Do you know your neighbours by name? Australia Talks shows older folks and those in the regions are more likely

Bill Burgess has lived on the same suburban street in Melbourne's inner west since 1957.

Not only does he know all his current neighbours, the 91-year-old can tell you about almost everyone who has lived on the street for the past 60 years.

Mr Burgess thinks a lot of direct contact within communities has been lost due to our "internet obsession".

"In my day, neighbourhood families were out in the streets helping each other; kids were in the streets playing hopscotch, scootering, riding their bikes," he said.

Over the years, Mr Burgess believes he has mowed every lawn on the street and said neighbours repaid favours by offering to walk the dog, feed cats or get groceries for people in times of need.

Mr Burgess can still be seen sharing advice, stories or homegrown lemons with his neighbours as he walks the streets with his small auburn dog Gizmo.

Fiona Eckley, who knows Mr Burgess through her work at the local neighbourhood house, said he was "always tinkering and wanting to help".

Mr Burgess spent years handcrafting wooden toys for the local toy library, and still spends time cutting up cardboard or sharpening pencils for the neighbourhood house's child care and kindergarten kids.

"He has been a wonderful person in the community who has given a lot," she said.

Ms Eckley believes many younger people aren't involved in their neighbourhood because they are "too busy working".

Most Australians know their neighbours by name

The Australia Talks National Survey 2021 found 62 per cent of Australians know many of their neighbours by name.

Older Australians like Mr Burgess are more likely to know their neighbours than younger people.

You are also more likely to know your neighbours the further you live from the inner city.

Fifty-five per cent of people in inner metropolitan areas agreed they knew many of their neighbours, compared to about 70 per cent in rural and regional areas.

A third overall said they did not know their neighbours' names at all.

Knowing your neighbours helps community connection

Social psychologist and researcher Hugh Mackay wasn't surprised by the findings.

"There are lots of glorious exceptions, but typically younger people are more self-absorbed and identity conscious," Mr Mackay said.

"Later it is more about how we are part of a larger community."

Mr Mackay said Australia had become increasingly fragmented and centred on individuals – he hoped the pandemic could be the catalyst for a renewed focus on community.

"There is nothing like a health crisis to remind us of how dependent we are on others," he wrote in his book The Kindness Revolution.

According to Australia Talks data, last year's COVID-19 lockdowns helped people in the ACT and Victoria get to know their neighbours, with a 12-percentage-point rise and 5-percentage-point rise respectively.

While Mr Mackay believes we have a "moral obligation" to be a good neighbour, he said it could also give meaning to people's lives.

Perhaps it is no coincidence that younger people – who are the least likely to know the names of their neighbours – are the most likely to agree they would be happier if they were more involved in their community.

If you don't know your neighbours and don't know where to start, Mr Mackay's advice is simple – go and knock on their door.

"Say, 'Hello, I'm Hugh, I live next door. Here is my mobile number if you ever need anything," he said.

"That connection will never go away."

The Australia Talks National Survey asked 60,000 Australians about their lives and what keeps them up at night. Use our interactive tool to see the results and how your answers compare.

Then, tune in at 8:00pm on Monday, June 21 to watch hosts Annabel Crabb and Nazeem Hussain take you through the key findings and explore the survey with some of Australia's best-loved celebrities.