Google Australia has unveiled its 'Year in Search' for 2023, marking a quarter-century of Google Search. The annual report provides a fascinating snapshot of the nation's collective curiosity, highlighting the top five themes that have shaped Australia's search habits over the past year.

These themes, which Google Australia says encapsulate the nation's search behaviour, include 'Making sense of the world', 'Matildas mania', 'We craved old and new flavours', 'Cinemas, stages and screens', and 'DIY craft, gifts and self-care'.

In a year marked by global and local events, the top trending news events in Australia were the Optus outage, the war in Israel and Gaza, and the referendum results. Meanwhile, the nation's top trending personalities were footballers Sam Kerr and Mary Fowler, reflecting the 'Matildas mania' that swept the country.

The Cricket World Cup and The Ashes were the top trending sports events, while the coronation quiche took the crown for the top trending recipe. In the realm of entertainment, 'Oppenheimer' and the 'Barbie movie' were the most searched terms.

Australia also mourned the loss of Matthew Perry and Jock Zonfrillo, who were the top trending losses of the year.

The nation's curiosity was also evident in the top trending 'How to…?' and 'Why is…?' searches. 'How to watch Women's World Cup' and 'How to make a paper popper' were the most searched queries in these categories, while 'Why is Israel and Hamas at war' topped the list of 'Why is…?' searches. The top trending search for meanings was 'SNAFU meaning'.

Camilla Ibrahim, Search Trends Communications Manager at Google Australia, reflected on the year's search trends, stating, 'As we bid the year farewell, it’s time to reflect on the moments that made Aussies hungry for answers, ideas and coronation quiche.'

Google's 'Year in Search' offers a unique insight into the nation's collective consciousness, revealing what has captured Australia's attention, sparked curiosity, and driven online searches in 2023.