Boom Times in Australia
Economic downturn? What economic downturn? By most traditional economic indicators, Australia breezed right through the global financial crisis. In fact, Australia was the first G20 nation to actually raise interest rates, an effort to cool down a simmering economy. The World’s Jason Margolis spent two weeks in Australia to look at how the nation has gone 19 years without suffering a recession, and to hear some voices behind that prosperity.
This series of stories looks at life in Australia today, from the economic boom, to the nation’s emergence as an international sporting power, to the national debate over its long-standing culture of gambling.
Why Australia is Looking for a Few Good Workers
May 22, 2012
Are you an American plumber or electrician looking for work? Or perhaps a civil engineer? Want to possibly double your salary? One caveat with this job offer: You have to be willing to relocate 10,000 miles.
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Aboriginal Pop Star Jimmy Little Dies at Age 75
April 5, 2012
One of Australia’s most famous musicians died this week. Jimmy Little was 75.
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An Expensive Burger in Australia
February 17, 2012
The Economist magazine released its list of the world’s most expensive cities this week. Cracking the top 10 were two Australian cities: Sydney and Melbourne.
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The Battle for Australia’s Water – Part I
September 27, 2011
The battle for water grows in Australia’s agricultural heartland.
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The Battle for Australia’s Water – Part II
September 28, 2011
Ranchers and environmentalists form an unlikely alliance in the dry Australian Outback to avoid the water wars.
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Miners vs. Farmers in Australia: Part III
October 5, 2011
Strip mining for coal in Australia's Hunter Valley (Photo: Jason Margolis)
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Aboriginal Singer Jimmy Little Now A Champion For Healthy Food
August 3, 2011
Little is bringing awareness of healthy foods to remote indigenous communities in Australia.
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America’s Pastime Goes Down Under
July 28th, 2011
Two Maori brothers from Australia are playing for the Red Sox organization as part of Major League Baseball’s strategy to expand the sport Down Under.
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Australia’s Enviable Debt
July 12th, 2011
Australia has among the lowest debt loads in the world. Jason Margolis looks at how Australia did it, and what benefits low debt brings a nation.
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Australian Government Offers Carbon Tax Plan
July 11th, 2011
The Australian government has unveiled plans to impose a tax on carbon emissions for the country’s worst polluters.
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Why Australians Are Obsessed with Sports
June 17th, 2011
Australia is not just sport mad, it measures its place in the world on the sports field.
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Big Cod, A Strawberry, And Other Roadside Attractions
June 13th, 2011
Australia is a country that does thing big. In fact, there are 150 so-called “Big Things” scattered around Australia. They’re big and colorful sculptures meant to lure would-be visitors off the highway. Jason Margolis visited some of them.
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Among the Biggest Gamblers on Earth
May 17th, 2011
About 70 to 80 percent of Australian adults gamble. For many, it’s just a fun part of Australian culture. But some say gambling Down Under has gotten out of hand. It’s a contentious issue, one that could potentially topple a government.
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Video: A day at Randwick Racecourse
Why the Australian Floods Were Good for the Outback
May 13th, 2011
Floods in the Australian state of Queensland exacted a terrible toll last December and January. The bill could reach $30 billion, in clean-up costs and lost productivity. But one part of the Australian state welcomed the floods and is now thriving: The Outback.
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Slideshow: Animals of the Australian Outback
Blog Post: First Impressions
May 11th, 2011
My first impression of Sydney was from the air as the plane came in low over Sydney Harbour. In a word: beautiful. The famous Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House were little flecks, but stunning little flecks. Maybe this was cognitive dissonance setting in along with the sleep deprivation, but I was starting to tingle Read more…
Blog Post: A Visit Down Under
May 9th, 2011
Why am I heading to Australia? I’ve been writing about the global economy for going on three years now, mostly covering bleak stories from economically depressed places, from America’s heartland to West Africa. For a change of pace, my assignment editors thought it would be nice to visit a place that’s economically prospering. By most standard economic evaluators, the top-performing countries in the developed world are Canada, the Scandinavian nations and Australia. I’m here to report on how Australia did it, and pick up some stories behind those numbers Read more…
- Other Series by Jason Margolis:
- Ukraine: Building a Nation (2008)
- Rebuilding Liberia (2010)
- Follow Jason Margolis on Twitter
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