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1. Australia is a nation founded on immigration. Of the 20.6 million Australians, the vast majority are descendents of nineteenth and twentieth century European settlers, mainly from the UK and Ireland. The country’s population has quadrupled since the end of World War I, due to the introduction of an ambitious immigration program still in operation today.
2. Australia has a prosperous, western-style economy, with a GDP per capita estimated at US$32,900, slightly higher than that of the UK.
3. Despite the country’s healthy economy, a shortage of skilled workers is a major problem which Australia is currently addressing through its aggressive migration programme. Jobs abound for skilled tradespeople and investors and the opportunity so become part of Australia and enjoy its unparalleled lifestyle is wide open to anyone who possesses the required skills or business knowledge.
4. Tradespeople in Australia can earn substantial wages. In some areas of Australia, bricklayers, electricians, carpenters and mechanics can earn up to AU$1,200 per day. Tradesmen and women routinely receive $2000 a week on contract work, and this in not just a passing phase.
5. Australia’s de-regulated economy makes it an ideal country for business investment. The country also benefits from substantial natural resources and technical strength and a tax system that competes with all other western economies. Read more about 10 reasons people emigrate to Australia |
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 Approximately half of all international travellers to Australia fly in through the Kingsford-Smith International Airport in Sydney, even though flights can be booked to a number of international airports throughout Australia. These include Melbourne (Tullamarine Airport), Brisbane, Perth, Cairns, Adelaide, Darwin, the Gold Coast (Coolangatta), Norfolk Island, Newcastle and Broome.
You can expect flight times of 3 hours from New Zealand, a 7-11 hour flight from countries in Asia, a 15 hour flight from the west of the United States of America, an 18 hour flight from Johannesburg, South Africa, a 13-16 hours flight from South America, and up to a 24 hour flight from western Europe.
Customs
Australia has a very strict customs requirement when it comes to animal and vegetable imports including wood, and other prohibited goods. This is because Australia is a large and isolated island, and thus far free of many diseases and insect pests found in other countries. All incoming visitors must pass a customs check for these items. No fruits, vegetables, meat or other food products are allowed in unless they are factory-made and on the approved list of imports (for example, chocolate is acceptable).
There is no penalty for declaring most goods that are prohibited from import - they'll just be confiscated and destroyed or held in quarantine - but if you attempt to bring them in without declaring them, there are extremely heavy penalties including fines (in the order of thousands of dollars) and a possible jail term. It is far safer to declare any items that only might be prohibited, if they are not then you will suffer no consequence.
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 It’s no wonder that Australia is a favourite destination for tourists and for people wanting to start a new life abroad. Australia is similar in size to the USA, yet has a population of under 20 million. Or, to put it another way, it’s 32 times larger that the UK, with less than half the number of inhabitants.
Australia is amazingly varied, from the liveliness and energy of cities like Sydney, Perth and Melbourne to the vivid blue skies and red earth of the Outback. The Northern Territory alone has 20 national parks, and then there are World Heritage sites like the Great Barrier Reef and remarkable landscapes like the Border Ranges, comprised of extinct and eroded volcanoes stretching across the borders of Queensland and New South Wales. Most people think of Australia as dry and arid but there are also lush river valleys, rainforests and mountains, not to mention 7,000 unspoilt beaches.
Australians have a deserved reputation for being friendly, gregarious, unpretentious and outspoken. Thanks to shows like Neighbours and Home and Away many of us are now familiar with expressions like g’day, amber nectar and crook, but Strine still takes some getting used to. However, chances are both you and your anklebiters (children) will pick it up in no time! |
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The Australian lifestyle is based on a laidback, informal approach to life. Good food, wine and companionship matter a great deal. Because of the superb climate eating outdoors (particularly if there’s a barbie involved) is an important part of the Aussie way of life.
The same carefree outdoors style is found even in bustling cities like Sydney , famous for its Bondi beach, its cosmopolitan energy and vibrant cultural life. The Sydney Opera House, together with Uluru (Ayers Rock), are two of the most iconic images of Australia, and are known around the world. Each city has something different to offer; from the culture and art of Melbourne to the scenic beauty of Perth.
On the world stage Australia has made a huge contribution to culture and sport. The country seems to effortlessly churn out film stars like Nicole Kidman, Mel Gibson, Cate Blanchett, Naomi Watts, Geoffrey Rush, Heath Ledger and Hugh Jackman, most of whom got their first break in local theatre and films. Indigenous music and dance, ballet, theatre, opera and rock 'n'roll are also thriving.
Australians are sports-crazy and excel in most sports they put their hand too. Sporting superstars like swimmer Ian Thorpe, cricketer Shane Warne, tennis player Rod Laver, rugby star George Gregan and golfing great Greg Norman are all held in very high regard. As you would expect, sporting facilities are superb, and you will never be far from a game of one kind or another.
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The Australian lifestyle is good value too. Here's a snapshot of what your dollar will buy across the country, based on average property prices from Australian real estate agents' information in each states capital city:
- Sydney $528,500 (£215,400)
- Melbourne $398,200 (£162,300)
- Brisbane $388,200 (£158,200)
- Adelaide $355,800 (£144,800)
- Canberra $488,800 (£199,000)
- Perth $503,300 (£205,200)
- Darwin $421,000 (£171,700)
- Hobart $258,000 (£105,200)
Source: www.homepriceguide.com.au Based on Residential Property Prices as at June 2007
Just imagine what you would get in the UK for the same money!
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The education system broadly mirrors that of the UK. Australians take education seriously and Australian universities receive more taxpayer funding than many of their international counterparts. School education is compulsory from ages 5 - 15.
Australian education is divided into public (state schools) and private (independent) schools. Education in public schools is free in most states, although most schools do have a small annual voluntary fee to cover extra-curricular activities. Most public schools are co-educational. Around two thirds of secondary school students attend government secondary schools and one third attend private schools . Australian independent schools fall into two categories; schools administered by the Catholic Education Office, and other independent schools administered by their own boards. One of the poshest is the 150-year-old Geelong Grammar School in Victoria , where Prince Charles spent a term as a boarder.
The school year begins in February and is divided into four terms. Over Easter there is a ten-day break and the June/July holiday usually amounts to two or three weeks. In term three, there is a two-week holiday in September. The Christmas or summer holidays run from the beginning of December to the end of January when many families head to the beach or bush. Students attend school from Monday to Friday each week. School hours vary slightly across Australia but are generally from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm each school day. |
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- The kangaroo is unique to Australia , and there are more of them now than when Australia was first settled – about 40 million in total. There are also 140 million sheep in the country, mostly merinos, and they produce almost three-quarters of the world’s wool.
- Australia is one of the most resource-rich countries on earth, producing diamonds, emeralds, gold, silver and industrial minerals.
- With 24 million cattle, Australia is the world’s largest exporter of beef.
- There are 25,00 species of plants in Australia , compared to 17,500 in Europe .
- In 1954, Bob Hawke was immortalised by the Guinness Book of Records for sculling 2.5 pints of beer in 11 seconds. Bob later became the Prime Minister of Australia.
- Tasmania has the cleanest air in the world.
- The 148 kilometres of railway track which crossed the Nullarbor Plain is the longest stretch of straight railway track in the world. Australia also boasts the world’s longest continuous fence. The dingo fence which runs through Central Queensland, designed to keep sheep safe from Australia’s native dog, is a whopping 5,531 kilometres.
- Prime Minister Harold Holt went for a swim at Cheviot Beach, near Portsea on 17th December 1967, and was never seen again. The event has been referred to as 'the swim that needed no towel'. As a mark of 'respect', construction soon began on the Harold Holt Memorial Swimming Pool.
- From 1945 through 1996, nearly 5.5 million immigrants settled in Australia.
- Australia has three time zones. Eastern Standard Time (EST includes New South Wales , Victoria , Queensland , Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory . Central Standard Time (CST) covers South Australia and the Northern Territory while Western Australia has Western Standard Time (WST). CST is half an hour behind EST, while WST is two hours behind EST.
- Australia was the second country to give women the vote.
- It has been reported that the first European settlers in Australia drank more alcohol per head of population than any other community in the history of mankind.
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Australia Immigration 
