Australium

This article is about the fictional element. For the rare weapon quality, see Australium weapons.

An ancestor of the Administrator presenting an ingot of Australium.^[1]

“

Every one of mankind's innovations now comes from the lager-pickled brain of an Australian. Because of this.

— The Administrator's ancestor

”

First revealed by the story depicted within the Team Fortress 2 comic Loose Canon, Australium is a metal element which can adapt and transform itself into different states and forms, therefore making it extremely valuable and sought-after.

History

Australium was discovered in its namesake country, Australia.

The discovery of Australium has most likely been the cause behind Australia's rapid technological advancement. Said advances in technology include cloaking devices, teleportation devices, and the "entire spectrum of moustache sciences".

Australium is believed to be sold and exchanged within the form of solid bars, similar to the way gold is often reserved and stored. Despite sharing similar appearance properties to gold, such as a similar color and the level of reflectivity, bars of Australium can be identified by the unique logo of a lone figure boxing a kangaroo, one of Australia's most iconic animals. This act of boxing between the kangaroo and the figure is supposedly how Australia chooses their next rightful king.

Australians are known to be very secretive about Australium, most likely in order to keep the element in high value and demand, therefore allowing them to continue to outpace the rest of the world in the technological race.

Australium was also used in terms of payment to Dell Conagher's grandfather Radigan, in exchange for him building Blutarch Mann and Redmond Mann "Life Extender Machines" to further their own attempts to try and outlive each other to inherit all of the land given to them by their father. Radigan Conagher is believed to have found many more caches of Australium, and Dell later discovers hidden files detailing these caches amongst the blueprints Blutarch has lent to him to repair his own "Life Extender Machine".

It has been revealed that the United States once had a supply of Australium. It was all invested in the attempt to launch monkeynaut Poopy Joe into space. Following the tragic failure of this attempt, all the Australium went missing. As a result of the incident, Saxton Hale, whose facilities were used for the launch attempt, was brought before a U.S. Senate hearing investigating the disaster. As far as is known, the United States Australium supply remains missing.

In the first part of the six-part comic, Ring of Fired, it was implied that Saxton Hale did indeed steal this Australium by the existence of two hundred thousand pounds of Australium in a room labeled "Mann Co. Monkeynautics". After seizing control of Mann Co., Gray Mann uncovered the safe of Australium, only to find it empty. He deduced that the Administrator was behind the absence of the Australium after finding a cigarette within the safe.

Special Delivery

The neutral Australium briefcase.

Australium features in the game mode Special Delivery, as an Australium briefcase.

It is a neutral colored briefcase with a plaid pattern that turns team-colored once picked up. It appears to be overflowing with items of clothing, with a necktie sticking out, has a radio transmitter attached to it, and has a transparent vessel attached to the side, containing a shining bar of Australium. When moving with the briefcase, a particle effect is emitted that shows several pieces of random clothing trailing behind the player, along with a golden sparkling effect.

Weapon quality

Main article: Australium weapons

Australium was originally used in the creation of two rare weapon variations (the Golden Wrench and the Saxxy). When a player is killed by one of these weapons, their body model turns into a golden statue that remains for others to see. As of the Two Cities Update, Australium weapons have been expanded to a range of weapons, some of which do not share the ragdoll-altering qualities of the original two weapons added that are made from Australium.

Unused content

An Australium bar model exists in the game files under models\props_mining\ingot001.mdl.

Trivia

Australium is featured in the Zachtronics Industries game SpaceChem on specific Bonus Levels.
Australium has the same electron configuration—barring the kangaroos in the nucleus—as gold.