Moving to the wonderful land of Oz

gwenith, BSN, RN · Dec 27, 2004

Hello everyone,
I stumbled across this site a few weeks ago while doing research for my move. I plan to imigrate to Australia, particularly to Sydney or surrounding areas. I've already located a head hunter and sent my application into the Midwives Board for processing. I've gone through the sticky and I know that this has been covered over and over and over and over again, but I just had a question that I haven't come across yet anywhere.
I know that Australia is a multicultural community, and that for the most part, you are the friendliest people on the planet.

Yep!!!! Also the cheekiest, maddest, craziest people you will ever meet!!!

However, my coworker was asking me this today and I realized that I actually had no clue. Have there been any instances to your recollection of racism or prejudice? Specifically towards African-Americans?

I would be an idiot to tell you that there is no prejudice in this land with our history. It is a history with some shame - Terra Nullius and the white Australia policy are just two examples of culturally accepted and sanctioned prejudice that stands in our not too distant past. However I do believe we have actively worked to overcome that and you might find yourself more remarked about for being American than African American. (We like Yanks but we also like to give you a hard time:p - just expect your leg to be pulled so hard that it threatens to come off at the hip:chuckle.) To really see how culturally diverse we are check out http://www20.sbs.com.au/sbs_front/index.html This is the website of SBS the TV station that was set up to foster multiculturalism.

I decided to head towards Sydney first, because my dad has friends over there...but after I settled down, I was going to check out the whole country to pick my final settling place. Anything I should know about the large hospitals there...primarily the Saint George's Hospital and the Prince of Wales Hospital?

As far as I know both still have very very good reputations and would be great places to work - they are both state owned and run - in that they are public hospitals.

I have 3 solid years of ICU stepdown/telemetry experience and I'm looking to continue on a unit with similar lines.

We are going to LIKE you!!! But do NOT repeat NOT expect your job description to be the same as the USA. In general we do a wider variety of things but there are more of us - if that makes any sense at all.

PS: Is it true that the weather is opposites of the US? August would be winter in Oz?
Jennifer.

Yes August is winter and Christmas comes at the hottest time of the year. PS welcome to Australia and hope you enjoy your stay here!!!

ceridwyn · Dec 28, 2004

I wonder sometimes about the education of the northern hemisphere.

You know everyone downunder is 'somehow different'

From a young age we learn about the differences in seasons from the northern hemisphere. We learn that early from watching all the American and English movies and shows that winter- Christmas 'up there' 'July - winter here summer up there. It is just known from a very early age.

Santa, fur warm suit, why? Oh he comes from the northern hemisphere, it is winter at Christmas time....we all ask this question when only knee high to a grasshopper. :uhoh21: :uhoh21: :uhoh21:

It just flaws me that adults up there in the north are still so ignorant of us down here about our weather, politics, history, we all know a bit about yous up there!!!. :rolleyes: :stone :angryfire

One day though it will become clear to those up there, that us down here are really the ones on top of the world and yous up there are really just hanging on underneath. :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :chuckle :chuckle

ceridwyn · Dec 28, 2004

As for a country with multiculturalism, I smile sometimes when I see people bring their own prejudices from their own lands to our country and start complaining.......

I come from 'rural Australia' about 120 kilometres (80 miles) from Melbourne....a major capital city, better than Sydney and after talking to kangaroos all day us humans just love to talk to anybody.....no prejudice as long as you can communicate in some way we are happy.

Just joking, joyce.... no, I don't think we are racists as long as you don't tell us how everything is better and bigger in the old USA...work as a member of the Australian team, we don't care what colour, religon, nor what country you are from..just live each day best way you can....C

Grace Oz · Dec 28, 2004

Come on "Down"! And WELCOME! If you tell most Aussies you're coloured..... we're most likely to ask.... "Well, what bloody colour?!" :rotfl: You see, we're ALL coloured, one way or another! Fits in nicely with our magnificent landscape, she's ALL colours! Just MAGNIFICENT!

As Australians, we really don't give a rats a*** where someone is from, so long as you are willing to respect that we DO have our very own, unique, culture, that we like to give, and be given, a fair go, and we appreciate honesty, integrity, and that folks who come to live amongst us, learn about our history, our language, (now, THAT gets pretty bloody colourful mate!) :uhoh21: :chuckle

Good luck with your "Sea change", and I hope all goes well.

Cheers,

Grace

NurseRachy · Dec 28, 2004

I second what everyone said. Australia is a VERY multicultural country and I feel you will be welcomed with open arms. I have friends from many many ethnic backgrounds and they enrich our society - so welcome - I hope you have a fantastic time in Australia.

Rachel

Spiderella · Dec 30, 2004

Thank you all very much for the words of advice and the warm welcome!

And no, I am not a high-nosed snobbish American:imbar ....I just happen to live here, but I'm originally from Nigeria.

Ceridwyn, you are right, it's very hard to understand how the US is so 'ignorant' to other parts of the world. Moving here was a hard adjustment, I kept getting 'so do you still live in trees' type questions....pretty much everything that they've seen off the National Geographic.

But what I've found about Australia so far, I love, and I really am looking forward to my move.

talaxandra · Dec 30, 2004

What? You don't live in trees? Well now I have to rethink everything... :chuckle

And we don't have kangaroos bounding down the main streets!

Welcome to allnurses, and welcome (in advance) to Australia :)

Blackbird · Jan 20, 2005

Have there been any instances to your recollection of racism or prejudice? Specifically towards African-Americans?

African Americans? No. In my experience (they've usually come off the boat - ie. USS Boxer, USS Independence and USS Constellation) people usually stare at them in awe as they are not commonplace. Racism is usually reserved for the ethnic groups we are used to such as the Arabs, Vietnamese, Chinese and Lebanese. But I hasten to add it moves in waves. Decades ago it was Italians, Irish, Brits and the Slavs, then it was the "Asian Invasion" but on a public scale I would have to say the majority of the stereotyping overall is visited on the Australian Aborigines. Mind you, Australia is nowhere near as bad as Ireland where everyone off-white is publicly regarded as a threat.

Country towns are worse. Having lived in Cunnamulla, Wilcannia and Tennant Creek in my lifetime, there are many ways people will resort to in order to keep people separate but what you won't know won't hurt you. The whole world is a stage and everywhere you go you will find what you are looking for.

pmchap · Feb 4, 2005

You will be treated fine by all of us.... as for Sydney hospitals - be prepared to work hard - nursing shortages tend to mean those working get majorly overworks.... perhaps you would consider moving a little further north (only 100km or so) - I am selling my own area here - the Central Coast is great - Gosford has a good teaching hspital - someone with your experience would be snapped up and the cost of housing/living is great - life is more laid back as the rats still are all down in Sydney :chuckle .

You will discover that there is racsism - but Australians seem to reserve that as blackbird said for their own groups. Most Australians believe that they aren't rascist - (like everyone it is only when they are challenged that you realize otherwise) I have lived in the US, Canada and New Zealand - everywhere is the same - to the individual visitor things are great and wonderful.... to a group of individuals who are a little different (in any way) and suddenly there are stereotypes and jokes....

I believe Americans are so ignorant because of the way they are educated... heck in Australia learning the states & territories is simple enough - so we learn about our neighbours and the rest of the world. In the US they have to learn there 52 states and all them presidents :chuckle hardly much time left for anywhere else. Plus most countries by prepacked entertainment from the US so we learn about the culture in the US.... in the US they are entertained by information created by and for them - not much chance for other influences .....

I am not being negative here - just illustrating some facts. Time I have been in the US - the people in the US are great and friendly - take the same people overseas and suddenly there is a different person.... comparing things to back home....

renerian, BSN, RN · Feb 5, 2005

I always read aussie threads and sometimes I post/sometimes not. I would love to live in Australia. I am rather disturbed by this thread and cannot put my finger on just one thing about why. I do think racism is everywhere and every country has someone dealing with that issue. I do not think America is ignorant to the world as whole, of course their are always exceptions . Some people may not be on the up to date world issues all the time but I try. I think many Americans are caught in the fast track and do not take enough time to stop and smell the roses.

I wanted to come and work in Australia but could not afford the fees. I would love to come there someday. I would love the weather....and just being somewhere different for a bit of time.

I do love my country and I think it is normal to compare a country to another when you relocate-that is how one evaluates ideas/concepts/practices or whatever the issue may be and I don't think that is a bad thing.

Hmmmm.

renerian

pmchap · Feb 6, 2005

Please don't misunderstand me - there are some ignorant people in Austraia as well.... I was blown away when I came back to Australia and met a person whose whole world existed of a 150km radius and a trip to Fiji...... the only other things she knew where from the square box or books - needless to say her ability to accept people with different opinions or ideas was limited.

You are right....it is impossible to generalise... it is not really far to the individual. Heck there are over 220,000,000 Americans - of course you are not all exactly the same. There are just over 21,000,0000 Australians - A drop in the ocean when you consider the population of the world....

Cheers & Be happy