IGM Posted September 18, 2016 Share Posted September 18, 2016 Hi can anyone give me information on living kalgoorlie. I may have a job over there starting sometime next year. I would be coming over with my wife and 2 girls aged 9 and 12. I've been looking up different sites with different stories some good some bad. is it expensive to live there. What are the schools like and is it a good place to bring up kids. any information would be greatly appreciated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted September 18, 2016 Share Posted September 18, 2016 Hi can anyone give me information on living kalgoorlie. I may have a job over there starting sometime next year. I would be coming over with my wife and 2 girls aged 9 and 12. I've been looking up different sites with different stories some good some bad. is it expensive to live there. What are the schools like and is it a good place to bring up kids. any information would be greatly appreciated It is a medium sized town - small by UK standard and dominated by mining. The town has a massive mine actually in the town called super pit which is a large employer and many other people work in surrounding mines. It it is in the desert and a flight or very long drive (about 8 hours) to Perth which is the nearest city. It it has a large indigenous population. It can be rough. While I know some who have enjoyed it, as someone that has spent a fair bit of time there I would say it is really interesting to visit but I wouldn't want to live there. It it is stinking hot in summer - the sort of heat that means you don't spend time outside, but hide under an air con and winter can be bitingly cold. Its economy, being based very much on mining is in trouble, which is exasperating its other issues and the biggest employer - super pit - is starting to wind down as it plans for closure in the coming years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quokka2005 Posted September 18, 2016 Share Posted September 18, 2016 Its a decent size - seems to have most of the shops that you would need. Felt like london compared to leonora haha. I immagine it gets rough at weekend - just from the feeling, seeing kalgoorlie cops on tv and also speaking to people that lived there. Dont know about schools etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bungo Posted September 18, 2016 Share Posted September 18, 2016 Only visited when we made a stop when we did the Sydney to train Perth train journey. I would think an enormous culture shock for anyone moving directly from the UK. I would generally not recommend such a move. I think I would entertain the thought of moving somewhere like that myself, but only after having lived in Australia and having visited and got a feel for such regional places. The concept of a regional Australian town is alien to the average Brit. You just do not get anywhere that compares to Kalgoorlie in UK, it is very difficult to explain how you might find it. I would not recommend it to be honest, there is a high chance your family could be unhappy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip1 Posted September 18, 2016 Share Posted September 18, 2016 I've heard it's rough and as others have said its in the middle of nowhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JockinTas Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 Personally I would hate to live there. Stinking hot in summer and rough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 I'd be horrified at the thought of living in Kalgoorlie but I believe it's not quite as bad as it used to be. Here's a good thread from a few years back: http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/western-australia/159442-life-kalgoorlie-what-like.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 I've actually heard claims that it is not as ' rough' as once was, perhaps due to the downturn who knows. Any town with a lot of well paid, single men, living somewhat remote from city attractions, will prove a little boisterous I expect. Saying that not the sort of town I'd ever have an inkling to live in though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quokka2005 Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 I think i could live in it as a single person for a few years for the sake of PR if it was sponsorship but if i had a family i dont think id move them over there from the UK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight7 Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 No! Not with a young family.Interesting to visit though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammy1 Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 Hi can anyone give me information on living kalgoorlie. I may have a job over there starting sometime next year. I would be coming over with my wife and 2 girls aged 9 and 12. I've been looking up different sites with different stories some good some bad. is it expensive to live there. What are the schools like and is it a good place to bring up kids. any information would be greatly appreciated I have friends there, you will not have a problem finding other families to form friendships with. It's a place that would be ok for a couple of years for a young family, but not really much longer than that. Kalgoorlie high school has some major issues and they are finding it hard to retain teaching staff because of the violence. If at all possible, get your oldest child into a private high school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 I was in Kal in December and would say it is still as rough as ever. In fact I would say compared to 8 years ago when I first started visiting it, it has got rougher. The only thing that has changed is there are less skimpies / there not as naked and some of the brothels have apparently closed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IGM Posted September 19, 2016 Author Share Posted September 19, 2016 Thanks for the replies folks really appreciate it. Going by the majority of replies it doesn't seem like a good idea to go over there with my family. When you say rough is it just at the weekends or all the time?. I live just outside Edinburgh and it can get rough at the weekends there. My biggest concern is my family. I would work anywhere it doesn't bother me. Like a say it's more my wife and kids My interview is tommorow I'll see what the company has to say and what they are offering. I will be asking a lot of questions hopefully they'll have the right answers, cheers IGM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 Thanks for the replies folks really appreciate it.Going by the majority of replies it doesn't seem like a good idea to go over there with my family. When you say rough is it just at the weekends or all the time?. I live just outside Edinburgh and it can get rough at the weekends there. My biggest concern is my family. I would work anywhere it doesn't bother me. Like a say it's more my wife and kids My interview is tommorow I'll see what the company has to say and what they are offering. I will be asking a lot of questions hopefully they'll have the right answers, cheers IGM It is a lot rougher than Edinburgh. I have regularly seen some pretty big brawls rolling down the Main Street on a mid week lunch time. Miners finish night shift and head to the pubs at 7am. Also, there are major issues among the indigenous community and substance abuse which means on days where a lot of them get their dole payment there are often problems. They have tried to address it by spreading payments more across the week but that just seems to have spread the issue across the week - it used to always be Wednesday and it was notorious, but now there are issues most days. Also, a word on visas. If it is a sponsored visa this would probably be a 457. This visa is tied to the employer. If you lose your job you only have 90 days to find another company willing and able to sponsor or leave the country. Bear in mind that not ever company can or will sponsor and WA is in an economic downturn at the moment. Also, you would not be entitled to any social security or assistance with things like childcare and will be charged by the state for school fees - I think it's currently about $4k a year. There are a range of other issues and as a rule I don't recommend this visa for families. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 Thanks for the replies folks really appreciate it.Going by the majority of replies it doesn't seem like a good idea to go over there with my family. When you say rough is it just at the weekends or all the time?. I live just outside Edinburgh and it can get rough at the weekends there. My biggest concern is my family. I would work anywhere it doesn't bother me. Like a say it's more my wife and kids My interview is tommorow I'll see what the company has to say and what they are offering. I will be asking a lot of questions hopefully they'll have the right answers, cheers IGM If you could get a fly in fly out position then great, otherwise I wouldn't live there with family for 2mill a year. 600 kilometres with not much between there and Perth. More problems with riots there in the last few weeks when an aboriginal kid was knocked from a stolen motorcycle by the owner and died. They had to get the guy out for the trial, move his family out sharp style so there's going to be bad feeling and trouble for a while. Not worth the hassle mate. There's no way I'd consider schooling my kids there. WA is a fantastic place and anywhere around Perth is great. FIFO to somewhere would be your best bet. I reckon there will be a few more jobs in Kal as other families bail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lambethlad Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 This is an old Wanted Down Under which featured a bloke who went to Perth to be a butcher and ended up a policeman in Kalgoorlie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev LRB Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 i am also in a similar posistion. i may also be offered a job there in the new year working in engineering. However i am a single male looking for a change of seen for a year or so. rather unsure wat to expect? seems rent is quite cheap there though. but am concerned that all there may be to do out of work is go out on the town? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quokka2005 Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 I reckon as a single bloke you would be ok for a year or 2. You could join a sports club or something? There sbould be some stuff to do. Even where i worked which was a lot more remote they had a few sports clubs. You could try looking for gold as a hobby lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thistle87 Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 I returned to the uk after living in kal for just over a year. The town was ok during the day when it was dry and warm but any other times apart from that there wasn't much to do. If it Is a 457 visa be careful the main reason I came back was due to getting messed about by the company sponsoring me, I have wrote other posts about this. Honest opinion is you would better trying to get a sponsor in perth and visit kal for a weekend or maybe just a day:wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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