Migrating to Australia

I met a person yesterday -a very kindly Dutch lady who had migrated here twenty years ago. We were at a meeting of "brigebuilders'-an organisation run by a Norwegian couple for recently arrived migrants.

We were actually playing cricket on a school Oval.

We were comparing migration experiences.

When she was last in Holland she said someone asked her if she would do it all over again and she said "No"

I agree.

If I had a choice I woudn't do it again. This is in fact our third attempt to settle in Australia-and it has been by far the most difficult.

There are no choices.

The fact is once you have a family, unless you have money in the family, or from other sources there are no choices in Australia -or in life in general for that matter.

You make 'choices' as economic circumstances dictate.

In Australia, you take the lowest paid job, and do the jobs the homelanders won't do.

Not many to give you a leg up here.

In Australia my qualifications count for nothing. They actually hinder me getting interviews.

Similarly, in Ireland and England my overseas experiences counted for nothing.

And when we go back to Ireland we are strangers.

People don't want to know outsiders-they don't want to let outsiders into their lives -it upsets their comfortable routine too much.

It is the nature of the beast.

The only places where I have felt really welcome in my life were Mexico , Colombia and Africa.

In these places people come and visit us.

If I had the money I would live there - definitely.

In twelve or so years living in Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide I can not remember ever being visited informally in my home by anyone.

Not even once.


So, no, I wouldn't come to Australia again if I had the choice.