Australian Police have launched a campaign in a bid to tempt disillusioned British coppers Down Under, as one crime fighting ex-pat says it was the ‘best decision’ he ever made.
South Australian Police have decided to look beyond their own backyard, as they hope to attract over 200 experienced officers from the UK, Ireland, Canada and New Zealand.
In a desperate bid to recruit Britain’s best, the South Australia Police (SAPOL) Commissioner, Grant Stevens, featured in a hilarious campaign, which saw a media wall pulled away to show him wearing beach shorts on a sunny shore.
And now as the force prepares to tour the UK, holding information sessions in London, Cardiff, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow in both April and May, to lure disenchanted officers away from British shores.
It comes as some UK police constabularies are facing a staffing crisis, with almost a quarter of officers from Police Scotland eligible to retire by next summer, or are either on modified duties or off sick.
Figures released last September, show of the force’s 16,207 officers, 945 are approaching retirement, 656 are on long-term sick leave and 2,183 are on reduced duties, mostly because they are recovering from illness or injury.
But it’s not only young Brits who are flocking Down Under in search of a better life, with nearly 50,000 arriving to the country on working holiday visas in 2024 alone – a former British police officer says its the ‘best decision’ he has ever made.
Oliver Lamb, who traded Dorset’s beaches for the sunny coast of Adelaide told Good Morning Britain: ‘As soon as I had enough experience of being a police officer in the UK and South Australia police opened their door…I just had to look at the opportunity, and it has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.’
Oliver Lamb, an ex-British police officer, has encouraged his fellow countrymen and women to don the blue Down Under, branding it the ‘best decision’ he’s ever made (pictured with fellow recruit Emma Hollywood)
Oliver Lamb, formerly of Dorset Police, pictured with South Australia Police (SAPOL) Commissioner Grant Stevens (left)
Revealing he had only been Down Under for five months, he explained had previously travelled along Australia’s sunny east coast over a decade ago, where he ‘fell in love with the way of life, the people, and the weather.’
Encouraging other British coppers to take the plunge, he stressed: ‘Just do it,’ while pointing out key differences between life in the UK and Australia: ‘You can do things outside of work that you want to do.
‘For example going to the beach and going off and going travelling the rest of this beautiful country.’
He also revealed there was ‘more respect and positivity’ towards police officers Down Under, adding: ‘It’s not just the police, there is a lot of respect for all public sector workers and everyone does do a fantastic job.’
There are plenty of perks beyond enjoying less rainy days that come with the job too, such as more annual leave and a high wage.
In South Australia, the average police man can earn anywhere from $69,108 (£33,212.89) to anywhere up to $217,821 (£104,683.47), according to SAPOL.
On British shores coppers can earn anywhere between £29,000 to £46,000, the National Career Service reports.
British police also have far less holiday, with their allowance initially beginning at 22 paid days off and increasing to 30 days over time, while elsewhere in Australia, officers have six weeks of annual leave, which rises to 90 days after a decade.
Encouraging other British coppers to take the plunge, Oliver stressed: ‘Just do it'(pictured with fellow recruit Emma Hollywood)
South Australia Police (SAPOL) Commissioner, Grant Stevens (pictured), featured in a hilarious campaign to tempt Brits, which saw a media wall pulled away to show him wearing beach shorts on a sunny beach
To be eligible for the SAPOL program, you would have to have been a police officer or a British Transport Police Officers within the UK, and must have a minimum of three years of continuous and active service – excluding training – in the last five years.
But it isn’t only coppers heading south of the equator, as an increase of ‘Poms’ arriving in Australia has only been bolstered by visa rules bringing up the cut-off age of applicants from 30 to 35.
And while many would be put off by the higher cost of living, others who are drawn to the improved work-life balance and higher salaries are willing to make the 24-hour flight across the other side of the world.
James Smith, 35, first took the plunge to move to Australia after taking an ‘introspective’ look at his live as a personal trainer in Bracknell in 2016 – and after a decade in the sun he has never looked back.
The former door-to-door salesman has only gone from strength-to-strength since restarting his life Down Under and is now at the helm of several firms including Business Mentorship.
Explaining the difference between British life and that on the sandy beaches in Oceania, he told MailOnline: ‘You don’t realise your life is a five out of 10 until maybe you go somewhere a bit better.
‘Everything in my career started taking off when I hit Australia, and I think it was from a few things – I think its because my lifestyle here.’
The personal trainer, who recently became a proud father for the first time, divulged he initially made the decision to move after discovering his profession was taken ‘more seriously’ in Australia.
James Smith, 35, first took the plunge to move to Australia after taking an ‘introspective’ look at his live as a personal trainer in Bracknell in 2016
Despite loving the Aussie lifestyle, Ms Egan – who runs YouTube account Eat Venture Vlogs – warned that the cost of housing was an issue
‘If I really wanted to do well and succeed in [personal training], I had to go somewhere where they at least care about it a bit more,’ he told MailOnline.
But at the spritely age of 26 – in true British fashion – the now successful businessman was looking for people to discourage him from flying south of the equator.
‘I remember I turned to my dad and I said “I might go to Australia for a bit” and the said to me “I’ve always imagined you living somewhere like that” and that really shocked me,’ he said.
‘Not one person said to me, now you should stay in the UK – and this was from people older wise and more experienced than me.’
Explaining how is lifestyle dramatically improve once setting sail for the Sydney, he revealed it is commonplace to wake up early, head to a local shop for a coffee and enjoy the sunshine – even on a Sunday morning.
‘When first arrived here, my housemates were like, “Okay, tomorrow morning. It’s one of our birthdays. We’re all going to go down the beach at 6 am”
‘We got up we grab a towel, we brush our teeth, we went to the beach, bought coffees, and watched the sunrise, and swam in the sea, even in the dead of winter.’
He added: ‘UK summers, we have the sun coming up at 4am and then it goes down at 10pm, then we have the depression in the winter going and coming to work in the dark.
‘But in Australia it doesn’t get that bright in the summer, and it doesn’t get that dark in the winter.
‘Even when Brits come here, they don’t realise how little and infrequent we have blue skies.’
But life in Aus doesn’t come cheap, with the average person paying A$2,715 (£1,344) per month on rent compared to £1223 in the UK.
Darren (pictured with his wife Debbie and daughters Rebecca and Sophie) decided to take the plunge and move Down Under 26 years ago
Amber Myrlea, 23, from Isle of Man made the journey down under after the loss of her brother adding she was worried she would ‘get stuck in that cycle of island life’
Groceries are also more expensive, with researchers at Edith Cowan University pricing a trolley of supermarket goods at £160 ($324) compared to £140 in the UK.
However, salaries are higher in the ‘Lucky Country’, averaging $100,000 (£49,480) compared to £37,430 in Britain.
Mr Smith said although housing prices in Australia were ‘astronomical’, day-to-day life Down Under was ‘significantly’ cheaper than in the UK.
The first apartment I had in Bondi was maybe a 10 min walk from the beach, and it was a hundred £50 a week,’ he said.
‘Whereas when I lived in London during the pandemic it was £3,000 a month to have a flat in Fulham, and it was a s***hole.
‘There was people always fighting outside my house, and there was no aircon, so I always had to have the window open and the buses would piss and wake me up.’
And even though most of his clientele are UK-based, as well as more opportunities on this side of the globe, the father-of-one would never return back to British soil.
‘Every time I go back it just becomes a little bit less appealing,’ he said: ‘in the UK, I wake up and there’s nothing else to do in the dark for four hours, I’m starting my day with by scrolling on social media.’
‘Would rather live in peace right now. As we speak, I’ve got my dog on the lead and I’m looking at the ocean, my house is just behind me,’ he said.
‘I’ll earn less money and have less opportunity. It means that all my time between work is much happier If I lived in London I’d probably have a Lambo, but I’d be miserable.’
Despite missing his family a great deal, Mr Smith was fortunate enough to get his residency in Australia – but if he was unable to he would move anywhere but the UK.
‘If I couldn’t leave live here I would look to America, and if I couldn’t live in America I’d probably go to Dubai at the moment
‘I’m telling my friends like, go somewhere where they care more about your ambition,’ he added: ‘When you come out here it gives you a brand new opportunity to reinvent yourself.’
Encouraging other ‘Poms’ to take advantage of the myriad opportunities Australia has to offer, he said: ‘Young people, especially if they’re not sure what to do with their lives -come out here.
‘You could get a job in a coffee shop and have the best 3 months of your life, rather than being so focused on career.
‘Social media is making people feel like if they’ve not made a million dollars at 25 that they’re old.
‘Come out to Australia, hit, pause on life. The best party is here. We’re right in the middle of summer.’
James told MailOnline: ‘You don’t realise your life is a five out of 10 until maybe you go somewhere a bit better.
Since arriving in Australia nearly a decade ago James has established his own family and is at the helm of several businesses
‘Come out to Australia, hit, pause on life. The best party is here. We’re right in the middle of summer,’ he said
Darren Bowles, 57, took the plunge and moved to Australia for a better quality of life and more opportunities for his children 26 years ago.
And after over two-decades in sunny paradise, the father-of-two gave a vehement ‘no’ when asked if he would ever return to Britain, adding: ‘I couldn’t stand the cold weather and dark nights.
‘When you’re my age my knees and my elbows will start to hurt in the cold weather again. I couldn’t do it.’
Darren was working in Manchester as a senior electrical engineer for Kellogg’s, when he and his wife decided to relocate their then family-of-three Down Under.
His in-laws had already moved to Australia but after realising how much his then two-year-old daughter Rebecca loved the country, he knew it was the right way to go.
He told MailOnline: ‘What tipped it for me is when we came over on holiday. We brought Rebecca here on holiday, when she was aged 2 and she just loved it, going to the beach paddling in the sea, we could do more outdoors.’
Three months after they moved to the other side of the globe, he and his wife welcomed their youngest daughter Sophie.
Despite the overall higher living costs, Darren said he knew the decision would be better for his daughters in ‘the long term’.
‘There are more opportunities and a better lifestyle,’ he said: ‘I think Australia’s has some great education and universities.
‘My youngest daughter’s still living with us at home, but my eldest daughter’s living, my eldest daughter’s living in Sydney, which is a fabulous city.’
‘Even when it’s not in the summertime. It’s nice and warm. At 6 o’clock in the morning quite often my youngest daughter will go to the beach for a walk or a swim.’
He is adamant he made the right decision for his family, with describing the Aussie lifestyle as ‘better’ and divulging there were more opportunities in the country for his daughters (Pictured left to eight: Rebecca, her husband Ryan, Darren, his wife Debbie and their youngest child Sophie)
Over the last few years, the 57-year-old has also taken advantage of the abundance of opportunities in Australia exponentially growing his electrical engineering business – something he believes would’t have been possible in the UK (pictured with friends and family)
He added: ‘You just feel as though that you’re not stuck in the house watching TV. You’re going out and enjoying your life.’
Darren said there was a ‘significant difference’ between British and Aussie life, divulging there was ‘more of a positive feeling’ on the other side of the Equator.
Over the last few years, the 57-year-old has also taken advantage of the abundance of opportunities in Australia.
His mining electrical engineering business – the GTE group – has grown from a workforce of three to 104 in only eight years, a feat he believes would not have been possible in the UK.
‘You push yourself to actually go and do more,’ he said: ‘I would say I’ve done pretty well, and that I’m very successful. I wouldn’t have achieved this success in England.’
Although he missed family, friends and attending Manchester United matches, Darren said there was more of a ‘sense of community’, noting that Aussies were more willing to help.
‘There used to be that [sense of community] in the UK and certainly in the seventies when I was growing up,’ he said.
‘I think England’s changed a lot, because a lot of lots of you know, more people move around a lot more these days.’
Amber found it incredibly difficult to find work when she first came to Australia and even considered moving back home
But after meeting her ‘adopted grandma’ Kay Setches – previous minister for Victoria – through a Work Away position, she quickly learned the ropes of the country
Darren revealed that ‘virtually every person’ he knows, who has visited the sunny country has wanted to move
‘The only difficult thing is leaving family and friends at home, it was very very difficult. It took a bit of a toll on myself,’ he quipped.
Despite the difficulties, he urged other Brits to take the plunge, advising sun-seeking hopefuls to make sure they have ‘the right skills’ when making the move.
‘I think when people come over here, they’ve just got to give everything a go. They’ve got to give it the best shot,’ he added.
‘Come here with an idea of going to give you the best shot for two years and see how you get on – and meet people and talk to people.’
23-year-old Amber Myrlea also traded in her everyday life on the Isle of Man for work away job on Phillip Island off the coast of Melbourne after the loss of her brother.
‘Being stuck on an island for 23 years of my life, there’s not a lot of opportunities for young people and it kind of sucks the life out of you,’ she said.
‘You only have your connections and that’s it. There’s no fun and nowhere to go.
‘I understand why people would be skeptical – I had to quit my job, sell my car – and I didn’t know what I was coming to. I just had hope and faith it would work out.’
Crediting Kay as well as other Aussies for their kindness, the 23-year-old now hopes to stay Down Under permanently
Echoing Darren on how ‘welcoming Australians’ are, Amber said: ‘They’re very helpful, whenever you’ve got an issue. They’re generous people.’
She added:’ if I hadn’t met Kim, the lady I moved in with, maybe I would have had to return home to the UK.
‘But I needed somewhere to stay and she needed someone to look after her.
‘She’s been very influential to me. She’s an ex-member of parliament and there’s so much about Australia she has to teach me.
‘She has become an adopted member of my family – my adopted grandma.’
Among those taking advantage of the growing relocation opportunities in Australia is content creator Kody Egan, who moved to Australia in August with her partner, Joseph Horrocks.
The couple, who are both 27 and previously lived in Atherton, Greater Manchester, now live in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Despite only planning to stay in Australia for a short time, they now want to make a new life there.
‘We wanted a new challenge and to try something new after coming for a month of travelling the year before,’ Ms Egan told MailOnline.
‘We saved up and made the plunge – mostly to experience more of an outdoor lifestyle including the beach, surfing, hiking and all the amazing nature.
YouTuber Ms Egan loves the outdoor lifestyle that’s on offer Down Under
Kody Egan moved to Australia in August with her partner, Joseph Horrocks. They previously lived in Atherton, Greater Manchester
‘It’s a big change and we’d recommend doing what we did and come for a holiday first. We had no intention of living here at first, but wanted to after experiencing the people and the lifestyle! We’re so grateful for the Aussies, they’re great.’
Despite loving the Aussie lifestyle, Ms Egan – who runs YouTube account Eat Venture Vlogs – warned that the cost of housing was an issue.
‘Like in the UK there’s a housing crisis here, so rentals are really expensive – as are living costs in general. So it’s important to factor that in when budgeting for a move,’ she explained.
‘Coming over to live and work is very different from the holiday but we really are enjoying the experience. We’re big nature lovers so seeing all the new species of plants, birds etc has been incredible.
‘We started our YouTube vlog so our family and friends could see what we got up too daily as some of them really missed us when we left, but we’ve since reached a much bigger audience and the vlog is growing every day.’
Emily Brady, a 25-year-old nurse, headed Down Under last December with her 29-year-old partner Harry Bridges, a motor mechanic.
Despite only planning to stay in Australia for a short time, the couple now want to make a new life there
They quickly found well-paying jobs in Kalgoorlie, a mining city 370 miles east of Perth in Western Australia.
Ms Brady, who previously worked on a paediatric oncology ward in Wales, now earns up to three times more than she did in the UK.
‘While I loved the job, it was very underfunded, very short staffed and you could work as many hours as you wanted but you weren’t really given any recognition for that,’ she told The Times.
‘And I felt like it was just always an uphill battle. It was really exhausting. So I wanted to try nursing over in Australia where it was meant to be one of the best places in the world for nursing.’
The nurse said she particularly valued the better working conditions in Australia, adding that she and her partner now plan to stay and have children in the country.
