Generally, the Australian way of life is relaxed and informal.
Corporate dress is the norm for work in the central business districts of the major cities and the wearers' behaviour is sober and serious but certainly not pompous. The further you go from major cities, the more relaxed life becomes.
Apart from being easy going, an increasingly striking characteristic of the population during the 20th century has been its diverse ethnic mix. The huge migration boom, beginning after World War 2, has made Australia a truly multi-cultural society.
At first, the majority of settlers were from the British Isles, Italy and Greece. In more recent years, arrivals have been from Vietnam, China and some African countries. Now there are people living in Australia originating from over 280 different countries. A second language other than English is spoken in about 20 per cent of Australian homes.
As a result, the Australian culture today is remarkably individual. It is ethnically-mixed but fundamentally British-based – tolerant as with much of Britain, but with more sunshine and less formality.