Crossword Genius

Australia. There without help? Harsh! (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

austere

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'harsh' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'australia there' is the wordplay.
'australia' becomes 'au'.
'there' becomes 'stere' (I can't explain this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'au'+'stere'='AUSTERE'

'without help?' acts as a link.
I am not very happy about this link. Some or all of it may be part of another bit of the clue.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for austere that I've seen before include "Harsh" , "Plain, cold" , "Spartan and abstemious" , "Severely simple and plain in appearance" , "Severe, lacking comforts" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
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