brits1

Aussie accents....I have just watched an Australian reality TV show (I know I know but it did get me through a pile of ironing..plus loads of repeats on TV at the moment...well that's my excuse lol) anyway the contestants were from various Australian states and different backgrounds etc...but they accents to me sounded the same..I thought so when we lived in Australia but after all these years away I thought I might be able to detect "state accent's" but nope....is this right..or is my hearing also going with along with other things (I have also just stopped at the services in Newport Pagnell in my way to London) asked for a latte..and had to repeat it twice (my northern accent)..and yes the barista was English....... southern though.which is not her fault lol

Beoz

Definately accents in Oz.

I live in Sydney so to my ear Melbourne is really bogan and Brisbane is a bit slow.

moneypenny20

Only one I recognise is South Australia. No clue on differences between all the others. Generally speaking obviously.

brits1

I just could not tell ..some of the "out backers" sounded a bit like crocodile dundee but our neighbours in aus were from Melbourne and they sounded the same as our other neighbours born and bred in WA. I have just driven to cambridgeshire from Buckinghamshire and the difference in accents (not far from each other) is very noticeable, you would think it would be the same in Australia especially given the distance between areas and at one time the isolation of certain States.

Beoz

Maybe it's a time thing. Australia only being 200 odd years old hasn't had enough time to develop varied accents.

To the next extreme is European dialects. I recall being in Switzerland about 10 years ago in a small town. There were 2 farmers from the next valley over having a conversation and the locals of this small town couldn't understand them.

the troubadour

No difference between states in Australia with regards to accent. (unlike most anywhere else in Europe/UK/Asia/South America/USA. ) I would say New Zealand and possibly Canada (unsure of the latter) are similar. Where Australian accents seem to differ is probably class based , but even there know some in position that speak with a broad Aussie accent. I think a probable advantage is one can move around the country and not be 'picked up', usually coming from elsewhere intra state. Unlike UK and parts of Europe kids won't be 'picked on' at school for example for speaking different within the Australian context. (perhaps for other reasons though) Probably location can be a factor as well. One can put on or tone done the accent as well, according to the situation at hand.

abner

According to my daughter, who is much more au fait about such things, and has a much better ear for regional accents than I do, "state of origin" can be reliably assessed by an Aussie's pronunciation of the word "pool".

Beoz

Its "pewl".

spouse of scouse

Same here Brits, lived here all my life (apart from 3 years in the UK) and there's no discernible difference that can be attributed across the board to any particular State. Individual differences within States and within Australia as a whole, most definitely. It would be weird if everyone spoke with exactly the same accent/intonation/inflection.

Are you still living in the north west of England? Hope all's going well for you.

brits1

Hi hope your well and good? I was visitng Caldy the other day and was thinking of you when I drove along the front at New Brighton.....we are still in the peak District but not for long , we have move been planning to move for quite a while now (it's lovely here but we miss being near to the coast) but life just keeps.throwing things in the way lol anyway I have been zig zagging the country below Birmingham looking at area's ...a fantastic way of seeing the counties etc and I have had a lot of fun and now I have a short list now .thank the gods lol how is Perth? is the winter a mild one? It's my favourite time of the year there...mad to some I know lol. we're having a lovely summer so far which is a bonus. Take care and lovely to hear from you​​

GeniB

My sister has lived in Oz for almost 45 yrs now and never lost her Manchester accent completely ..It just has an upward lilt at the end of every sentence Envy you being in the North West right now. We should have been in the Lake District for the whole of this month ,and visiting our old home in Southport CV19 put paid to that idea.

spouse of scouse

I miss New Brighton, but all's good here thanks. We were lucky enough to find a property we loved on our second home viewing, it's close to my mum and all my sisters too

Winter started off fairly mild, then we had some really cold days and nights. Currently raining cats and dogs, which has pleased the farmers no end.

I can understand the pull of the coast, sounds like you're having a lovely time looking for your new location. I hope you find exactly what you're looking for and settle in quickly. Stay well and don't be a stranger! xx

Zig Zag Wanderer

I was going to mention that. In Mackay especially, they say "poowell" and I find it hilarious.

Overall, in my experience, most are rather similar. I've heard a few with the broad Croc Dundee accent, though. On TV most accents are probably generic, like most American TV.

Strangely, even after 20 years, I haven't picked up the Aussie accent except for a few phrases I've learned here. My mate I went to school with has been here 30 years, and he's not picked up the accent either. I'm not sure why.

moneypenny20

My husband has, I have not. Both daughters would go to school sounding English, come home sounds Australian but by dinner time be English again. My husband has started putting 'but' at the end of sentences. Is that grounds for divorce?

scot47

Funniest accent to me is Hyper-RP. Listen to some old BritishTV or Cine-news and you will hear what I mean. In comparison Standard Strine sounds quite human