinner. On Thursdays they have chicken tacos and salad.

Correctional center in the Australian city of Goulburn locals simply referred to as "The Sphere". He enjoys the fame scary prison in the country. It is here that the most hardened criminals - rapists, murderers, sadists - are serving their sentences. British journalists managed to see the gloomy institution from the inside.

The correctional center in the Australian city of Goulburn, 90 kilometers from Canberra and 195 kilometers from Sydney, is simply called the "Sphere" by the locals. And yet - a "human zoo". Australia's most dangerous criminals are kept in the local cages - mostly murderers and rapists.
The prison building in Goulburn was built in the 19th century. Soon the institution will celebrate its 150th anniversary.
There are about 30 prisoners in each wing of the prison. Criminals are divided along ethnic lines: natives of Asia, the Middle East and Australian Aborigines live separately from each other. Murderers and rapists are kept together in a separate wing.
Inmate Matthew De Gruci is serving a 28-year sentence in the Sphere for the murder of his mother, brother and sister. He recently took part in an attack on two prisoners that resulted in the victims being sent to the prison hospital with fractures and brain damage.
Serial killer Ivan Milat, sentenced in 1996 to six life sentences, unsuccessfully attempted to escape from The Sphere.
Thomas Hudson Wilson was Milat's partner in the failed escape. He got into the Sphere for brutally beating a woman with an iron crowbar. Wilson smashed the victim's face, broke his arms and legs. As the judge stated at the trial, she will never be able to fully recover from her injuries. The capture of the criminal did not take long: due to the complete absence of hair on the head and body of Wilson, the victim easily identified the criminal.
Bassam Hamzi is perhaps Australia's most protected criminal, an Islamist and leader of the Assassins organized crime group. After a few years of his stay in prison, it turned out that Hamzi successfully persuades other prisoners to convert to Islam and successfully manages the affairs of a criminal group while behind bars.
A poster with the emblem of his group "Assassins" - "Killers" - Khamzi kept in his cell.
Gates to Hell is the main entrance to the Goulburn Correctional Centre. Behind these gates is located both the main building of the prison and the special building "Supermax" for the most dangerous prisoners. It is there that Bassam Hamzi is serving his sentence.
Mohammed Skaf was only 17 years old when, following his older brother Bilal, he ended up in a youth criminal group that committed a number of brutal rapes of young Sydney residents.
Bilal Skaf is now 31 years old. he is serving a 33-year sentence at The Sphere on charges of multiple rapes.
There is always tension between the prisoners in the prison, joint walks in the cell courtyards often end in fights and violence. The picture shows a homemade weapon taken from the prisoners by the guards. Knives and sharpeners are made from any improvised items - combs, brushes, any metal objects found in the prison.
Assassin Leith Marchant, serving time in the "Sphere" under the influence of Bassam Hamzi converted to Islam. Now he sleeps on the bare floor of the cell and, according to the guards, is constantly hatching plans for escape.
Mark van Crevel killed three men by gutting and decapitating his first victim.
Vestor Fernando went to jail for the murder of nurse Sandra Hoare. Already behind bars, he killed his own cousin, who also ended up in the "Sphere".
Serial killer Lindsey Rose was caught making duplicate keys to prison doors. as it turned out, he was preparing to kill the guards.
The main building of the Goulburn Correctional Center was built in 1884.
Australian beauty queen Anita Cobby was kidnapped by five criminals after her shift at a hospital where she worked as a nurse. Anita was taken to a wasteland in the north of Sydney, brutally raped and killed, almost completely cutting off the girl's head. This crime was committed in 1986. The three accomplices to the murder, brothers Michael, Harry and Leslie Murphy, are still serving time today for the murder of Anita Cobby at Goulburn Correctional Centre.
Janine Balding, 20, was raped and killed in one of the railway stations Sydney in 1988. her killer, former drifter Steven Jamieson, now has a permanent residence in The Sphere.
Victims of serial killer Ivan Milat. Basically, they were young tourists traveling around Australia. Milat is very sensitive to the conditions of his detention: for example, when a sandwich maker was taken away from him, he made a huge scandal and even went on a hunger strike, which, however, lasted less than two days.
Killer Janine Balding Stephen Jameson, nicknamed "Shorty": the growth of the killer and rapist is only 147 centimeters. He is in
Anita Cobby Killers, Murphy Brothers: Leslie...
... Harry...
...and Michael. The brothers, sentenced to life imprisonment, will not leave the Sphere until the end of their lives.
Goulburn is located in the south of Australia, in New South Wales, 90 kilometers from the country's capital, Canberra, and 195 kilometers from Sydney.
Farhad Kwaumi has repeatedly tried to riot in the prison. So, he planned to flood the cell, calling on fellow cells to join him, break out from behind the bars and start killing the guards. To kill the guards, he had already prepared a homemade knife when he was caught.
And this weapon was taken from visitors who tried to smuggle it to prisoners during visits. Of course, bringing weapons into the prison is strictly prohibited. If any weapon is found in the visitor, it is confiscated, and the violator is immediately arrested.
Killer Guy Staines converted to Islam in prison.
Mentally handicapped killer Craig Richardson, having sharpened parts from prison simulators, tried to set fire to his cell in order to lure the guards into it and attack them. As a violent prisoner, Richardson was transferred to the Supermax Corps for high-risk criminals.
The guards of the Goulburn Correctional Center almost daily confiscate drugs, edged weapons, mobile phones and SIM cards from prisoners and their guests.
serial rapist Bilal Skaf in the visiting room with his parents - father Mustafou and mother Baria. Later, Bariya was convicted of trying to take notes out of prison in socks that Bilal sent with her to freedom, bypassing prison censorship. After that, Baria was forbidden to see his son.
Ronald Priestley, a killer serving time in the "Sphere", has already taken part in riots and attacks on prison guards several times.
In the picture, police officers remove the bodies of the victims of serial killer Ivan Milat from the Belanglo Forest in New South Wales. Milat himself will never leave the walls of the Sphere.

Each continent, each country and state is amazing, wonderful and unique in its own way. On any continent, every nation has its own characteristics, traditions and which will be very interesting for any tourist. Thanks to these features, a vivid and complete picture of a particular area is formed.

This article presents useful and very Interesting Facts about Australia.

Country-continent

Australia is a very big country. It ranks sixth in the world in terms of its territory. It is so huge that it occupies an entire continent. Its territory occupies more than seven million square kilometers.

Interesting facts about Australia regarding geographical location countries are undoubtedly three oceans. The mainland is washed immediately by the Indian, Pacific and South.

A huge part of the country is occupied by deserts and semi-desert territories. The most famous of them are Bolshaya Peschanaya and Victoria. From a bird's eye view, Australia looks like a bleak and red desert.

The country is indeed considered the driest continent, as only 500 mm of precipitation falls here per year.

But, despite all this, the mainland is in the top ten countries in the world in terms of quality and standard of living.

The most famous Australian animal is the kangaroo. It is the symbol of the country. There are plenty of them in Australia. When it gets dark, they, attracted by the headlights, go out onto the highways and jump under the wheels of cars. Therefore, Australians even have a special kangaroo sign to warn drivers of the dangers on the road. Mostly Australian kangaroos are small in size - up to 60 centimeters. But there are also larger individuals - up to 3 meters.

The most dangerous animals in Australia are crocodiles. The northern part of the country is simply teeming with them. And almost a week does not pass, as accidents occur involving these animals. Alligators simply devour the people they come across. There are plenty of crocodiles on the continent. The most famous is the Australian salt water. It is found in salty sea water and is the largest of all species on earth. An adult crocodile can weigh a ton (!) and reach 3-4 meters in length.

Scary stories about predatory poisonous ones from which hundreds of people die are well known. However, these are just tales. Since 1979, not a single person has died from a spider bite in Australia. So you can be calm.

The same goes for sharks. Off the coast of the Australian continent, they are not uncommon. Yes, they are dangerous, but if you behave carefully and do not provoke them, then everything will work out. Sharks are non-conflict creatures, they never attack first.

What other animals are diverse in Australia? You will learn interesting facts about its inhabitants if you visit local zoos. For example, have you ever heard of an animal called the wombat? And this is the continent. A small guinea pig that looks very much like a wild boar. Do you know about the Tasmanian Devil? This is an Australian dog breed that resembles the French Bulldog.

river of life

The most big river Australia is Murray. It flows in the eastern part of the continent and reaches a length of 2570 kilometers. The river originates in the Australian Alps, and flows into Indian Ocean. On the way to the sea, it flows through a variety of environments: cities, agricultural land, etc.

Australia's largest river is the most "living" of all water bodies. Frogs, fish, ducks, crayfish, snakes, and many other animals live here. The river is so diverse that every representative of the animal world can find a place for himself here. Proud swans swim in clear crystal waters, and frogs croak and snakes and lizards crawl in wetlands.

The Murray River is home to a wide variety of fish species: trout, cod, golden perch, Australian smelt, minnows and many others.

Above the mountains only mountains

Interesting facts about Australia - this is undoubtedly its lowest and highest geographical points. So, on the one hand, the continent is below sea level, when compared with other land areas of the Earth. The lowest point is Lake Eyre (15 meters below sea level). By the way, it is the driest in the world. It is covered with a thick four-meter layer of salt, and there is absolutely no water in it.

On the other hand, here are the Alps, on the territory of which the most high mountain in Australia - Kosciuszko (2228 meters). This is the highest point of the Green Continent.

Why is the highest mountain in Australia named after the Polish general and hero of Belarus Tadeusz Kosciusho? The fact is that its discovery was made by the Polish geologist Strzelecki in 1840. By the way, initially it was not called that, but bore the name Townsend. "Kosciuszko" - it was a neighboring mountain, which was then considered the highest. But later, when it was scientifically proven that Townsend was 20 meters higher, the Australians changed the names of the mountains to highest point bore the name of the hero of Poland. They did this as a sign of respect for the discoverer.

City life

Australia's most are Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Hobat. And none of the above is the capital. The fact is that the capital of Australia - Canberra - is quite small town. A little more than 350 thousand people live in it.

The biggest Australian city- Sydney. About five million people live in it. Next comes Melbourne with a population of about four million. By the way, earlier the capital of Australia was Melbourne. Today this city is only cultural capital continent. Brisbane, a major industrial center on the mainland, is home to about two million people. In Perth and Adelaide - one and a half million.

Gastronomic facts

What will Australia offer travelers? Interesting facts about the culinary characteristics of the country also cannot be ignored. First of all, we should talk about the traditional Australian dish - vegemait. The name sounds mysterious, doesn't it? But in fact, everything is much simpler. This is ordinary yeast spread on unleavened bread. The pungent smell of brown mass and its salty taste will not be to the taste of every traveler. What can not be said about the Australians themselves, who simply adore their traditional "pate".

Another unusual edible feature of the country is basket-shaped pies. Inside - meat stuffing. It looks beautiful and tastes good too.

Sights of Sydney

One of the most amazing and beautiful buildings in the world is the Sydney Opera House. Its opening took place in 1973 by order of Queen Victoria. This is unusual building considered by right the most beautiful building of the twentieth century.

Television Tower in Sydney is the most high construction of the entire South Her height is amazing - 309 meters in height! Thousands of visitors annually climb the Tower to observation platform admire the panorama of the city, the heights opening before them and the largest bridge in the world - the Harbor Bridge.

Also in Sydney is the world's largest aquarium. Its huge number of underwater tunnels will not leave anyone indifferent. There is something to see here - more than six thousand species of various representatives sea ​​depths at your service!

What else to see in Australia?

The main attraction of the continent is the Big barrier reef. This is a real miracle of nature. The largest coral reef system in the world. 900 islands stretched over a vast territory - more than 3,000 kilometers. By the way, it is here on one of the islands that the most remote mailbox is located.

One more natural wonder Australia - pink Scientists still cannot explain the reason for its scarlet color.

locals

Interesting facts about Australia will be told to you by the inhabitants of the continent themselves. By the way, mostly Europeans live here - more than 90 percent of the total population. Mostly Irish and British.

The residents themselves call themselves the funny nickname "Ozzy". They also call the American dollar. Strange, do they really associate themselves with money? But we don't understand this.

By the way, there are still Aboriginal people in Australia. They occupy five percent of the total population. These black Australians live in remote reservations and settlements.

Australians are very funny people. They love to joke and laugh. In general, they strive to live and breathe to the fullest. Perhaps that is why they are so friendly and hospitable. In addition, they love to travel. Not only in their own continent, but in general around the world.

Every year, Australia hosts a wide variety of international celebrations to attract overseas visitors.

Unusual facts

1. Only in Australia there is a medical service "flying doctor". They provide only emergency care to patients living in a remote area from the city. This service is a kind of symbol of the country. After all, she speaks of a high level of medicine and life in general.

2. Australia is a country of sheep. In 2000, over 100 million of these animals were counted in the country. It turns out that the number of "sheep population" is five times higher than human.

3. Here is the largest pasture in the world. Still would! There are so many sheep in Australia! And they also need somewhere to graze. The largest pasture is called Anna Creek and covers an area of ​​​​35,000 square kilometers.

4. Nondescript capital. Canberra is a small and unremarkable city. Unlike Sydney or Melbourne. Then why is she? It's kind of a compromise. The city is located exactly in the middle between Melbourne and Sydney. As they say, so that there are no disagreements.

5. There is more snow in the mountains of Australia than in Swiss Alps. The fact is that a huge amount of snow falls on the territory of the Australian Alps, much more than in Switzerland. Therefore, winter holidays are very popular here.

6. Continent of prisoners. Australia was discovered by Great Britain and became its colony. England used remote island to exile criminals. Therefore, those who survived a long sea voyage in dirty ship holds, in fact, became the first inhabitants of this country. So a quarter of the Australian population are descendants of British prisoners.

7. The largest part of Antarctica belongs to Australia. In 1933, the Antarctic Territory of Australia was officially transferred to her by England. This is a huge area - about six million square kilometers.

Australia: interesting facts for children

1. This Green Continent was discovered by James Cook in 1770.

2. The most common animal in Australia is the kangaroo. It is home to the largest number of snakes in the world.

3. Australia is the smallest continent. At the same time, she is the most big island in the world.

4. In Australia they speak English language. And mostly Europeans live here. Although there is also an indigenous population - aborigines.

5. The main architectural value of the continent is the Sydney Opera House. It is built right in the harbor and is surrounded by water on three sides. The roof of the building resembles a ship with sails or swan wings.