Australia is frequently referred to as ‘The Lucky Country’. Yet does it actually have more luck than other nations, and is this a positive or negative aspect? We discuss it in the article below.
The Lucky Country has nothing to do with lotto results or great strokes of fortune. In fact, the phrase is from a book by Donald Horne. Although the text used the phrase in a negative way, it has since become synonymous with the happy-go-lucky, upbeat nature of the continent and the people who live there. But just how lucky are Australians?
Happiness and Quality of Life
The context of the book explains Australia’s growth on the world stage, both economically and politically. However, this is generally put down to luck and the author cites the country as lacking in innovation. In fact, the way people referred to the country as ‘The Lucky Country’ in a positive context vexed the author himself.
When it comes to generally living life, Australia ranks in the top 10 happiest countries on earth. This comes from the World Happiness Report, which is compiled by the United Nations and features 143 countries. The last of these placed Australia in tenth place, one step ahead of New Zealand and way ahead of the UK and US, in 20th and 23rd respectively. At the top of the list was Finland, followed by a range of Nordic countries.
However, there was a huge generational divide when age groups were questioned. Those aged 60 and over in Australia ranked higher at 9th in the global rankings. However, those aged 30 and under came in at just 19th. This similar pattern was also seen in the US, Canada and New Zealand.
A quick look at the frequent lists of best cities to live in often finds that Australian cities are cited. From Melbourne to Perth, you will always find them in the top 20. However, they are also some of the most expensive to dwell in. Part of their appeal may also lie in the fact that despite being large cities, they are never far away from Australia’s biggest draw: The country is blessed with beautiful scenery, wildlife and its coastline where much of its population resides.
This also provides Australia’s abundance of natural resources. In fact, 18% of the world’s known mineral wealth is stored there. This prosperity has had an impact on its citizens. A study by Credit Suisse found that Australians are the richest people in the world. The average adult in the country is worth $225,000. However, most of this is tied up in property and not liquid assets.
Luck and Superstition
Regarding luck in its superstitious form, being the favourable chance that falls upon people, there is no evidence to show that luck falls more on Australians than any other nationality. There have, however, been incidents that have attracted global attention, which the media may also have hyped up due to Australia being viewed as ‘The Lucky Country.’
One of these involved a truck driver from Melbourne, Australia, who last year had three separate strokes of luck, that involved coming back from the brink of death, followed by two lottery wins. Bill Morgan had developed a heart problem after being in a 1998 car accident. An allergic reaction to his medication meant he spent 14 minutes officially dead, followed by 15 days in a coma before he came around.
Pretty soon, he was engaged, had a new job and managed to win a brand-new car worth around $30,000. However, his luck was not over yet as he picked up a scratch card and managed to peel and reveal a prize of $250,000.
The lottery is huge in Australia. Up-to-date Lotto results are available online easily for global lottery competitions. This makes them just as easy to check as standard domestic lotteries. Money won is often charged directly to a player’s account that they hold with the Lottery office itself. In cases of a win over $10,000, lottery customer services representatives will contact players directly and arrange what bank account they want it in.
The Luckless
Good fortune and wealth aside, there are certain areas and pockets of Australia where you may question if it is the luckiest country on earth. Despite being rich, it still has some areas of mass poverty. The life expectancy for the indigenous population is 10 years less than that of non-indigenous residents, for example. Around one in seven Australians live below the poverty line. This is ranked at $400 for a single adult, which may seem like a lot in some countries but is low when you compare it with the cost of living.
Perhaps the real answer lies in Australia’s ex-pat community. People from around the world come here to holiday, with many who end up staying. For its quality of life, its natural beauty or a combination of both, it is easy to see why people think it is lucky. Lottery winner or not, there are still places far worse on Earth than you could be.
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