Q 01/05

What is the capital city of Australia?

A) Sydney

B) Melbourne

C) Canberra

D) Brisbane

Answer · why

C) Canberra

Canberra was chosen in 1908 as a compromise site between rival Sydney and Melbourne; the planned city in the Australian Capital Territory became the s...

Q 02/05

Which of these animals is a marsupial native to Australia?

A) Koala

B) Echidna

C) Dingo

D) Platypus

Answer · why

A) Koala

Koalas are marsupials: the tiny newborn joey crawls into its mother's pouch and stays inside for about six months before it starts on eucalyptus leave...

Q 03/05

Which explorer made the first recorded European navigation of the strait between Australia and New Guinea?

A) Matthew Flinders

B) Abel Tasman

C) James Cook

D) Luís Vaz de Torres

Answer · why

D) Luís Vaz de Torres

Luís Vaz de Torres sailed through the strait in 1606, but Spain kept the discovery secret for more than 150 years; the passage now carries his name.

Q 04/05

Which giant sandstone formation in Australia's Northern Territory is sacred to the Anangu people?

A) The Pinnacles

B) Uluru

C) Wave Rock

D) The Bungle Bungles

Answer · why

B) Uluru

Uluru rises 348 metres above the surrounding plain in the Northern Territory; the Anangu are its traditional owners, and its red colour comes from iro...

Q 05/05

What is the upper house of Australia's federal parliament called?

A) The Senate

B) The House of Lords

C) The Legislative Council

D) The Federal Council

Answer · why

A) The Senate

The Senate gives every state the same number of seats whatever its population, a design meant to protect the less populous states.