Lois Nicholls
Lois Nicholls and her husband moved their family to Australia from South Africa to escape the "endemic" crime in their hometown. Ms Nicholls didn’t want her children to have an uncertain future and believed Australia could offer them more.
Since arriving, the couple has raised four children and continue to enjoy their new environment. Some of the family’s favourite camping spots include Moreton, Stradbroke and Fraser Island.
"We love bush walking and still marvel at feeling safe, even after all these years," Ms Nicholls says.
"[I was] sobbing all the way from Brisbane airport and realising this was not just a short holiday but a permanent move and I was leaving my entire family for good."
The family has been in Australia for 19 years. Source: Supplied
Ganesh Loke
Seeing Australia as a world leader in education, Ganesh Loke moved to Sydney in 1999 to further his studies in IT at Charles Sturt University.
Mr Loke moved to the western Sydney suburb of Parramatta and has lived there for 14 years.
In those years he has gone from poor uni student to movie producer to politician (contesting the seat of Parramatta in 2013 for the PUP) to entrepreneur and CEO of an Indian-Australian film company.
On his first day in Australia, Mr Loke remembers getting lost in Sydney’s CBD and having just $500 to his name.
"In Australia, I was on my own without any family support. It was quite a hard work but it taught me about self-dependence and paid off eventually."
Ganesh Loke. Source: Supplied
Andrew Whitelaw
Andrew Whitelaw moved from the small down of Dumfries, in the southwest corner of Scotland, to sunny Perth with his girlfriend (now wife) in 2010.
The couple came looking for work experience and an adventure but fell in love with Western Australia and decided to stay.
Mr Whitelaw says he was struck by the heat when he first arrived and was pleased at how easy it was to get around. "In the era of the internet, I could find out massive amounts of useful information: train times, locations of things, where to purchase haggis and even what the streets looked like through street view," he says.
'My first impressions were that the Perth was a very clean city with friendly people.' Source: Supplied
Nick Mleczko
Nick Mleczko was just 12 when his parents decided to make the move from frosty Bielsko-Biala, in Poland, to Melbourne.
The move was an economic one, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Mr Mleczko remembers his school being divided into "wogs" and "skips" and he didn't feel as though he fitted in with either group.
"[On a] very early morning bus drive from Tullamarine to the Enterprise hostel in Springvale, I saw a street sign saying 'One Way' and didn't know what it meant. I thought to myself that I must start learning English."
Nick Mleczko as a child (left) and today. Source: Supplied
Taufeeq Sheikh
Taufeeq Sheikh moved to Australia when his wife decided she wanted to study here and his own life in Mumbai had become "monotonous."
Mr Sheikh moved ahead of his wife to Sydney to make her arrival more comfortable, meaning he had to fend for himself in a country where he knew no one.
On his first day he had no one to call or friends to stay with and says he got by thanks to the kindness of strangers.
"India gave me birth but Australia gave me my personality. I always say that to myself and I am forever grateful."
Taufeeq Sheikh Source: Supplied
Hirotsugu Koretsune
Hirotsugu moved from Osaka to Sydney in 2009 looking for an adventure.
He wanted to experience different cultures and meet new people, and Australia struck him as a particularly multicultural country.
He came with little English but in his seven years he has managed a Japanese restaurant and worked for a local company which specialises in importing beers from overseas.
He now has two daughters and a wife who call Australia home.
"I was filled with lots of excitement so everything looked so bright to me."
Hirotsugu Koretsune as a child (left) and today. Source: Supplied
Guido Tresoldi
Guido Tresoldi's memories of moving to Australia from Bergamo, Italy, in 1974 are bittersweet.
The prospect of starting a tile business in Australia was too good an opportunity for Guido’s father to miss but for Guido, being an adolescent who couldn't speak much English, the move was difficult.
Since those early days, Tresoldi has had a largely happy life in Australia. He works as a librarian and lives with his partner and son.
It doesn’t take much to transport Tresoldi back to his first day in Australia - watching 'Bewitched' without understanding a word and marvelling at an electric kettle.
Source: Supplied
This story was produced as part of the , airing on SBS World News throughout January.
