'Australia is not the fairytale I imagined,' says returned emigrant
Anna O'Reilly: 'Sure, it has better weather, but I think it’s a very isolating experience.'
A young Irish woman who emigrated to Australia has warned others planning on travelling that life down under is no "fairytale experience", after she experienced racism and discrimination in the workplace.
At first glance, Australia seemed to be a lovely fit for Dubliner Anna O’Reilly, who, like many young Irish people, decided to start a new life there. Anna, 25, moved to Brisbane last May as her friends had a room available in their house.
Her first impression was positive. She was wowed by Australia's natural beauty, and she landed a job — working 9-5 in event management.
However, over time her experience soured, as she witnessed racism and homophobia, prompting her decision to fly back to Dublin at Christmas, and move back in with her parents.
During her time in Australia, Anna said she endured a number of “unfortunate experiences” and that the work permit situation left her feeling like a “second-class citizen”.
“They are looking for working holiday visa people to basically come over, and you're treated kind of like a second-class citizen," she said. "They make it very, very difficult for you to upgrade yourself to permanent residency.”
In her workplace, where she was the only Irish national, she experienced discrimination.
“I went over to be there permanently, but obviously it didn't work out that way. I was being brought into behavioural meetings over things that should never be brought up in a workplace, and it was only ever me."
Anna firmly believes it was because she was the only Irish person employed.
"It all actually really boiled down to the fact that I was Irish, because I was the only Irish person there and everybody else was Australian,” she said.
She said she witnessed several incidents of discrimination and homophobia, which coloured her view of Australia, and that she would rather live somewhere "that aligns to my core values".
“Some of the things that I saw in terms of homophobia and discrimination, with racism towards people, it was very hard to see and I just was never gonna click with a place like that," she said.
Living in a “modern” city, she was surprised to witness casual racism and discrimination on a daily basis.
“Even if people were coming with their work and holiday visa from France, for example, people would turn around and be like, ‘Can you just speak English properly?’, or ‘Why are you here?’," she said.
"So it's just quite jarring to see when you're not used to it, and then to experience it yourself, you're not used to something like that.”
According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), an estimated 10,600 people moved to Australia from Ireland in the 12 months leading up to April 2024 — an increase of 126% compared to the previous year.
Despite having made a couple of local friends, Anna said Irish people tend to flock together.
“You’re going over 16,000km away; sure, it has better weather, but I think it’s a very isolating experience," she said.
“If you join a GAA club over there, you’re only going to be mixing with those kind of people and not having any sort of authentic experience. Because you’re not actually getting involved in the culture that’s around you, you’re mainly only socialising with people who are from where you’re from.”
While the large number of Irish people in Australia is what makes it feel like home for so many, Anna says it also makes it hard to integrate into Australian society.
“If you go over and you are looking for an Irish community outside of Ireland, that's the best place you're going to get because you're all going to be enjoying the sunshine, but you're going to be feeling like you're at home.
"That's exactly why people go, in my opinion. I wouldn't want to be around just Irish people all the time. It's just not really for me, but it definitely is amazing for other people who love it.”
Even though her experience was far from fairytale-like, Ireland could take some pointers from Australia, according to Anna, particularly when it comes to public transport and a living wage.
“The trains ran regularly," she said. "And if there was ever anything wrong, you would get a notification if your train line that you regularly used, if anything was delayed.
“They obviously pay you a living wage. If you do casual work, you can make it a living wage and they also give extra money for people who are working overtime, late nights, or on Sundays.
“They actually pay you for what life is like, it's like the government understands the trials and tribulations of life, and pay you accordingly, which is crazy to see.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
