dimondlouise

Well we've been here nearly 2 years now and although we have good jobs and a fab house, we just cannot find suitable friends. There are not many brits over this side of melbourne...not that I know of anyways. We live in a new township called Eynesbury, 30 mins west of melbourne CBD. Its lovely here but so lonely. Any tips please ?

Sherlock Holmes

Hello there and welcome to BE. Eyensbury looks to be small, new development? I looked at Google and there is a town webiste. Maybe you could look at that and get some starters. You don't put much information about yourself; age, children etc., so it's difficult to know quite where to point you. Lots of people seem to be in a similar position to start with. I'm sure someone will be a long soon with some good advice!

itigo

Do you feel it's important to be friends with Brits? Do you have children? What interests do you have outside work?

Dorothy

Why do your new friends need to be Brits? Do you not find people from other places "suitable"?

LouiseR

Probably not, especially them Canadians .

itigo

What I was wondering as well! We feel that as we chose to move to the other side of the world from Britain, they weren't top of the list to make friends with - don't get me wrong I have friends who are married to Brits etc. but do not actively seek out the Brits.

JoanL

We made friends through work, and kids' schools. Then we made some friends through political activism; we joined the Ipswich Anti-Racism Committee to fight against Pauline Hanson in the late 1990s. Our friends are from all over the world, some British, Dutch, Australian, Asian. Then I went to university late in life and met some wonderful and interesting people. I'm not sure if the word 'suitable' would apply to many of our friends though - some are quite radical, but some are a lot more normal than we are.

Jan4kids

I have felt much the same at various points in my Australian journey. I feel you cannot simply replace lifelong friends in a few months with others on dubious starting ground (ie both ex-pats) when old friendships took years of 'tending and weeding' in your original home situation.

I always tend to find 'good quality' friend material when I am not actively looking....I think I must give out some kind of desperate signal (like an ugly woman with a loud ticking of her biological clock) when I'm feeling lonely.

In my two years in Adelaide I made some most wonderful friends ......but here is proving harder. If anything I have picked up some rather 'colourful' aquaintances including a wonderful mad as a hatter, ex-stripper (and her ex-stripper Husband) in Bunnings, a Family that personifies the term 'bogan' but are the best friends ever (through school) and a Transgender Lady whom I love to bits that I also met at my kids school.

I don't do the ex-pat thing anymore as I have been here so long now.

......not sure what I'm hoping for, but think have given up for now

quoll

I think you make acquaintances through work, volunteering, school, social groups and just being out there. Whether any of them turn into call at 3am friends, well, who knows. I havent found Australian friendships to be that permanent that they survive beyond the situation they began in unlike the true friendships which were forged during younger developmental stages. Wouldnt just restrict myself to Poms though - take what comes but expect it to go just as fast.

dimondlouise

Thanks all. It is hard to make new friends especially when your older and use to your old friends back home. Our children play alot of sport so we have spoken to other parents but never away from the football ground. My husband and I both love football (the english kind!!), camping with our kids and the movies. Friends in work again are lovely but remain in the workplace only. When I say suitable, I mean with the same interests as us...and im sure in time will find some people we can call friends. Oh I do miss my friends from the UK though!! Something to look forward to... our good friends live in brisbane and we are going up there in 3 weeks for a visit, cant wait.....if all else fails we may just move up there !!!! Cheers again guys for your advice...x

Dorothy

Yeah, them Canadians are a bunch of a-holes. Good thing I'm an Australian now.

twhurl

Me too. And I reclaimed my Brit nationality so I was twice removed from Canadian dom

geordie mandy

Hi there, im new to Darwin (6weeks) and although ive not made lifelong freinds, ive chatted to my neighbours over the fence, both who come from South Africa and whose kids are similar ages to mine and who go to the same school. Apart from our kids and all being new to the area we have nothing in common, but still find plenty to chat about over a drink or three lol.
We live in a new suburb which is still in the building process so i appreciate some of your concerns with meeting people
Have you thought about doing volunteering for scouts or other organisations that you are interested in. Then if the those people have the same interests then its a start.
In the past 20+ years ive moved home every 2-3 years and have quickly learned to make 'friends' with all sorts of people, some have turned out to be very close freinds and i still keep in touch with even after moving on, others i never hear from again.
I guess over time your work collegues may become more than just a person you work with. Try and be open with the type of people you want to be with. A freind doesnt have to be for life, just for the time being, having that approach often has the result of producing good freinds, ive found anyway.

Ive found treating everyone with a smile and being chatty about anything is a good start.
One of my closest freinds started of as a work mate and we still email each other after 20 years, when we first met, we both thought each other to be rather odd and unlikely to have anything in common other than nursing.
Just go with the flow
Mandy

TiddlyPom

Why? Do you actually invite people over? I would. Throw a big BBQ and invite everyone around. They will always remain in the workplace and football field if you don't bite the bullet and get people round.

paul30

out of work activities are a good way I joined the CFA after coming here and made some good friends bot Aussie and english through that and the good thing is you have a common interest and they all live locally