AusE is, in its origins, a set of dialects transported by British convicts and immigrants which interacted with indigenous and migrant languages, American English and other varieties of English, ultimately emerging as an independent variety embodying the country’s national identity. The distinctive features of AusE suggest that it has consolidated its own norms as an independent national standard. AusE is today recognized as a major variety of English, one for which there may be an increasing role as an epicentre in the Asia-Pacific region (Leitner 2004).