For generations, British people have been drawn to Australia by the promise of warmer weather, a more relaxed lifestyle, and greater professional opportunities. That long-running trend has hit a new milestone in 2024: new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows 39,580 people migrated to Australia from the UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man this year, marking the highest annual number of arrivals from the region in a decade. An additional 10,660 migrants also arrived from Ireland, putting the upward trajectory of UK and Irish migration to Australia beyond doubt.
Now, one of Australia’s less populated regions is leaning into this growing interest, launching a targeted outreach campaign across the UK and Ireland to lure young skilled workers to its borders. Australia’s Northern Territory, a vast, sparsely populated region famous for its rugged outback landscapes, unique wildlife and untouched coastal areas, is facing a critical workforce shortage, with officials estimating the region will need an additional 30,000 workers over the next five years to support growing industries spanning construction, healthcare, education, hospitality, business and technology. To fill these gaps, territory officials have been hosting pop-up information sessions across UK and Irish cities, including Leeds, Liverpool, Belfast and Cork, to introduce young professionals to the opportunities available in the region that are often overshadowed by more popular migration destinations like Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.
On a recent midweek evening in Leeds, dozens of young professionals traded post-work drinks at city center beer gardens for a chance to learn more about making the move to the outback. Among them was 24-year-old medical sales worker Chloe Rhodes, who has dreamed of moving to Australia since she was a teenager. “Here I’m happy, I’m alright, but I just want to strive for more,” Rhodes explained. “It’s the whole idea of the slower-paced lifestyle – and I grew up by the beach, so I like to be by the beach a lot.” Like many aspiring migrants, Rhodes faces hurdles to making the move: her current role is not included on Australia’s skilled occupation list for working visas, but she is hopeful her position at a global company will allow for an internal transfer, a process she says is already underway.
For 26-year-old Caitlin Murphy, who already spent two years living in Western Australia, the Northern Territory has emerged as a top candidate for a permanent move with her partner. Murphy, originally from Scotland, is drawn to the territory’s laid-back pace of life, and is counting on her partner’s IT career to qualify them for a permanent visa. Her own background in law, however, will likely make it harder to transfer her professional qualifications, a challenge she says she is prepared to navigate.
Geoff Totham, a Northern Territory government workforce development officer who has been leading the information sessions, says turnout for this year’s events has already been busier than the territory’s 2024 tour of the UK. He notes that most attendees know very little about the Northern Territory compared to better-known Australian states, but the region offers unique advantages that more populous states cannot match. “The more we market into this place, hopefully more people will realise that there are opportunities in the territory and, of course, that’s going to help us solve our workforce issues,” Totham said.
For UK migrants who have already made the leap, the reality of life in Australia brings both rewards and unforeseen hurdles. Ben Cartwright, who left Leeds for Sydney 18 months ago, says he initially underestimated how hard it would be to break into his field of media and communications, even with prior UK experience. On a working holiday visa that limited him to six months with any single employer, Cartwright spent months working odd jobs to get by before landing a role as a magazine editor. Today, he says the effort has paid off: he earns more than double the salary he made for the same work in the UK. Adam Laver, a 27-year-old former BBC journalist who left Bradford for Adelaide at the end of 2024, says he loves his new coastal lifestyle, which includes an affordable home within walking distance of the beach. But he has struggled to find steady work outside of seasonal hospitality roles, which dry up during the cooler months. Laver now plans to move to Vietnam next month to teach English, and advises future migrants to save more and plan for transportation barriers that can limit job opportunities in less urbanized areas. Despite the challenges, the growing turnout for migration information sessions suggests that the draw of Australia’s lifestyle and opportunity remains as strong as ever for young British professionals.