Year in Search: Here’s what Aussies searched for in 2023

As we bid the year farewell, it’s time to reflect on the moments that made Aussies hungry for answers, ideas and coronation quiche.

While the world changed around us, we turned to Search to wrap our heads around it all - from the war in Israel and Gaza, to the Voice referendum and the Optus outage. We said goodbye to Matthew Perry, Tina Turner and Barry Humphries, and entered a new royal era with King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

When we needed a dose of escapism and inspiration, we looked to stadiums, cinemas, kitchens and craft boxes. We were thrilled for our Tillies, torn between Barbie and Oppenheimer, and crafty with paper.

2023 marks 25 years of Google Search, and a quarter of a century of curiosity. Around the world, we're kicking off our 25 Year celebration with a special edition of Year in Search. In it, we highlight the most searched people, places and things not just from the past year globally – but of all time.

Zooming in on Australia, here’s a rundown of five themes that defined the past year of Search for our nation:

Making sense of the world 🌏💬

During a year of immense change, our searches show we were curious to understand national events, wanting to know ‘where to vote?’ and the outcome of the Voice referendum. And across the globe, we asked ‘why is Israel and Hamas at war?’ and ‘why is the Gaza Strip so important?.’ We searched below the surface as the submarine story unfolded, followed the Chandrayaan-3 out of space, and looked up the meanings of SNAFU, ennui and guano.

Matildas mania ⚽️🏏

As a nation of sports fanatics, this year women in sport scored big as we went mad for our Matildas and cheered them into the Finals. Sam Kerr and Mary Fowler were our two top-trending Aussies, while ‘how to watch the Women's World Cup’ was our top-trending question. But we didn’t leave our craze for cricket behind, as The Cricket World Cup and The Ashes topped the sports-related search lists.

We craved old and new flavours 👑🍽️

The crowning of a new king inspired a modern twist on nostalgic flavours. The official dish of royal celebrations – coronation quiche – was the top-trending recipe for 2023. The power of the internet brought brand new recipes into our kitchens, from the Grimace Shake to the viral “Marry me Chicken.” But we stayed loyal to the classics – wondering how to make the Country Women’s Association’s Anzac biscuits.

Cinemas, stages and screens 📺💥

As we lined up for the Barbenheimer phenomenon this year, Oppenheimer ultimately led the charge in entertainment search interest, with Barbie just behind. Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour coming Down Under brought a nation of Swifties together, who were ready to Shake it Off in the hunt for tickets. Over on the small screen, we were gripped by The Last of Us, uplifted by Ginny & Georgia, and eager for the latest Bridgeton chapter, Queen Charlotte.

DIY craft, gifts and self-care 🧵❤️

We were passionate about craft this year, wanting to know ‘how to make’ everything from paper poppers to kinetic sand and slime for the little ones – and vision boards as we gazed to the future. We rolled up our sleeves in the name of love, searching for DIY valentines gifts for him and Easter baskets. And in the spirit of self-care, we took the plunge with DIY ice baths and made rosemary water for our hair.

Check out the full lists of trending Search data for Australia in 2023:

News events

1. Optus outage
2. War in Israel and Gaza
3. Referendum results
4. Andrew Tate
5. Earthquake Melbourne
6. Submarine
7. Turkey earthquake
8. Chandrayaan-3
9. Russell Brand
10. NSW Election results

Aussies

1. Sam Kerr
2. Mary Fowler
3. Michael Clarke
4. Reece Walsh
5. Dan Andrews
6. Bianca Censori
7. Tim Tszyu
8. Kathleen Folbigg
9. Ellie Carpenter
10. Lidia Thorpe

Sport

1. Cricket World Cup
2. Ashes
3. Women's World Cup
4. Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury
5. BBL
6. Champions League
7. UFC 294
8. FA Cup
9. LIV Golf
10. United Cup

Recipe(s)

1. Coronation quiche recipe
2. Grimace shake recipe
3. Coronation chicken recipe
4. CWA Anzac biscuit recipe
5. Chicken Honolulu recipe
6. Lamb stew recipe
7. Pornstar Martini recipes
8. Marry me chicken recipe
9. Chicken and leek pie recipe
10. Modak recipe

Entertainment

1. Oppenheimer
2. Barbie movie
3. Taylor Swift tickets
4. Connections
5. Hogwarts Legacy
6. The Last of Us
7. Everything Everywhere All at Once
8. Quordle
9. John Wick 4
10. Avatar

Loss

1. Matthew Perry
2. Jock Zonfrillo
3. Sinead O'Connor
4. Tina Turner
5. Cal Wilson
6. Ken Block
7. Lisa Marie
8. Barry Humphries
9. Johnny Ruffo
10. Angus Cloud

‘How to…?’

1. How to watch Women's World Cup
2. How to lock Facebook profile
3. How to vote referendum
4. How to solve a Rubik's Cube
5. How to get rid of my AI on Snapchat
6. How to get Snapchat AI
7. How to vote early
8. How to watch Rugby World Cup
9. How to get Taylor Swift tickets
10. How to watch The Ashes in Australia

DIY/’How to make…?’

1. How to make a paper popper
2. How to make rosemary water for hair
3. How to make kinetic sand
4. How to make slime without activator
5. DIY Valentines gift for him
6. DIY Easter basket
7. DIY ice bath
8. How to make a vision board
9. How to make an invoice
10. How to make a kite

‘Why is…?’

1. Why is Israel and Hamas at war
2. Why is Optus down
3. Why is Twitter called X
4. Why is Book Depository closing
5. Why is Gwyneth Paltrow in court
6. Why is my phone on SOS
7. Why is the Gaza Strip important
8. Why is Camilla being crowned Queen
9. Why is Sam Kerr not playing today
10. Why is Oppenheimer rated R

Meanings

1. SNAFU meaning
2. Ennui meaning
3. Guano meaning
4. Hamas meaning
5. Ardour meaning
6. Implosion meaning
7. Craven meaning
8. Credo meaning
9. Pique meaning
10. Locus meaning

*Trending Searches: What was hot in 2023? The "trending" queries are the searches that had the highest spike in traffic over a sustained period in 2023 as compared to 2022.