Index: lams_admin/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/admin/service/ImportService.java
===================================================================
diff -u -r38369b1b4eafec27b67fb77663984cde3de776d9 -ra1046dbdfb10ad1f7a61b8d50acbff46ac7c96ab
--- lams_admin/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/admin/service/ImportService.java	(.../ImportService.java)	(revision 38369b1b4eafec27b67fb77663984cde3de776d9)
+++ lams_admin/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/admin/service/ImportService.java	(.../ImportService.java)	(revision a1046dbdfb10ad1f7a61b8d50acbff46ac7c96ab)
@@ -603,7 +603,7 @@
 	user.setPostcode(parseStringCell(row.getCell(ImportService.POSTCODE)));
 	String country = parseStringCell(row.getCell(ImportService.COUNTRY));
 	if (StringUtils.isBlank(country)) {
-	    country = LanguageUtil.DEFAULT_COUNTRY;
+	    country = LanguageUtil.getDefaultCountry();
 	}
 	user.setCountry(country);
 	user.setDayPhone(parseStringCell(row.getCell(ImportService.DAY_PHONE)));
Index: lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/signup/service/SignupService.java
===================================================================
diff -u -rfebc5ec394566f98439ce776a0be320b34310b0a -ra1046dbdfb10ad1f7a61b8d50acbff46ac7c96ab
--- lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/signup/service/SignupService.java	(.../SignupService.java)	(revision febc5ec394566f98439ce776a0be320b34310b0a)
+++ lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/signup/service/SignupService.java	(.../SignupService.java)	(revision a1046dbdfb10ad1f7a61b8d50acbff46ac7c96ab)
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@
     private SupportedLocale getDefaultLocale() {
 	String localeName = Configuration.get(ConfigurationKeys.SERVER_LANGUAGE);
 	String langIsoCode = LanguageUtil.DEFAULT_LANGUAGE;
-	String countryIsoCode = LanguageUtil.DEFAULT_COUNTRY;
+	String countryIsoCode = LanguageUtil.getDefaultCountry();
 	if (StringUtils.isNotBlank(localeName) && localeName.length() > 2) {
 	    langIsoCode = localeName.substring(0, 2);
 	    countryIsoCode = localeName.substring(3);
Index: lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/util/ConfigurationKeys.java
===================================================================
diff -u -r7e808255a63e7ad7345100840771ee11ee8d8a47 -ra1046dbdfb10ad1f7a61b8d50acbff46ac7c96ab
--- lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/util/ConfigurationKeys.java	(.../ConfigurationKeys.java)	(revision 7e808255a63e7ad7345100840771ee11ee8d8a47)
+++ lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/util/ConfigurationKeys.java	(.../ConfigurationKeys.java)	(revision a1046dbdfb10ad1f7a61b8d50acbff46ac7c96ab)
@@ -84,6 +84,11 @@
 
     /** Default locale for the server. Originally en_AU */
     public static String SERVER_LANGUAGE = "ServerLanguage";
+    
+    /**
+     * Default country for the server. Originally AU
+     */
+    public static String SERVER_COUNTRY = "ServerCountry";
 
     /**
      * Direction (left to right, right to left) for writing on HTML pages. Originally LTR
Index: lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/util/LanguageUtil.java
===================================================================
diff -u -r6af1dca405b378528e883a2853703bbf75e7d68c -ra1046dbdfb10ad1f7a61b8d50acbff46ac7c96ab
--- lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/util/LanguageUtil.java	(.../LanguageUtil.java)	(revision 6af1dca405b378528e883a2853703bbf75e7d68c)
+++ lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/util/LanguageUtil.java	(.../LanguageUtil.java)	(revision a1046dbdfb10ad1f7a61b8d50acbff46ac7c96ab)
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@
 	    languageIsoCode = LanguageUtil.DEFAULT_LANGUAGE;
 	}
 	if (countryIsoCode == null) {
-	    languageIsoCode = LanguageUtil.DEFAULT_COUNTRY;
+	    languageIsoCode = LanguageUtil.getDefaultCountry();
 	}
 
 	return new String[] { languageIsoCode, countryIsoCode };
@@ -116,36 +116,43 @@
     public static SupportedLocale getDefaultLocale() {
 	String localeName = Configuration.get(ConfigurationKeys.SERVER_LANGUAGE);
 	String langIsoCode = LanguageUtil.DEFAULT_LANGUAGE;
-	String countryIsoCode = LanguageUtil.DEFAULT_COUNTRY;
+	// try to use the server's country first
+	String countryIsoCode = LanguageUtil.getDefaultCountry();
 	if (StringUtils.isNotBlank(localeName) && (localeName.length() > 2)) {
 	    langIsoCode = localeName.substring(0, 2);
 	    countryIsoCode = localeName.substring(3);
 	}
 
 	SupportedLocale locale = null;
-	locale = getSupportedLocaleOrNull(langIsoCode, countryIsoCode);
+	locale = LanguageUtil.getSupportedLocaleOrNull(langIsoCode, countryIsoCode);
 	if (locale == null) {
-	    locale = getSupportedLocaleOrNull(LanguageUtil.DEFAULT_LANGUAGE, LanguageUtil.DEFAULT_COUNTRY);
+	    // if default language and server do not yield result, default to en_AU
+	    locale = LanguageUtil.getSupportedLocaleOrNull(LanguageUtil.DEFAULT_LANGUAGE, LanguageUtil.DEFAULT_COUNTRY);
 	}
 
 	return locale;
     }
 
+    public static String getDefaultCountry() {
+	String serverCountry = Configuration.get(ConfigurationKeys.SERVER_COUNTRY);
+	return StringUtils.isBlank(serverCountry) ? LanguageUtil.DEFAULT_COUNTRY : serverCountry;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Searches for a locale based on language, then country, matching the single input string. Otherwise returns server
      * default locale.
      */
     public static SupportedLocale getSupportedLocale(String input) {
-	List list = getService().findByProperty(SupportedLocale.class, "languageIsoCode", input);
+	List list = LanguageUtil.getService().findByProperty(SupportedLocale.class, "languageIsoCode", input);
 	if ((list != null) && (list.size() > 0)) {
 	    return (SupportedLocale) list.get(0);
 	} else {
-	    list = getService().findByProperty(SupportedLocale.class, "countryIsoCode", input);
+	    list = LanguageUtil.getService().findByProperty(SupportedLocale.class, "countryIsoCode", input);
 	    if ((list != null) && (list.size() > 0)) {
 		return (SupportedLocale) list.get(0);
 	    }
 	}
-	return getDefaultLocale();
+	return LanguageUtil.getDefaultLocale();
     }
 
     /**
@@ -154,9 +161,9 @@
     public static SupportedLocale getSupportedLocale(String langIsoCode, String countryIsoCode) {
 	SupportedLocale locale = null;
 
-	locale = getSupportedLocaleOrNull(langIsoCode, countryIsoCode);
+	locale = LanguageUtil.getSupportedLocaleOrNull(langIsoCode, countryIsoCode);
 	if (locale == null) {
-	    locale = getDefaultLocale();
+	    locale = LanguageUtil.getDefaultLocale();
 	}
 
 	return locale;
@@ -180,7 +187,7 @@
 	    return null;
 	}
 
-	List list = getService().findByProperties(SupportedLocale.class, properties);
+	List list = LanguageUtil.getService().findByProperties(SupportedLocale.class, properties);
 	if ((list != null) && (list.size() > 0)) {
 	    Collections.sort(list);
 	    locale = (SupportedLocale) list.get(0);
@@ -189,25 +196,25 @@
 	}
 	return locale;
     }
-    
+
     /**
      * Get list of all available country names sorted alphabetically.
-     * 
+     *
      * @parama enforceUsingDefaultLocale in some rare cases (like with SignupAction) it's useful to enforce using LAMS
      *         server's default locale, instead of the system default one
      */
     public static Map<String, String> getCountryCodes(boolean enforceUsingDefaultLocale) {
-	getMessageService();
+	LanguageUtil.getMessageService();
 	SupportedLocale lamsDefaultLocale = enforceUsingDefaultLocale ? LanguageUtil.getDefaultLocale() : null;
-	
+
 	Map<String, String> countryCodesMap = new HashMap<String, String>();
 	for (String countryCode : CommonConstants.COUNTRY_CODES) {
 	    String countryName = enforceUsingDefaultLocale
 		    ? messageService.getMessage("country." + countryCode, lamsDefaultLocale)
 		    : messageService.getMessage("country." + countryCode);
 	    countryCodesMap.put(countryCode, countryName);
 	}
-	
+
 	//sort alphabetically
 	return countryCodesMap.entrySet().stream().sorted(Map.Entry.comparingByValue(Comparator.naturalOrder()))
 		.collect(Collectors.toMap(Map.Entry::getKey, Map.Entry::getValue, (oldValue, newValue) -> oldValue,
@@ -222,7 +229,7 @@
 	}
 	return service;
     }
-    
+
     private static MessageService getMessageService() {
 	if (messageService == null) {
 	    WebApplicationContext ctx = WebApplicationContextUtils