About Australia

Indigenous Australians (Aborigines) inhabited Australia some 40,000 years ago.  Although European exploration started before 1770, it was the British that landed and explored the east coast of Australia in 1788.
They claimed Australia for Great Britain and Australia became a member of the Commonwealth of the British Empire in 1901.

The Commonwealth of Australia is a democracy with its own federal government.  The Queen of England is the Head of State but is permanently represented by the Governor General. 
The Federal Government is elected every three years and is led by the Prime Minister.

The country is divided into 6 states and two territories; each has a separate Government and is lead by the Premier.

Taylors College is located in 3 states of Australia – New South Wales (Sydney), Victoria (Melbourne) and Western Australia (Perth).

Time zones

There are 3 time zones in Australia

• Eastern Standard Time (EST) – New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, Tasmania and Queensland
• Central Standard Time (CYST) – South Australian and Northern Territory
• Western Standard Time (WST) – Western Australia

CYST is ½ hour behind EST, while WST is 2 hours behind EST. 

So if it is 2 pm in Sydney, it will be 1.30 pm in Adelaide and 12 pm in Perth.

Australian States except Northern Territory, Western Australia and Queensland have daylight savings during the summer months.

Climate

The Australian climate is generally pleasant without extremes in temperatures.

Broadly there are two climatic zones – the north, above the Tropic of Capricorn and, the south.  Because of Australia’s vast size, there are variations within these zones.  The south has all four seasons, while those in the tropical zone have two (summer “wet” and winter “dry).

Season	Month	Temperature ranges
Summer	Dec/Jan/Feb	15°C - 35°C
Autumn	Mar/Apr/May	10°C - 25°C
Winter	Jun/Jul/Aug	0°C - 15°C
Spring	Sep/Oct/Nov	10°C - 25°C

Links

These links will take you to external sites. Sites will open in a separate window, and are in English unless otherwise indicated.

• Australian Tourism
  More information about Australia including an interactive map, ideas for things to do and places to visit.
• Australian Government Portal for International Students
  This website contains a comprehensive array of Government information and services for International Students. 
• Study in Australia
  The Australian Government official website for students wishing to study in Australia.
• Australian Weather Channel
  Detailed information about the weather patterns in Australia.