Australia : General Information

Overview

Australia is the world’s smallest continent and the sixth-largest country and has the lowest population density in the world, only two people per square kilometre. It is located in Oceania, between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean and above the Southern Ocean. It is also referred to as ‘the land down under.’

The population of 20,405,797 (2005) is concentrated mainly in the coastal cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Most of Australia's population is concentrated in two widely separated coastal regions. By far the largest of these, in terms of area and population, lies in the south-east (Victoria) and east (New South Wales and Queensland).

The smaller of the two regions is in the south-west of the continent (Western Australia). In both coastal regions the population is concentrated in urban centres, particularly the State and Territory capital cities. Half the area of the continent contains only 0.3% of the population, and the most densely populated 1% of the continent contains 84% of the population. It is estimated that more than 85% of Australians live near the coast.

The first Australians that lived on mainland Australia, Tasmania and the Torres Strait Islands (between Australia and Papua New Guinea) are known as Aborigines (pronounced Abb–or–idge–en-ees). It is believed that they have lived here for over 40,000 years.

You will regularly find on Government forms a question that asks if you are of ‘Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background.’Today, Indigenous people make up less than 3% of the current Australian population. Indigenous Australians continue to live throughout Australia including cities, towns, the coast, rural areas and the outback. There is no single Indigenous culture but a mixture of contemporary and traditional thoughts, ways and practices. Australia was ‘discovered’ by European Settlers in 1788. Now we have an extremely multicultural society. The Census Data collected on 30 June 2004 by the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that 24%, or 4.8 million people, were born overseas. This proportion is the highest recorded since Federation in 1901.

People born in the United Kingdom make up the largest group of overseas-born with 1.1 million people (or 6% of the total Australian population). Other major groups are New Zealand (2%), Italy, mainland China and Vietnam (each 1%).

Almost half of the overseas-born population in Australia (49%, or 2.3 million people) were born in Europe. This figure has declined over the last decade, while migration from other regions has increased.

Sudanese-born people are the fastest growing group, increasing by an average 26% per year over the past eight years (but starting from a low base of only 2,600 people in 1996), followed by Afghanistan (12% per year, on average) and Iraq (11% per year).

The largest net addition to Australia's population between 1996 and 2004 was from people born in New Zealand (up by 127,000). People born in China (60,800), South Africa (47,400) and India (43,800). Birthplace groups with decreasing numbers in this eight-year period were led by Italy (down 31,200 people) and the United Kingdom (29,900).

In 1901 a decision was made to develop a national capital. The move was as a direct result of the federation of colonies in Australia. However, it wasn't until 1908 that the location of the capital had been decided. The location was a compromise between the two rivals Melbourne and Sydney. This explains why the capital is roughly between the two states; although slightly closer to Sydney. Who was to design the city, was decided by way of an international competition which was won by an American architect named, Walter Burley Griffin.

Canberra was the name given to the new capital which is rumoured to be a translation of 'meeting place' in aboriginal. Slow progress was made, and until 1927 decisions were still made in Melbourne until parliament was convened in Canberra.

Australia consists of six states (New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia) and two territories (Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory).

Australia has over 7,000 beaches, more than any other country. It produces 95% of the world’s precious opals and 99% of black opals, with Coober Pedy in South Australia being the opal capital of the world. The population of Coober Pedy is made up of more than 40 nationalities, and due to the year-round extreme temperature, more than 50% of its population live in below-ground ‘dugout’ homes.

Australia is home to around 40 million kangaroos, the number greater than when Australia was first settled. The kangaroo is unique to Australia and one of the most easily recognized mammals. Australia is home for around 140 million sheep and produces more than 70% of the world’s wool. It is the world’s largest exporter of beef with 24 million heads of cattle. Australia has approximately 25,000 species of plants, compared to Europe that has 17,500.

The longest stretch of straight railway track in the world, across the Nullarbor Plain from Nurina in Western Australia to near Watson in South Australia, is 478 kilometres long. In 2003, the 3000 kilometre Adelaide to Darwin Railway Line was completed. The world’s longest continuous fence is the ‘dingo fence, through central Queensland. It is 5,531 kilometres long and 1.8 metres high, designed to keep sheep safe from Australia’s native dog the dingo. Visit the Australian Bureau of Statistics http://www.abs.gov.au

Capital: Canberra

Population: 20,090,437 (July 2005 est.)

Languages: English 79.1%, Chinese 2.1%, Italian 1.9%, other 11.1%, unspecified 5.8% (2001 Census)

Religions: Catholic 26.4%, Anglican 20.5%, other Christian 20.5%, Buddhist 1.9%, Muslim 1.5%, other 1.2%, unspecified 12.7%, none 15.3% (2001 Census)

Currency: Australian dollar (AUD)

Timezones: There are three time zones in Australia: Eastern Standard Time (EST) in New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, Tasmania and Queensland. Central Standard Time (CST) in South Australia and Northern Territory. Western Standard Time (WST) in Western Australia. The zones ranges from GMT+8 to GMT+10 standard time and GMT+10.30 to GMT+11 daylight saving (where applicable)

Climate and Weather

The Australian continent is in the Southern Hemisphere and its seasons are the opposite of the Northern Hemisphere, i.e. summer in Europe and North America is winter in Australia. Broadly Australia has just two climatic zones, 40% of the continent is in the tropical zone, with the remaining regions south of the Tropic of Capricorn being in the temperate zone.

The tropical zone has two seasons: hot wet season from November to April, and warm dry from May to October. The temperate zones have four seasons: spring (September to November), summer (December to February), autumn (March to May) and winter (June to August). Due to its size, the weather across the continent can range from below zero temperatures in the Snowy Mountains to intolerable heat in the north-west.

Australia is considered to be one of the driest continents on earth, with the lowest rainfall after Antarctica. Snow is rare except in the Australian Alps, across the New South Wales and Victorian border, where skiing is possible between June and October. The Australian climate is also known for its extremes, cyclones along the coast; severe droughts inland and bushfires. The most pleasant season in most of Australia are spring and autumn, except for Tasmania where closeness to Antarctica makes summer the most enjoyable. For more information on Australian climate visit the Bureau of Meteorology http://www.bom.gov.au.

Culture and Social Customs

Whilst built and strongly influenced by the British, contemporary Australia is a mixture of cultures. This is largely due to strong immigration policies, bringing more than 200,000 new migrants to Australia in the last year. In October 2005 one in four people in Australia were born overseas! With the Government’s increased focus on immigration policy there is no doubt that Australia is set to remain a strong multicultural society. Australia’s multicultural policy promotes acceptance of and respect for cultural diversity, and supports the right of each Australian to maintain and celebrate, within the law, their culture, language or religion Visit http://www.immi.gov.au/multicultural/australian/index.htm Living in Harmony http://www.harmony.gov.au and the Culture and Recreation Portal http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au

Generally, Australians are open and friendly people, usually informal in their relationships. Most people introduce themselves by their first name, and it is acceptable to do the same. Addressing someone by their first name is common in most business relations.

There are some cultural characteristics which can assist a newcomer in their initial dealings with Australians, whether in business or personal relationships. One of those is that Australians focus more on a task than on building a relationship. This is quite different for people coming from relationship focused cultures like those from the Middle East, Latin America and Asia. This means that Australians are relatively open to dealing with strangers and prefer to talk business from the start. Communicating over the phone and via email is totally acceptable.

It is also a good idea to inform yourself of some Australian customs prior to arriving, particularly about some common Australian expressions, or colloquialisms. Many of these may sound strange to people new to Australia. If you are unsure what an expression means, it is acceptable and advisable to ask the person who said it to explain it to you. Australians are more than happy to answer questions and often realize how difficult it is for newcomers to understand them. To find more about Australian customs go to http://www.immi.gov.au/settle/states/customs.htm.

One of the Australian cultural phenomenon’s widely mentioned in books and travel guides, is a reputation for resenting the success of others, otherwise called the ‘tall poppy syndrome’, usually manifested in a resentment of success or what they perceive as snobbery and arrogance. An egalitarian attitude is often reflected by calling people ‘mate’ and the concept of a ‘fair go’ for all. The best advice is not to be too enthusiastic about yourself and your successes (whether they were overseas or in Australia).

This is only a general guideline and you need to keep in mind that Australia is a multicultural society and many people will also keep and practice customs of their home country, even if their family has been in Australia for generations. Visit Study in Australia http://www.studyinaustralia.gov.au for some general tips.

Whilst appreciated, tipping is not a general practice in Australia. If you have received excellent service, a tip is always welcome. Taxi drivers are almost never tipped, however, passengers usually round up the taxi fare to the nearest dollar. A cab driver, however, will round your fare down rather than bother with change. Services that have set charges, like hairdressers, hotel staff, cloakroom and garage attendants do not expect to be tipped. Some Australians regard tipping as patronizing, so unless you are sure about their expectation, there is no need for a tip. Exception is in top class restaurants, where a tip of 10% is common for good service, and can be included with your credit card payment, or given as cash.

Religion

At the time of European settlement in 1788, the Aboriginal inhabitants followed their own religions involving beliefs in spirits behind the forces of nature, and the influence of ancestral spirit beings.

During the 1800s European settlers brought their traditional churches to Australia. These included the Church of England (now the Anglican Church), and the Methodist, Catholic, Presbyterian, Congregationalist, Lutheran and Baptist churches.

With the exception of a small but significant Lutheran population of Germanic descent, Australian society in 1901 was predominantly Anglo-Celtic, with 40% of the population being Anglican, 23% Catholic, 34% other Christian and about 1% professing non-Christian religions.

Further waves of migration helped to reshape the profile of Australia's religious affiliations over subsequent decades. The impact of migration from Europe in the aftermath of World War II led to increases in affiliates of the Orthodox Churches, the establishment of Reformed bodies, growth in the number of Catholics (largely from Italian migration), and the creation of ethnic parishes among many other denominations. More recently, immigration from South-East Asia and the Middle East has expanded Buddhist and Muslim numbers considerably, and increased the ethnic diversity of existing Christian denominations. There are also many people who identify themselves as ‘New Age.’

Now the statistics show that 27% are Roman Catholic, 21% Anglican, 5% are followers of non-Christian religions, and 26% are non-religious. Only about 7.5% of the population attend weekly church services. Many local Australian communities now organise multifaith and interfaith activities.

Education and Schools

In Australia responsibility for education is divided between State, Territory and Federal government. The education system is divided broadly into five areas: preschool, primary school, high school/secondary colleges, career and vocational training and university or other tertiary education. A lot of migrants and expatriates find the system of teaching and school discipline very different in Australia, with less importance placed on outward discipline and memorizing, and more emphasis on self-discipline, learning by finding out and questioning, and encouraging a child’s interest and enthusiasm for learning. Parents are encouraged to get involved, with most schools having parent and teacher associations playing an active role in school life, from raising funds to helping decide what is taught and done at the school.

Schooling is compulsory in most states and territories until the age of fifteen. Most students stay at school until they complete Year 10 qualification (School Certificate approximately 16 years of age), and an increasing number of students stay to complete their Year 12 studies (High School Certificate or International Baccalaureate approximately 18 years of age).

Public and Private Schools: Parents choose to enroll their children in public (state government) or private (independent) schools. Education at public schools is (almost) free, with most schools charging a small annual fee to cover extra activities, school building funds (tax deductible) and library cost. Parents will also have to purchase some books and uniforms, and pay additional fees for excursions and camps. Most public schools are co-educational, and girls and boys are encouraged to participate equally in classes and activities.

Private schools fall mostly into two categories, those administered by the Catholic Education office and those administered by other religious groups. Private or independent schools set their own fee structure and receive a subsidy from both Federal and State governments. Some private schools are either all boy or all girl schools.

General and specific information and contacts for both government and non-government schools can be found on http://http://www.immi.gov.au/settle/education/system.htm#Public. Depending on which state or territory you settle in, there are many forms of public transport to use. The government website http://http://www.immi.gov.au/settle/transport.htm provides links to many useful transport information in each state and territory.

There are also home schooling, distance education and online learning options. Some visas do not cover schooling expenses. Educational consultants can be used to assess your child/children’s current abilities and these people can then recommend appropriate schools (and sometimes be more successful with the application than if you applied directly). The Newcomers Network http://www.newcomersnetwork.com website provides more advice on this topic.

Education Network Australia (EdNA)

http://www.edna.edu.au

(directory of on-line education and training information and services for the Australian education and training community)

Vetassess

http://www.vetassess.com.au

(qualification assessment services)

Internet Schools Directory

http://www.isd.com.au

(listing of all non government schools in Australia)

The Good Guides

http://www.thegoodguides.com.au

(publications on various educational services - ratings, reviews etc)

Universities in Australia

http://www.goingtouni.gov.au

Repatriation

Returning to live in Australia, particularly if you have been living elsewhere for more than five years, can be extremely challenging. The range of resources for Australian Expatriates living overseas and returning to Australia is slowly increasing…but like many moves, you need to prepare for the challenges.

1) Where should I live?

Returning to the 'family home' because it is 'rent free' is probably not a good choice. If you are accustomed to a fast paced independent lifestyle, then returning to a home in the suburbs without a car to get you out will reduce your chances of re-exploring. You may be wanting to 'escape' the frantic pace of the past, enjoy that on the weekend. If you ease the transition and find that it is still not 'quiet' enough, then you can move to the country and really slow down some more. But a sudden stop for an active brain can be difficult.

2) Friendships - I am different - do I need new ones?

It will be great fun to catch up with old friends and see in a visual sense how you have all changed. The novelty may wear off in five minutes. When they suggest that you all sit down and watch a television program together, you may be shocked! I know that sitting through an entire episode of a sensationalist local current affairs television program is a real challenge for someone with an international perspective on life!

So try and organise 'quick coffee' visits (so you can escape without embarrassment) or see multiple people at once, and create a list of those people that you will choose to keep as an active part of your life. This doesn't mean that you will abandon old friends and family, but you do need to find people that you relate to - because if you don't you will be quietly frustrated throughout every visit.

You also have the opportunity to make some new friends - just like you did when you moved to a new location in the past. Ask yourself, where will I find the types of people I like to mix with? Then do what you can to find these people - and make sure you can reach them quickly and easily by car or public transport. There are many cognitively diverse people in every location - they may not always be within your existing network of contacts. Ask the people you know if they know anyone else who has lived in your previous location.

3) Why did I move - for my own reasons or someone else's?

Look at the 'real' reasons for your move back to a past location - are they yours or someone else's? And is this a way of avoiding issues that you must deal with? If you are returning to take care of elderly relatives, are you doing it out of guilt - something you wish you had done or didn't do? Is it time to 'mend fences' and let people know more about you and what you want from life? If you feel you are being selfish travelling the world, ask yourself why?

Do you keep in touch whilst you are away? Some people who live close to their relatives and friends contact people less frequently than those who live thousands of kilometres away. Ask yourself what these relatives and friends want for you? If being away is the only way you can be happy, so be it. We all make choices in life...I find that they are easier to live with if you consciously know that they are YOUR choices and not someone else's or what you perceive to be the 'right thing to do.'

4) Do you have unfinished business in your past location?

Ask if you are 'ready' for change. Part of you, if you did not prepare, may still be 'left' in your previous location - especially if you either left quickly or were busy right up until your departure. It is important to 'close' that chapter before opening a new one. Not erase it, but accept it as 'past' and this as 'present.' Then each part of your life is part of you - you are not stuck in some other place. Also consider if there have been other significant events in your life recently - a broken relationship, a serious health concern or a change in your employment.

There may be ways that you can bring your past with you. Perhaps there are little traditions that you would now like to include in your life in Australia - regular activities, rituals or celebrations. Enjoying similar foods can be a great comfort. Being able to share your stories is critical. I have often heard of people saying 'it is like the last 10 years never happened.' This is because if you don't have an opportunity to share those stories, particularly if they relate to shared experiences, it can seem like a very lonely existence. If you can't find a friend, find a counsellor. Not only will they listen, they can provide processes that will help you move on in life.

If your identity is closely tied with your occupation, it may be a double loss when you move. If you know what career you are seeking, find a good mentor and a good advocate. These people will refer you directly to people that can make use of your skills and experience. If you are unsure and are considering a career change, speak to a career advisor, again, to help you make choices that are right for you. Old friends may not have the best advice!

5) Time - a commodity we undervalue

Give yourself a reasonable transition time - I would suggest a minimum of six months, but most likely up to three years. When you return, you will probably want to do everything slowly and quickly both at the same time! Allow plenty of time to sort out your possessions, have fun and work/look for work. If you are only looking for work and it is not successful and you haven't had any fun (even if you have to spend a little bit of money), then life will not be good - in any location. If you are feeling overwhelmed or uncomfortable, that is a sure sign that you need something else or something extra or that you need to examine personal concerns more thoroughly. Ask yourself 'what is it?' and find a strategy that will help you get it.

6) Take risks - you did previously!

Take some risks. In your previous location, when you had a regular income, you probably just 'did' things, it is important to continue doing this, even if you are not sure about your future, it will keep your confidence levels high and inspire you in new ways. Be creative and find new ways to test your abilities and conquer your fears.

7) Permission to be you - a gift you can give yourself

Give yourself permission to be who you are. We all reach an age and stage in life when it is time to be 'you.' Sure, some people will like it. Some won't. Who cares? If you are not harming others, doing something illegal or putting yourself in danger, ask yourself if you can live with the consequences. If your behaviour offends someone you have known for a long time, ask yourself how you feel about that.

If you believe your behaviour is reasonable, then that automatically suggests they are 'unreasonable' (in your view) and you may find that you don't really want to maintain regular contact with that person. Give yourself permission to audit your possessions as well as your 'friends.' Maybe this is the time you need to find new friends for this time in your life. Even if you remain in one location, work and life changes mean that different people are a part of your life at different times.

Summary

Many of these ideas and questions probably seem a bit nebulous, a bit airy-fairy. You may be surprised by their potency. Take a few moments to reflect on where you have been and where you would like to go. Just like you did when you first moved away from Australia, there was a lot to do. It is no different when you return - and from an emotional sense, you may either have more or less 'baggage' with you. Baggage in itself is not harmful. I rather like carrying my experience and past opportunities with me - because they give my current journey meaning and relevance. For some people, it is just not possible to return to a past location - I certainly have no intentions of ever doing it. But then I only moved within my own country, not across the other side of the world - so I still have access to the friendships, experiences and opportunities that I enjoyed previously.

I trust that this article will grant you some peace. A realisation that it is perfectly okay to feel the way that you do. There is no need to conform to the 'old you.' But if you want to make a successful repatriation, there is quite a bit of work to be done...and if you need help, ask for it. It can be as exciting and exhilarating as any other location, particularly if you meet the right people to share it with. It can also be lonely and confronting and your immediate reaction may be to return. Sometimes this is also necessary - just remember that is also another repatriation experience.

The Newcomers Network http://www.newcomersnetwork.com website provides more advice, articles and research on Australian Expatriates and Repatriates and is the moderator for the International Australians Yahoo Group which provides an archive of articles on this topic http://au.groups.yahoo.com/group/internationalaustralians/

Information courtesy of Sue Ellson, Founder of Newcomers Network and Dina Zavrski-Makaric, Sydney Representative of Newcomers Network and Personal Coach and Counsellor of Challenging Directions.

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