Queanbeyan - good/bad town?
Nov 27th 2012, 6:51 am
#1
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Location: NSW, Australia
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Queanbeyan - good/bad town?
Hey,
My wife has been offered an interview for a job in Queanbeyan (close to Canberra) at the high school - she is a teacher (might seem an obvious statement to make!) - I am an IT Manager who will seek work once she is in post.
Neither of us know anything about the town though. Being close to a major city has a certain appeal from the point of view of things to do, major airport for my visiting relatives, etc. Heresay from my mother in law was "it's a hole"! Other comments my wife has heard contradicts it. Utopia perhaps not, but perhaps not a "hole".
Anyone there know anything about Queanbeyan? We need to make a decision in the next two days as to whether or not it is going to be worth the 5 hours drive with an 11 month old to check the place out!
Cheers,
My wife has been offered an interview for a job in Queanbeyan (close to Canberra) at the high school - she is a teacher (might seem an obvious statement to make!) - I am an IT Manager who will seek work once she is in post.
Neither of us know anything about the town though. Being close to a major city has a certain appeal from the point of view of things to do, major airport for my visiting relatives, etc. Heresay from my mother in law was "it's a hole"! Other comments my wife has heard contradicts it. Utopia perhaps not, but perhaps not a "hole".
Anyone there know anything about Queanbeyan? We need to make a decision in the next two days as to whether or not it is going to be worth the 5 hours drive with an 11 month old to check the place out!
Cheers,
Nov 27th 2012, 12:26 pm
#2
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Joined: Sep 2007
Location: Canberra
Posts: 8,378
Re: Queanbeyan - good/bad town?
The government high schools are challenging from all accounts - a lot of families bust themselves to send their kids into Canberra for HS so you can imagine what is left. It's a bit like the curates egg - there are some parts where you won't want to walk alone and there are some other parts with hugely expensive and OTT homes. A good many residents are "local" born and inbred there but equally some Canberrans with an eye to bang for their buck have found it more accessible than out flung Canberra suburbs (and on balance it has more character than most of them too)
There is a certain group that hang around the club and drink themselves silly in between bouts on the pokies and the general cry of the "youf" is that there is nothing to do but bet, drink and hoon around. But you make a choice whether it is those folk or ones which support the Canberra Phil and Arts Centre.
Would I live there - sure I would, in some parts. Would I send my kid to HS there - no, but, then, I wouldn't send them to an ACT government school either, like 50% of parents.
Your biggest problem may well be work for you! Canberra is a weird old town and unless you are citizens or have an amazingly in demand skill set, IT is a hard career stream to get into as so many positions are APS and restricted to citizens or they are not permanent.
Bottom line, it's very much a NSW country town.
There is a certain group that hang around the club and drink themselves silly in between bouts on the pokies and the general cry of the "youf" is that there is nothing to do but bet, drink and hoon around. But you make a choice whether it is those folk or ones which support the Canberra Phil and Arts Centre.
Would I live there - sure I would, in some parts. Would I send my kid to HS there - no, but, then, I wouldn't send them to an ACT government school either, like 50% of parents.
Your biggest problem may well be work for you! Canberra is a weird old town and unless you are citizens or have an amazingly in demand skill set, IT is a hard career stream to get into as so many positions are APS and restricted to citizens or they are not permanent.
Bottom line, it's very much a NSW country town.
Nov 27th 2012, 11:14 pm
#3
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Joined: Jan 2008
Location: South Coast, NSW
Posts: 3,625
Re: Queanbeyan - good/bad town?
The government high schools are challenging from all accounts - a lot of families bust themselves to send their kids into Canberra for HS so you can imagine what is left. It's a bit like the curates egg - there are some parts where you won't want to walk alone and there are some other parts with hugely expensive and OTT homes. A good many residents are "local" born and inbred there but equally some Canberrans with an eye to bang for their buck have found it more accessible than out flung Canberra suburbs (and on balance it has more character than most of them too)
There is a certain group that hang around the club and drink themselves silly in between bouts on the pokies and the general cry of the "youf" is that there is nothing to do but bet, drink and hoon around. But you make a choice whether it is those folk or ones which support the Canberra Phil and Arts Centre.
Would I live there - sure I would, in some parts. Would I send my kid to HS there - no, but, then, I wouldn't send them to an ACT government school either, like 50% of parents.
Your biggest problem may well be work for you! Canberra is a weird old town and unless you are citizens or have an amazingly in demand skill set, IT is a hard career stream to get into as so many positions are APS and restricted to citizens or they are not permanent.
Bottom line, it's very much a NSW country town.
There is a certain group that hang around the club and drink themselves silly in between bouts on the pokies and the general cry of the "youf" is that there is nothing to do but bet, drink and hoon around. But you make a choice whether it is those folk or ones which support the Canberra Phil and Arts Centre.
Would I live there - sure I would, in some parts. Would I send my kid to HS there - no, but, then, I wouldn't send them to an ACT government school either, like 50% of parents.
Your biggest problem may well be work for you! Canberra is a weird old town and unless you are citizens or have an amazingly in demand skill set, IT is a hard career stream to get into as so many positions are APS and restricted to citizens or they are not permanent.
Bottom line, it's very much a NSW country town.
I don't know the school reputations there but what Quoll says makes sense. Bottom line is I would compare it to somewhere like Gloucester town in UK, nice area around it but the town itself, although not dangerous by any means, is a bit bland and tired. Its a decent starting point for life in Oz and once you get here and get your foot in the door you can then change as you find out more. Ditto about the IT jobs but there are some that do not require clearances.
Nov 28th 2012, 2:33 am
#4
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Re: Queanbeyan - good/bad town?
Am currently in Grifith, NSW, and I don't know what its reputation is like in the outside world / compared to Queanbeyan. I didn't think I would like the country town (not a city, despite the name and what they think!) but am coming to like the pace and friendliness of (most) people.
Nov 28th 2012, 6:22 am
#5
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Re: Queanbeyan - good/bad town?
Not too much different from Griffith I should think - perhaps a little less Mafiosi and Italianate influences and the capacity for a bit more "cultcha" close by but a similar country town mentality. Let us know if you end up there!
Dec 8th 2012, 10:19 am
#6
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Re: Queanbeyan - good/bad town?
It's a hole !
Go here http://farsouthcoastscan.no-ip.com/ and listen to the police feed on a saturday night, should give you the feel of the place, I worked there for a time while living in canberra for 10 years, left to go north 5 years ago.
Go here http://farsouthcoastscan.no-ip.com/ and listen to the police feed on a saturday night, should give you the feel of the place, I worked there for a time while living in canberra for 10 years, left to go north 5 years ago.
