These differences would seem to stem from history, climate, and environment. These people didn't come by choice and didn't initially work for their own benefit. And, finally, the environment provides a myriad of recreational opportunities to take advantage of. To Australians, although the job of a person in the service industry is to provide you with service, that does not mean that you are not equals. Americans, and especially Europeans, will notice that service people will be more inclined to chat than at home.
Small towns look much like many small older American towns.
And one has to mention the large number of American food franchises with their distinctive signage. Queensland is a very pleasant place to be a tourist. People are friendly, prices are reasonable, what you need is convenient and easy to get. Since I made a point that Gil should bring suitable clothes for dining on Heron Island, he made a point of pointing out the large numbers of people he thought were not so dressed.