# Famous Aussies that an American would know **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 11, 2005, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444 "2005-05-11T19:30:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/41 "2005-05-12T03:12:01Z")
> [@TheLoadedDog](#): > > Stealing famous Kiwis is something Australia does. There are several instances of it in this thread. Whether it’s cheating or in fact a compliment to NZ is open to debate. Depends on who it is: we’re quite happy to disown Dragon and the late, unlamented Sir Joh. ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/42 "2005-05-12T03:17:35Z")
> [@JerH](#): > > Erroll Flynn, if you want to go all classic Hollywood. > > And Yahoo Serious…well, maybe not him. I’m pretty sure Erroll Flyn was from Tasmania. Anybody remember tennis champ Rod Laver? (Goes back to the 60’s I think.) ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/43 "2005-05-12T04:07:24Z")
> [@DesertGeezer](#): > > I’m pretty sure Erroll Flyn was from Tasmania. I’m pretty sure Tasmania is part of Australia, unless they’ve seceded. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/44 "2005-05-12T04:14:07Z")
> [@Case Sensitive](#): > > I’m pretty sure Tasmania is part of Australia, unless they’ve seceded. He might have been having a joke. The relationship that Tasmania has with the rest of Australia is something like the relationship Hawaii feels with mainland USA. When i lived in Austrlia, we had a little saying: For most Aussies, there’s Australians, and then there’s Tasmanians. But for people who live in Tasmania, there’s Australians, and then there’s Mainlanders. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/45 "2005-05-12T05:22:44Z")
I forgot Mark Webber, Mick Doohan, Alan Jones, Chad Reed and a bunch of other motorcycle guys. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/46 "2005-05-12T06:18:58Z")
> [@CapnPitt](#): > > So the Bee Gees are good Except that they were born in England. Grew up and got famous in Australia, that’s true. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/47 "2005-05-12T06:20:41Z")
> [@CapnPitt](#): > > Nicole Kidman > Russell Crowe > Mel Gibson Not one of these were born in Australia! Hawaii USA, NZ and somewhere else in the USA respectively. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/48 "2005-05-12T06:30:33Z")
Dame Melba _yes I’m gay_ ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/49 "2005-05-12T06:32:32Z")
Well, personally, i think that the definition of someone’s nationality should be tied to a little bit more than where the person’s mother happened to be when they popped out. I was born in Canada, but we moved to Australia when i was four, and i spent all my formative years there. While i like Canada a lot, and retain my Canadian citizenship, i talk like an Australian and identify as one. All the people in **Askance** ’s two posts above had rather similar experiences, being born overseas but spending most of their formative years in Australia. Of course, we can’t ask them how they feel about the matter, but i think it’s a bit silly to discount them just because they happened to be born elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/50 "2005-05-12T12:54:24Z")
In the right circles people would recognise: Andrew Bogut (basketball) Darren Bennett (baseball) Graeme Lloyd (baseball) Dave Nilsson (football) Annette Kellerman (silent movies) ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/51 "2005-05-12T12:55:32Z")
Andrew Bogut (basketball) Darren Bennett (football) Graeme Lloyd (baseball) Dave Nilsson (baseball) Annette Kellerman (silent movies) would be better. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/52 "2005-05-12T13:05:54Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > Except that they were born in England. Grew up and got famous in Australia, that’s true. Actually they didn’t really. They only lived in Australia for 9 years and although they had a few minor records while here, their first hit _Spicks and Specks_ was released while they were returning to England for good. I don’t think that the brothers Gibb have ever considered themselves anything other than British. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/53 "2005-05-12T13:28:07Z")
Dammit! I wanted to be the first to mention AC/DC. Nutz. There’s also that other band - youthy, angsty, who were they? Oh yeah - Silverchair. They’re Aussies. Russell Crowe was born in NZ, his parents moved to Oz when he was three. So I hear. I’d count him Australian. Heath Ledger is an Aussie. Yvonne Gulagong is an Aussie (tennis player in the 60s and 70s. Won Wimbledon a coupla times). Not sure if a lot of Americans (or me, for that matter) would recognize her, today, really, but such is the sport of tennis. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/54 "2005-05-12T13:34:35Z")
> [@Snickers](#): > > Russell Crowe was born in NZ, his parents moved to Oz when he was three. So I hear. I’d count him Australian. You may, but he doesn’t. He always says he is proud to be an Aussie but also a Kiwi. As far as I’m concerned you can keep the wanker especially since his last solo singing effort (Raewyn…anyone??)😃 Just don’t try to claim the Finns. ---
**Author:** ![Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stark_Raven_Mad)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/55 "2005-05-12T13:55:43Z")
Almost forgot that pretty girl [Emily Browning](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0115161/), from the Lemony Snicket film. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/56 "2005-05-12T14:06:28Z")
> [@calm kiwi](#): > > Just don’t try to claim the Finns. And of course the F… Aaaar, nuts. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/57 "2005-05-12T14:15:59Z")
😃 I almost love you, you witty sod. Too bad you are from the wrong side of the ditch 😃 (oh and that whole married thing :D) ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/58 "2005-05-12T14:17:40Z")
My head. She explodes! :eek: Umm… thanks. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/59 "2005-05-12T14:17:41Z")
Oh dear…always preview! Far to many :D’s ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444/60 "2005-05-12T14:19:08Z")
Well, there’s The Church, Robert Hawk, Peter Weir and Natalie Imbruglia. And Martin Bryant. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-aussies-that-an-american-would-know/303444.md?page=4)