Australia has long been a favourite destination for British people wanting to move abroad. Beautiful beaches, a warm, sunny climate and the fact its national language is English are just some of the reasons nearly 1.3 million Brits have made their home down under. January 26 is Australia Day, a day of celebration which commemorate the anniversary of 11 convict ships arriving at the country from the UK in 1788. We mark the occasion with a guide to moving from Britain to Australia.
Australia is known for its good weather but many people may not realise just how hot it gets. During the summer, temperatures can reach the mid-40s and will often stay in the 30s for days and even weeks at a time. It’s also worth remembering that summer in Australia is during our winter and vice versa so you’ll have to get used to celebrating Christmas in the sunshine.
Before you get too attached to the idea of moving to Australia, look into whether you are likely to be eligible to emigrate there. Priority is given to skilled workers, including builders, architects, medical staff, engineers and lawyers. The full list is available from the Australian Government. There is also the option of getting a retirement visa if you are over the age of 55 but you need to be able to prove that you have a significant amount of savings and will be able to fully support yourself financially.
The class system doesn’t really exist in Australia and people aren’t all that interested in how much you earn or whether you went to a good school. One of the major benefits of this egalitarian attitude is the country’s strong employment rights. Legally, employees cannot be made to work more than a maximum of 38 hours a week and the national minimum wage is $17.70 per hour – the equivalent of £10.63.
There might be a lot of space in Australia compared to the UK but this doesn’t mean that buying or renting a property will be cheap, particularly if you are keen to settle in one of the main cities. In Sydney, the average house price is $852,000 (£511,437), while in Melbourne it is $641,200 (£384,900). Adelaide is cheaper with an average house price of $425,000 (£255,118).
Moving your worldly goods to the other side of the globe is not a task to take lightly and you will need to use experts to make sure the job is done well. Andrew Porter Limited has specialist experience in helping people move from Britain to Australia. You will be given a dedicated move co-ordinator who will be able to advise you on all the rules concerning shipping items to Australia, including transporting pets and vehicles. Shipping will usually take between six and eight weeks, unless you choose to share a shipping container with other people. This will cost less but take longer and you can expect to wait up to 10 weeks for your items to arrive in Australia.
