I was once told that the sun makes people squint, which makes the Austalians have an accent.

Is this for real...any ideas?

Squinting? I haven't heard that one before.

The main sources of the Australian accent are:
(1) Derivative of English cockney who made up a large portion of original convicts and settlers;
(2) Keeping your mouth partially shut due to heat/dry mouth and keeping the flies out (this may be the subject of argumenr, but the accent is more pronounced in remote dry areas plagued with flies).

The accent has obviously been reinforced and differentiated over time by relative isolation.

So has it been passed on from generation to generation? Like in the U.S.?

This is interesting, because if I talk in my South Yorkshire accent to, say, an American, invariably they say, “Say, are you Australian?”. What’s that about? Those two accents must sound similar.

I usually, jokingly, say “no I’m not, but a lot of my ancestors were sent there for nicking sheep and loaves if bread”

Jamie, you’re from round these parts, have you noticed this phenomenon?

accents are formed from your surroundings

each place has a atmosphere inside itself

it changes social actions, political opionions, and even accents...

languages on the other hand were made to seperate people from people

There were an awful lot of Irish making up the first settlers of Australia so why doesn't that come through in their accents?

it has nothing to do with the first settlment, the accent just starts as the years go by, we also speak alot of slang

Yes, we have our own accent but look at it from our point of view and the rest of the world has an accent. Of course we would it from our history, coming from the british isles. We very much underestimate ourselves in how we speak.

I have family out the back of NSW's, in Tamworth and Broken Hill. They speak more slang than we do in the city. They will say G'day instead of hello. I love beening out there because i pick up more auusie slang.

If anyone from overseas is reading this. i suugest you get on a plane and come to what the amercians call the backwards country.

This has to be quite simply the most ridiculous thing I have EVER read !

Are you on drugs ?

How on earth can squinting the eyes have an effect on an accent ?

I am amazed that you Poms found your way to Oz.

I love the way australians talk there accent is cool