Social class in Australia is a topic that often goes undiscussed — but if the response to our series on class is anything to go by, some of you are ready to start talking about it.

Some people got in touch to say they believe the archetype of Australia as the lucky country, where opportunity abounds, rings as true as ever.

But others told us the idea that hard work and application are the only barriers to social mobility is laughable.

What was constant is that everyone had an opinion.

A nation full of older middle-class women

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The ABC's recent class quiz prompted a number of curious results.

More than a few people were surprised to find their tastes, according to data compiled as part of the detailed Australian Cultural Fields project, aligned them with middle or upper-class woman aged between 40-59.

Taste — whether you'd rather see a pub band than go to opera, for instance — only explains so much of course, and there are many other factors that help explain where we each sit within Australia's complex and confusing class structure.

Sue, a public servant from Darwin, describes herself as a "late baby boomer".

She once lived in Sydney, but moved to the Northern Territory with her husband for his job in construction work.

Sue works as a public servant in Darwin. ( ABC Radio Darwin: Lyrella Cochrane )

"I'm definitely a middle-class person," she said.

"Class in the NT looks much different to what it would in New South Wales. In terms of access to housing, education, employment, health outcomes — it keeps class very much at the forefront of your mind."

Julie wrote in to tell us about her family full of "shop-stewards, miners, railway workers, shipbuilders and plumbers".

"All politically aware, self-educated and proud of their working-class community solidarity," she said.

"My grandfather would say to explain wealth and class: 'Remember no-one is better than anyone else, it is just some people are better off'."

Education opens doors

A running theme through the conversations was the notion of education as being key to class mobility.

Greg, from Melbourne, comes from a working-class background.

"Education was the 'mobility enabler' for me. A beneficiary of Whitlam's education reforms in the 1970s, access to university was merit-based. It opened the door to me," he said.

Brisbane-based policy officer Chris believes his upbringing and education provided him with a platform that's not necessarily attainable for all Australians.

Chris and his family in Brisbane. ( ABC: Jessica Hinchliffe )

"I have relatively secure professional work and I'm paid reasonably well, I'm aware of my privileged position in the social hierarchy," he said.

"It was impressed on me that I should go to university, that I should improve myself intellectually, financially."

But education isn't always easily accessible.

Alice comes from a modest background and decided to go to university after achieving a UAI of 97.7.

Throughout her time at university, she has struggled to make ends meet, despite working multiple jobs.

"I'm safe for now. But should I choose to embark upon a Master's component, and my benefits are taken away … who knows where I'll end up. As an intelligent woman in her mid-thirties, I shudder to think that my future may very well lie in the streets as a homeless person, making me yet another uncomfortable statistic for everyone else to gawk at."

Feeling different early on

Debbie, a 47-year-old Indigenous woman from Brisbane, said graduating from uni was one of her proudest moments.

"I am lower-class, but I have strong social and cultural capital — people look up to me, I have the respect of the elders, and of the young mob," she told us.

Debbie works in the aged care sector as a client services officer. ( ABC RN: Monique Ross )

She grew up in the foster system and remembers feeling different from an early age.

"I had second-hand everything, the not-quite-fitting everything, the dirty everything, the stained everything — and Catholic school kids didn't like that," she says.

"I got that people like 'me' didn't belong in the homes of people like 'them'."

She said there is a silver lining to her situation: she feels incredibly resilient in times of hardship.

"That's the nature of privilege, of all privilege — that it's invisible to the people with it. But that privilege can be a disadvantage. The people who have grown up with nothing are often the most resilient," she said.

For Trish, a Yawuru Indigenous woman from Broome with Asian ancestry, discussions about class are inextricably linked to how white Australians perceive Indigenous people.

"I'm a Stolen Generation person who was brought up by Irish Catholic nuns and Pallottine German priests in the Kimberley," she said.

"Having achieved secondary schooling at a private girls college in Perth, Western Australia and attained university higher educational degrees … this lifestyle has in many ways dictated … profound unacceptance and utter disbelief from many non-Indigenous people.

"Ironically I get called a 'yella fella' from some Indigenous people, even though I am very dark skinned in colour. So in short I'm left feeling I don't belong in any group."

'I was wearing work gear … No time for me'

Claude, whose parents immigrated from Italy, wrote in to tell us about his experience of working as a tradesman:

"In my experience all the managers had their own parking spot … [and] their own lavish break up Christmas party after the main get together was held at the end of the year, where they served modest food. Is this not class distinction? It is disguised as a job privilege … People don't speak about this, but it is there and accepted as somewhat normal. "Class distinction is imbedded in our psyche and institutionalised. My grandfather taught me, just because you have money, privilege and can do what you want, doesn't mean you should."

Frank told us about a similarly uncomfortable experience in a car showroom.

"I was wearing work gear … Asked a car salesman if he could run through the details of a car," he said.

"He said 'There's the brochure mate'. No time for me. I was probably earning three-times his wage. He didn't get a sale."

Many people who identify as 'working class' wrote in to tell us about their experiences. ( Unsplash: Clem Onojeghuo )

Alan said that in Australia, artists also have a unique perspective on social class.

"With so few artists making big money, we are financially seen to occupy the economic 'lower classes'," he said.

"But our work is seen to be a product for the 'educated middle and upper classes'. Artists therefore straddle different class structures at the same time."

Is it better than in the UK?

Paul, who was born in the United Kingdom, wrote in after reading Nelly Thomas's article on straddling the class divide in Australia.

"Being a 10 pound Pom emigrating in 1964 as a 10-year-old, I experienced the reality of what it is to be working-class in both the UK and Australia. Let us not kid ourselves about being so different from the class-ridden Britain," he said.

"The class barriers in Australia are less visible, therefore more difficult to recognise and negotiate, but no less real."

But Mike's experience of moving to Australia was very different:

"Coming from the UK nearly 30 years ago after spending … years living in a class-ridden society, one of the refreshing things about Australia was its lack of class. That is not to say that stratification doesn't exist, it's just not a self-defining imprisonment for generations of people," he said.

"Let's not try to introduce class consciousness pigeon-holing here. It will bring no good just more cultural imprisonment."

'There really aren't any barriers'

We also heard from others who said they don't believe there are problematic class divisions in Australia.

When he's not working as a banker, Kym tends to get around Adelaide in pretty casual clothes. He said the difference in the way he's perceived then, versus when he's wearing a suit, is pronounced.

Kym lives in Adelaide. ( ABC RN: Angus Kingston )

"People tend to pre-judge you based on what you wear," he said.

"There is certainly a class aspect in Australia. I have a bit of an issue with it, principally because I think you should never judge a book by its cover."

He described his upbringing as fairly working-class, but said class distinctions tend to be based more on a matter of perception.

"There really aren't any barriers. I seem to be able to seamlessly move between classes depending on who I'm hanging out with at any particular time," he said.

"Really, it is just a state of mind."

North Sydney accountant Esperanza's perspective is one that comes from an upbringing in the rigid class structure of the Philippines.

Esperanza migrated from the Philippines and now works as an accountant in North Sydney. ( ABC RN: Michael Dulaney )

"I have friends who I think belong to a class higher than me, they go to theatre, they watch ballet, things like that," said Esperanza, who moved to Australia in 2007.

"Probably because of financial reasons I just might not go there. But I realised how easy it is, I can be with them or I can be with my own class, because there is really no defined policy or rule that we should stay in this class — it is just a perception.

"In Australia it is easier to move around, but in Philippines they are more enclosed. The ruling class, it's very clear that they belong there. It's easier here and it's attainable."