@JohnPhilpin Wikipedia has it right, as far as how it plays in the NZ context: "Of the Australian definition, Peter Hartcher of the Sydney Morning Herald writes, "(Australian) citizens know that some among them will have more power and money than others... But according to the unspoken national ethos, no Australian is permitted to assume that he or she is better than any other Australian. How is this enforced? By the prompt corrective of levelling derision. It has a name—The "Tall Poppy Syndrome". The tallest flowers in the field will be cut down to the same size as all the others. This is sometimes misunderstood... It isn't success that offends Australians. It's the affront committed by anyone who starts to put on superior airs.""