People & Places
Get to know Western Australia
Western Australia may seem a little off the beaten track, but it has the unique cosmopolitanism, rugged landscapes and economic growth that makes it worth the journey
Look at any map of Australia and you'll notice two things. Firstly, Western Australia is huge, taking up almost a third of the country. Secondly, Western Australia is, well, roomy. In fact, it's a tad unnerving to realise that WA is over nine times as large as the UK yet has a population of little under two million.
Back in the 1970s and 80s, WA suffered the stereotype as a far-flung, slightly backward outpost, but now it has rightfully gained a reputation among tourists and prospective emigrants as being able to offer a lifestyle to suit almost anyone. The metropolitan chic of urban living; unspoilt landscapes for rural retreats; and suburban sprawls teeming with community spirit. All this and it's Australia's sunniest state.
Even for a relatively new country like Australia, WA is young at only 175 years old. This youth, combined with WA's immigrant past, has left the state in an enviable position in terms of extremely progressive economic policies and regional development. This means that, although it's a fair flight from the East Coast, it continues to attract migrants from Europe, especially the UK.
Jed Lea-Henry, who moved to Perth from Wolverhampton in 1992, has never looked back. "I knew it wasn't all sheep-shearing and cowboys when I came to live here as we had always holidayed in WA... we had relatives in Perth. We decided to make the move because it has so much to offer. People are friendly, our children had space to grow up and businesses were really starting to take off. We chose Perth because, at the time, it seemed to have the most untapped potential."
Open for business
As this potential for economic growth has slowly been realised, Western Australia, pushed by high living standards and intense internal demand, recently recorded its strongest rate of growth ever.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) the Gross State Product figures for 2003–4 increased by 7.5 per cent to AUS$89,115 million, by far the fastest rate of growth of all states and territories. WA also has the lowest unemployment rate (4.3 per cent) and 3,500 new full- and part-time jobs were created at the end of 2005.
Deputy Premier, Eric Ripper, is keen to portray WA as the "powerhouse" of Australia's economy, saying "There are more people looking for work and, in our economy, we have the best employment opportunities in the country." The Government is trying in particular to encourage immigrants with their own business or business plans to move to the region. The Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC) is aimed at assisting small businesses, offering start-up guides, taxation advice and a local industry network to other professionals and experts.
Despite all this economic stability and growing prosperity, the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia found housing in WA to be among the cheapest in the country, with an average house price in 2005 around AUS$295,000 (£125,800) and rent costing AUS$189 (£80) a week. Buying a house is a relatively simple process. The two main options are open auction or direct agency sales.
Schools in WA are a mix of about 70 per cent state and 30 per cent private, both adhering to high standards and internationally recognised qualifications for students. WA has five Universities; Monash University and Western Australia University ranked in the top ten of the Melbourne Institute league tables.
The state's growth spurt will no doubt be further augmented by the announced addition of a Melbourne – Perth flight route by Jetstar, the country's major internal budget airline. Tourism Minister Mark McGowan called it "a huge win for Western Australia." Plans to set up flights from Perth to leisure destinations like Broome (in Northern WA), Bali, the Gold Coast and Singapore are currently being considered.
Benefits with the greater travel links for residents, area regeneration and the money gained from increased tourism mean that this year Western Australia has overtaken New South Wales as number one destination for British emigrants. It's fast becoming clear that WA is no longer Australia's best kept secret. Western Australia has always had a sizeable ex-pat population; roughly ten per cent of all residents in WA are British. In total, around a third of the entire state's population comes from somewhere else in the world. This only adds to the rich cultural identity that spills over into the architecture, food and atmosphere in the capital, Perth, where over half of WA lives.
Outside of the main cities, the townships and coastal villages are considerably smaller. There is a distinctly untamed flavour to most of the coastal and desert areas. This is inevitably due to the digger and gold mining heritage that permeates most of WA outside of Perth, which was more heavily dependant on agriculture in the past. If you're considering living outside the Perth area, it's important to prepare for the considerable remoteness and complete change of environment. For many, integrating into a well-established, hard-working rural community is too overwhelming, however friendly the people may be. In both the city and country, however, 'Sandgropers', as Western Australians are affectionately known, share a sense of humour as dry as the arid landscape. Along with a mellow outlook that's impossibly infectious, people generally have a strong work ethic and a real sense of local pride.
Where to live
So you're all fired up, ready to slap on some sun lotion and head west to find your dream home. But where in WA will you settle? With a huge amount of country to cover and a different feel to every region, WA can seem a little daunting in terms of where to move. 'The most isolated capital city in the world' may be a dubious claim to fame, but the Perth area seems a lot closer to home with its colonial style architecture and vibrant city centre.
It's undoubtedly the place most emigrants in WA reside. It includes the capital city, Freemantle (or 'Freo' as it's known locally), the pristine Sunset coast and surrounding towns such as Mandurah. Perth has the feel of a much smaller city than, say, Sydney but still manages to offer a decent nightlife and plenty to do and see in the day.
The trendier suburbs like market town Subiaco or beach front Cottesloe are inevitably higher in the price range but still affordable compared to the British property market.
The South West region is about two hours drive from Perth. It is rising in popularity as a place to live, and the government estimate another 39,000 will move to areas like Margaret River and Banbury in the next 16 years.
Its 23,970 square kilometres have an abundance of national parks, beautiful beaches and a Mediterranean climate, claims the tourist board, but it's when you actually see Margaret River you begin to realise why the region is so popular. Incredibly cheap real estate, a clean modern city centre and a surprisingly high amount of cultural events for a place on the back of the large agricultural region of WA, the Wheatbelt. The whole South West has an Old World charm that seems almost out of place in such wild, dramatic surroundings.
Further along the tip of WA is the Great Southern region. Here, Albany is the main port town. It is WA's oldest European settlement, and also acts as the region's administrative hub. AUS$12.7million is being invested in a new marina development and harbour, which is only to be expected considering whales, and the tourists who flock to see them, are big business in Albany. The bulk of the south east of WA is Goldfields–Esperance region. With its gold rush glory days long behind it, parts of the region have transformed into a kind of living museum of the early settlement period. Popular with tourists from WA, it has been wonderfully maintained by the Goldfields–Esperance Development Commission and actively promotes migration to the area.
The Kimberely region is mostly occupied by outback territory, as is most of the eastern and central sections of the state. In the north is Kununurra, leading down to Derby on the West coast and finally Broome. Since 1991 Broome's population has grown from just under 8,000 to 22,415 in 2001, and tourism brings considerably large numbers of people into the coastal oasis every year. With the likely addition of the Broome–Perth flights these tourist numbers will only rise in the coming years. Broome itself has a history entwined with the pearl industry, and pearling is still carried out today. The seafaring history is pretty evident in most of Broome, from the plethora of pearl merchandise on offer, to the pubs and hotels that boast of famous pearling families.
While the temperature in Kimberely rarely drops below the 30°C mark in the day, the area is prone to tropical cyclones of varying intensities, from around the December–April season. Below Kimberly, in a belt that runs the entire width of WA lies the Pilbara region, extending from the Indian Ocean to the Northern Territory border, the Pilbara covers more than 500,000 square kilometres.
The region comprises four local government authorities – the Shires of Ashburton, East Pilbara and Roebourne, and the Town of Port Hedland. While the town has significant retail and service sectors, the biggest industries are the iron ore and salt production.
Go south along the coast, and you'll find Karratha (meaning 'good country' in the local tribal dialect) where there is a small medley of shops, residential areas and holiday accommodation. The primary reason for its construction in the 1960s was to house the workers of the nearby mining company, and, as a result, was rather bland and functional. Since then, however, it has become an important town in the Pilbara region, and the service industries have grown accordingly. It is a comparatively expensive tourism destination, but its rich aboriginal heritage and vast expanses of bushland mean the Karratha council expect the town to grow to over 30,000 in the coming decades.
The final region is the most Easterly tip of WA, Gascoyne. The most noteworthy towns are Carnarvon and Exmouth, which both lie on the coast. While the region has a history of mining, it's dominated by the unpolluted waters of the Indian Ocean, and fishing and tourism are obviously major sources of revenue. In 2001, 200,000 people visited Gascoyne to see local attractions like the World Heritage Area of Shark Bay, the Ningaloo Reef and Mt Augustus. The rich aboriginal influence is also being recognised with the Pilyarli Yardi Aboriginal Heritage and Cultural Centre.
Read other Western Australia articles:
Skilled migration to WA
Property prices in WA
Happy in Bunbury
Search EmiLinks for dozens of Western Australia sites
Register for your FREE emigration starter pack