Little Australia is a name for any of the various communities where Australians congregate upon emigrating to other countries, examples can be found in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The concept of "Little Australia" holds many different aspects of the Australian culture. Common features include shops selling Australasian goods and restaurants lining the streets. A "Little Australia" strives essentially to have a sample of the culture of Australia transplanted to the midst of a large non-Australian city. Little Australia may also refer to the blog written by Nathan McNeill for Nathan William Media, which focuses on creating stories, images and videos showing life in Australia.
Since 2010, the world's largest Little Australia has emerged and is growing in Nolita, Manhattan, New York City. Mulberry Street and Mott Street in Lower Manhattan are commonly referred to by Australian expats as "Little Australia" due to the influence of Australian and New Zealandcafe culture in the neighborhood, which includes establishments such as Ruby's, Two Hands, Bluestone Lane, Bluestone Lane Bowery Cafe, T2, Charley St, Cafe Grumpy, Egg Shop, Musket Room and Happy Bones. Little Australia is adjacent to Little Italy and Chinatown in Manhattan. Avocado on toast or colloquially referred to in Australia as "Avo on toast" and "Smashed Avo" is a uniquely Australian breakfast staple that many New Yorkers mistake for being an invention of their own. In 2011, there were an estimated 20,000 Australian residents of New York City, nearly quadruple the 5,537 in 2005.
in London had the nickname Kangaroo Valley or Roo Valley, although many Australasian visitors now go to cheaper districts to the north or west.
When Barry Humphries went to London in 1959, he and Ros lived in Ladbroke Grove in Kensington. He made an impromptu visit to an Earl's Court pub, smack in the middle of Kangaroo Valley, as it was sometimes called. He fell physically ill and frightened by what he saw. The packs of loutish Australian youths swilling beer and swearing revived painful memories of the bullies at Melbourne Grammar.
In 1962, Clive James went to London with a weeks accommodation booked in Earl's Court, which in those days was still nicknamed "Kangaroo Valley". He said that there was no mistaking the Earl's Court Australians... with jug ears, short haircuts.... and open, freckled, eyeless faces despite their navy-blue English duffle-coats; though they had not yet taken to carrying twelve-packs of Foster's Lager, and the broad-brimmed Akubra hat with corks dangling from the brim was never to be more than a myth. After he moved, he vowed never to enter Earl's Court again.
