# Hawthorn, Victoria is it safe ?



## Riza2012 (Mar 2, 2012)

Hi, I have a IT job opportunity in Hawthorn Victoria, the pay is not very good ($40,000) but i don't care i just need to land in australia atleast with some kind of income rather than going there with no job and huge risk of ending up in the streets as a PR, then afterwards i'll jump to another job.

Does anyone here know how is hawthorn ? it is near melbourne and i wanted to know if it is safe to live there? Can you walk around with no fear of getting stabbed, how is the crime there and is it some overrun dump  , is there lot of crime against asian from smalltown ********? The rents are surprisingly expensive btw, Appreciate your input!


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## Guest (Jun 12, 2012)

Nol idea about the area but that is a very poor wage! Do you have kids? A spouse who might work?


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## Bbay2Oz (May 10, 2010)

Riza2012 said:


> Hi, I have a IT job opportunity in Hawthorn Victoria, the pay is not very good ($40,000) but i don't care i just need to land in australia atleast with some kind of income rather than going there with no job and huge risk of ending up in the streets as a PR, then afterwards i'll jump to another job.
> 
> Does anyone here know how is hawthorn ? it is near melbourne and i wanted to know if it is safe to live there? Can you walk around with no fear of getting stabbed, how is the crime there and is it some overrun dump  , is there lot of crime against asian from smalltown ********? The rents are surprisingly expensive btw, Appreciate your input!


We lived in Hawthorn East for a little over a year. Hawthorn is a safe and very expensive suburb (decent house are priced well over $2 million). Of course you can walk around - glenferrie roadis an interesting road with lots of shops doting it). Also, plenty of Indian restaurants and grocery shops along burwood road in Hawthorn thanks to the large Indian population (am guessing students attending Swinburne). We go there quite often to do our grocery shopping.


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## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

I can't comment about the area but as a general rule, the more expensive rent is, the more upmarket an area is. 

Re crime, common sense would dictate that you exercise caution regardless of which area you are in. This is even more important when you are new to an area and do not necessarily know your way around. It would be unwise in such circumstances to be walking around on your own at night as one wrong turn can often lead you into an unsavoury area. It would be better in such cases to just take a taxi or bus until you know a bit more about the area and your surroundings.

The best way to learn about an area is to simply visit it and then go with your gut feeling. Some people may find an area alright but you may visit it and decide that it's not for you. I've had the same thing happen where I was recommended an area and viewed a property there and pretty much decided right there and then that I would not live there under any circumstances because I was getting a bad vibe and did not feel safe.

I don't think that people just go about targeting certain ethnic groups and stabbing people - think you may have been taking some news reports a bit too literally here. Exercise caution and keep your wits about you and you'll be fine. Just be street smart is my advice.


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## Riza2012 (Mar 2, 2012)

_shel said:


> Nol idea about the area but that is a very poor wage! Do you have kids? A spouse who might work?


lol i know but i dont care, no one wants to give job while overseas, i have PR but this is the only company willing to, i mean isn't it better to land there with a job then quit as soon as i get another one, atleast this way i dont have to live off my life savings (maybe partly) ? Rather than landing there jobless. i have wife yes once we land she will work hopefully


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## Riza2012 (Mar 2, 2012)

Bbay2Oz said:


> We lived in Hawthorn East for a little over a year. Hawthorn is a safe and very expensive suburb (decent house are priced well over $2 million). Of course you can walk around - glenferrie roadis an interesting road with lots of shops doting it). Also, plenty of Indian restaurants and grocery shops along burwood road in Hawthorn thanks to the large Indian population (am guessing students attending Swinburne). We go there quite often to do our grocery shopping.


Yes you are right the rent is v expensive i noticed, from pictures it looks like some small town i am surprised it is so expensive  , do you know why from your experience it is so expensive despite being such a small town type location?. Sounds like a safe place to work / live. thank you for your information. 

https://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&q=hawthorn+victoria&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF-8&hl=en


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## HousewifeDownUnder (Jun 12, 2012)

I live in this area. Hawthorn is a very nice neighbourhood, but it is quite pricey compared to some others. I think you might have a hard time living here on that salary. Average rent in my immediate vicinity is about $600 a week for a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom flat. If you want to buy a home, you'll be looking at average prices around $1million.

But it is a very safe area and conveniently located to most everything you could need. I think that sex offender up in Kew is still at large, but I've never encountered anything myself that has made me feel unsafe. I don't know if you have children that you are thinking about or not, but I see a lot of young kids out and about on their own here and there seems to be plenty of good schools in the area to choose from.

Also, not sure what kind of IT job you are looking at, but that seems quite low for the field in general. You might want to consider comparing that salary to other similar jobs out there before accepting only $40k.

Hope this helps you!


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## Bbay2Oz (May 10, 2010)

Bbay2Oz said:


> glenferrie roadis an interesting road with lots of shops doting it).


lol, I meant dotting it not doting it!!


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## Bbay2Oz (May 10, 2010)

HousewifeDownUnder said:


> Average rent in my immediate vicinity is about $600 a week for a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom flat.


Wow, that is really expensive. Must be a new build with a lot of facilities? The rents are generally not too high in Hawthorn due to the large student population in the suburb.

You can also find decent 2 bed fully furnished apartments for a little over $300 a week. E.g. this one:

207 & 407,28 Queens Avenue, Hawthorn, Vic 3122 - Apartment for Rent #403745422 - realestate.com.au

My daughter used to take the train from Auburn sometimes to go to school


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## Bbay2Oz (May 10, 2010)

Maz25 said:


> It would be unwise in such circumstances to be walking around on your own at night as one wrong turn can often lead you into an unsavoury area.


Very true and I wouldn't venture out late at night (neither here nor in any other country for that matter) irrespective of how safe the place is.


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## HousewifeDownUnder (Jun 12, 2012)

Bbay2Oz said:


> Wow, that is really expensive. Must be a new build with a lot of facilities? The rents are generally not too high in Hawthorn due to the large student population in the suburb.
> 
> You can also find decent 2 bed fully furnished apartments for a little over $300 a week. E.g. this one:
> 
> ...


It's not a new building, but I think it is considered a very desireable neighbourhood because of its proximity to a lot of amenities. As an American, I find the prices here to be outrageous. We own and don't rent, but for a while, before I came along, my fiance was renting out our flat while he lived elsewhere and that was the market rate for this neighbourhood as of late last year. I don't think it has gone down any. We're a bit closer to Richmond, though, and that may have something to do with it, but I find the whole pricing of real estate here to be a bit baffling. I'm glad I didn't have to go through the trouble of finding housing all on my own when I came here. I can imagine it would be overwhelming.


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## Weebie (Sep 16, 2009)

HousewifeDownUnder said:


> It's not a new building, but I think it is considered a very desireable neighbourhood because of its proximity to a lot of amenities. As an American, I find the prices here to be outrageous. We own and don't rent, but for a while, before I came along, my fiance was renting out our flat while he lived elsewhere and that was the market rate for this neighbourhood as of late last year. I don't think it has gone down any. We're a bit closer to Richmond, though, and that may have something to do with it, but I find the whole pricing of real estate here to be a bit baffling. I'm glad I didn't have to go through the trouble of finding housing all on my own when I came here. I can imagine it would be overwhelming.


Nice Area Hawthorn but on 40k a year you won't be living anywhere near it I'm afraid.


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## Riza2012 (Mar 2, 2012)

HousewifeDownUnder said:


> I live in this area. Hawthorn is a very nice neighbourhood, but it is quite pricey compared to some others. I think you might have a hard time living here on that salary. Average rent in my immediate vicinity is about $600 a week for a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom flat. If you want to buy a home, you'll be looking at average prices around $1million.
> 
> But it is a very safe area and conveniently located to most everything you could need. I think that sex offender up in Kew is still at large, but I've never encountered anything myself that has made me feel unsafe. I don't know if you have children that you are thinking about or not, but I see a lot of young kids out and about on their own here and there seems to be plenty of good schools in the area to choose from.
> 
> ...


Thank you so much, yes u r right it is low. It is a systems analyst but a Junior role. honestly i am overqualified but like i said its the only company willing to give me a job while i'm overseas, once i'm there i should be able to find a proper job. Unless i'm making a wrong decision hope not


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## Riza2012 (Mar 2, 2012)

Bbay2Oz said:


> Wow, that is really expensive. Must be a new build with a lot of facilities? The rents are generally not too high in Hawthorn due to the large student population in the suburb.
> 
> You can also find decent 2 bed fully furnished apartments for a little over $300 a week. E.g. this one:
> 
> ...


the link you provided is located in South Yarra, not hawthorn


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## Riza2012 (Mar 2, 2012)

No i already have 175 Visa, they are just offering me a job. I have the PR visa but i'm still overseas.


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## Guest (Jun 12, 2012)

I realise that now  didnt see a timeline so assumed you were being sponsored!


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## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

Riza2012 said:


> lol i know but i dont care, no one wants to give job while overseas, i have PR but this is the only company willing to, i mean isn't it better to land there with a job then quit as soon as i get another one, atleast this way i dont have to live off my life savings (maybe partly) ? Rather than landing there jobless. i have wife yes once we land she will work hopefully


Most employers use the lack of local experience as a rather convenient excuse to offer migrants lower salaries. But the good news is that you can move on after 3-6 months with that much valued local experience on your CV and start earning the wage that is commensurate with your experience. You certainly have the right idea with your thinking, particularly as you have a family to think about though I still think that the company should have at least offered a bit more money.


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## Bbay2Oz (May 10, 2010)

Riza2012 said:


> the link you provided is located in South Yarra, not hawthorn


No, it is Hawthorn. The agent is in S Yarra.


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## Riza2012 (Mar 2, 2012)

just want to update everyone here, that in the end that employer REJECTED me because the CEO REFUSED to hire me WITHOUT face to face interview.

i did video conference interview they were happy to hire me, but the big boss refused 

Anyways i tried thnx all for help. Moral of story = australia still lives in stone age face to face interview culture. Video conference not considered satisfactory 

and conclusion getting job while overseas = impossible (simply due to face to face interview requirement)


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## Guest (Jun 14, 2012)

sorry you didn't get it. Agree with the stone age bit and its not just about interviews! Local experience, australian qualifications or you're just not 'australian' enough  

Keep in touch with them, they might still want you once you are there.


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## stormgal (Sep 30, 2009)

I still think that was pretty good of Riza2012 to be considered from overseas! That shows he has great interviewing skills!


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## Guest (Jun 14, 2012)

Agree, it is one of the irritations of migrants that despite holding PR visas employers totally ignore their emails and job applications. 

To get an interview is amazing and to be the one they want bar a stone age CEO goes to show what can be achieved quite quickly once you are in Australia.


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