Could a craving for conformity be the death of the larrikin?

It is one of their most cherished national traits, but Australians fear larrikinism - a unique blend of rebelliousness and cheeky irreverence - is under attack.

There are few greater compliments in Australia than to call someone a larrikin - defined in the Macquarie Australian English Dictionary as 'a mischievous person'.

Thought to have originated as a dialect word in England in the 18th century, larrikins embody a spirit of anti-authoritarianism which harks back to Australia's origins as a penal colony and the brooding antipathy between convicts and overseers.

Acknowledged larrikins include comedian Barry Humphries, whose alter ego is Dame Edna Everage, actor Paul Hogan and former prime minister Bob Hawke - still lauded for his skill at downing a yard of ale while studying at Oxford University in the 1950s.

Now, however, there are fears that larrikinism, and with it an intrinsic part of the Australian national character, is being crushed by a combination of social conformity, materialism and American cultural imperialism.

'Larrikins are an endangered species,' said newspaper cartoonist Bill Crew. 'The desire to climb the ladder of social success, the aspiration to celebrity and insidious cultural imperialism from the United States means there is far less tolerance for larrikins these days.'

The debate over the demise of larrikinism was sparked this month with the death of Australia's oldest first world war veteran. Ted Smout, 106, was hailed by one newspaper as 'our oldest larrikin ... a rogue, a non-conformist, a wit with a disregard for authority and a bloody good sense of humour'.