2007-03-05 17:01:11 · 7 answers · asked by colin050659 6 in Travel ➔ Travel (General) ➔ Other - Destinations
A term used by the British for eons. Look at a globe, instead of an atlas. Britain and Australia are diametrically opposed, so when one is on top, the other is Down Under
2007-03-05 17:11:07 · answer #1 · answered by Bunts 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Because Australia is in the southern hemisphere while England is in the northern hemisphere. So as far as the English are concerned, Australia is on the opposite side of the earth - down under!
I don't know if Australians refer to England as "down under"!
2007-03-06 01:14:21 · answer #2 · answered by Bharat 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
this name was given by the english many centuries ago cos england is at the top north hemispere n australia is exactly at the bottom of them in south hemisphere so they used to call australia the land down under.
2007-03-06 02:02:19 · answer #3 · answered by robert KS LEE. 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because it is in the Southern Hemisphere, as others have said. Interestingly, though, 'antipodean' (which is another thing the poms call the Aussies and Kiwis) literally just means "from the other side (of the world)", and so to Aussies, the English could rightly be called 'antipodean'!
2007-03-06 01:25:53 · answer #4 · answered by johninmelb 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The poms also call us Convicts and 'indecent lovers of sheep'.
But it's just jealousy! England is beautiful, but Australia is STUNNING!
2007-03-06 05:46:41 · answer #5 · answered by Dreamer 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its where its sat on the globe,is it true then that an Australian gynaecologist is a doctor down under lol
2007-03-06 01:15:37 · answer #6 · answered by nendlin 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, we refer to England as that place where whingers and poor cricketers come from.
2007-03-06 01:17:06 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋