Could anyone based in Australia let me know if we have an alternative to Crisco? So many of the recipes here on CC call for Crisco and I just can't find an equivalent product here: soft vegetable shortening.
I'm very new to cake decorating and am still working things out!

The closest we seem to have is Copha. I think some cake stores sell a product called so-lite. But there is a company in Melbourne that sells Crisco. Here is a link http://www.usafoods.com.au/c14/cake-mixes-baking-chips-amp-flour/

You should be glad you have no Crisco. In my country you can't find it either. Crisco is hydrogenated fat and it's very harmful to your health. You can't find it in most european stores, though it's used in some industrial food.
Before that kind of artificial fat was invented, butter and lard were the things everybody used in their recipes. For buttercream, for instance, as its name says, you can use butter .

Thanks Melnick. I've tried copha but ended up with lumps in my buttercream even after beating it on high for 15 minutes! I was wondering if it was ok to melt it first, but not sure that would give the right consistency as the icing cools.
Thanks for the link to usafoods. Will have a look there.