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Why is tipping for service customary in the United States, but not Australia? With origins in sixteenth-century England, then moving onto Continental Europe, tipping was introduced to both Australia and the US in the late-nineteenth century. Yet it became the norm only in the US, whilst simultaneously marginalised in Australia. This paper proposes that the structure of US society in the late-nineteenth century was one that was conducive to tipping, while the structure of Australian society was not. Furthermore, quiet anti-American sentiment in Australia during the Second World War defined tipping as “un-Australian”. These two factors have ensured that tipping has been seldom practiced in Australia's history. However, this seems to be changing in recent years. The extent to which Australians adopt the custom may depend on the direction of labour-relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]