As another Ozzie I'll come from our point of view. It brings up some interesting points for us when looking at North American forums.
Guns for defense are not allowed, guns ownership is frowned upon, though obviously less so in farming areas. There are farmers now who do not have any guns... they get people like me to keep the ferals down while they sit inside in front of a warm fire
People used to carry pocket knives like the Schrade or Case Stockmen but due to some incidents of inner city youths around nightclubs, or druggies doing robberies ....
Carrying a knife is now illegal unless you have a "legitimate use" - so tradies openly wear multitools, and in the country a folding/multitool sheath on the belt would usually not get a second look. However in the city a guy who looked like a druggy in a rough neghbourhood carrying a SAK had a very bad time - the courts forgave him, as it turned out he was sick going to chemotherapy and needed the SAK to open his car doors. I suspect he was pretty unlucky. Generally, I suspect, police use discretion - unfortunately he ticked the wrong boxes, in the wrong place, at the wrong time and things escalated before logic came in
It is very different from North Amercian as the bush and the safety aspects are entrirely different.
- Safety from animals other than the ones that slither is a non issue expect in very rare circumstances (grumpy buffalo in the northern territory or a irritatable oversexed roo - in both cases a knife would not be of any real use)-- Safety from people outside urban areas - especially in the real bush again a non issue except in very rare circumstances.
-There is generally so much deadfall timber around that building a campfire does not need chopping
So knives are generally for utility.
- Most houses would have a SAK or something similar around somewhere, and take that backpacking or camping -often for the corks screw as much as anything else. Pretty much everyone who goes backapacking to europe, asia South America etc takes a small SAK. Most foreign backpackers here have a SAK
- Hunters carry knives depending on the animal - schrade old timers for rabbits through to fixed blades for deer hunters with the occasional folder - I expect largely what you see hunters carrying in the US buck gerber gator fallkniven .... - they alos tend to be the people who like knives so ...
- In the tropical North bolo style machetes are more commonly around particularly I gather in the aboringinal communities as tools - and for getting through thicker brush
-real bushmen on the vast properties can do what they like and would generally have some knife and or multitool handy
- I have bushwalked extensively in well used and remote areas and generally only carried a SAK and/or a Gerber Bolt folder - I will now probably carry a benchmade griptilian - mini or standard. Openly carrying a large knife or similar would attract concerned looks as it is not seen as necessary - and people would wonder why someone was carring useless weight. Weight is always the enemy
If I really had to survive in the bush for some time I would probably do a trio like talked on many forums her - probably with a machete because of its versatility. Even though I am not comfortable with them - I think the scar on my leg has largely disappeared now
For car camping an axe/hatchet is usually around for when having fun fires that satisfy entertainment, rather than purely cooking needs - and more and larger wood is needed. They are seen as a tool and most people who have been out of the city have used one
Most people travelling in Australia by car or hiking in the bush would not carry any weapons - or at most, may have a maglite handy, and probably have a spade and an axe in the camp kit in the back if going off sealed roads extensively