Lucky Country

English Etymology After The Lucky Country, a 1964 book by Donald Horne. Proper noun 1 Lucky Country en informal A term to describe Australia, sometimes ironically. en 1964 Donald Horne The Lucky Country Penguin The Lucky Country (last chapter) 1st paragraph of chapter Australia is a lucky country run mainly by second rate people who share its luck. It lives on other people's ideas, and, although its ordinary people are adaptable, most of its leaders (in all fields) so lack curiosity about the events that surround them that they are often taken by surprise. en 8 Mar 1990 Bob Hawke, Prime Minister of Australia Australian federal election speeches https://electionspeeches.moadoph.gov.au/speeches/1990-bob-hawke My friends, no longer content to be the lucky country, Australia must become the clever country. https://web.archive.org/web/20251020140537/https://electionspeeches.moadoph.gov.au/speeches/1990-bob-hawke 20 October 2025