Australia + Linux

[darrenm]

Hello all you Australalians ;)

I want to move to Australia at some stage in the future. I don't like the UK any more.

I've heard Australia likes IT workers and health workers which is pretty much myself and my wife.

Is there much of an upcoming Linux industry there? Where is the best place to move to?

Ta :)

[Tux Aubrey]

Hello darrenm

I can give a bit of info but I'm sure others will chime in too.

There are big shortages in most health occupations, especially nursing. All the major city hospitals are advertising internationally and I think UK trained nurses and doctors can almost walk into a job of their choosing. My wife is an ex-nurse and keeps in touch with these things.

Not sure about the Linux-specific employment scene, but we are "suffering" full employment in almost all skilled areas right now, so I'd imagine your chances would be pretty good.

We also have an expected vacancy for a world-class leg spin bowler, if that would suit.:(

I would honestly find it difficult to recommend one part of Australia over another (although the middle bit tends to be a bit hot and dry). It depends on what sort of lifestyle (hate that word) what climate you prefer, whether you have kids at school or uni etc. etc.

The Top End (Darwin) is way too hot and humid for me and I'd probably die in Cairns or Townsville for the same reason. I also cannot consume sufficient quantities of beer to be socially acceptable in Darwin - about five litres a day and I'm under the table.

Brisbane is OK (I grew up there). Sub-tropical, good unis etc. etc. and if you like the beach or any outdoorsy stuff, it could be ideal.

Sydney - Hmmmm. You'd either love it or hate it. I love the bit on the harbour and the beaches, but a few kms west and you in suburban hell (IMHO). Compared to most other Australian cities, Sydney is fast-paced and brash, but if you are gay (oh, you have a wife, that's right) or into the night-life, go for it. I understand there is a very vibrant BDSM scene there.

The larger towns on the coast north and south of Sydney have a lot to recommend them. Coffs Harbour (almost equidistant between Brisbane and Sydney) could genuinely be God's Own Country (in fact I know of a little valley not far from there that is actually called "The Promised Land")

I'm personally very fond of Melbourne, Canberra and Hobart (all for different reasons). Most Australian's hate Canberra without knowing anything about it. I have lived here for 25 years and love it. Cool winters and hot summers. 2hr from the beach or snow (yep), 3hrs from Sydney. Flyfishing in the mountains. Very clean, safe, excellent unis, growing high tech businesses, good work (mainly government).

Melbourne is more "refined" than Sydney and a much easier place to live (I understand). The weather is a bit variable.

Hobart is tucked right out of the way and that's just the way they like it. A bit quaint and insular but close to some of the most magnificent country on earth and you would only suffer in a nuclear holocaust if someone did something by accident.

Adelaide died two decades ago and nobody noticed. The people left there are a bit strange. We try not to have much to do with them. Great wines.

Perth is great but just too far away from the rest of the planet. Full of Poms.

If you aren't too tied down, I'd try a few places to see how they fit.

Good luck.

[darrenm]

Thank you for the in depth reply. Just what I wanted :)

My old IT manager was an Oz, we used to call him Skip, he liked it really :) IIRC he moved back to Perth a few years ago.

I live in kind of a suburban town which suits me so anything like what I see on Neighbours will do ;)

Not good on the old fast-paced and brash. Canberra sounds great. Why isn't Sydney the capital?

I've got 2 very young kids. I want to bring them up in a nicer place than wha the UK is turning into.

[Kindred]

I moved from the UK a couple of years ago, i've lived around Adelaide mostly (nice place, not too exciting), but really want to end up in Cairns.. beautiful place though rather warm. Like was said, ideally you would really want to check out a few places before making a decision as it's all quite variable - not always so easy to do this in practice of course.

Perth would be too far away from anything for me (as a Brit pretty much everywhere feels isolated enough as it is), Melbourne is okay I guess, Sydney I find a bit nicer. I don't imagine you would have much difficulty finding work in any city here however.

[The Mekon]

Tux Aubrey's reply is pretty comprehensive.

I came to Australia 46 years ago from the UK and spent my career in the Defense/Technology Industries based in South Australia before retiring to Queensland 8 years ago.

SA is not dead just hiding from the rest of Aus.

There is an Australian Linux Page (http://www.linux.org.au/) which lists some jobs which could be of interest.

As Tux said nurses are in demand everywhere - high tech exists in all State Capitals.

Brian

[bikeboy]

If you want neighbors style living you should know that they shoot the show in Nunawading, a suburb of Melbourne about 20 minutes from me :)

Not trying to take anything away from Ubuntuforums but...Another good place to ask about the Aus linux scene would be forums.whirlpool.net.au in the linux section. I believe quite a few of the people who populate that work in IT with linux, it's also a friendly forum.

[ESPOiG]

perth is a great place and not full of poms, if u want poms try tasmania or victoria, perth is growing rapidly and is getting new stadiums

[DoctorMO]

Be careful, as an open source developer you'll face the same kind of laws as you will in the USA (Ausy land bent over backwards so the USA could shaft them over copyrights and patents) shame really otherwise a great country if it wasn't for it weak political leaders when it comes to foreign affairs.

[STREETURCHINE]

Be careful, as an open source developer you'll face the same kind of laws as you will in the USA (Ausy land bent over backwards so the USA could shaft them over copyrights and patents) shame really otherwise a great country if it wasn't for it weak political leaders when it comes to foreign affairs.

here here. spinless b#@$%&d is our little johny howard

[darrenm]

Yeah that is about the only good thing I can think about with the UK IT-wise, software patents have no weight here.