I am 31, and considering moving to Australia…

Invade the 'New World', do their very best to extinguish every last trace of the existing history and culture, complain there's no history or culture.

The UK has museums! Galleries! (With gift shops.) They certainly do, and they're full of all the cultural stuff stolen from the New World...

Invade the 'New World', do their very best to extinguish every last trace of the existing history and culture, complain there's no history or culture.

The UK has museums! Galleries! (With gift shops.) They certainly do, and they're full of all the cultural stuff stolen from the New World...

Weren’t they … English? So, conversely, you’re attacking your own people?

I’m talking about the Europeans who settled there.

I totally agree with you. I find that I don't have any cultural interests in common with people from New World cultures like Australia, NZ and South Africa. Their cultures don't have an embedded richness found in European and other old world cultures (I also lived in Turkey and loved that). I had a Canadian and an Australian colleague in Turkey when I taught EFL and I found both of their topics of conversation materialistic, lacklustre and full of platitudes - a bit like the Kardashians.

I like people who are interested in interesting things if that makes any sense? I also like places that are steeped in history where you can discover something new and different every time.

Is it that hard? A 30 second conversation is all it would take for anybody to know I was not from Australia…

(And if it was somebody that moved as a child then they would just be an Australian.)

I totally agree with you. I find that I don't have any cultural interests in common with people from New World cultures like Australia, NZ and South Africa. Their cultures don't have an embedded richness found in European and other old world cultures (I also lived in Turkey and loved that). I had a Canadian and an Australian colleague in Turkey when I taught EFL and I found both of their topics of conversation materialistic, lacklustre and full of platitudes - a bit like the Kardashians.

I like people who are interested in interesting things if that makes any sense? I also like places that are steeped in history where you can discover something new and different every time.

I’m talking about the Europeans who settled there.

World's first universal health insurance scheme? Medicare? You sure the NHS didn't come before Medicare?

I totally agree with you. I find that I don't have any cultural interests in common with people from New World cultures like Australia, NZ and South Africa. Their cultures don't have an embedded richness found in European and other old world cultures (I also lived in Turkey and loved that). I had a Canadian and an Australian colleague in Turkey when I taught EFL and I found both of their topics of conversation materialistic, lacklustre and full of platitudes - a bit like the Kardashians.

I like people who are interested in interesting things if that makes any sense? I also like places that are steeped in history where you can discover something new and different every time.

World's first universal health insurance scheme? Medicare? You sure the NHS didn't come before Medicare?

I totally agree with you. I find that I don't have any cultural interests in common with people from New World cultures like Australia, NZ and South Africa. Their cultures don't have an embedded richness found in European and other old world cultures (I also lived in Turkey and loved that). I had a Canadian and an Australian colleague in Turkey when I taught EFL and I found both of their topics of conversation materialistic, lacklustre and full of platitudes - a bit like the Kardashians.

I like people who are interested in interesting things if that makes any sense? I also like places that are steeped in history where you can discover something new and different every time.

I live in Melbourne. Rarely see spiders, and never seen a live snake. Rarely see kangaroos or koalas either. You have to go looking for them.

I’m talking about the Europeans who settled there.

Yeah but SE Asia is worth the expense. When you're helping feed the elephants at a no-ride Thai elephant sanctuary that rescues these beautiful gentle darlings, or ordering pancit in your broken Tagalog then joyriding in a tuktuk around Manila with five new friends, you're not thinking, "Gosh, I wish I lived in Luton. I could have got a Sleazyjet flight to Latvia. It would have been cheaper."

I'd love you to tell a Māori or a Zulu to their faces that their culture lacked richness. The Māori were voyaging across the vast Pacific in their exquisitely carved and engineered waka while our forebears were largely foraging around in the mud still.

Such total embarrassing ignorance and self-importance are not, unfortunately, atypical of British EFL teachers, if we're leaning on stereotypes.

No history? Backward? Sexist? ... then let's look at the historical data for Australia... There's a few world first in terms of progressiveness...

World's first universal suffrage of all adults regardless of race, sex, religion, class and property ownership - South Australia - 1894! (*)

World's first full federal suffrage for women - 1902 (NZ had voting first, but Australia included women running for office as well as voting)

World's first woman elected to parliament - 1921

World's first 8 hour day - 1856 - gave women as well as men the right to only work 8 hours per day, unbelievably important.

World's first disabled and old aged pension - 1908 - for all.

World's first universal health insurance system - 1970s (Norway made employers do it first, but this was by a government).

World's first women's hospital staffed by women doctors and surgeons - 1890s, at a time when most countries didn't even allow women to study medicine.

(* Unfortunately it took until the 1960s for Aboriginal people to get the vote in all state, federal and city jurisdictions in Australia, but they could vote in some areas from 1890s.)

And some more recent data....

Australia has the highest number of foreign born citizens of any nation that is not a tax haven, 30% - and the highest of western nations.

Australia's population is 17% Asian, highest of western nations.

UN always rates Australia as either number one or a top ten nation for:

Safety for migrants.

Nation where migrants can reach their potential.

The safest country for international students - with a special mention for African students (by UN)

The world's highest participation of immigrants in politics (by UN)

One of the best places in the world to be a woman (UN)

and one of the least corrupt countries in the world (again, UN).

So yeah, Australia has its share of dickheads, and backward, racist, sexist morons, but as a nation over all? Not worse than elsewhere in the west. Just look at the government it elected in 2025 - landslide to the Left running on a very-pro women agenda.

Melbourne is the best place to live but very expensive - Geelong or one of Victoria's other regional cities might be a good alternative.

Hmmm - the Adelaide Fringe festival is the worlds second largest annual arts festival. How many Fringe shows has your Son been to Sonolanona? Adelaide is home to more restaurants per capita than any other Australian city and awash with theaters, museums and has the benefit of being a long city on a beautiful coast. I dont live there but I am really amused when people say "limited culture"! I think there is the stereotype that Australia is without "culture". Those claiming that Australia is without culture generally also claim Australians are racist while being racist themselves and ignoring indigenous culture. Australia is a long way away and can get quite hot. Let those things guide you and not these antiquated ideas of what people think Australia is!

A link to what is on in Adelaide this weekend. https://southaustralia.com/destinations/adelaide/what-s-on?ef_id=CjwKCAjw6NrBBhB6EiwAvnT_roeyvV85NARfrFmgQs9Fj3tN2FuBt1DescgHl8VWCfhh_0GkWOVZAxoCkvIQAvD_BwE:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!11357!3!641485977735!p!!g!!whats%20on%20adelaide!19265354091!147496928794&szc=1&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19265354091

I live in Australia. I do often see spiders and snakes, but generally they won’t bother you. I’ve lived here my whole life and not been bitten by either.

I would definitely do a year travel round, live in a few different places. It is expensive yes, but I don’t think as bad a London.

My DS1 (now 31)moved to Adelaide (3 weeks before lockdown here!) and has been there ever since. He met an Aussie in the UK, went out for a year, then she came here for 2 years and then he applied for a couple's visa, and now they are married and he has a resident's visa, and plans to take citizenship.
Getting a job that first year was tricky but he found work (and has a permanent job now)
Living costs are high, finding places to rent, difficult. Some things are worse... Definitely a lack of culture in respect of theatre etc and more racism. But in general he loves the lifestyle and the people. And the weather (not too hot in Adelaide but a damn sight better than the UK... Summer is fab) We go out there every other February and love it. It's definitely worth a year of your time!

I totally agree with you. I find that I don't have any cultural interests in common with people from New World cultures like Australia, NZ and South Africa. Their cultures don't have an embedded richness found in European and other old world cultures (I also lived in Turkey and loved that). I had a Canadian and an Australian colleague in Turkey when I taught EFL and I found both of their topics of conversation materialistic, lacklustre and full of platitudes - a bit like the Kardashians.

I like people who are interested in interesting things if that makes any sense? I also like places that are steeped in history where you can discover something new and different every time.

I seriously considered moving to Australia in my late 30s, went through all the checks and got accepted. Then I visited it again, and thought, 'No'. I'm London-based and I didn't feel the cities over there compared. I thought Melbourne was the nicest but not enough to make me leave the UK. There just didn't seem to be enough going on for me (bit of a culture vulture). I'm also terrified of spiders and strong tides so all of the outdoorsy stuff was a total no-no for me. The thing I felt it lacked the most though, which really took me by surprise, was the lack of history. Over here, we're exposed to old buildings etc everywhere we go. I didn't realise how important that was to me (even though I've absolutely no idea how it actually enriches my life here) but it made a big difference. Also having Europe and all those cultures on our doorstep is amazing - Australia is just so far away from everywhere. In the end I didn't go and have no regrets. Obviously loads of people go and absolutely love it. Just remembered - sunny days on tap was lovely.