This is the first in a series on New Yorkers raised by Australian parents and what that connection to Australia actually feels like from the kids’ side. If you’re an Aussie parent here, you’ve likely asked yourself the same things: how do you keep Australia present when your children aren’t immersed in it? What sticks when life is American, fast, and local?
The reality isn’t a tidy “half this, half that.” It’s real, but not always simple. It can run deep without showing on the surface. Your kids might claim it loudly one year and question it the next.
We’ve heard years of parent advice on keeping traditions alive. Now we’re flipping the lens: what worked for the kids who grew up with them?
Meet Sarah Lipe, Singer-Songwriter, and Vegemite Kid
Born and raised in New York City, Sarah Lipe is an up-and-coming pop singer and songwriter. The youngest of four, she grew up with Australia as a steady part of daily life, especially because her mother, as Chair of the American Australian Association, made keeping that connection a priority at home.
Australian TV ran in the background, Aussie sayings were family shorthand, and even Australian politics made it to the dinner table. So Sarah may not have the accent, but Australia is more than knowing a few random trivia facts. It’s a real identity she carries alongside being a New Yorker, sometimes easily and sometimes in that in-between space of belonging to both worlds.
Here, she talks about what that dual identity feels like, what stuck from Australian culture, and how growing up in New York shaped her relationship to Australia.
Here’s Sarah, in her own words.
How much does your Australian side show up in your day-to-day life?
People are always surprised when they find out I’m Australian. The first thing I hear is usually, “Wait—where’s your accent?” Moments like that make me question how “Australian” I seem on the surface. But then, at work, when I meet Australian singer-songwriters, there’s an instant click. I connect with them in a way my coworkers don’t.
Growing up with Australian parents while speaking like a born-and-bred New Yorker puts me in this funny in-between space. I feel tied to two different worlds—Australian to my core, but American in sound and day-to-day life. Some days it feels like I fit perfectly into both, and others it feels like I don’t fully belong to either.
Do you think being the child of Australian parents gave you a different kind of outlook—more laid-back, more ironic, more open, more blunt?
Having Australian parents definitely shaped my work ethic as a young adult in NYC. I grew up watching my parents work tirelessly to make a life in New York away from their families. No matter how much they love the city, Australia will always be “home” in their hearts.
As for me, I’m not exactly the laid-back Aussie people envision—I’m very much a New Yorker. I live to work, I move fast, I talk even faster, and I thrive in the chaos. But the Aussie parts of me show up in my humor, my confidence, and the way I try to be open and empathetic with everyone.
Knowing I have this whole other world—another home—to ground me gives me a kind of built-in self-assurance. I joke constantly, I don’t take myself too seriously, and I try to care deeply about the people around me. That’s the most Australian part of me.
Are there traditions, foods, or turns of phrase your parents brought from Australia that have stayed part of your life?
My mom is determined to keep Australian culture alive in our house. Every time she comes back from visiting family, we’re greeted with absurd amounts of Tim Tams and Aussie candy. Even at Thanksgiving, there’s always a jar of Vegemite on the table—very confusing for our American friends.
Food is a big part of our connection to Australia. We’re a meat-pie-and-sausage-roll kind of family, and finding good ones in New York is nearly impossible. We’ll hunt down the Australian delis in the West Village, but nothing compares to the homemade versions we get in Melbourne. Those flavors are part of our family’s DNA at this point.
How do you think growing up in New York has shaped your perspective differently from your parents’?
Growing up in New York automatically sets me apart from the rest of my family. I’m not just American—I’m a New Yorker, raised in one of the busiest places on earth. Peace and quiet isn’t really part of the vocabulary here.
My parents grew up in much more suburban parts of Australia, a lifestyle I’ve never experienced. Living in New York made me appreciate how unbelievably accessible everything is: late-night food, delivery services, the ability to walk anywhere. It’s a very specific, very unconventional way of growing up—not just compared to Australia, but compared to most of the world.
My mom has always reminded us to stay grounded. As much as she’s given us an amazing life, she never forgets how meaningful her own childhood was—simple things like taking the school bus or going to footy games. They’ve taught us that home isn’t defined by geography. Home is the people who make you feel like you belong.
While we’ve been lucky to grow up in such an amazing city, she reminds us that home isn’t where you are—it’s who you’re with.
Is there one moment, story, or image that sums up your relationship to Australia?
One trip stands out vividly. When I was about 14, my dad took us into the outback. Even though I’d been to Australia so many times, I’d never actually done the “tourist” side of it. We went up to Darwin, flew in a tiny plane over the desert, and saw wildlife in its natural habitat.
That trip made me realize how much there was to Australia that I didn’t know—how much of my identity I’d taken for granted. I’d always felt like I was straddling two worlds, but experiencing that part of the country grounded me in a new way. Australia has never just been a place to me—it’s always been a feeling. It’s family, childhood memories, and comfort. So even though I don’t have the accent (even though I can do a killer impression), I still call Australia home.
So even though I don’t have an Aussie accent (though I can do a killer impression), I still call Australia home.
Sarah was a special guest at the recent 2025 AAA New York Benefit Dinner, singing a collection of Australian songs in honor of her mom, Jennifer Nason, the 2025 Honoree for the event. As former Chair of the American Australian Association, Jennifer has been an unwavering advocate for strengthening the American-Australian alliance.
Sarah’s new EP, “Crying in Public,” is a nod to her bustling NYC life and her instinct to tell it like it is, the kind of blunt honesty that feels equal parts New York and Aussie. Check it out below
AWNY | Australian Women in New York 