Financial market observers, investors and analysts can be forgiven for being perplexed, as longstanding and normal logic was disregarded in the second half of 2020 – remarkably, share and real estate prices actually rose despite the recession, depressed earnings, global pandemic and political turbulence.

By almost any measure, Australia is an exceptional place: its size, its location, its history, its flora, its fauna, its people and its reputation: combined, these make this country ‘more than a bit special’...