Dear all, we are very curious to find out people's opinions re whether us Brit's ever really get accepted by the Aussies, or would we/are we always just regarded as "pommes?"

I would like to think alot of this depends on the way we interact with them, ie with a positive, outgoing attitude...or not, as the case may be...

We feel this could be very important regarding our long term happiness, and ability to settle in...

Regards Jamie&Kerrie

Being regarded as a Pom doesn't necessarily mean that you're not accepted. I have mates back home who are proud to be Poms, and they have a wide circle of Aussie friends.

An astute observation. You're 100% correct.

Looks like you have the right attitude, so I can't see too many problems.

Nobody likes to hear their country slagged off no matter how minor it seems to be. If I ever have something negative to say I always counteract it with 'but Australia is fab for .............nowhere is 100% perfect and you have to take the good with the bad. Most people are interested to hear differences and as long as its spoken in a productive way don't take it negatively. I feel accepted by the people I work with and socialise with and I even say 'bloody woosey ozzies whats the matter with you this isn't cold' and things along those lines all the time and they have a good laugh with me. Of course I get the pomme comments too, but its all in good fun.


Jo

I've been wondering the same (especially after seeing it mentioned as a negative on the "Moving back" forum).


Also does everyone from the U.K. get labelled a "POM" - even if they are from Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland ?

Hi Jamiekerrie,

A few years ago, my OH and I went backpacking round Oz. We landed in Darwin and got jobs working with the locals. They were the people we socialised with, not other backpackers. We even shared a flat with local people.

We saved up, bought a car and travelled down the west coast. The car broke down 100kms north of Perth near Chittering Roadhouse (If anyone knows it and Charlie Spittia still owns it, tell him Nicky and Brendan said hi). Anyhow, we had no money and Charlie took us in, gave us work, helped us fix our car, found us a place to stay, and celebrated xmas with us.

There's good people and bad people in every country, but because of our experience of the people, we are emigrating there soon - too soon :scared:

Good luck

Nic

They can't tell the difference (unless they have a mate from the same place as you and are used to your accent). I'm from the North West of England and have quite a strong accent - I've been asked am I Scottish or am I Irish on so many occassions. Never been asked am I Welsh yet but there's still time.

I think it's the same as many places - there are good and bad everywhere. Mostly people here accept you for who you are and love to talk about where you are from and what you think of Australia - I've found it helps not to say anything negative to them at all, as they are a much prouder nation than the Brits and don't like people saying anything against the place. Just tell them it's the best country in the world and you'll be alright Obviously there are a few prats who make comments about us stealing their jobs etc., and I've been told to F*** Off back to where I came from just once but these idiots are definately in a minority.

You can tell them that at Gallipoli, both Simpson and his F**king donkey were pommies!

An observation from the silver surfing brigade....

Poms- its really POHM - Prisoner of His Majesty.. a cloth badge used to identify prisoners out of lock up and/or after free immigration started to "protect" the new civilians. ( There are other interpretations of this but....)

Karen and I have never had a bad word from an Aussie about being a pom in Oz.
In the UK we accept anybody saying its a s**thole full of illegal immigrants arriving with their hands palm up waiting for handouts..and much more.
This goes down badly when it costs us a bagful of cash to buy a visa ( in our case it will cost us AUS$85,500 to get a visa.)
In Oz the time honoured "whinging Pom" is disliked for that...whinging about everything. The Aussies dont know that this is a UK national pastime!
" Bloddy hot here init mate" Ooopps did nobody tell him its Australia and it really do get hot more often than the UK two day summer heatwave.
Yes, there are spiders and snakes and sharks that kill you. In the UK its the pillock with 10 beers inside him and driving a nicked car that is more likely to get you.
At least we have a "common" language ...although dodging the "ambo" on a busy road..may contradict my own comment....
Go to France and ask for a meal in English and you get a non stop look of amazement that you dont or will not speak French..and a big delay in getting fed. Once having stood like a prat mooing like a cow to indicate I wanted milk in my tea, in desperation I asked the waiter in English if he spoke German, "No" came back his reply.... "Well you bloody well would if my granddad had not been here shooting the buggers in 1944"
A nearby Yank tourist nearly wet himself laughing. The waiter muttered something in French and went away coming back with a jug of.....milk. See the buggers do understand!

In the end the message is...treat folk how you want to be treated and accept that some folk are just plain miserable and dont like anybody or anything.
My little loss of cool with the Frenchie would not endear me to an Aussie...would it!

No wurries mate, have a g'day and smile....

Karen & Arthur
Currently in Sydney and with a ticket for the Ashes.....

to be honest I haven't met many aussies, only been here a few months, but the ones that I have met - through the school and golf club have been lovely and all of them want to know where you lived in the UK - and most of them seem to know someone or have a relative from the UK. One mum was well impressed that I knew Eastbourne as that's where her granny lives and she went there for a holiday recently.

I have never had a problem with Aussies but then again I have a fairly positive outlook on life. I don't whinge, I accept the differences (after all this is my home to) and just get on with life.

Banter is half the fun and I enjoy the good natured POM/AUSSIE discussions that I have with mates and colleagues.

I realise I'm going to be given a slating for this but here go's in the intrest of balance ,I have lived here up and down the east sea board .I have been called a pom a pommie whiger and a miriad of other related names ,I have been knocked unconcious for say sorry mate when he bumped into me on one occasion I stopped to help a motorist on the side of the road and was told in no uncertain terms to go away on f'ing pom is touching my car even now at work if there is an issue in debait with the management people will turn and call me a whinging pom and carry on the same debait them selves. there as previously say good and bad every where but even in jest it some times gets right on your tits .the Australian population is fed a constant stream of how good we are, and look to you to keep up their fix ,there a needy lot with a complex self image issue IMO. if you can handle being jibed about you nationality constantly i.e oh bugger I burnt the barbie -thats because you a pom you'll have no problem at all

I was told to Fxxx off back to....New Zealand by a drunk idiot in a road rage incident (I beeped at him as he pulled out from a side road in front of me).

I did wonder if I ought to point out that I was actually British, and was most likely funding his 'pension' (dole) payments, as he was a complete bogan.

Anyway it seems that you get these idiots everywhere and they are not necessarily anti-Pom.

This part of your statement concerns me, its endearing, but at the end of the day, you have to be happy with yourself and your family before you feel you can fit into living in a foreign country.

Too much emphasis is made on making friends/fitting in etc when emigrating, all this will come, just be yourself when around other people. Don't make 'fitting in' a priority or issue.

If you read the 'moving back to the UK' forum, alot of people are unhappy in Oz because of social issues, I think 60% of this is down to the fact they don't communicate enough with their spouse, or have a good relationship with them. They were bored together with their life in the UK, and expected everything to be brighter and happier in Oz, well bollocks to that, your still the same people wherever you go, you bring the same baggage.

I have gone off on a tangent, and I am sure all is well with you and yours, I just wanted to say just be yourself, and you will fit in, just don't dwell on the fact 6 months down the line in Oz that you *may* not have the same social life you did in the UK or don't have the best of friends, its not an issue as long as you are happy at home.

YES you do I am Irish and I still get classed as a Pom, after 50 years :scared:

Well in the interests of balance, I've lived on the eastern seaboard for over 27 years and can't recall ever being called a Pom - not even once. I've never had any derogatory comments made to me by anyone, at any time, because I'm originally from England. I do still have an English accent so it's not as if you can't tell where I come from.

I don't expect to be treated or spoken to any differently to anyone else - and I never have been.

If you have a continuing problem with Australians treating you badly, then I reckon it's more to do with your own attitude and/or the type of people you mix with.