It is true. I won't go any further west than Balmain.

Is it still worth the risk? depends on why you're thinking of coming in the first place. If you are in a good job in the UK with good prospects, a job you enjoy doing, and you are thinking of moving to an identical job over here just to be somewhere different, then probably it's not worth doing at present unless someone else is paying all the costs and you can go back if you want to. If you are fed up with your life and work in the UK and want a complete change, with all the challenges that throws at you, then yes, it's worth it. Maybe it'll work out as well for you as it has for me, maybe it won't, but unless you give it a go you'll never know, will you?

Australia has a different form of class system,if that is how to term it. Rather crass I find,based on suburb and to a degree job and things,but there is also the private school bit as well,if less defined than UK.

Even some of the biggest airheads imaginable can have an over inflated since of worth as they tend to judge on appearances.......

There is a class system in Australia (all countries have one to a certain degree) but it is nowhere as bad as it is in the UK, where it is deeply ingrained into society. Saying that, the UK is not as bad as it used to be.

HI ALL, HAVE TO AGREE WITH YOU HERE, WEVE BEEN HERE 5 YRS, WE BOTH LEFT GREAT JOBS & ALWAYS HANKERED AFTER TRYING LIFE ABROAD. WELL, I HAVE HAD 4 JOBS - ALL WORKING FOR A PITTANCE AND WITHOUT EXCEPTION MY BOSSES (& SOME COLLEAGUES) HAVE BEEN LAZY, BULLYING ARROGANT STUPID AUSSIES, WITH LITTLE WORK ETHIC OR PEOPLE MANAGEMENT SKILLS. IF YOU TRY TO SUGGEST BETTER WAYS OR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS, THEY TELL YOU TO GET BACK WHERE YOU CAME FROM, OR MAKE LIFE SO DIFFICULT YOU HAVE TO LEAVE. I WENT FROM A DEGREE INT. BUSINESS & 18YRS IN HR MGMT, INTO OFFICE/ RECEPTION JOBS PAYING $18/HR NO BENEFITS (HERE IN QLD THEY LOVE KEEPING YOU CASUAL TO AVOID HOL/SICK PAY). WE ARE IN PROCESS OF PLANNING MOVE BACK TO THE UK, COS SICK OF THE HIGH FOOD/COST OF LIVING, IDIOT DRIVERS, LAUGHABLE JUSTICE SYSTEM, CRAP JOBS/BOSSES OH & THE AUSSIES ARE VERY RACIST HERE IN QLD IN OUR EXPERIENCE. ALL IN ALL, ITS LIKE BEING BACK IN TIME 25YRS OR MORE,
5YRS ON, WE MISS THE UK AND THE SHEER CHOICE - SHOPS, HOLIDAY FLIGHTS, PROX. TO EUROPE - EVEN THE SEASONS! SOME IT SUITS, SOME IT DONT.... SO I HAVE TO AGREE WITH OTHER WRITER, 'IF IT AINT BROKE STAY WHERE YOU ARE', BUT IT IS YOUR CHOICE AND MAYBE IF YOU DONT AT LEAST VISIT TO SEE FOR YOURSELF YOU MAY REGRET IT. CAN ONLY GIVE YOU OUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCES HERE. GOOD LUCK WHATEVER YOU DECIDE (AND MAYBE THE REST OF AUS ISNT LIKE HICK QUEENSLAND EH?)

There are parts of this that I sound a little familiar, however i think the justice system in the uk is more than a little flawed .
Good luck with the move back

A degree in International Business? Where's the caps lock?

Everyone has a different view and experiences of life in Australia, some would have us believe it is the land of milk and honey and for them perhaps it is, others would say it is hell on Earth and again for them it is and for others it is just vanilla, ordinary, average. We fit the last category, if we had to life out our lives in Australia it wouldn't be purgatory but it wouldn't be fulfilling...FOR US. For others the thought of living back in the UK isnt even worth considering and I cant for the life of me understand why but there you go we are all different.
For us moving back to the UK was a no brainer, Australia had become over regulated, expensive and a little bit boring.
I would never tell someone they shouldnt do it but do it with eyes wide open and dont rely on the old 'better for the kids' furphy.

There's no need to shout

On the original post - anyone can do it if you're willing to be open minded and positive - and don't burn all your bridges so you have options if you change your mind.

To be honest, though - it's long been my belief - and not so much now - that there were people from disadvantaged backgrounds who did better themselves and made a better life for their children by making the move. It you come from a housing estate in a disadvantaged area then moving to Perth might be the ticket after all.

The biggest issue is that people just can't know where they are moving to.

The picture you paint is the one I would paint of the village we live in here, in Melbourne - and they're sort of rare, because Australia tends to be made up of larger country towns and suburbs with regional flavours. I'm well aware that it is not like this everywhere in Australia, and indeed the UK. Considering the demographic mix is something that I think a lot of people don't figure. You can't see how Australians live until you get here.

I can see the issues here - and they have been reported before.
I find that that people who seem to have lifes that they are not keen on have aspects of their lives which intersect with problems...like their work is casual - they live in an area that has a largely transient population with its own culture, they work in conditions that lend themselves to factory conditions... The problem is that people don't realise there are parts of Australia that seem good but are not so good.

I would love to say that QLD is a good place to live, but the constant feedback on this site, in particular, make me wonder. Having said that, there are professionals on this site who seem to do ok. This is the thing, they are probably in fairly good suburbs with salaried, permanent positions. Small difference, but a world apart from others.

Kansas is even further back in time though

I concur with a lot you say having my own negative experiences which I have fought all the way but won't go into that.
My OH sadly has had some very severe bullying in her profession in one instance from a Pom,but her Germanic audasity has seen her win out in the end. We have seen rather a lot very hurt by their work experiences in the area,some barely recovering after a considerable time and with therapy,I joke not.

I don't want to sound too negative but I'm afraid I do see things getting worse from many angles.

Still Australia has been good to us in many ways although did come here in the easier times pre 2000....when it would have been more difficult not to have done well.....almost.
We are getting the feeling it is time to move on though but will keep options open to return to Australia at some stage.

I doubt if I'd return to live in England,but would never say never,as do like that country.

As for Is Australia Worth the Risk, it depends what is being put at risk.It is not the same country as it was in 1995. In some ways it is a world removed.
I would not come here myself now but then I saw it in different times.
It still fits a lot of folk judging from online forums..others not.

It is a matter of weighing up the pro and cons and at what stage of life one is at. Still a great time coming out young on a working holiday and having fun.If carefree.

I bet you say that everytime you fill up the car

Yep .... I wouldn't live in Brisbane either

Australia isn't all like 'hick Qld'. It varies hugely from state to state or territory.

"I WENT FROM A DEGREE INT. BUSINESS & 18YRS IN HR MGMT, INTO OFFICE/ RECEPTION JOBS PAYING $18/HR NO BENEFITS (HERE IN QLD THEY LOVE KEEPING YOU CASUAL TO AVOID HOL/SICK PAY). "

It must have been where they were.