What is a bogan in Australia?

A bogan in Australia is a little bit like a redneck in the US. But not quite…

A bogan in Australia is a slang term used sometimes scathingly, sometimes affectionately. The meaning of bogan in Australia is similar to that of redneck in the US, albeit with less of the inbreeding connotations.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Find something AMAZING to do tomorrow

Get queue-skipping, mobile-friendly tickets for the top experiences in Australia (and the rest of the world).

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

So what is a bogan? Well, it’s essentially someone who has unrefined tastes and is more than happy about it. A bogan in Australia is someone who likes to keep life simple and is often seen as unintelligent. Or, at least, has no interest in being seen as intelligent.

Where do Australian bogans live?

The average bogan lives in a small country town or outer suburbs of a big city. He (and it is usually a he) doesn’t like fancy food and has no intention of going to a theatre. He drinks a heck of a lot of beer, but only the cheap, mass-produced stuff – he doesn’t get this whole craft beer nonsense. Think VB or Toohey’s New rather than Stone and Wood, Little Creatures or St Andrews Brewery.

The great Aussie bogan loves going down the local pub or club, where he’ll eat a parma or a burger, and perhaps plough some money into the pokies. If not eating at the pub, his favourite form of dining is the barbecue. He owns a phenomenally expensive barbecue with all the bells and whistles, and treats it like a newborn baby.

Your average bogan also loves cars, and can talk about them in great detail for hours. He also loves footy – either rugby league or AFL – and a limited palette of music that never diverts beyond rock or country.

Spotting Australian bogans: Bogan clothing

The Australian bogan also has a highly recognisable uniform. There will sometimes be a scruffy old baseball cap, preferably atop a glorious mullet. Then there is a loose-hanging singlet, by convention a blue one, and a pair of tatty, poorly-fitting shorts. These may be replaced by ripped jeans for the coldest month of the year only. The bogan uniform is completed by the pair of thongs showing off a fine pair of dirty, calloused feet. Don’t look at the toenails. They needed cutting at least three weeks ago.

The term “bogan” is a relatively recent one, which has come into use since the mid 1980s. Its etymological origins are unclear, but the most convincing explanation is that it branched off from “Westies”.

Westies or bogans in Australia?

A westie is someone from Western Sydney who stereotypically displays many of the same traits now associated with bogans. The further west you go in Sydney’s western suburbs, the more westie the characteristics supposedly get.

So, someone who really fits the stereotype could be so far west, they’re Bogan. In this context, it’s a reference to the Bogan River or Bogan Shire in the far west of New South Wales. Whether that’s true or not, the Bogan Shire has embraced the term, unveiling the Big Bogan statue in the service town of Nyngan.

The Big Bogan in Nyngan, New South Wales. Photo courtesy of Destination NSW.

More Australian slang