Australians are leaving..

[scooterscot]

But Bulgarians are coming.

Interesting story about the mass exodus of Oz's back to the motherland. Can't blame them really. Do the same job in Sydney and get paid double than that you'd earn in London. Plus it's sunny.

It's sad that the close relationship between our countries has been slowly weakened."

Indeed it is. I had not realised employers could no longer sponsor an Aussie once their visa expired. What small minded idiot made that decision? The article talks about employers having to give up experience talent.

"Previous generations, Clive James, Germaine Greer etc, felt they had to prove themselves by 'making it' in Britain," she says.

"But no longer. Australians have not only come of age culturally but we've also realised we're actually part of Asia. Young Aussies now tend to want to explore Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan and China, rather than freezing their bits off in a Hackney bedsit.

BBC News - The decline of the Australian in the UK

[shaunbhoy]

Indeed it is. I had not realised employers could no longer sponsor an Aussie once their visa expired. What small minded idiot made that decision?

Presumably a small-minded idiot that appreciates that it ain't rocket science to pull pints, and that we have plenty of homegrown talent that can bridge the gap?

[GreyWolf]

Sounds like a win

Old days - pint served by a hatchet faced, chippy colonial who likes to spend her time telling anyone who'd listen just how tulip Britain is and how she can't wait to get back home.

New days - pint served by Slavic lovely who is happy to be there and is capable of discussing the finer points of William Blake's work (true story, dear reader. She was Slovakian not Bulgarian but, well, it's all down that way).

Seems like a win to me.

Same goes for banks, accountancy, any other workplace - fewer cheeky twunts who've come 12000 miles just to tell their hosts just how tulip it is. Used to be up to my tits in 'em when I worked in London - "blah, blah, it's so much better at home, I'd never brings up kids here, it's so crap, everything is awful". Yeah, well, Heathrow is that way.

There are a few things about Switzerland I don't like but I'm better mannered than to bang on to a Swiss about it.

Funny thing is, I spent a year in Australia and didn't meet any of these rude bastards there. The ones back in their own country are okay, it's just the rude, over-privileged, middle-class ******* who find their way to Britain that act like this.

Oh, and they might think they're Asians now but real Asians don't.

[scooterscot]

Presumably a small-minded idiot that appreciates that it ain't rocket science to pull pints, and that we have plenty of homegrown talent that can bridge the gap?

I appreciate here in Munich in the Irish pub that it's an Irish man pulling me pints.

[Zero Liability]

Being from that part of the world, I quite like Aussies. Not the whinging sort but it's nice hearing an accent vaguely similar to my own.

[RetSet]

it's nice hearing an accent vaguely similar to my own?

FTFY

[Flashman]

I'd rather work in Australia than the EU.

But somehow I think the immigration requirements might be a slightly tougher to get a contract in Melbourne rather than Bucharest.

[SpontaneousOrder]

I'd rather work in Australia than the EU.

But somehow I think the immigration requirements might be a slightly tougher to get a contract in Melbourne rather than Bucharest.

4 or 5 years ago it would have been easy if you got a job which would sponsor you there. Dunno about now.

[Zero Liability]

I'm still planning a move to NZ once I get my accountancy qualification. Depends on how the UK shapes up in the next 4 - 5 years.

[Gonzo]

Australia has changed significantly over the past ten years - the influx of money generated by their resources boom has resulted in a country that is brimming with self-confidence.

I noticed that you can buy Molton Brown toiletries in many of their department stores - it is not now a country that will run away from fancy shower-gel.

I get to see that self-confidence in their TV programmes, plenty of which are shown over here. Last-year's Big Brother is on at the moment (which Mrs Gonzo ensures is watched every day ). That self-confidence is clearly apparent but it should be noted that while most of the contestants would be described as young-Australians, their parents often have English accents so I expect that they could get visas for the UK very easily if they wanted.

What happens when/if the resources boom ends remains to be seen - I am not sure that there is much else.