Western Australia is the largest state in the country and covers the western third of the continent. It has over 2 million inhabitants and more than 80% of these occupy the south-west corner of the state. The main city is Perth and other important towns include Fremantle and Bunbury. The area has a variety of climates, with tropical conditions in the north and a more temperate climate in the south. Summers are very warm and even in the south, winters are rarely freezing.

The state has many good schools and is very popular with expats, particularly in the area around Perth. The area is famous for the mining of precious metals and stones. The area has low unemployment and a reasonable cost of living, which attracts people to the state.

Western Australia – Employment

The Western Australia government has a scheme for recruiting skilled migrant workers to move to the country, as do most of the other states. The number of skilled workers who are accepted onto this programme is limited and when the limit is reached the programme is closed for the year. Applications should be made as early as possible in the year. The website of the Western Australian government has a number of links for migrants to help them to find work in different areas.

There has been a growth in recent years in a number of sectors, including financial and construction, so there are a number of opportunities for skilled and experienced workers in those areas. Parts of Perth are heavily industrialised and there are opportunities in the oil industry. Tourism is another growing area and many people move to the area to open their own hotel or guest house. There are opportunities for those who want to open their own business, although funding for migrants is not readily available and those who want to start their own business should have the funds in place when they arrive.

Farming is responsible for much of the region’s exports, with live animal exports accounting for a large percentage of export business. As large parts of the region are rural, those who want to have their own farm or smallholding should find that there are properties to suit them and a number of expats have moved to the area to open agricultural related businesses such as equestrian centres.

Western Australia – Property

Western Australia is a much sought after area for expats and this is reflected in the property prices. Those who are looking for properties with large areas of land should find that there is plenty to choose from, as well as family homes and apartments.

Perth has the second highest prices in the country and this applies to the cost of rentals too. Perth is popular with families as the majority of the homes there are detached with gardens. The northern and western parts of the city are considered to be the most desirable areas to live in and suburbs such as Connolly, Heathridge and Mullaloo have large British expat populations. Property prices are high in the suburbs but are much higher closer to the city centre. Suburbs in the south east are much cheaper but are not as sought after. Properties in the city centre are mainly apartments, with most of the family homes found in the suburbs.

The city of Fremantle is also proving to be very popular with expats. Around one third of the population are expats with British, Italian, Irish and Germans making up the majority of immigrants. Parts of the city are still under development and there are new residential areas in the suburbs which offer reasonably priced properties. Fremantle is cheaper than Perth, both to buy and rent. The city has good schools and a growing commercial sector which promises more jobs.

The city of Bunbury has a much smaller population than both Perth and Fremantle and there is a large community of British expats who are attracted by a quieter life than they could expect in Perth. It is one of the fastest growing cities in Australia, with new residential suburbs in development. Property prices are lower than in other parts of the region and opportunities for employment are increasing as the city grows. Properties are mainly single family homes and most have a reasonably sized garden.