[taneq]

The counterpoint to the "self-reliant Australian" image is the fact that historically the Australian government has been very protectionist about local markets and trades. There are strong trade unions that have lobbied to keep non-trade-qualified people from doing basic maintenance - hell, it's technically illegal to do your own plumbing: http://www.licensedtrades.com.au/licensed/plumbers

(Edit: As in, it's not just illegal to plumb your entire house. It's illegal to replace a tap.)

[sitharus]

It's also illegal to wire in your own ethernet jacks. Crazy.