Here's a uniquely Australian word that confuses almost everyone who deals with Aussies, and particularly if you're applying to migrate to Australia...
Regional
Now, I know what you’re thinking...
"Come on Nick… surely that means 'pertaining to a region', right?"
Well – yes, generally in English it does.
But in Australia, there has been an extra, more dominant meaning in use since the late 1960s.
As the Regional Australia Institute states, "regional" in Australia refers to "everything beyond the major capital cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra – from remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, to inland towns, coastal centres and bustling regional hubs."
That means places ranging from the deserts of central Australia to cities such as the Gold Coast (pop. 700,000) are all "regional".
You can see it this way:
👉 "regional" is the Australian equivalent of "provincial" – same meaning, both with the positives and the negatives.
Example:
"It's a regional issue" in Australia usually means it's something that affects people in all regions outside of the big cities rather than an issue specific to just one region (in which case it'd be a "local issue").
So why "regional" then?
Because each Australian state and territory is divided into "regions", especially for meteorological purposes. Australians hear these regions daily in weather reports, so that's where the connection lies.
These regions can be:
• geographic descriptors (e.g. Mid North, Central Coast, South East, Top End)
• named after their main geographic feature (e.g. Eyre Peninsula, Hunter Valley, Gascoyne River, Blue Mountains)
• or have unique standalone names (e.g. Pilbara, Gippsland, Illawarra, Riverina)
All of them are outside of the big cities, hence collectively: "regional".
And it's now official beyond Australia! The Oxford English Dictionary added this Australian-specific meaning to its definitions for "regional" in June 2025.
So next time you hear an Australian say something or someone is "regional", now you know what they more likely mean by this.
💡 Were you aware of this?
If not, think about what else you could be missing when communicating with Australians.
Getting your wording and tone aligned with Australian usage can be the difference between copy that resonates… and copy that completely misses the mark.
If you want to make sure your text lands well with Aussies, contact me at info@nicknasev.com – I'll be happy to help sharpen it.
.%20A%20day%20of%20campaigning%20%E2%99%80%20%E2%80%A6%20or%20a%20day%20to%20buy%20flowers%20%F0%9F%92%90.jpg)
