Australian cities: fun facts

This scientific-sounding city holds a yearly regatta in which entrants build and sail in boats made from beer cans.

The only main Australian city not to have been founded as a penal colony, the city did not build a jail originally, because they thought they wouldn't need one.

This place is home to the cassowary, Australia's biggest land animal and the world's most dangerous bird; and to the world's largest moth, over 27cm wide.

Located in north-west Victoria, a wine-producing region, this town has an aboriginal name.

In 2012, two drunks kidnapped a penguin from the local Sea World and took it back to their apartment. This Queensland town was also the site of the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

During World War II, this large city had the largest US submarine base in the southern hemisphere.

This place near Rockhampton in Queensland was named after a cow.

The Australian city closest to Antarctica, the area is home to the Tasmanian devil.

The world's most isolated big city, this is the only area inhabited by the rare quokka.

A suburb of Sydney with an indigenous name, it was mentioned in a Monty Python sketch.

This Queensland town hosts an annual regatta called Humpybash.

In 1967, the country's prime minister went for a swim at a beach near the entrance to the bay here, and was never seen again. It is in the state of Victoria.

Australia's only big inland city. Perhaps notable as a place where nothing exciting ever happens.

In the native language, this Northern Territory town is named Mparntwe and there is a nearby hill called Atnelkentyarliweke.