Migrant stories

After working as an intensive care physician in the United Kingdom, Jenna Godfrey came to Australia seeking adventure. On her arrival in Darwin she worked as a retrieval registrar for CareFlight which gave her the opportunity to learn about the rich history and culture of First Nations communities. Jenna said it was a privilege to serve these communities, and she has many wonderful memories of her time in the Northern Territory.

Now working as a general practitioner in Melbourne, Jenna only planned to come to Australia for a year, but after falling in love with the country has decided to stay. Along with the career opportunities on offer, Jenna enjoys domestic travel, particularly snorkelling and scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef. In Melbourne she appreciates the wide variety of cuisine (most importantly the coffee), the diversity of ethnicity and cultures, and the differing landscapes.

Jim Fountain is a primary school teacher with more than 12 years’ teaching experience in both the private and public sectors. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, and a Master of Education from the University of Cambridge, where he qualified as a primary teacher in 2012. 

Jim secured a job within a month of arriving in Australia and now works at a private grammar school in Melbourne. He has found the work fulfilling, with plenty of scope for career progression.

One of the things he loves is the way Australians prioritise a work-life balance and encourage opportunities for adventure. 

“Australia’s love of the outdoors, opportunities to raise a family, safety and friendliness as a nation felt like the perfect fit. It has been the best decision we ever made!” he said.

When he was living in Thailand, Kanok Pitiwatcharakul was encouraged to apply for positions in Melbourne by his manager who was from Australia. Taking his advice, Kanok is now settling into Melbourne where he finds the diverse community friendly and open.

Kanok said moving to Australia has given him more professional opportunities and an improved quality of life. He specifically mentioned the fresh air, public transport and salaries as factors that drew him to Australia. Kanok also enjoys Australia’s good work-life balance.

When Lauren Andrews first moved to Australia she thought she might last 6 months, but 6 years later Sydney is home. She is making full use of her degree in Early Childhood Care and Education, working as a room lead educator and quality improvement leader at a childcare centre providing care for children aged 0-5 years.

Lauren likes the positivity of the Australian workforce and feels welcomed in her local community.

“I love the beach lifestyle! Coming from Ireland it did seem unnatural at first but now there’s not a day goes by that I’m not visiting one of the beautiful beaches around me,” she said.

Her advice to anyone considering a move to Australia: “You will never know until you try! If you are considering applying, you’re halfway there. You will not regret taking the chance to better your life both professionally and personally.”

Leandre Piggott lives and works in Darwin, in the Northern Territory, where she and her daughter enjoy the diversity of a smaller community.

“Darwin is possibly the most culturally diverse city in Australia. The community is extremely welcoming and inclusive. I have never experienced anything like it and love living here,” she said.

On arriving in Darwin a few years ago, Leandre considered a career change and studied IT in addition to working as a consultant and project manager. In the process she discovered she actually preferred her work in project management in construction and development, and continues to grow her career in the sector.

Manohar Mahato came to Australia with a degree in Computer Science, a Master of Software Engineering and experience in test automation and software development at an IT consulting company in India.

Now working as an application engineer at a road tolling company, Manohar said there are opportunities for career progression if you are dedicated, experienced or keen to learn new technologies. He has found the Australian work ethic excellent and his colleagues approachable and helpful.

Manohar finds life in Australia pleasant and satisfying.

“There are lovely people around who care about each other and are easy-going.”

With the beautiful landscapes, including the coast and beaches, he loves going on long road trips where he can see beautiful scenery and small towns.

Marlon Martinez Novoa’s international experience in the oil and gas industry resulted in several job offers before he accepted a role with his existing employer. He now lives on the Gold Coast and works in regional Queensland as a service supervisor at a plant that recycles the fluid used in drilling gas wells.

Marlon enjoys Australia’s multicultural work environment. He has learnt from his colleagues and also been able to share his experiences to improve local processes.

“Living overseas is a challenge itself, but … the Gold Coast offers a great environment where we feel safe, with local businesses available to cover our needs, a great education system for our child and kind people everywhere. Working as a FIFO [fly-in fly-out] is not easy as I have to leave my home on a regular basis, but I know my family is always safe and happy in this community.”

With the help of a recruiter, Myles Prime found a job in Australia as a structural engineer in the building sector specialising in multi-storey residential towers, educational buildings, warehouses, temporary works and condition assessments.

He enjoys the challenges of complex projects, saying the scale of development in and around Perth makes the future very exciting. He appreciates the management structures common in organisations in Australia that allow him to be involved in high-level business operations.

Myles has a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Cape Town. In South Africa he worked for an engineering consultancy in the commercial construction sector.

Among the things Myles likes about life in Australia are being able to live close to work, easy access to the best public transport system he’s experienced and the relatively affordable cost of living. He also enjoys the work-life balance which allows him to spend time enjoying water sports and being outdoors.

A good education system, a sense of safety and feeling her culture and beliefs are respected were important factors for Nourhan Elzanati when she decided to make Australia home for her and her children.

Nourhan was born in Egypt. After graduating from the Faculty of Pharmacy in Alexandria, she worked as a community pharmacist, a medical representative, a patient educator and a personal assistant before moving to Australia.

Now working as an intern pharmacist in Geelong, Victoria, Nourhan enjoys getting out into the local natural environment in her spare time.

Australia’s good reputation, strong economy, well-paid jobs, modern lifestyle and high standard of living were the compelling reasons that convinced Patriz Hugo to migrate.

Patriz has found nursing in the regional Queensland city of Mackay has given her opportunities to further her professional skills and develop new social networks. Working with patients across age groups and with varying conditions has grown her experience in providing individualised nursing care.

“Mackay has given me an avenue to further my social skills as well as my professionalism. And the people are nice and friendly,” Patriz said.

Before moving to Australia, Patriz worked as a registered nurse in a local hospital in Negros Occidental, Philippines.

A passion for railway engineering has seen Pravin Pasare working on major railway projects in the United Kingdom and Singapore. He now lives in Perth, Western Australia, where he is a senior project manager for a railway extension and pedestrian level crossing removal project.

Pravin has degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering and a Postgraduate Diploma of Project Management from Newcastle upon Tyne (UK). In Singapore Pravin was involved in the design and construction of a tunnel underneath a 350-metre-wide water canal. He also worked on the Tuas Viaduct project, the first integrated road and rail viaduct in Singapore.

Pravin’s 2 children are well established in their local primary school and participate in a range of extracurricular activities such as running clubs, art groups, dance, swimming and music lessons. He said the school is well organised and provides assistance to both students and parents. Children are encouraged to learn at their own pace and according to their interests.

“Australia is the perfect place for children's education and safety,” Pravin said.

Preet Sharma came to Australia to complete her Master of Information Technology and now works as a cybersecurity incident analyst. She has found the tech sector here offers limitless avenues to progress her career – providing women, in particular, with many opportunities.

Before deciding to move to Australia, Preet compared other countries with similar migration pathways. She considered things like being able to bring family, working rights, language barriers – even the weather conditions – and found Australia was a perfect fit.

Preet said the process of moving countries has helped her learn more about herself and given her confidence and a newfound independence. “If I compare myself from 10 years ago, I’m far more confident today. I gained that confidence after coming here.”