FM's Operation Graduation

Australian English began to diverge from British English after the foundation of the colony of 1788. By the 1820s, observers had recognised that native-born white Australians spoke with a distinctive accent and vocabulary. Since the first Australian goldrushes, in the 1850s, and the accompanying influxes of immigrants from around the world, Australian English has borrowed increasingly from external sources.
The so-called "Amercanisation" of Australian English — signified by the borrowing of words, terms and usages from American English— which began during the goldrushes, was accelerated by a massive influx of US military personnel during World War II. The large-scale importation of television programs and other massmedia content from the US, from the 1950s onwards, has also had a significant effect. As a result, for example, Australians use the word truck instead of the British lorry, and freeway is the most common word for a high-speed, grade-separated road, although motorway is also used in some regions.

However Australian English is much like the same english not a different language altogether but their slangs are different and are catching people by storm. The australian terminologies are different for different things. Their words are more conotative than denotative in nature for most of the things. for e.g an Aussie will call a fantastic thing "Ripper" whereas English or American will call it differently but these days they are all getting mixed up and all converging towards a single language ? is it?.

Some of the common slangs of Australian language.

Mate: Friend
Lolly - candy
Sheila - woman
Thongs - cheap rubber sandals (tsinelas)
Rip snorter : great, fantastic
Roo : kangaroo
She'll be right : it'll turn out okay
XXXX : pronounced Four X, brand of beer made in Queensland
Whinge : complain

You can get more of the slangs by going on this link
http://www.koalanet.com.au/australian-slang.html

What do you people say it is worth getting to know these meanings or you dont want to learn some more things?. Well frankly saying, i like some of the slangs of the australian language but i want to know what you guys think about Australian language and its usage of slang on the international level.