Australian Expatriates and Repatriates
By Sue Ellson
Are you an Australian living or working overseas? Then by definition, you are an Australian Expatriate! If or when you return to Australia, you will be an Australian Repatriate, so please also look at this section of the Newcomers Network website, especially if you have been away from Australia for more than three years.
If you have lived somewhere for less than three years, you are still a newcomer – but don’t worry, you can learn the skills to feel like a local! Have a look at our Seven Best Settlement Strategies for further information. If you are looking at this website before you leave Australia, congratulations! You are preparing well for your new adventure!
The term used for Australians living and working overseas is the ‘Australian Diaspora.’ Estimates vary on how many people are part of the Australian Diaspora. But fortunately, many of these Australians are like local Australians, good users of technology, so hopefully you will find the information and links here helpful. Australians living elsewhere are often referred to as ‘Antipodeans.’
You are welcome to make suggestions on other information that you think should be published that would be of benefit to Australians living and working overseas. All contributions are welcome, in fact we have found that many people respond to personal stories written by Australians living and working overseas or those who have returned within the last ten years.
Please remember that to make the most of any move, to a new location or a previous location, you will need to utilise the same strategies as any other newcomer – so a lot of the information in other sections of this website will also be helpful to you.
1. How to find Australian Expatriate Groups
Remember to explore the links sections in each of the websites listed below. Do some searches on online networks, groups, forums etc for ‘Australians’ ‘Expatriates’ and the country where you are living or working.
Many international expatriate websites also have sections that link to local expatriate networks that welcome Australians and some also have some information for people planning to live in Australia (I always find these interesting).
The International Australians Yahoo Group is an archive of previously published articles that we have found on the topic of Australian Expatriates and Repatriates. It is free to view and search these online and you can make comments by becoming a member of the Yahoo Group. This is particularly helpful if you are either a journalist researching the topic or someone with an idea you would like to promote to other Australian Expatriates. If you find a piece that is not included, please post it! Comments are also welcome.
2. Government Information
The Australian Government has a range of mini portal links on:
- Australians Travelling
- Australians Abroad
- Returning to Australia
- Information (includes the above links and several others that may be relevant)
Smartraveller’s Government Information for Australians Living Overseas links to a lot of useful government information including portals for each Australian State.
Smartraveller’s Living and Working Overseas page is very descriptive and it has good advice and links, so if you did not read it before you left Australia, read it now.
Australian Customs Office http://www.customs.gov.au
Australian Electoral Commission http://www.aec.gov.au
Australian Government http://www.gov.au Australian Taxation Officehttp://www.ato.gov.au
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade http://www.dfat.gov.au Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs http://www.immi.gov.au Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade – National Contact Point for the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises http://www.ausncp.gov.au Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade – Registration for Australians Overseas – Register with us so we can contact you in an emergency https://www.orao.dfat.gov.au Smartraveller – The Australian Government travel advisory and consular assistance service provides travel advisories by country and includes general advice for Australian travellers. Includes information on travel health, travel insurance, travel tips, getting help overseas and children’s issues. http://www.smartraveller.gov.au Smartraveller – useful government information for Australians living overseashttp://www.smartraveller.gov.au/useful_govt_sites.html Smartraveller – essential information for Australians living and working overseashttp://www.smartraveller.gov.autips/working_os.html
Some State Governments have made an extra effort to assist Australians who are based overseas or would like to return to Australia:
- Victorians Abroad
- Victorian Endowment for Science, Knowledge and Innovation
- Make the Move to South Australia
- Queensland Smart State Expat Awards
- Western Australia Global Network
- New South Wales Department of State and Regional Development Expatriates
- Skills Tasmania
- ACT Government’s Live in Canberra
3. Australian Expatriate, Business and Advocacy Organisations
Advance began as ‘Young Australian Professionals in America’ (YAPA) and is a well known Australian expatriate network expanding to many locations worldwide.
Southern Cross Group is an international non-profit advocacy and support organisation for the Australian diaspora (Australians living overseas). The Group works for changes to existing law and policy where these adversely impact the Australian expatriate community and they have a comprehensive links page.
Australian New Zealand American Chambers of Commerce represents 15 business chambers across America.
ANZA Technology Network has the people and the programs that work with you to maximize your innovative company’s US market potential and prepare you for US market success.
Australian Business in Europe website for Victoria is a non-political international business networking organisation.
Expatriate Connect allows Australian expatriates to be connected around the world (based in Queensland) and is an export mentoring program, designed to accelerate Australian export outcomes, at the company level.
Australian Volunteers International provides opportunities for Australians to become volunteers and assists them in sharing the learning from their international experiences.
AusAID is the Australian Government agency responsible for managing Australia’s overseas aid program. The objective of the aid program is to assist developing countries reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development, in line with Australia’s national interest.
After visiting these links, you may also like to search the internet using the words ‘Australian Expatriates’ and the country where you are living or working.
4. Social and General Groups – these groups provide online and offline forums
These websites also list a lot of other Aussie expat resources, groups and organisations. If you cannot find a group in your new location, please type in a combination of the following words into your search engine
Your current location (like London or United Kingdom)
expat expatriate newcomer Oz Aussie Australia Australian down under chamber commerce
Alternatively, visit our Worldwide Expatriates page and search the various expat websites and see if you can find other Australians.
You can also connect through online business and social networks like:
AustraUSA – a social group for Australians in Los Angeles, California. We aim to provide Australians with an established social network in Southern California and we try to help ease assimilation into this new culture.http://www.austraLAevents.com
Australians in LA – (AILA) is a non-profit social group In Los Angeles, California for Australians and anyone with an interest in Australia.http://www.australiansinla.com
Australians Abroad – also known as Coolabah – the home away from home for Aussies abroad http://www.australiansabroad.com/ or http://www.coolabah.com
InLondon.com – online and paper magazine for Australians in Londonhttp://www.inlondon.com
Mates Up Over http://www.matesupover.com is a forum style website, mostly for Australians in America but for others too
Mid West Aussies – an online contact group for Australians (and New Zealanders!) who find themselves living in the Mid West USA (mostly IA, IL, IN, MI, MO, WI)http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midwestaussies/
Northwest Aussies – an online forum for putting Aussies living in the Northwest of America in contact with each other http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nwaussies/
ozexpat – an online forum for Australians who are travelling or living in foreign countries, be it short or long term, for work or pleasurehttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/ozexpat/
ozinamerica – an online forum for Australians who are now living in the USA or Canada http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ozinamerica/
5. Online shop with products from Australia
Aussiebest http://www.aussiebest.com/
Aussie Favourites http://www.aussiefavourites.com.au
Aussie Food Shop http://www.aussiefoodshop.com
Australia Souvenir http://www.australiasouvenir.com
Australian Food http://australian-food.com/
Great Aussie Food http://www.greataussiefood.com.au
Homesick – has a section called ‘Global Gatherings’ which provides links to various associations (mostly sporting but some social and business meetups)http://www.homesick.com.au
Souvenirs Australia http://www.souvenirsaustralia.com
6. Sporting Clubs
Australian Sports Industry Directory http://www.aussport.com.au
US Footy http://www.usfooty.com
If you are an alumni of the Usfooty please register at http://www.usfooty.com/usfooty/content.aspx?section=aboutusfooty&id=30
7. Various websites of relevance
Australian Education Office http://www.austudies.org/
Graduates of Australian Universities http://www.ausmates.org/
8. Australian Associations Overseas
Australian Association of Hong Kong http://www.ozhongkong.com
Australian Chamber of Commerce Singapore (AustCham)http://www.austcham.org.sg
9. Publications
Living and working overseas – Essential information for the Australian Expatriate – PDF download http://www.dfat.gov.auconsular/download/working_overseas.pdfAustralian Community News http://www.austcomnews.com/
Australians International (subscription based news) http://www.ausint.com.au
Global Exchange is a niche publisher focusing on international work and travel opportunities for Australians living, working and touring overseas.
10. General information
There are many Australian expat communities and general expat communities around the world – particularly in London – and this page of the Newcomers Network website provides just the first link to finding them…..follow the above links and you will find a wealth of resources and further links. You may also like to do searches at MSN and Yahoo Groups as well as through various online networks (see http://www.onlinebusinessnetworks.com)
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