The History of Australian Etiquette

​When teaching etiquette to students, I always endeavour to introduce the old idea that etiquette is a kindness and respect that is valuable. It  also shows that respect knows no bounds. I like to give students a background of the European origins of etiquette. However, I do get asked about Australian Etiquette. Is there such a thing? Yes, there is! 
 
Etiquette has changed in Australia over the years. It was introduced when English gentry settled here in the country’s colonial infancy. Essentially, etiquette, like new laws, relationships, and services that underwrote the changes to its environment, economy and society, was re-written from the birth of Australia. 
 
My Very Australian Etiquette Discovery 
After teaching a student etiquette in the Melbourne CBD, I decided to take a walk to the State Library of Victoria, where I found an interesting read, A Guide to Australian Etiquette by Lillian M. Pyke (Lillian Maxwell), published in Melbourne at the turn of the century, and then re-published through to the war years. Her use of archaic English wording was replaced with modern English for the newer generations. Her book entailed subjects as how to perform introductions and topics of conversation to how to dress and manage matters of hygiene.
 
Polite society valued etiquette’s worth and adjusted its mindset toward that. Emphasis was put on social graces and dining behaviour. Being well-dressed was a must. The 1920’s based period drama series Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries and the 1950’s based Doctor Blake Mysteries, use forms of British etiquette in speech and comportment, which were still in use in Australia to a great extent.
 
Etiquette in Modern Times
In 1985, Ita Buttrose published “A Guide to Australian Etiquette“ detailing what she perceived to be correct comportment for modern Australia. Ms. Buttrose discusses diverse subjects such as de-escalating ‘trolley-rage’ at a store, or what to expect and experience in a mosque. In a nod to our outdoor lifestyle, she showed great concern about bare feet and having armpits on display.
 
During an ABC radio interview with Richard Aedy, Ms. Buttrose, herself described Australian society as having changed over time to become “an informal society,” However, the “fundamentals of how we treat each other, really, have never changed over the years.” Ms. Buttrose went onto say that manners “are a sign of a civilised society” that “make the world a much nicer place to be.” I agree with Ms. Buttrose wholeheartedly.
 
Etiquette almost became a lost art form after the 1960s. In the last few years, it has been making a comeback. New schools throughout Australia are being established to teach the finer subjects of etiquette, such as dining, afternoon tea and social etiquette in the form of workshops and courses. Parents are enrolling their children during school holidays in group classes to learn how to introduce themselves, use the correct cutlery, and how to navigate social media.
 
According to Seniors.com.au, “Manners and social practices help to shape a respectable society and are instilled in us from a very early age. Lack of standardised societal rules could mean a very different Australia... In today’s endlessly changing society the goal posts of ‘expected social behaviour’ also continue to change.”
 
Etiquette is a life-changing skill; a precious possession that lasts a life-time. Understanding and learning the complete skill set of manners needed for seamlessly blending into modern Australian life, can only help one succeed and flourish in this multi-cultural and multi-dimensional land.
 
Books on Australian Etiquette:

• Etiquette for Australians by Noreen Routledge 1969
• The Penguin Book of Etiquette – The complete Australian Guide to Modern Manners 2007
• Australian Etiquette of the Rules and Usages of the Best Society in the Australasian Colonies together with their Sports, Pastimes, Games and Amusements 1885

Article Published: Etiquipedia.blogspot.com