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Perth

About

  • Perth is the capital of Western Australia, and fourth most populated city in the country with a population of 2.06 million residents.
  • Perth is located on the banks of the Swan River, with its outer suburbs stretching towards the Darling Range in the East and the Indian Ocean in the West.
  • Due to the mining boom in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Perth turned into headquarters for several large mining operations in the state. Large population growth in Perth has been as a result of large-scale migration from countries like Britain, Italy, Greece and Yugoslavia, following World-War 2.
  • The biggest ancestries of Perth residents are English, Irish, Scottish, Italian and Chinese.
  • Perth was listed as the 7th most liveable city in 2016, by the Economist, and ranked a Beta world city by the world Cities Research Network in 2010.
  • The city of Perth houses the Parliament, the Supreme Court, the Government House and the Governor’s residence.
  • Post WW2, employment opportunities grew in sectors like retail, wholesale trade, health, education, business, personal services and public administration.
  • One of the great factors about living and studying in Perth is its strategic location to south Asian countries. From Perth to Bali by air is only 3-hours distance, which is a shorter distance than Perth to Melbourne, Sydney or Canberra! It is also within a few hours plane ride to Thailand, Hongkong, Malaysia and Singapore.
  • As a student, you will feel welcome from the minute you step off the plane at Perth International airport, which has a welcome desk, run by “StudyPerth”, to assist newly arrived International students with guidance and a welcome pack to help you settle in to your new surroundings.
  • Each year, Perth hosts an International student festival at Elizabeth Quay, celebrating the contributions made by International students who are both at the beginning and end of their study journeys. This event highlights the importance that the city places on its international students.
  • Several universities in western Australia are world leaders in science and innovation. International students who choose to pursue a science degree in Perth are faced with a range of choices of course programs from Conservation Biology, Cyber security, Marine and freshwater science, Physics, Mathematics to Counter terrorism.
  • Perth is also renowned for their state-of-the-art research and laboratory facilities, especially for studying molecular biology, plant ecology, environmental chemistry, freshwater and marine science and geographic information systems.
  • The employment opportunities in Perth are always growing. The current employment rate in Perth is 93.6%, with opportunities in both full time and park time work.
  • Perth is very culturally diverse, home to over 200 nationalities, speaking over 170 different languages and practicing over a 100 different religions.

Culture

  • Perth is bustling with culture; with its range of pubs, bars, art galleries, museums, live theatre, comedy, music, and festivals.
  • Perth is a foodie paradise, with laneways, trendy restaurants and cafes carrying a diverse range of global cuisines. Every year during March and April, Perth celebrates its food culture with the “Eat, Drink Perth Festival”, consisting of over 115 events, cooking masterclasses, workshops and buffets all spread out over 70 locations around the city.
  • The residents of Perth enjoy more sunshine hours a year than any other Australian city, approximately 3000 hours of sunshine per year, perfect for those of you who love to spend time outdoors.
  • WA has 19 beautiful white sandy beaches and turquiose blue waters like the Cottesloe Beach with its cafes and Norfolk Pines, Leighton Beach with its white sand and crystal clear waters, Mettams Pool which offer great opportunities for sea swims and reef snorkelling, the North Beach for its Rock Pools and Trigg Beach for its family-friendly grassy areas and huge playground.
  • The World Heritage Ningaloo reef in Perth is one of the only places in the world where you can freely swim with one of the biggest fish in the sea - whale sharks, which are spotted swimming around Ninagloo Reef from March to July every year. Ningaloo Reef is also one of the only few places in the world where you can walk straight from the beach onto a coral reef.
  • Perth is home to Kings Park; the largest inner-city park in the world (Yes, it is even bigger than Central park in New York!). The Kings park is a great location for picnics or a day-time stroll, with its tall, white trunked trees, manicured gardens and bushland trails, offering sweeping views of the Swan and Canning rivers.
  • The cultural centre of Perth has its own central precinct. Popular museums and galleries in Perth include the Western Australia Museum, The Art Gallery of Western Australia, The Perth Institute of Contemporary Art and the State Theatre of Western Australia.
  • Other popular arts and theatre companies in Perth include the West Australian Ballet, The West Australian Open, the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and the Westerm Australia Academy of Performing Arts, located at Edith Cowan University.
  • Some of the key performance venues in Perth include the Riverside Theatre, housed within the Perth Convention Exhibition Centre, The Perth Concert Gall, His Majesty’s Theatre, The Regal Theatre and The Astor Theatre.
  • Several music concerts and sporting events are hosted at venues like the Optus Stadium, HBF stadium and NIB Stadium. Outdoor concert venues include the Quarry Amphitheatre, Supreme Court Gardens, Kings Park and Russel Square.
  • Some of the popular annual festivals held in Perth includes the Perth International Arts Festival, held every year since 1953, as well as the Winter Arts Festival, Perth Pringe Festival, Perth Writers Festival, Jerome’s Laneway Festival and the Perth International Comedy Festival.
  • The Swan Valley is the oldest wine region in Australia, with over 40 vineyards and cellar doors, where you can engage in wine tours and tastings of some of Australia’s best wines.
  • The Caversham Wildlife Park is also located in Swan Valley, and a visit to the park will give you the opportunity to meet koalas, kangaroos and take a tour of the Maalinup Aboriginal Gallery, which houses intresting stories about Aboriginal art, food and culture.
  • Just 19 kilometres from Perth is the Rottnest Island, with over 60 beaches, coral reefs, hundreds of tropical life as well as the Quokka “The Happiest animal in the world”, a marsupial that is indigenous to Western Australia.
  • The city of Fremantle, which is part of Perth’s metropolitan area is a vibrant port town filled with music, arts, markets, restaurants, cafes and festivals; a popular destination for International students. You can also tour the Fremantle Prison, visit the Maritime Museum as well as the Shipwreck galleries.

Climate

Perth has a Mediterranean Climate, and on average experiences about eight hours of sunshine per day. It is the sunniest Australian city, with over 135 clear days a year. Summers are usually hot and dry with the occasional rain and thunderstorms. Winters are generally cool and wet.

The hottest month is usually February, and July and August are the coolest months. Most of the city’s rainfall occurs between May and September, with an average annual rainfall of 880mm. Spring and summer have the most amount of sunshine accompanied by clear skies. Swimming in the ocean is mostly acceptable from January - May, when the water temperatures are around 22-23 degrees Celsius. The best time to visit Perth is in springtime (September - November) when the weather is warm, clear and pleasant.

Summer (December - February) is usually devoid of rain, with the occasional thunderstorms. It is hot and sunny during with day, and cool at night. On occasion, an afternoon sea breeze known as the “Fremantle Doctor” blows from the southwest of the city and provides relief from the hot north-easterly winds. The average temperatures in summer range from 18-40 degrees Celsius.

Autumn (March - May) Average temperatures are between 12 - 21 degrees Celsius and the weather is quite pleasant. Rain is rare, but during the second half of the month it can get quite cold.

Winter (June - August): is mild and wet. On the rare occasion, the temperature drops below zero degrees accompanied with the formation of frost. Light snowfalls have also been recorded in the outer suburbs of Perth like Perth Hills, Kalamunda, Roleystone and Mundaring. Average temperatures in Winter are between 9-18 degrees Celsius.

Spring (September - November) average temperatures are between 12-30 degrees Celsius. The weather during this period is mild and unstable with chances of wind and rain. November is the most pleasant month in spring, with very little or no rainfall.

University Education

Every year Perth receieves over 59,000 International student enrolments from over 140 countries at its higher education institutions; Universities, Colleges and TAFEs.

Perth is regarded as Australia’s “Education City”, with five world-class Universities and several TAFE and Vocational institutions offering diverse programs for International students with a vibrant cosmopolitan student life.

Three of Perth’s five main universities are ranked among the top 100 in the QS World University Rankings 2018, including; University of Western Australia (UWA), Murdoch University and Curtin University. The University of Notre Dame and Edith Cowan University are also renowned Universities located in Perth.

Perth is a great city to pursue Science and Technology studies, with its five universities involved in cutting edge research projects with other leading institutions around the globe offering students the chance to be part of life altering projects such as Clean water production, climate change policies and development of new vaccines.

Perth is relatively affordable in terms of living costs when compared to other major student cities in Australia like Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane. International students in Perth receive 40% discounts when travelling on public transport and are entitled to a tertiary smart rider card.

A low crime rate in Perth also makes it a safe and secure city for international students.

Top courses in Perth that could lead to Permanent Residency include : Engineering, Information technology, Hospitality and cooking courses, Accountancy and Nursing.

Higher Education Institutions

Universities

TAFE’s and Colleges

  • Stanley College
  • TAFE Western Australia
  • South Metropolitan TAFE
  • North Metropolitan TAFE
  • Central Regional TAFE
  • North Regional TAFE

Finding Work as a student

As an International student on a student visa in Perth, you have the opportunity to engage in Casual work, Part-time work, Internships, Volunteer work and Work placements. You can work for upto 40 hours per fortnight during the semester, and unlimited number of hours during semester breaks.

Popular part-time and casual jobs in Perth are available in industries such as hospitality jobs in restaurants or cafes (chefs, cooks, waiters, kitchen hands), retail ( casual sales staff), aged-care, administration, house-keeping and cleaning.

The minimum hourly wage for casual employees is between $15-$28 per hour. You are also entitled to a 25% casual loading fee on top of your base salary, as per the fair work ombudsman.

Part time employees usually work less than 38 hours per week, but will be entitled to the same leave benefits as a full-time employee, in proportion to the amount of time you work. You would however not be paid for the duration of any leave or absence taken from work.

Some of the ways in which you can find part-time employment in Perth includes:

  • Check University campus noticeboards for job vacancies
  • Seek help from University counsellors or Career advice departments at your university
  • Search online through popular Australian job sites like Indeed, GumTree, Seek, and Jora
  • Search for jobs through LinkedIn
  • Go through known online recruitment agencies like Hays, All Star Recruitment Perth, 11 Recruitment, Randstad Recruitment and Michael Page