The traditional Australian stereotypes are being challenged as we become ever more multicultural and our national values are no longer exclusive to Anglo-Saxon roots
WHAT it means to be an Aussie is changing.
Cherished notions of a fair go, mateship and meat pies still hold for many, but when almost 30 per cent of the nation's population is born overseas, the dynamic is bound to shift.
There are all sorts of stereotypes about Australians. 
We love to abbreviate words, all of which usually end in "o" - as in arvo, combo, garbo, metho, rego, servo, smoko, speedo, righto - or "y" - as in brekky, reccy, bricky and chippy.
"D'reckn?" means "do you really think so" but that's too long-winded for us. We know there is a place called "woop woop" located in the middle of nowhere, probably behind the black stump.
Aeroguard in the summer doubles as a fragrance.
We say "no worries" without realising we've even said it or necessarily meaning it.
We dunk our Tim Tam in our Milo.
The wheelie bin is for backyard cricket.
We don't listen to politicians unless they say something is "unAustralian" and then we prepare to become indignant.
Seriously, though, aren't we being a bit exclusive?
Back in 2013, the Australian Social Trends report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics observed that "despite the considerable diversity in Australia and the changes Australia has gone through over the years, the largest group of Australians has changed very little".
Christianity remains the main religion, at 61 per cent, with Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism totalling 6 per cent.
Yet, in just three years, the proportion of Australians born overseas has shot up to 6.6 million - or almost 30 per cent - giving us the largest influx of foreign born residents since the gold rush in the 1880s.
Today, more and more people are realising just how good we've got it, even though whingeing is something many of us have perfected with ease.
We complain about our health care system and our hospitals.
We moan about education and schools, and we think our governments are dropping the ball on almost every front.
Yet compare Australia to many other developed nations and we fare well, if not brilliantly.
To developing and overpopulated nations and to people fleeing civil unrest and terrorism, we are a paradise.
It's not surprising that the most dramatic growth in foreign-borns is among those from Asia, especially India and China. They're hard workers too, by and large.
I can't see these newcomers being among the slackos chucking a sickie - how's that for lingo? - and costing the Queensland economy more than $102 million in lost productivity tomorrow.
Our country is rich with opportunity for those with the propensity and ability to work smart and capitalise on all that it offers.
As our nation's face changes and we become more multicultural than at any other time in our history, perhaps it's time to re-evaluate and reaffirm values that the majority can agree on and uphold.
These are values not exclusive to those born here but ones that extend to all who call Australia home.
The 17-year-old American exchange student staying with us remarked a few days after arriving that people here were "super friendly". We smile a lot too, apparently, even though we pay through the nose for food and fuel. (Wait until I show him the utility bills).
He reckons - reckon being his new favourite word - that we are generous, welcoming and altogether "awesome".
Sounds like an ideal starting point for value-setting to me. Warmth and acceptance are qualities that typify my idea of a typical Australian. We give people a chance, and we can laugh at ourselves.
We value family, though we don't always practise kindness as we should, particularly with children and the elderly.
We claim to live in the best country in the world, the lucky country still, yet are wasteful with resources and remain environmentally irresponsible.
Each of us has choices to make when it comes to how we want to contribute to and shape our nation.
Focusing on what brings people together, what unites us regardless of ethnicity or religion, should be top of the priority list.
We all bleed the same.
As former US president Bill Clinton once said: "We all do better when we work together. Our differences do matter, but our common humanity matters more." So, as you mark Australia Day in your own way, be thankful for what we have and be willing to share it.
Creating silos based on prejudice or ill-conceived ideas about others is not what this country needs to be great.
Globalisation is with us and has been for quite some time.
More than a decade ago I came across this definition: Being Australian is about driving in a German car to an Irish pub for a Belgian beer, then heading home, grabbing an Indian curry or a Turkish kebab on the way, to sit on Swedish furniture and watch American shows on a Japanese TV.
Celebrate your Australia but remember we are citizens of the world.Kylie Lang is associate editor of The Courier-Mail. kylie.lang@news.com.auTwitter @kylie_langAGENDA: P67 Our Lucky Country