Queensland is well-known as the sunshine state. It’s tropical and sub-tropical climates mean that on average, a Queenslander will get eight hours of sun per day, sometimes with cooling afternoon thunderstorms. The state is also filled with an incredible range of natural and man-made attractions; it is home to many national parks and World Heritage-listed sites. A broad economy means many employment opportunities across the state. In a way, Queensland is a happy ray of sunshine. The state attracts people from across the world for holidays or to call the place ‘home’.
Queensland at a glance
Queensland is home to just under one-fifth of Australians. Queensland is diverse in flora and fauna, home to some of the most unique species in the world.
Population
The northern state is home to just over five million Australians. 2.3 million people live in the state capital, Brisbane. Queensland also has the nation’s largest non-capital population centre, which is the Gold Coast. The population is increasing at approximately 1.5% per year. Queensland is known for great diversity in its population, working in a broad range of industries.
Main Regions
The following are some of the more popular regions of Queensland. As the second largest state by area there are many places to go. The following regions offer much variation.
Brisbane
This is the fastest-growing capital city in Australia and the third largest. Brisbane is built on a winding river that splits the city in two. The city itself has many interesting mall-style streets made only for pedestrians. These streets have restaurants and cafes in the middle of them, an excellent place to have a meal or beverage of choice on a sunny summer day.
Gold Coast
Just south of Brisbane, the Gold Coast area stretches along 57 kilometres of coastline. This tourism hot spot is often home to major events, with surfers enjoying its many beaches, and families on holiday enjoying the many theme parks in the area. This area enjoys 300 sunny days per year.
Sunshine Coast
Just north of Brisbane sits the Sunshine Coast; home to beaches, national parks, resorts, magnificent scenery. While the Gold Coast is known for the city and parties, the Sunshine Coast is for the outdoor adventurer. This region is also home to Australia Zoo, made famous by the late Steve Irwin, Crocodile Hunter.
Fraser Coast
This area of Queensland is also known for its fabulous beaches. The Fraser Coast is where you will find Fraser Island, which is Heritage-listed as the world’s largest sand island at 123 kilometres long and 22 kilometres wide. Fraser Island is known to the traditional land owners as K’Gari, which means “Good Day, Welcome!”
Central and South West Queensland
These areas are well known for agriculture, mining, and industry. The area directly west of Brisbane is known as Australia’s salad bowl, with some of the world’s most fertile lands for growing vegetables. Broadacre and livestock agriculture are also significant enterprises across regional Queensland. Mining offers some of Australia’s most lucrative employment opportunities.
North and Far North Queensland
The state’s northern peninsula is recognised for lush rainforests, although they do provide many dangers with the exotic wildlife such as crocodiles and cassowaries. This is also the area of Australia well known for the Great Barrier Reef that offers opportunities for scuba diving. Year-round warm weather makes northern Queensland a tourism hot spot.
Climate
Queensland is the northernmost state and therefore one of the warmest places to live. It is less affected by the arctic air from the south that gives Australia its winter. Queensland’s sub-tropical climate offers two seasons; a rainy and humid summer with a dry winter. The average minimum temperature for Brisbane in winter is 9 degrees celsius, but its average maximum is 20. This makes for a warm winter compared to many places across the globe.
Lifestyle
Queensland has great diversity when it comes to the cultural aspect of the state. With people gravitating to Queensland lifestyle for mining, agriculture, or retirement with the year-round tourist atmosphere. The warmer climate makes a comfortable place to live for many, which is why so many people from the southern parts of the country choose to move to Queensland later in life.
Sports
Queensland takes great pride in sports. Golf, touch football, and netball are favourite pastimes for Queenslanders. The state takes great pride in its National Rugby League (NRL) teams, and enjoys rivalry with its southern neighbour New South Wales. Each year the two states have an NRL game series where professional footballers from each state compete to see which produces the best players.
Cuisine
Queensland’s food of choice is seafood, especially along the coast with such great access to fish, prawns, oysters, lobsters, and crabs. Many Queenslanders take the opportunity to catch and cook their own fish. Country Queensland prides itself in beef production, making steak another favourite. You can also combine the two; steak served with prawns is known as surf and turf. Queensland takes pride in fruit production, making it the perfect place to find mangoes, bananas, and avocados. These are often sold in small stalls on the side of the road.
Beverages
The area around Bundaberg in the north is famous for sugarcane, some of which is used to make the infamous Bundaberg Rum. The same company also takes pride in a non-alcoholic ginger beer. The beer of choice for the unrelenting heat in Queensland is XXXX Gold, a mid-strength lager that is crisp and refreshing.
Cost of Living
Comparing the capital city Brisbane to Australia’s most populated city Sydney, the average salary is lower and many purchases cost slightly more in Brisbane. However, the cost of housing is much more affordable in Brisbane compared to Sydney. With all factors considered, Brisbane is slightly more affordable to live in. That being said, across the state many items are found to cost slightly more than the national average.
Main Places of Interest
Given the number of tourism hot-spots, Queensland has many things to see and do across the state. The following are some of the main attractions.
Gold Coast Theme Parks
The theme parks on the Gold Coast are famous across Australia for family fun. Those living in the area get to enjoy off-peak access to the theme parks; the height of envy with Australian school children. The main theme parks are Sea World, Dream World, Movie World, and Wet‘n’Wild. Sea World is a marine animal park where you can swim with dolphins. Dream World is filled with rides such as roller coasters, for those who enjoy that level of excitement. Movie World also features high-adrenaline rides, as well as a range of movie-related activities. Wet’n’Wild is filled with water-related rides to cool down in the hot Queensland sun.
The Great Barrier Reef
This gigantic natural coral reef off the coast of northern Queensland is one of the seven natural wonders of the world. It’s a World Heritage area and the largest coral reef system on the planet. The 344,400 square kilometer area is perfect for snorkeling and scuba diving. It’s a great opportunity to not only see the coral reef but the many creatures that inhabit this spectacular ecosystem.
Daintree Rainforest
This is the world’s oldest rainforest, and another World Heritage site in Queensland. This area is incredibly diverse in life, home to 30% of Australia’s frog and reptile species, 65% of the country’s butterfly and bat species, and 18% of all Australian bird species. The Daintree is home to multiple dangerous plants and animals, but there are plenty of safe ways to enjoy the natural beauty.
Main Industries
Rich in natural resources, Queensland offers a great range of main industries for employment. These employment options do vary by region, so it’s worth looking at where to live before considering where to work.
Agriculture and Fisheries
Queensland offers a broad range of opportunities in agriculture across the state. In the south, broadacre wheat and barley farming along with vegetables are popular industries. Cattle farming is strong across most of regional Queensland, while there are many opportunities in fisheries along the coast.
Mining
Queensland is rich in mineral resources, with coal being a significant industry for many years. Many companies have recently explored with coal seam gas operations, although this is still considered contentious by many.
Tourism
Tourism is without doubt a major part of the Queensland economy. With tourism comes many opportunities across various occupations, including retail and hospitality. Up and down the Queensland coast there are needs for tour guides, restaurant workers, scuba diving instructors, and even workers in the many zoos.
Education
Queensland considers education as a high priority, providing mandatory education. There are almost 1300 government public schools across the state, along with almost 500 catholic or independent schools. The state is home to many tertiary education institutions. There are trade and technical studies that can be undertaken at the many TAFE trade schools, while Queensland’s many universities are well-known for strength in the fields of both agriculture and engineering.
Fun Facts about Queensland
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As the second-largest state, Queensland is seven times larger in area than Great Britain.
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Queensland has 100 tropical islands, 200 national parks, and five World Heritage-listed sites.
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XXXX is one of Queensland’s most well-known brands, established in 1877. The Breakfast Creek Hotel (Brisbane) still sells the beer from a wooden keg.
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If Queensland was its own country, it would be the 8th largest in the world.
- The Guinness World Record for the Longest-Horned Animal comes from Queensland. A steer named JR had horns that measured 2.77M from tip to tip.
Top Five Reasons to Live in Queensland
- Sunshine. Queensland receives more than eight hours of direct sunlight per day, on average. That is a lot of vitaminD.
- Broad range of beaches, national parks, and outback Australia for exploration.
- Subtropical and tropical climates mean basically saying ‘goodbye’ to winter forever.
- An easy-going and laid back population, Queenslanders are well known for being courteous and polite.
- The food. Pineapple, mangoes, and all of the prawns and steak you can eat if you want to.
Closing Thoughts
Queensland is the bright and sunny beacon at the top of Australia. It’s amazing climate combined with a broad range of outdoor activities make it a state that never stops. You can never be stuck inside and bored again with the adventures of Queensland. It’s diverse economy with both mining and agriculture make it a place that provides resources to the rest of the world. This ensures stable employment. Queensland without a doubt presents a great opportunity to live out the Australian dream.
Visa options for Queensland
Queensland is growing steadily – and is actively relying on migration and Australia’s skilled visa programs as part of that growth. You can find general information on Australian skilled visas here.
One of the Queensland Government’s stated priorities is to strengthen the “regional areas”, meaning the regions outside the capital Brisbane. A striking feature here: for visa purposes, almost the entire state of Queensland is classed as “regional”. The only exception is the Brisbane metropolitan area. This means that cities such as the Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast are treated as regional areas from a migration perspective – and therefore provide access to the corresponding regional visa pathways.
There is also a DAMA (Designated Area Migration Agreement) in place for the Far North Queensland region. This opens a work-visa pathway for prospective migrants whose occupations do not otherwise appear on the national skills lists. You can find more information on the DAMA in our blog article.
What can the visa pathway look like?
There are different ways to turn the dream of living and working in Australia into reality. The key is choosing the strategy that brings you closest to your goal – in other words, the visa option that offers the best prospects in your individual situation. Each visa subclass comes with its own set of requirements and is linked to specific rights and conditions. The best approach will always depend on your personal circumstances.
That is why it is important to approach your Australian visa pathway in a structured way and clarify the key requirements in advance, so you can avoid problems during the application process. Visapath Australia is happy to help you map out your roadmap to an Australian work visa. We advise you on the different options and support you step by step along the way.
