What makes Aussies tick? Hugh Mackay and others explain

By Sheridan VoyseyFriday 25 Jan 2013RelationshipsReading Time: 2 minutes

Recently I spent an fascinating evening with my dad talking about our family history. Of dad’s life growing up in Sydney’s working class inner city suburb of Surry Hills in the 1930’s and 1940’s. It was a great night discovering what his family were like, his relationship with relatives and how he met my mum.

It gave me an understanding of who my dad is and the people who helped shape him.

So as we celebrate Australia Day and what it means to be Australian, let’s take time our to understand ourselves a little better.
 

What makes Australians tick?

Hugh Mackay is the man we turn to when we want to understand our times. As Australia’s leading social researcher, he’s spent a lifetime listening to us talk about our hopes, fears and dreams. Mackay says the 10 big desires that drive us include ambition, greed, and the need to belong. 

Audio – Hugh Mackay explains what makes Australians tick

The changing face of relationships in Australia

Australians are waiting longer to marry, women are waiting longer to have babies and there's been a huge increase in the number of de-facto relationships. We talk to Lyn Fletcher from Relationships Australia about an interesting new study on marriage and relationships in Australia.

Audio - Lyn Fletcher from Relationships Australia talks about the new study on Australian relationships