Australia's cities are melting pots of different cultures due to the great post-World War II influx of both English and non English-speaking migrants.

Arts
The originality of the arts has achieved international recognition. High culture thrives with excellent galleries, a strong national opera company based in Sydney, and excellent symphony orchestras in all capital cities.

Architecture
Contemporary Australian architecture includes a number of iconic structures including the Sydney Opera House, the Royal Exhibition Building, and Parliament House. Significant architects include Harry Seidler and Francis Greenway.

Cinema
Australia has a long history of film production. The indigenous film industry continues to produce a reasonable number of films each year; also, many US producers have moved productions to Australia where filming could be effectively completed well below US costs. Notable productions include The Matrix and the Star Wars Episode II and III.

Music
Aboriginal song remains an integral part of Aboriginal culture. The most famous feature of their music is the didgeridoo, which is a wooden instrument that makes a distinctive droning sound. Classical music can be traced back to two distinct sources: the first free settlers who brought with them the European classical music tradition; and the large body of convicts and sailors they brought with them. Well-known Australian classical performers include sopranos: Dame Joan Sutherland, Joan Carden, Yvonne Kenny and Emma Matthews; pianists Roger Woodward, Michael Kieren-Harvey and Leslie Howard; guitarist John Williams, and horn player Barry Tuckwell. Australia has also produced a wide variety of popular music. Some notable examples include The Easybeats, The Seekers, AC/DC, Cold Chisel, INXS, Kylie Minogue, Silverchair and Jet. The arrival of the 1961 underground movement into the mainstream in the early 1970schanged Australian music permanently.

Sport
Australians are passionate about sport and it forms a major part of the country's culture. Most of Australia's patriotism is expressed through sport and is taken quite seriously, especially seen during major international events such as the Olympic Games.
Aussie Rules football is the most popular winter sport in the nation. As the only sport invented by Australians, Australian rules football holds a special place in the Australian culture. It has strong local competitions in most states, and numerous local leagues around the country.
Cricket is the national sport of Australia and has long been so. Figures from the game's past are some of the most popular figures in the nation's history. Internationally Australia has for most of the last century sat at or near the top of the cricketing world. The Ashes competition between Australia and Endlandis the most popular sporting contests in Australia.
Rugby League is the most popular winter sport in the Australian Capital Territory. While most of the teams in the NRL are based in Sydney, most AFL teams have links to Melbourne.