Australia will chase success and the world No.1 ranking overseas after their blazing Ashes whitewash capped off one of the most remarkable turnarounds in Test cricket history.

The personal redemption of man-of-the-series Mitchell Johnson embodied the overall achievement of a team that last year was thrashed 4-0 in India and 3-0 in England.

Australia jumped two spots to third place on the Test rankings after mentally-shattered England were bowled out for 166 late on day three to ensure an emphatic 281-run thrashing in the fifth Test at the SCG.

It was only the third 5-0 series clean sweep ever recorded in Ashes cricket (after 1920-21 and 2006-07), and the first time an Australian side has remained unchanged throughout a five-match series.

The memorable moment when man-of-the-match Ryan Harris (5-25) claimed the last wicket ushered in delirious scenes in the middle as Nathan Lyon led an impromptu rendition of the team song and players completed a lap of honour in front of a packed crowd.

On Tuesday they will be honoured with a public reception at the Sydney Opera House.

Skipper Michael Clarke identified India last year as the lowpoint for his much-maligned team, but he can now celebrate a place in history as the only player to have participated in two 5-0 Ashes sweeps.

Clarke believes Australia have the world’s best bowling attack and can challenge the No.1 Test side South Africa and then Pakistan on the road this year.

“It’s been a roller-coaster ride … the start of 2013 certainly didn’t go anywhere near as well as we would have liked,” said Clarke.

“I think that’s what feels so satisfying at the moment. We’ve been able to turn things around.

“I don’t want to disrespect anyone in that 2006-07 team to say that this is a better win than then.

“I just think it’s a different time, different era.

“To me it’s as special and probably more personal because I’m captain.

“Playing away from home in international cricket seems to be hard to get results. We believe we have the team to have success.”

Coach Darren Lehmann said he took over a team which needed direction when appointed in England last year and he put his faith in a band of experienced players to win back the urn on home soil after three-straight series of Ashes failure.

Johnson delivered in breathtaking fashion, with a haul of 37 wickets at 13.9 – the most ever by an Australian fast bowler in a five-match series – to edge out evergreen wicketkeeper-batsman Brad Haddin as player of the series.

“It’s something I’ll cherish for rest of my life,” said Johnson.

But this win was about the team.

The old school Lehmann admitted the extent of his team’s dominance surprised even him but said they still had plenty more to prove.

“They just needed some direction on where we wanted to go and how we wanted to go about it,” said Lehmann.

“I thought we had the makings of winning the Ashes comfortably, but not 5-0.

“We need to move forward as a team and win away from home.”

Facing an impossible task, England’s three best batsmen Alastair Cook, Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen surrendered meekly on the final morning before Johnson took two wickets in the first over after lunch then Lyon chimed in to leave the embattled tourists in a rabble at 7-95.

Harris finished the job to pip Steve Smith (first innings ton) for man-of-the-match, although 36-year-old Chris Rogers’ (119) third Test century gave Australia their formidable 447-run lead.

Coach Lehmann said he never had any doubt that experience and making cricket fun was the way back for Australia.

“You need that hard edge. It’s more about teaching young blokes along the way,” he said.

Clarke said winning the first Test in Brisbane was crucial, as was the aggressive attitude of veteran keeper-batsman Brad Haddin and Johnson and all his players.

He reserved special praise for Lehmann.

“He’s as well prepared as any coach I’ve played under,” he said.

“Boof played a big part in allowing us to play with freedom and created that environment before you even walked out.”