Live in Australia

Services in Australia


Shopping

Australia’s cities and towns have world-class shopping facilities. Hours are generally between 9:00am and 5:00pm seven days a week, with late night shopping on Thursday or Friday nights until 9:00pm. Some shopping centres are open 24 hours a day. Most of the larger shopping chains are open until 10pm at night.


Banks

There are many banking institutions throughout Australia. Branches can be found all over the country, even in remote areas of the country. Normal trading hours are open from 9:30am until 4:00pm Monday to Thursday and 9:30am until 5:00pm Friday afternoons. Some banks are open on Saturday mornings, but all are closed on Sundays and public holidays.

ATM machines are located in shopping centres and bank branches everywhere. Most stores and supermarkets have EFTPOS terminals where you can transfer funds from your bank account for the purchase of goods or services. You can even make cash withdrawals. This way you can reduce the amount of cash that is carried on you.

The countries four major banks are the Commonwealth Bank, Australia & New Zealand Bank (commonly known as the ANZ bank), Westpac and the National Australia Bank (or NAB). There are many other smaller banks and credit unions which can provide you with the same type of banking services.


Postal Services

Australia Post is Australia’s mail delivery service. Services deliver mail once daily between 9:00am and 5:00pm. For larger parcels, a delivery driver will deliver the parcel to your address, and you will have to sign a declaration to receive the parcel. If the delivery driver delivers the parcel and you are not home, a card will be left in your door. Take this card to your local post office for collection. Postal services usually deliver on the next day within the city suburbs. Post offices are open between 9:00am and 5:00pm during weekdays. Post offices also sell stationary, post bags, phone cards, stamps. You can also pay your utility and telephone bills at your local post office.


Telephones

Australia’s major telephone companies are Telstra, Optus, Virgin Mobile and Vodaphone. Local calls generally cost 30 cents each and have no time limit. Interstate and international phone call costs vary on your service provider and the length of the call. Public telephones are widely available, and accept coins and pre-paid phone cards. If you have broadband access you can set up a Voice-Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) system on you Personal Computer (PC). This will make the cost of phone calls much cheaper, especially with international or interstate phone calls.

Mobile phones are very popular and service providers are widely available. You can purchase a pre-paid or a post-paid mobile phone service. A pre-paid phone is a great option if you have limited funds. You can purchase the phone upfront and then purchase credit for the phone that can be used over the following months. A post-paid phone handset is generally free, but you will have to sign a contract for a period of time. Post-paid cap plans are good for making a lot of calls daily. Some mobile phone plans cost as little as $20 a month that will provide you with $100 worth of phone calls and text messages. Shop around to find the cheapest plan that suits you.


Internet

Australia has a number of Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Plans vary greatly with cost, speed of the connection and download limits. Shop around for the best plan that will suit you.

The availability of connection varies greatly, depending on what area and what type of internet connection that you wish to connect. Dial-up is available everywhere, but broadband, cable and satellite broadband have limited access. Cable and broadband connections are generally available in all capital cities and large regional towns, but if you live in a rural area and want a fast connection, your best option would be a satellite connection.


Libraries

A great source of information for your studies is your local public library. Public libraries can be found in each major city and some towns. Most libraries are open six days a week, usually closed on Sunday. Libraries stock books, CDs, DVDs, newspapers, magazines, journals and e-Books. If you cannot find what you are looking for, you can order books from another library.

Before you can borrow items from the library, you first need to apply for a membership card. Items need to be returned on time, or a small late fee may apply.


Television

Australia has fifteen digital free-to-air television channels recently expanded. Pay television has dozens of channels available, and there is a monthly subscription fee. These services are Foxtel, Austar, Select TV, and several others.


Newspapers

The Australian is Australia’s national newspaper. Local newspapers vary from state to state. The local newspapers are

• New South Wales - The Sydney Morning Herald
• Victoria - The Melbourne Age
• Queensland - The Brisbane Courier Mail
• Australian Capital Territory - The Canberra Times
• South Australia - The Advertiser
• Western Australia - The West Australian
• Northern Territory - The Northern Territory News
• Tasmania - The Hobart Mercury

There are also a number of foreign newspapers printed locally. You can find newspapers from international locales in some districts.


Multicultural community groups

A great place to make friends from your home community is in a community group. You can find support with troubles you may encounter, and make a few new friends along the way.