See the full list: Australians' serious and surprising searches for 2023

These are the top things Australians were looking for online this year.

The Women's World Cup, Optus network outage, and a limited-edition shake for McDonald's mascot Grimace's birthday were all among the trending search terms of 2023. Source: Getty, AAP

What do the Optus outage, Sam Kerr, and a coronation quiche have in common? They were all among the top things on Australians' minds this year.

Google on Monday published its list of the most searched-for things across the world this year, including what was piquing the interest of Australians.

Among heavier items — the weeks-long Hamas-Israel war, Voice referendum results and devastating Türkiye-Syria earthquake — were some lighter and, perhaps in the opinions of some, stranger queries.

Take King Charles' coronation in May, for example.

Australians might not have been celebrating in the same way as the Brits, but coronation quiche was the most searched-for recipe this year, with queries spiking during the week of the ceremony.

And the second most popular recipe? None other than a DIY version of the Grimace shake, which McDonald's had on limited release in honour of its mascot's 52nd birthday in June. It wasn't available Down Under though; so Australians were looking to recreate it at home.

It was a big year for women's football. Matildas fans new and old turned out in droves to stadiums and live-streaming sites to watch Australia's national team compete. And if they weren't there, they were glued to their TVs, with their matches drawing huge viewership numbers.

So it might come as no surprise that the Women's World Cup was among the top five most searched-for sport-related terms this year. When the Women's World Cup was last held in 2019, it was in tenth position.

The Women's World Cup was among the top 10 sport-related topics Australians were searching for. Credit: Sports Press Photo/Sipa USA

Australians were also keen to find out more, or know the latest, about Matildas stars including captain Sam Kerr, striker Mary Fowler, and defender Ellie Carpenter. They were all on the list of trending Australians, with the first two placing first and second, respectively.

Take a look below to find out who and what else made the list.

Australia's 2023 search trends

News events

1. Optus outage

2. War in Israel and Gaza

3. Referendum results

4. Andrew Tate

5. Earthquake Melbourne

6. Submarine

7. Türkiye earthquake

8. Chandrayaan-3

9. Russell Brand

10. NSW election results

Israeli soldiers take positions near the Gaza Strip border, in southern Israel, on Monday. The Hamas-Israel war was one of the most searched for news events of the year. Source: AAP, AP / Ohad Zwigenberg

Australians

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

Loss

1. Matthew Perry

2. Jock Zonfrillo

3. Sinéad O'Connor

4. Tina Turner

5. Cal Wilson

6. Ken Block

7. Lisa Marie

8. Barry Humphries

9. Johnny Ruffo

10. Angus Cloud

Actor Matthew Perry passed away on 28 October. Source: AAP / Willy Sanjuan/AP

Movies

1. Oppenheimer

2. Barbie

3. Everything Everywhere All at Once

4. John Wick 4

5. Avatar: The Way of Water

6. The Menu

7. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

8. South of Freedom

9. Killers of the Flower Moon

10. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

Recipes

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

Sport

1. Cricket World Cup

2. The 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

Source: Google, Year in Search 2023