Human health and environmental sustainability are inextricably interwoven with each other, and also with the cultural practices and understandings in which they are embedded. The ways in which we communicate about health — from public health campaigns about smoking and alcohol use, to climate change actions or to birthing rituals conducted by indigenous healers — likewise interact with culture and environment. Australia’s Sydney and Far Northeast Queensland offer ideal laboratories for comparing and contrasting cultures (notably Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islanders, and western) and environments (Great Barrier Reef, rainforest, and Outback) to understand the relation between sustainability, public health, and culture.