In days past, the stereotype that Australians were alcoholics was indeed an accurate one. In is believed that during the colonial era, Australians drank more alcohol per capita than any other civilisation in human history.
Even after the end of convict transportation, alcohol remained central to all business transactions and all social gatherings. In 1887 jounalist Finch Hatton wrote:
" All through Australia, in every class, it is not considered good form for a man to drink by himself. Very few even of the most hopeless drunkards ever do so. The consequence is, that when a man feels inclined to drink, he immediately looks out for someone to drink with...At whatever hour of the day a man meets another whom he has not seen for say twelve hours, etiquette requires that he shall incontinently invite him to come and drink. This is a custom that pervades every class in the colony, and cannot be departed from without something more than a breach of good manners."
The impressive reputation as a drinking nation continued right up until the 70s when Australia was ranked in the top two nations for per capita beer consumption. The last two decades has seen a rapid slide down the list. Nowadays, Australians are ranked ninth - and are falling even further year by year. In regards to overall alcohol consumption, Australia is ranked in the 30s.
Despite the overall drop in consumption, alcohol is still the mainstay of all social gatherings. No barbeque lacks beers, no dinner party lacks wine and no post match sporting celebration is without a bountiful supply of booze. Australians also lionise alcohol in a way other countries do not. Australians have invented the concept of a "cleansing ale" before bedtime, after dinner time, or anytime. There still lingers a notion that if two glasses of wine are good for you, then a whole bottle must be even better. The Friday Swill, that involves workers heading to the pub for a end of workweek beer, is still a integral part of Australian custom. In Western Australia, there is also the concept of a Sunday Session whereby people head to the pub for a beer on their rest day.
In a sense, the decline in per capita consumption represents a refinement of the alcohol appreciation genre. Lower consumption allows for the realisation of alcohol's finer aspects, without having to experience the sting in its tail - as a true love affair should be.
