Dear Guest,
Recently, the Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd,
organised a special ceremony in Parliament House, Canberra.
The galleries and the lawns outside were packed with
indigenous Australians waiting to hear the PM say 'sorry'.
The reason for this nationally telecast apology was
the practice of bygone decades of removing indigenous
children from their parents and placing them with 'foster families'
or in institutions. What followed for many was a lifetime
tainted with trauma and a profound sense of loss.
All this happened when Australia's Aborigines were
not citizens in the land they'd occupied for millennia.
They weren't even counted in the national census. Today, it's
hard to comprehend such things were possible, let alone happened.
To some, saying 'sorry' is an act of weakness.
In Australia, 'Sorry Day' is seen as an act of strength
and reconciliation; the word a beginning, rather than an
end in itself. David Jenkin, Chairman of our company once
told me that the power of the word 'sorry' can't be
underestimated in any healing process.
For such an event to be possible speaks volumes about
where Australia is today: a nation built on hope, with the
promise of an exciting, prosperous future. This prospect
is made more exciting by the constant arrival of new immigrants,
joining the millions who've already come from around the
world to make Australia their home. Together, we can aspire
to, and work towards, never having to say 'sorry' again.
Assyl Haidar
CEO
Simply click on the links below to automatically scroll
down the page of the latest LIVE IN australia.com® news.
Click on 'TOP' to return to the top of the page:
- News Flash - Government increases skilled migration positions!
"6,000 additional skilled visas for 2007-08. New total 108,500...Read More"
- Look out...the expos are coming!
"Start planning life in Australia at these Aussie migration expos...Read More"
- Prize winners settling into a new life down under
"Meet the O'Neills from England. Just arrived and loving it! ...Read More"
- Twenty years of great careers
"Australian Academy of Sciences predicts 30% boost in migration! ...Read More"
- Staff Profile
"Preeti D'Silva would love to help you...Read More"
- How far can a migrant go?
"Goorjian the Great sets new high score for coaching basketball...Read More"
- One new country - thousands of new citizens
"Australia Day is a perfect day to become an Aussie...Read More"
- Aussie Surprise of the Month
"English Garden classic 'dished up' by an Aussie muso...Read More"
- Adelaide campaign gets up front and personal
"UK ad campaign for Adelaide pours cold water on London...Read More"
- Aussie Survival Guide
"Don't go motoring in the outback unless you're fully equipped...Read More"
- A Town Like Warrnambool
"Victorian coastal town has it all: surf, sand and careers...Read More"
- One nation, many cultures
"The Year of the Rat causes fireworks around Australia! ...Read More"
- So how do you like Australia?
"German diver has whale of a time on the Great Barrier Reef...Read More"
- Aussie Recipe: Lotus Paste Moon Cakes
"Immigration is the recipe for great Australian cuisine...Read More"
- In Brief...Read More
News Flash - Government increases skilled migration positions!
Sunday 17 February - The Minister for Immigration and
Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, in response to ongoing
labour shortages and ongoing economic growth, announced
that the Government will be increasing the quota for
skilled migrants by 6,000, this financial year.
This will lift the total number of skilled visas from
102,500 to 108,500, which will include permanent employer
sponsored visas and General Skilled Migration visas.
Senator Evans said that negotiations were also underway
with other countries to expand the reciprocal Working
Holiday visa program for young people.
'The tourism and primary industry sectors in particular
will benefit as the pool of young people coming to Australia
on working holidays continues to grow,' Senator Evans said.
Discover why Australia is the most popular destination
to begin a new life with help from one of our
friendly Advisors.
TOP
Look out...the expos are coming!
The Australian Department of Immigration and
Citizenship (DIAC) will be holding an Expo
on 15-16 March 2008, in London.
If you've been thinking about moving down-under,
the message is clear...we need skilled workers. You can:
- meet Australian employers* who need skilled people
- talk to State and Territory governments who need skilled workers
- find out more about independent migration to Australia
- get information on topics such as the Employer Sponsored
Schemes, the Skill Matching Database, General Skilled
Migration and Skills Recognition.
* Want to impress the Aussie employers?
Starting the visa application process now, before the
expo, will give you a head start and show your enthusiasm
for a new life down-under.
For details and registration, please visit DIAC's website.
More Expos...
| Edinburgh, Scotland |
23-24 February 2008 |
Emigrate Edinburgh |
www.emigrate2.co.uk |
| London, United Kingdom |
1-2 March 2008 |
Emigrate London |
| Belfast, Ireland |
8-9 March 2008 |
Emigrate Belfast |
We will keep you up-to-date as new expos are announced.
TOP
Prize winners settling into a new life down under
In 2007, the O'Neill family from the UK, won a complete
Aussie backyard barbecue kit, one of three LIA settlement packages.
Keen to share their story, here are some of their thoughts on
what it was like moving to Australia...
"We were looking for a better way of life, especially for our
children who are ten and thirteen years old. The school here in
Melbourne provides a much more balanced lifestyle where they can
work hard and play hard! The culture is much more relaxed, which
is certainly a positive. They have both settled into the new way
of life well.
"The weather is a big factor. We live a block from the beach,
it's a short walk to our children's school, we have a gorgeous pool
in the back yard and now we have a wonderful new barbecue! We are
looking forward to some long lazy weekends.
"Australians have lived up to their reputation as being open
and friendly, but also very helpful.
"Give yourself enough time to prepare. Not just the visa, but
everything. Research where you want to live and consider coming
out for a holiday first to see what it's like. But beware...you
will not want to leave!
Read the full story...
Marion O'Neill (centre) receives congratulations from Assyl Haidar (right) and Peter Seers (left) on their new Settlement Package prize.
TOP
Twenty years of great careers
Since the first fleet arrived in 1788, Australia has relied on
immigration to fill jobs and keep its economy growing. But now
all signs point to the urgent need to accelerate immigration.
In fact, a paper prepared for the Australian Academy of
Social Sciences indicates Australia needs to boost immigration
by 30 per cent within the next 20 years.
Manpower recruitment company spokesman Steve Hinch says,
"We have 260,000 vacant jobs across this country at the moment,"
he said. Australian National University (ANU) demography professor,
Peter McDonald, says the current fertility and immigration levels
are not enough to keep the work force growing: "Over the last 20
years or so, we've had a growth rate as high as about 2 per cent,
and it's now down to about 1.2 per cent a year," He said if the
rate stayed around 1 per cent levels of immigration over the next
20 years would need to go up by about 50,000 per year, from about
170,000 to 220,000 each year.
"Later on, after 20 years, it would be going up again to up around
300,000 per annum" he said. "We also say it's very important to
consider domestic skills, that we need to be looking at the production
of skills within Australia as well. But the notion is that because of
increased living standards, because of the need to renew a lot of
infrastructure in Australia, because of the ageing of the population -
a lot of different reasons - we expect the demand for labour in the
future to remain very strong."
That adds up to many thousands of prime career opportunities
for skilled immigrants, for many years to come. For the skilled
worker, it's also a chance to be personally involved in the on-going
growth and development of one of the world's major success stories.
It's a chance to put the brakes on Australia's skills shortage,
while adding a supercharger to your own career prospects.
TOP
Staff Profile
Name: Preeti D'Silva
Position: Migration Advisor
My role: Make the entire migration process as fun and
stress-free as possible for our wonderful Clients...and teach the team some Bollywood dancing!
How long have you and your family been living in Australia? 7 years
Why did you decide to settle in Australia? Melbourne is the
most liveable city in the world. Good weather, great food, excellent
facilities, low crime rate and the list goes on.
You love to go beyond when it comes to service delivery. Why?
I love to help Clients make it to this beautiful country to enjoy
first hand the opportunities it has to offer.
What do you love most about Australians? The fact that they
are very friendly, easy going, cosmopolitan and they know how to
enjoy life. They call you 'matie' making you feel that they are your best buddy.
Is it true that Sachin Tendulkar is considering migrating to Australia
now that he knows you are living here? I wish, but if he is not sure
about where I live give him my number ;-)
It's rumoured that you cried when you heard Adam Gilchrist was retiring.
Is this true? Sigh...yeah, we will miss him when he goes...& cricket will
not be the same without Gilly behind the wickets or smashing a swashbuckling
innings. Personally, I think his wife may have nagged him a lot to let go. Sigh!
Why should people use LIVE IN australia.com to help them migrate to Australia?
I reckon we are the best at what we do.
Preeti and a friend in India
TOP
How far can a migrant go?
Brian Goorjian: basketball super coach
Even though basketball is a minority sport in Australia, the national
team still ranks in the top handful in world men's and women's basketball.
This situation has been helped by overseas players - mostly North American
- who come here to play and in many cases, to stay and become Australian
citizens. Prominent among these is Brian Goorjian, who came to Australia in
1977 to play for the Melbourne Tigers. After finishing as a player, Brian
took on the challenges of coaching.
Now in his twenty first consecutive season as a Head Coach in Australia's
National Basketball league (NBL), he's the most successful coach ever, winning
over 400 games with an unmatched winning percentage of 69%...a higher percentage
than any other Australian coach, in any of the sports at which Australians excel.
In 2003, the NBL Hall of Fame selection committee voted Brian Goorjian
the best coach of the first 25 years of the National Basketball League.
In one of the notable statistics in sport, Goorjian coached teams have
always finished in the semi-finals since 1990.
In 2001 he was the first foreign-born coach of the Australian Men's
National team, "The Boomers". Brian's teams have won 5 NBL Championships
and, for approaching 20 seasons, his teams have reached the NBL semi finals,
including appearing in a total of 9 Grand Finals.
He took the Sydney Kings to their first ever NBL Championship in his
first year as coach in April 2003, and again with back-to-back NBL
Championships in April 2004. In 2005 they made NBL history by winning a
third consecutive championship. Brian has also won the prestigious
award for Coach of the Year on four occasions, the last time in 2002.
TOP
One new country - thousands of new citizens
Nearly 200,000 migrants are expected to become Australian
citizens during the 2007/08 year.
For starters, more than 14,000 people from 114
countries took the oath on Australia Day (January 26th),
at 321 Australia Day events around the nation. These
ranged from 'one person' events in remote areas, to the
largest ceremony in Stirling, Western Australia, in
which more than 1300 new Australian citizens were welcomed.
Though they come from all parts of the globe, these
new Australians have faith in their adopted country and
hopes for a better life.
Meet a few of our Australia Day citizens:
Luxsh Seeburuth - Mauritius
"Australia was a foreign place that felt a million miles
from home when I arrived seven years ago. Today it feels like
home and I'm grateful for being here. That's why I became a citizen."
Andrew Harvey - England
"There is just something that really resonated with me,
when I arrived from London, where I grew up. I love the
'can do' attitude ... and I just love how livable the place is.
It has everything you could possibly need."
Abdulai Jallah - Liberia
"My cousin told me what a beautiful country it was, that
it had a nice environment and that it was especially kind to
refugees," he says. Mr. Jallah, his two brothers and sister
have called Australia home since 2005.
Christine Callahan - Singapore
"It has been 10 years since I moved from Singapore to
Melbourne when I was a 17-year-old, to study ... people from
so many nationalities live side by side in tolerance. Australia
is really a unique place. It introduced me to my husband Jason,
and encouraged me to make the most of my life."
Thinking of trying out Australia's diverse community?
Contact an LIA Advisor and discuss the opportunities.
TOP
Aussie Surprise of the Month
Remember that old song "How many kinds of sweet flowers
grow...in an English country garden?"
Well, as UK as that sounds, it was written by Percy Grainger,
a musical genius who was born in 1882 at Brighton, a seaside
suburb of Melbourne.
His father was a well-known architect whose designs included
the Prince's Bridge in Melbourne. Percy made his first concert
tour when he was twelve. Soon afterwards, his mother took him to
Germany, to further his training as a pianist and composer.
Between 1901 and 1914, Percy and his mother lived in London where
his talents flourished.
In these years he befriended the Norwegian composer, Edvard Grieg,
whose love of national music inspired Percy to look closely at
English folk music.
In 1914, Grainger moved to America, where he became an American
citizen (although he always described himself as Australian). During
a brief spell in the U.S. Army Bands, he "dished-up" (as he put it)
the Country Gardens piece which so many people now instantly recognize
... possibly from TV commercials.
Despite an extremely busy and hectic life, Grainger composed
over 1200 works and arrangements. In the 1930s, he set up the Grainger
Museum at Melbourne University. He made many piano roll recordings
and modern Symphony Orchestras have played and recorded piano concerti
using Grainger's rolls as the 'soloist'.
In association with scientist Burnett Cross, he created Free Music
machines, to produce Free Music; music not limited by time or pitch
intervals. These are regarded as crude forerunners of the modern electronic
synthesiser. He died in 1961 and is buried in the family grave at Adelaide,
South Australia.
If you want seek a career amongst the highly accomplished and
multi-talented workforce, log onto LIA and see how your skills fill the bill.
TOP
Adelaide campaign gets up front and personal
South Australia (SA) has launched an aggressive ad campaign
aimed at attracting British chefs, butchers, physiotherapists,
dentists, dermatologists and other professionals.
Slogans directly attack life in the UK, such as Sod
London house prices and Screw working in Staines, hello Adelaide.
Bill Muirhead, an Adelaide-born founder partner in the
UK advertising firm M & C Saatchi, now agent-general for
South Australia, said he was aware the campaign might create
a few enemies.
"It might appear we are being rude, but a lot of things
in Britain aren't good," he said. The new SA campaign promises
young people can buy a four-bedroom detached house on the
beach with room for a swimming pool and "barbie" for just $AU435,825.
If you do have Adelaide on your mind (or any other Australian
destination) contact an
LIA Advisor and find out all the visa facts.
TOP
Aussie Survival Guide
It's a big country
You probably knew that. It might even be one of the reasons
you chose Australia for your new life. Because it's so big,
there's an incredible range of things to see and enjoy.
One of the major attractions for many people is The
Outback. The Olgas, Uluru (Ayres Rock), the Simpson Desert,
The Kimberley, Kakadu...the list of unique and breathtakingly
beautiful destinations is almost endless. Many people take
a 4x4 vehicle and simply go where the impulse leads them.
But you must be absolutely prepared.
- Always let police know where you're going
- Make sure you're carrying more than enough fuel, water and supplies
- Make sure your phone or radios will work where you're going
- Take a GPS
Why so cautious? Because The Outback demands respect.
Helpful websites:
The Australian Outback?
Eyre Peninsula Tourism
Queensland outback
OzOutback (photographs)
TOP
A Town Like Warrnambool
The word Warrnambool comes from the local Aborigine
name for Tower Hill, a nearby (extinct) volcanic cone.
Warrnambool is situated on Victoria's stunningly
beautiful southwest coast and has a population of
around 31,000. It enjoys a moderate climate, with
an average maximum summer temperature of 22°C, while
the average winter maximum is 14°C.
Historically, Warrnambool had a large whaling industry,
which is the central theme of the Flagstaff Hill Heritage
Park, which attracts thousands of tourists every year.
Today, the city is a comprehensive regional service centre.
Major industries and services include retail, tourism,
education, health, dairy, meat processing and construction.
The City's main education centres include Deakin
University (Warrnambool Campus), the South West Institute of
TAFE, Government and private primary and secondary schools,
and a pre-school centre.
In 2003 the City introduced a pilot project to
attract refugee families to the area.
Furthermore, Council provides a number of projects in
partnership with the broader community to support the
growing cultural diversity in Warrnambool.
Projects include assistance for:
- Businesses attracting skilled migrants to fill their skill shortages
- Information and network links for skilled migrants settling into the community
- Information and network linkages for the public, private and community service providers in Warrnambool
- Intensive settlement support service for eligible humanitarian entrants.
Beautiful Warrnambool on the Victorian coast
Like to live in a prosperous city in a beautiful location?
Contact LIA without delay.
For more information:
Warrnambool Council
Warrnambool at Wikipedia
Deakin University
TOP
One nation, many cultures
Welcome the Year of the Rat
Australia has had significant Chinese communities since
the gold rushes of the 1850s and later. It's not surprising,
then, that Chinese New Year is celebrated widely in all
Australian capitals and in major cities like Bendigo, in
the Victorian goldfields.
Chinese New Year begins on the first day of the Chinese
calendar, and the festivities continue for 15 days.
During Chinese New Year celebrations, people wear red
clothes, give children 'lucky money' in red envelopes
and set off firecrackers. Families gather at each other's
homes for extravagant meals.
Chinese New Year ends with the lantern festival, where
people hang decorated lanterns in temples and carry lanterns
to an evening parade under the light of the full moon.
The highlight of the lantern festival is often the dragon dance.
The dragon can stretch over 30 metres and is typically made of
silk, paper and bamboo. In recent years the festival has been
one of Melbourne's most celebrated by whole families.
The 2008 Festival began on Chinese New Year's Eve on
Sunday 10th February at 10:00am and ran through until 10:00pm.
The Millennium Dragon was awakened to parade through the
streets of Melbourne's Chinatown. Touching the Dragon brings
great luck and fortune. There also were many lion dancers stirred
up by beating drums and firecrackers.
As in many Australian cities, Melbourne's Chinatown was
abuzz with drums, firecrackers, music, singing, food and
families celebrating the Year of the Rat.
If you're from China, or an overseas Chinese community,
you'll feel right at home in Australia. Ask LIA about qualifying now,
and maybe you'll be here for the 2009 festivities.
Celebrating Chinese New Year in Sydney
TOP
So how do you like Australia?
Susan Sobtzick, Germany.
Born in East Germany in 1980, Susan Sobtzick's sea
ventures were short and filled with obstacles. 'Before
the Berlin Wall fell you could snorkel on Baltic Sea
holidays but you could not buy your own diving equipment
because it was seen as a way to escape,' Susan said.
Susan came to Australia on a family holiday in 2000 and
returned in 2001 as a working holidaymaker. She became
fascinated by the country's marine biology. Recently,
Susan returned permanently as a marine biologist under
the Australian Government's Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme.
She was sponsored by Queensland company Undersea
Explorer. Now, with Townsville's James Cook University,
she's helping scientists complete a picture of dwarf minke whales.
Discovered on the Great Barrier Reef in the 1980s, the
highly patterned, black and white whales grow up to eight
metres, visit the reef in winter and are loved by tourists.
'The Great Barrier Reef has opened up a whole new
perspective for me,' Susan said. 'I love the colourful
marine life and the variety of species. It's amazing how
little we know about this environment.'
If you would like an exciting future with fascinating
opportunities, contact LIA
and see what Australia can do for you!
Susan dives near Townsville
TOP
Aussie Recipe: Lotus Paste Moon Cakes
Let's celebrate Chinese New Year!
Ingredients
Lotus paste:
- 600g lotus seed
- 1 tsp alkaline water
- 600g sugar
- 1 tbsp maltose
- 400g groundnut oil
Syrup:
- 600g sugar
- 400g water
- 3 slices lemon
Moon cake Pastry:
- 600g flour
- 600g syrup
- 140g groundnut oil
- 1 tsp alkaline water
Method
Cover lotus seeds with boiling water and add alkaline water.
Cover container for 20 minutes. Rub the skin off the lotus seeds, then drain and wash them in clean water.
Cover the seeds again with water and boil until soft. Blend seeds into a paste.
In a non-stick wok or saucepan, heat up 200g oil and 300g sugar and cook until mixture turns into the colour of golden caramel.
Pour in lotus paste and continue stirring. Add the remaining oil and sugar.
Cook until the paste thickens and doesn't stick to the sides of the wok or pan. Add maltose and stir for a while.
Check if the paste is ready by scooping a little into your hand (caution: maybe hot!) and flatten it. If it isn't sticky, it is ready. Dish out the paste and leave to cool.
To make syrup: Put sugar, water and lemon
slices into a saucepan. Boil over a slow fire until
golden brown. Remove the lemon slices. Cool before use.
To make moon cake pastry: Mix flour, syrup, oil
and alkaline water and knead until elastic. Set aside
for three hours. Divide the dough into 15 equal portions.
The final step: Take a portion of the dough and roll
into a thin circular piece. Take a 150g ball of lotus paste
and wrap with the moon cake pastry.
Dust a moon cake mould with flour. Press the dough with filling into the mould. Tap lightly to remove from mould.
Grease baking tray and bake moon cakes in oven at 220 C for 20 to 30 minutes.
For a glossy sheen, bake for about 10 minutes, then brush with egg wash and continue to bake until golden brown.
TOP
In Brief
15,300 medical professionals needed
According to Australian Bureau of Statistics data,
in the three months to November 2007, the number of
unfilled jobs in the public and community health
sectors rose by 1,200 to an alarming 15,300 throughout
Australia.
Immigrant health professionals could narrow Australia's
huge gap in the medical sector. Physiotherapists, social
workers, radiologists and other health professionals are
urgently needed to work in Australia.
Because of Australia's medical skills shortage, patients
have missed out on more than 1 million treatments by health
professionals in the past three months, the Health Services
Union says.
Australia raises the immigration stakes
Australia's migrant intake is surging towards 200,000 a year,
a quarter of whom head to Victoria. New Zealanders, Britons
and Indians are leading the boom, according to the latest DIAC report,
Immigration Update 2006-07.
- Almost 192,000 permanent migrant visas were issued in
2006-07, up 6.7 per cent on 2005-06, and the biggest intake
since the mass migration of the 1960s.
- More than 51,000 visas were issued to residents.
- About 55 per cent of this intake was Asian-born;
fewer than 15 per cent of arrivals were from Europe.
- The top source country by birthplace was India,
followed by New Zealand, China and Britain,
the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Malaysia,
Sudan, and Iraq.
Arguably, Australia now has the world's highest per capita
migrant program, edging ahead of long-time rival, Canada.
TOP
Aussie Word of the Month
Tucker (noun): food
Aussie words in action: In multicultural Australia,
the variety of delicious tucker is dazzling and very, very tempting.
TOP
Best Regards,
Peter Seers
Marketing & Client Services Manager
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