Australia has officially knocked all other nations off the number one spot in terms of being the best country in the world to live in – so say the findings of the NatWest International Quality of Life Index 2010 anyway!
So popular is Australia proving to be with Britons desperate to escape the immigration policy, climate and economic woes in the UK that apparently 1 in 10 people living in Brisbane is now of British origin for example!
However, many Aussies have issue with us Poms – and so we thought we’d speak to some native Australians and find out directly from them what a British expat has to do to successfully integrate into life in Australia. If you’re contemplating emigration or you’ve already made the move and are trying to settle in to your new life Down Under, what do you need to know and do to ensure you’re welcome and accepted rather than resented and ridiculed!
Ask an Australian their opinion on any relatively controversial subject such as immigration, and generally speaking you’re get a full on answer – because the one thing that’s to be definitely lauded about Australia is ‘freedom of speech.’ In the UK it is just no longer acceptable to speak out and openly criticise the levels of immigration we witness annually, nor to speak out about the benefit claiming classes who suck up all the taxpayers money that should instead be being invested into schools, hospitals and infrastructure for example. However, in Australia, vociferously venting and voicing an opinion is par for the course.
So, when we decided to ask a handful of native Australians for their opinions about how British immigrants need to behave and adapt to integrate successfully, we were not at all surprised to receive forthright feedback. In this report we’re going to lay out the dos and don’ts for would-be expat Brits with their sights set on moving Down Under. After all, if you want to live in Australia, you need to know what’s expected of you, and what sort of behaviour will win you friends rather than enemies.
Emigrating to Live in Australia - What NOT to Do Once You Arrive!
Or in other words, how to alienate yourself and annoy the Aussies
1) Do NOT complain about your new nation – as we discussed in our report on Monday, the number one thing you need to know before you move abroad is that no nation is perfect, if you can accept this you can be happy. So, know from the outset that you won’t necessarily love every single thing about Australia, (for example, cane toads aren’t all that lovely), but don’t focus on any negatives and shout about them every opportunity you get. Not only will you be branded a whinging pom, you will one day be blatantly asked why you don’t just leave if you hate it so much!
2) On a similar note, don’t start going on about how much better certain things are in the UK…because there was a reason for you having left the UK wasn’t there? It is absolutely natural for expats to miss things about home and to dislike things about their new nation – when they are in the integration phase it can be quite hard to focus on the positives of the new nation and to remember the negatives about the old nation – but that is what you need to do if you want to integrate and really make Australia home.
3) Don’t rubbish the Australians when it comes to ANY form of sport. There is no other nation when it comes to cricket, rugby, Aussie rules football and so on – the sooner you accept this the better! Yes, you might be a life long Arsenal/Liverpool/Chelsea supporter, but keep it to yourself and learn to adopt an Australian team – you’ll have a lot more to talk about with many more people and you’ll be seen as making an effort! If you forever fly the flag for ENGURLAAAAND when it comes to sport, you will never be accepted in Australia.
4) Don’t allow your children to become the bullies at school – you may be very worried about your children settling in to their new life Down Under, but 9 times out of 10, they will settle in more quickly than you! However, because their new teachers will be working hard to ensure they are not picked on or sidelined, sometimes your child can actually become the bully. It’s apparently a common concern and issue, and naturally enough Aussie parents have a real issue with the ‘new kid’ picking on their kid. British children are often more ‘interesting’ to other children and their status can be quite high in their friendship groups as a result, try and ensure this doesn’t result in them getting over confident and boorish around other students.
5) Stop living in enclaves! It’s all too easy for expat birds of a feather to flock together because we all have shared experiences and we gain great support from each other…but if you all live together, socialise together and stick together it presents a negative united front to your local neighbours. Try and strike a fine line between socialising with your ‘own kind’ for simplicity, and reaching out and getting involved with your local community.
Moving Down Under – How to Integrate into Australian Life
Or in other words, how the Aussies expect you to behave!
1) All of the Australians we spoke to were happier for Britons to emigrate to live in Australia than any other race apart from New Zealanders. The reasons cited were that Brits speak English (!), share the same values, don’t enter illegally and are generally keen to adapt to the Australian way of life. If you know this up front you know what your strengths are in terms of being an acceptable immigrant – so play to your strengths, get involved in the Australian way of life and be happy in the active choice you have made to make Australia your home.
2) The other strong reason why Britons are generally better accepted than any other race in Australia is because they are either bringing skills or money to the nation – i.e., they are a positive addition to Australia. Sooooo, don’t be tempted to move in and become a drain on the nation’s resources, it will not be tolerated! By moving to Australia and working, starting a business, creating employment, paying taxes and (yes that word again) integrating, you are flying a very positive flag for Britain and Britons. Your positive behaviour is a positive reflection on you.
3) By making the very real effort to gain a residency visa to move to live and work in Australia you are making a genuine commitment to the nation – however, why stop there? Many Australians are confused about why a Brit will choose to make Australia home but also actively choose to retain their British passport. When it comes time for you to make the choice, why don’t you choose Australian citizenship if you really want to be a citizen of Australia?
4) By changing your patterns of behaviour and becoming more Australian in the way you do everything day to day, you will be welcome and accepted. Another positive comment made from multiple Aussies was that Britons are far more likely to adapt far more quickly to the Australian way of life. From what they eat and drink to how they socialise and even how often they wash their car and tend their gardens, Britons are naturally very similar to Australians, so assimilating the Australian way is naturally easier – and the sooner you give in and fire up the barbie the sooner you will be accepted.
5) Remember to love your new life! You chose Australia for very good reasons – from the way of life offered to the work/life balance enjoyed, from the weather and climate to the economic climate, from the employment landscape to the natural landscape – love where you’re living and let it be known that you’re happy to be in Australia and living the Australian way of life. After all, if you genuinely don’t like it, you are free and encouraged to leave!
In Conclusion
If you want to integrate into the Australian way of life everything is more positively weighted in your favour. As a Brit you are already one of the Aussies’ favourite immigrants and Australia is calling you for genuinely positive reasons – you have to really go out of your way to alienate yourself and annoy the locals, so try not to!
gill brown Says:
Fri, August 12, 2011 at 04:20 PM
absolutely agree with everything said its a pity people in the UK don’t take a leaf out of the australian way of life, I would absolutely love to move to Australia with all my family but do not meet the criteria, just have to dream on I suppose.