Perth, Western Australia

[baker]

I sometimes get email from other forum members asking about the industry in Perth, Western Australia. Since my replies are very similar, I thought that I would take the lazy way out and make a public reply.

I am on the fringe of the industry, having spent 25 years working for the national telco before being made redundant at the end of 1999. Most of my income comes from the IT sector, though I spend a lot of time keeping up with the HVAC area.

I have spent my entire life in Perth and have only ventured out of the country for a 3 month working stint in Kiel, Germany. As such, I am probably not the best person to make comments for those thinking of emigrating here, but I will give it a go.

There appears to be plenty of jobs for HVAC technicians here due to a lack of training and average pay. Australia got the economic rationalist disease in the early 1990s and the industry started to focus on short term profits rather than long term health. It is generally agreed that 1973 was the last time that a tradesman could raise a family as the sole breadwinner. Most families now need to have both mum and dad working. The exception is in the north west of the state. There is a huge amount of development work going on and wages are high. Most tend to blow this with big/new cars, big/new boats and regular overseas holidays. A disciplined person can set himself up for life. The downside is the climate - hot and humid for most of the year - thus a great need for HVAC.

Perth has a more temperate climate (36C DB and 24C WB summer design conditions) and has a population of 1.2M. The city is centred on a sandy coastal plain, bisected by the Swan River, with the Indian ocean on the west side and the Darling Ranges about 30 Km to the east. The average worker lives in a 5 bedroom, 2 bathroom, double brick and tile house on about 600 sq m of land with 2 cars.

Australia has a high percentage of immigrants, with the non-british preferring the east coast cities, particularly Sydney. Perth has the highest percentage of British immigrants, and a good number of South Africans.

Perth is the world's most isolated city, but recent airline competition (Virgin) has made travel to the east a lot cheaper, although most prefer to take their holidays in Bali.

The British people I know who have come here love the lifestyle, weather and sea. However, like most places these days, marriage breakdowns are common, along with bankruptcies and suicide. Perth is the buglary and car theft capital of Australia.

This has just been a quick overview. If there are any areas that you would like addressed, please ask.

[Krups]

good info thanks
for most people to have "5 bedroom, 2 bathroom, double brick and tile house on about 600 sq m of land with 2 cars. "
both partners would definitly need to be wrkin here in uk!
most first time families cant even get a decent 3 bed semi with 1 car between em these days...

[frank]

Hi Baker

I and the present Mrs Frank spent 10 days in and around Perth at Christmas (well early December). I must say that I found the city just as much as a normal english city - shops, McDonalds, tacky immigrant junk shops etc., We had a few beers in one of the bars just opposite the main shopping centre, right on the corner just above the train/bus station. Never had the time to look around the Chinese / restaurant street - the one with lots of restaurants above the park. We stayed in the campsite quite near to the airport and taxied everywhere because we were travelling in a motor home.

We met some nice people but found some of the areas a little "untidy" and so like the UK. One of the main things that we disliked was the FLIES!! On a visit to Rottenest Island the flies were driving us insane as there was no way of hiding from them! Maybe you are used to them but we in the UK are not, so anyone thinking of moving down under with the family and starting a new life should think about the cultural differances - especially the wildlife aspect!

must say though - I did enjoy the odd Victoria Bitter

[baker]

Hi Baker
One of the main things that we disliked was the FLIES!! On a visit to Rottenest Island the flies were driving us insane as there was no way of hiding from them! Maybe you are used to them but we in the UK are not, so anyone thinking of moving down under with the family and starting a new life should think about the cultural differances - especially the wildlife aspect!

must say though - I did enjoy the odd Victoria Bitter

The great Australian salute - this, as Frank experienced, is the constant waving of the hand in front of the face to get rid of the flies. Unluckily for him, but fortunately for us, this is normally only a problem for several weeks in early summer, a month at the worst. Over the last decade, there has been a concerted effort to spread European dung beetles around the paddocks to reduce the flies' breeding places.

Australians often like to scare British visitors with tall tales of man eating sharks, deadly spiders and snakes. There is the famous story of the hoop snake, which puts its tail in its mouth to form a ring so that it can roll down hills to chase victims.

The only real danger is the funnel web spider which is only found around Sydney. They can climb into shoes, and inflict a deadly bite when you put them on. Snakes are not normally agressive - most people are bitten trying to capture or kill them.

[WebRam]

SPIDERS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

eeeeeeek.

[Magoo]

Krups, Hi.
doesn't everyone have 5 bedroom, 2 dunnies/ bathroom houses.
Where the hell are all the kids going to sleep. Nothing worse than waiting for a dunny or a shower. And who is going to do all the running around without cars, hell my place is like a second hand cars sales yard, add all the boy freinds/girl friends, BBQ's, swimming pools, more often than not I have to park on the street,and I own the place. Add insult to injury they all drink my beer, Heiniken and VB 's. But hell. I would rather know where my kids were than not, controlled design.
magoo

[Magoo]

You came so far to OZ and did not get to our place. Well the flies in summer are not so keen and you do not have to wave all the time [ as in oz salute ]
You would have liked the place. Forget about all the immigration shyte , just get here with the current Mrs Frank.
magoo

[Magoo]

Bugger old posts,
never mind Webram you are wus, spiders do not eat much, we have in NZ the Avondale spider, on average the size of a large dinner plate, no problems as you can usually here them coming, clack clack, so you get out of there way and stomp them. Odd people keep them as pets.

[frank]

You came so far to OZ and did not get to our place. Well the flies in summer are not so keen and you do not have to wave all the time [ as in oz salute ]
You would have liked the place. Forget about all the immigration shyte , just get here with the current Mrs Frank.
magoo

Oh but we did magoo.

My old apprentice lives in Warkworth and we paid a visit shortly after OZ. In fact, we are due to fly out to the South Island on the 18 Dec this year for a 2.5 week jolly, looking to visit Milford Sound, Mt Cook and then travel up to the north Island for another visit. Not having a motorhome this time though, we are doing a hire car and B&B

[johnnychin]

Yeah, I agree with what you guys say. I cant' stand for the freak weather and hate the flies most. But Perth is still a good place to travel. Cheap beers, Asian girls and Oriental food like Vietnamiese style all around.

[Toosh]

The great Australian salute - this, as Frank experienced, is the constant waving of the hand in front of the face to get rid of the flies. Unluckily for him, but fortunately for us, this is normally only a problem for several weeks in early summer, a month at the worst. Over the last decade, there has been a concerted effort to spread European dung beetles around the paddocks to reduce the flies' breeding places.

Australians often like to scare British visitors with tall tales of man eating sharks, deadly spiders and snakes. There is the famous story of the hoop snake, which puts its tail in its mouth to form a ring so that it can roll down hills to chase victims.

The only real danger is the funnel web spider which is only found around Sydney. They can climb into shoes, and inflict a deadly bite when you put them on. Snakes are not normally agressive - most people are bitten trying to capture or kill them.

Hi baker, I beg to differ my friend in Perth was bitten by a Funnel Web the week before I went to visit him, he was not to healthy for a few weeks

Norm