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[frenchgirl]

A really good friend of mine at the Assoc. Prof level (honestly, it isn't me) is on the short list for a permanent academic position at ANU in Canberra, Australia and hu asked me to ask the CHE grapevine whether anyone knows anything about working conditions at ANU and life in Canberra, etc.

Hu has been to the area before but never for more than a couple of days and is wondering if it would be a bit dull living in Canberra since it is rather isolated, compared to Sydney and Melbourne at least, and obviously far from friends and colleagues in the US. That said, ANU is the best uni in Oz and a top world university too(ranked #16 in world, I think), and hu is pretty keen to move up the career ladder. Down the line, hu ultimately wants to live/retire in the US but would be willing to give ANU a go for 5-10 years if prospects looked/sounded good. By comparison, hu is currently at a top 100 world uni but nowhere near the top 10, like ANU.

Any opinions on the school, city, or region would be appreciated. TIA.

[scotia]

One of my friends was a postdoc there in the early 1990s and described it as a great place to go to launch a career because there was little else to do but work. She lasted two years before moving to the UK.

[drpud]

My partner is from Oz and hu has heard that living in Canberra is pretty tedious but if one is single and willing to give it a go career wise it wouldn't be a totally bad move, I'm sure. Even though I'm not keen on living there myself, if my partner or I were offered a good position at ANU, we'd both would have to think hard about it before turning the job down.

[sandgrounder]

I know a few people who've been there but not stayed more that a couple of years. Generally they spoke very highly of the intellectual atmosphere there and thought it was a good place to work with many nice colleagues and that ANU was a good employer. The downsides were, as already mentioned, that no-one liked Canberra very much, and that there were some odd divides between graduate school and undergrad departments (approaching feud level in one case) that were difficult to deal with for newcomers. The other real snag with Australia is just the sheer expense of networking / conferencing outside Australia, which can make leaving again quite an issue if the US / Canada/ UK are preferred long-term homes.

[figee]

Canberra is, as others have noted, a long way from town.  ANU, however, is fantastic, and I'd certainly consider moving there if given the opportunity.

Bear in mind that mentioning that the move isn't likely to be permanent is not going to endear people at ANU - it's hard to get people to come here, and we (Australians) like it if people are aiming to stay.  And some people do love Canberra.  I think it would be easier if it was as part of a couple, as it can be very lonely.  And it can also get bitterly cold in winter, and stinking hot in summer.

[frenchgirl]

Canberra is, as others have noted, a long way from town.  ANU, however, is fantastic, and I'd certainly consider moving there if given the opportunity.

Bear in mind that mentioning that the move isn't likely to be permanent is not going to endear people at ANU - it's hard to get people to come here, and we (Australians) like it if people are aiming to stay.  And some people do love Canberra.  I think it would be easier if it was as part of a couple, as it can be very lonely.  And it can also get bitterly cold in winter, and stinking hot in summer.

Thanks for the above responses; I'll pass them along. My friend actually has a partner and kids so wouldn't have to worry so much about getting lonely. However, hu's partner may not be able to find employment and that could pose a real problem. Canberra sounds pretty blah thus far, but I'm assuming hu could afford a house there since it is so far from Sydney. Maybe that is a perk? I have no idea.

I actually know someone else who moved to Western Oz from the US over a decade ago, also with a partner and kids in tow. Things ultimately didn't work out between them and now hu is alone there; hu's disillusioned partner moved back to the US with the kids. In my (single) opinion, these international moves are probably easier on people who are single because then they don't have to worry if a spouse/partner can't find employment or hates the area or gets too homesick, etc. I've lived abroad on my own and it has been great but can imagine having many more complications with a partner or larger family to consider.

[figee]

Canberra is, as others have noted, a long way from town.  ANU, however, is fantastic, and I'd certainly consider moving there if given the opportunity.

Bear in mind that mentioning that the move isn't likely to be permanent is not going to endear people at ANU - it's hard to get people to come here, and we (Australians) like it if people are aiming to stay.  And some people do love Canberra.  I think it would be easier if it was as part of a couple, as it can be very lonely.  And it can also get bitterly cold in winter, and stinking hot in summer.

Thanks for the above responses; I'll pass them along. My friend actually has a partner and kids so wouldn't have to worry so much about getting lonely. However, hu's partner may not be able to find employment and that could pose a real problem. Canberra sounds pretty blah thus far, but I'm assuming hu could afford a house there since it is so far from Sydney. Maybe that is a perk? I have no idea.

I actually know someone else who moved to Western Oz from the US over a decade ago, also with a partner and kids in tow. Things ultimately didn't work out between them and now hu is alone there; hu's disillusioned partner moved back to the US with the kids. In my (single) opinion, these international moves are probably easier on people who are single because then they don't have to worry if a spouse/partner can't find employment or hates the area or gets too homesick, etc. I've lived abroad on my own and it has been great but can imagine having many more complications with a partner or larger family to consider.

Oh.  That's the other thing.  Canberra house prices aren't as bad as Sydney (nowhere in Australia is as bad as Sydney), but they certainly aren't cheap.  I'm not sure about jogs, but if you want to PM me more details about what field he's in, I'll have a quick look.

[jemima]

Another point. Housing in Canberra--buying or renting--is expensive. It's not as pricey as Sydney but is very dear relative to the size of the population. Your friend can get some idea of local prices at www.allhomes.com.au. The site has a map which can be used to identify suburbs close to ANU (the blank bit of the map next to Acton) for reference.

On preview: I second Figee.

[figee]

Great minds, Jemima, or fools?  :-)

[jemima]

Let's go with great minds until told otherwise...

[frenchgirl]

Thanks, jemima and figee. I took a quick look at the site you mentioned and holy cow, prices are high there too. Why is Oz so damn expensive!? I'll pass on the info. . .

[figee]

Expensive in some parts, which are nice to live in or have other attractions.  Take a looks at relative salaries, though, and it isn't as insane as it appears.  Well, mostly.

[octoprof]

Canberra is, as others have noted, a long way from town.  ANU, however, is fantastic, and I'd certainly consider moving there if given the opportunity.

Bear in mind that mentioning that the move isn't likely to be permanent is not going to endear people at ANU - it's hard to get people to come here, and we (Australians) like it if people are aiming to stay.  And some people do love Canberra.  I think it would be easier if it was as part of a couple, as it can be very lonely.  And it can also get bitterly cold in winter, and stinking hot in summer.

I can attest to the bitterly cold in winter bit. Brrr...

However, I enjoyed my visit there and agree with this bit:

I know a few people who've been there but not stayed more that a couple of years. Generally they spoke very highly of the intellectual atmosphere there and thought it was a good place to work with many nice colleagues and that ANU was a good employer.

[jeane1]

Hello

Am new to this forum, and probably too late to comment on this post, but then again, hiring in academia takes so long that this person probably is still considering whether or not to come to Canberra. And for others reading this post later, I'd just like to give a big warning about Canberra. Yes, the ANU is fantastic, but Canberra is the most awful place to live. It's quiet, boring, freezing cold in winter, horrendously hot in summer. It's expensive, with few attractions (apart from tourist things that you'd do once) or decent restaurants. It's also full of working class men who tear around town in their hotted up cars, generally making life even more unpleasant for others. If you do end up living in Canberra, you need to have an escape plan, and because jobs in academia are few and far between in Australia, the next job could be hard to find. The only good thing about Canberra, as others have mentioned, is that it's so boring that there really is nothing else to do but work. If that's a good thing...

[undisciplined]

I visited Canberra for three months while on fellowship, getting to know the area and quite a few faculty. I would take the naysayers on this thread with a grain of salt. "Bitterly cold?" Not by U.S. standards. I was there for the winter months and survived with only a leather jacket and lots of scarves and hats. Boring? Yes, compared with Sydney and Melbourne. But Canberra, being the capitol, offers exceptional museums and botanical gardens, and great outdoor recreational opportunities (the lake, bike paths galore, nearby destinations for skiiing and hiking), and is a quick trip to Sydney. For a family with kids, it could be really nice.