Once you arrive in Australia, you can open a bank account with no identification other than your passport for the first number of weeks (it depends on the bank - about 6 weeks is typical). Aftet that you need additional forms of ID under the 100 point system that operates in Australia. A passport and driving licence are enough evidence to meet this requirement.

How do I get an Australian driving licence?

Australian driving licences are administered at state/territory level, and regulations vary as a result. You will normally need to obtain a state licence within 3 months of taking up residence in the state (you can use your overseas licence in the meantime).

You may need to do a practical test unless:

you have a New Zealand licence; or
you hold a current overseas licence and have previously held an Australian licence - the exact regulations in this area can be complex and vary from state to state
you hold a current licence issued by an overseas country - including most of the European Union nations, Canada, the USA and Japan - whose licensing system is recognised as similar to Australia's. All Australian states and territories are moving to grant this exemption - as of May 2002 it has been implemented in WA, Victoria, NSW and Queensland.
If you are moving to another state/territory you will need to check with the government directly as to whether they have implemented this scheme or not.
If you have held your overseas licence (even from a non fully-recognised country) for a number of years, you should be exempt from probationary restrictions once you pass your test.

In NSW the theory test is computer based and can be taken at any RTA office. It does not matter if you fail the theory test - you just try it again, except that since January 2002 there is a fee of AUD30 for each attempt. The theory test can be practised online. However, if you fail the practical test you lose your visiting driver privileges straight away. You need to obtain a NSW learner licence until you pass the test, and until then you are subject to learner restrictions (eg you can't drive alone and you are subject to an 80kph speed limit). However, even if you only pass the practical test a second time, you are still not subject to probationary restrictions once you do pass as long as you have held an overseas licence for three years.

Under NSW regulations, you can keep your overseas licence once you obtain a NSW licence (whether learner or full) but your overseas licence will be endorsed so that it is no longer valid in the State.

You need proof of address in the State to get an NSW licence. This can be quite simple, any offical letter addressed to you there should do. If you are staying with friends and don't have anything official, one of them can sign the form to vouch for you as long as he/she holds a NSW licence.

People on temporary visas in NSW can keep using their overseas licences for longer than three months. They can get a NSW licence if they wish, but will need to go through the testing process. One 'advantage' of continuing to use an overseas licence is that as far as I know you can't get demerit points for things like speeding (although you can still be fined, and in extreme cases your visiting driver privileges could be taken away).

Bear in mind that in Australia, you generally have to carry your driving licence (whether Australian or overseas) with you at all times. This is different from the practice in the UK

What social welfare benefits are available if I migrate to Australia and can't find a job straight away?
You are expected to support yourself for 2 years after arriving in Australia without recourse to welfare. As part of the migration process, you need to sign a form accepting this.

Those who have lived in Australia previously as permanent residents (such as those migrating under the Former Resident category) may be exempt.

Does an Australian PR living overseas have to file an Australian tax return?

Permanent residence in Australia for migration purposes and residence in Australia for tax purposes are entirely separate. It is possible to hold Australian PR and not be an Australian tax resident, and it's also common for temporary residents to be liable for Australian tax. Only an Australian resident for tax purposes, or someone who has income sourced in Australia, may have to file for Australian tax.

If I leave my investments overseas, will I have to pay Australian tax on the income?

Once you are resident in Australia, you will be generally liable for Australian tax on your worldwide income, whether you bring it into Australia or leave it overseas. In particular, make sure you comply with Australia's Foreign Investment Fund taxation regulations, if you have any investments (including pension funds and insurance policies) located outside Australia.
Australia has agreements with many countries to avoid double taxation of people in this position, but these are not necessarily comprehensive. Depending on the sums involved, it may pay to get professional tax advice.

Can I join an Australian police force or work in the public sector as an Australian PR?

Some public sector jobs across Australia, including in the police forces, are open to both citizens and PRs. The majority of State/Territory government jobs are open to permanent residents (it depends on the state, NSW government jobs are mostly open to permanent residents) unless special circumstances apply. The Commonwealth (federal) government normally requires Australian citizenship, however if you are a permanent resident eligible for citizenship you can sometimes be engaged on a probationary basis.

What happens to my pension when I move to Australia?

Potentially a very difficult question. Australian pension (superannuation) law is complex, and I know for a fact how complicated the UK pension system is.
You will have to firstly find out whether

you can transfer your pension fund to Australia (both your home country and Australia must permit the transfer)
if you leave your pension fund in your home country, how will it be taxed both there and in Australia.
Just because something is 'tax free' under your own law, or held outside Australia does not mean that it will necessarily be exempt from Australian tax. In particular you need to beware of Australian Foreign Investment Fund tax. Furthermore, if you leave your pension in a country with an unstable currency or foreign exchange controls, will it be worth anything to you when you come to retire?

If you have the choice of leaving your pension fund overseas or transferring it to Australia, you will have to think about a lot of factors, including:

your future plans. Will you be staying in Australia for ever, do you plan to return home to retire perhaps, or maybe move to a third country? What will happen to your pension if you transfer it to Australia and subsequently go elsewhere?
the taxation consequences of leaving your pension where it is versus transferring it.
your age what other investments you have. Do you want all your investments held in Australia or perhaps leave a portion overseas to balance your portfolio? your attitude to risk keeping options open ... you may be able to leave your pension where it is for a while and transfer later when your future plans are more clear. However in some cases there is a significant tax impact depending on whether you transfer within 6 months of becoming resident or not.
The ideal is to speak to an independent, professional financial adviser who is familiar with the systems in both your home country and Australia. Beware of anyone who lives by commission only - someone who will be unemployed unless he sells products is probably not the best source of unbiased advice.

What household goods should I bring / not bring to Australia?

That's a very personal decision, and often depends on which country you are coming from. Australia's electrical system operates on the same voltage as in Western Europe, but the plugs are different and you will need to either change them or use a socket adapter (available for about AUD9-12 each). If you are coming from North America, you will additionally need a voltage adaptor, which is more expensive.
Shipping companies will generally charge by volume rather than weight.

Televisions: As there are a number of different TV standards in the world, a television is mostly not worth bringing, unless it's a particularly expensive model, or is designed to work in Australia as well as your home country. Some more recent models are multi-region. Check with the manufacturer for details.

VCRs: A UK VCR should work in Australia to play video tapes, but will be no good for recording Australian TV programmes. Any VHS video tapes you have will play on an Australian VCR. Again, if it's a recent or expensive model, it may work in Australia as well as at home - check with the manufactuerer.

DVDs: A DVD player from the UK should work in Australia. However, due to the region coding system operated on many DVDs, you may have problems playing 'Region 4' DVDs bought in Australia on a 'Region 2' DVD player brought from the UK, or vice versa.
The best option with a DVD player is only to buy one in the first place that is capable of playing DVDs from all regions of the world.

CD players: CD players should work without any problems, and CDs you bring will play on an Australian CD player.

PCs: PCs should work without any problems in Australia. Monitors should work also, although there have been reports of slight distortions caused by bringing a monitor designed for the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern Hemisphere (it didn't affect my monitor, though).

Telephones: You will need to be careful in attaching any non-Australian telephone unit to the Australian phone network, and it's best to check with the Australian authorities in advance. Your moving company may be able to help. Fixed line units may only require an adaptor, whereas cordless phones may not be acceptable due to the radio frequency they operate on.
Mobile Phone. Your mobile phone will work in Australia, as long as it can operate on the GSM-900 frequency. Most phones sold in recent years will either work on this frequency alone or are designed to be 'dual band'.
What you will probably need to do is get the phone unlocked to work on a different network from the one you've used it on initially. If you've bought the phone on a subsidised deal recently that may not be possible without payment, otherwise it should be. Ask your phone network or go to the manufacturer of the phone. It's definitely easier to do this before leaving.
Household white goods (fridges, washing machines etc, cookers): Because of high shipping costs, it is usually better to buy new ones in Australia. In addition, some appliances may not be designed for Australian conditions (eg fridges from Northern Europe may not be sufficiently effective for the climate in most parts of Australia). Having said that, use your judgement - if it's especially high quality then you might want to consider bringing it. However, there's no guarantee you'll be able to make it fit where you want it in your new home in Australia.
Small household appliances (kettles etc): Bring them.

Cars: Shipping costs, import duties, parts availability and resale values make importing a car from Europe or North America very costly compared to simply buying a new car in Australia. Plus the fact that a left hand drive car from continental Europe or North America will be less suitable for Australia, where you drive on the left. Unless there are very special reasons, it's usually better to sell and buy a new one.
Furniture: Generally best to bring it, unless it's junk. Furniture is not cheap in Australia. If it's made of certain materials (eg bamboo) there may be customs/quarantine issues - check with your shipper.
Although beds are bulky, you should consider bringing good quality ones.
Many Australian houses and apartments have built-in wardrobes.
Self-assembly furniture should not be disassembled if at all possible.
Garden equipment: OK to bring it, but it should be cleaned thoroughly.
Bits and pieces (plates, cooking utensils, etc): Bring them (again, unless they're junk). You'll be surprised at how much it will cost to replace the lot in Australia, you will save yourself time and have the comfort of familiar things. You'll then only need to buy the things you need in emergencies until your own goods arrive.
If you're from the UK, bring some electrical socket boards. This will mean you can just put a single Australian plug adapter on the end and plug in all your UK plugs without needing to change them. Although it's possible to put adapters on each plug, you'll find Australian sockets are very close together and two plugs with adapters won't fit alongside each other.
Shipping rates are based on volume, not weight. It is possible to make a saving by using a shared container (groupage) but this can sometimes be a little slower. Also, once the amount to be shipped reaches 75% of a container volume, there's little extra cost in having a full container. In such a situation, you could consider filling up the container with things you're not sure about taking (subject to quarantine) - the marginal cost would be close to zero.

I can't find a contact number for the Australian Taxation Office that I can ring from outside Australia?

Many of the contact numbers on the ATO website are '13' numbers that can be called at local rate from anywhere in Australia. These often can't be called from many countries overseas. Try prefixing the '13' number with +61 and see what happens. Failing that, try the main ATO number in Canberra at +61 2 6216 1111 - they should be able to put you through to the right department.

Are migrants eligible for the AUD7,000 first time buyers grant for house purchases?

Yes. An example of the details is given from the NSW scheme below:
Treasury First Home Assistance

How does Medicare work for migrants?

As soon as you arrive as a resident, you should visit a Medicare office with proof of your PR status. You will be able to register for Medicare straight away (in fact you can do this even if you're on a holiday validating your visa), and you will get a temporary Medicare card. Once you've done this, if you need to see a doctor, just go to any medical centre (many of which open all day, 7 days a week) and wait your turn (not at all like the UK where you must register with one specific GP and getting appointments is very difficult). Many medical centres will 'bulk-bill,' in other words they bill Medicare directly and you don't pay at all (provided you have your Medicare card with you)..

If the medical centre doesn't bulk-bill you need to pay (AUD35 is typical for a GP consultation) and you can claim about 70% the money back in either cash or electronic funds transfer to your bank account if you bring the receipt and your Medicare card.
If you need an X-ray or other tests you can get these at pathology centres which are located in almost every suburb. You normally need to be referred by a doctor. Again most of these places will bulk-bill Medicare directly, or you can claim most of the cost back.
You should get used to carrying your Medicare card with you at all times in Australia.

How do you get a Tax File Number?

Call in at any ATO office with your passport and proof of address. If you are only validating your visa with a holiday, they will still accept an overseas address and send your TFN notification there.

Where should I think about settling in Australia?

A very big question. You've got four main factors, the job situation, the cost of real estate (whether to buy or rent) and the climate. Plus whether you have relatives/friends locally. That can make a big difference in settling in.

Sydney. Has a great (although often windy) climate and a vibrant economy. The big disadvantage is the cost of real-estate - it's a lot more expensive than elsewhere in Australia. Even if you go to the far western suburbs like Campbelltown, or the Central Coast (Gosford area) you will find your dollar does not go nearly as far as elsewhere in Australia. And living in these areas will involve a long commute if you are working in the Central Business District.
In my opinion, families with children should strongly consider settling in another part of Australia. Single migrants or couples without children could think about Sydney as maybe a location for a few years, but be prepared to move interstate when children arrive.
A compromise if you want to live in this area might be to live in Newcastle or Wollongong, but you would need to find work locally in these cities as although cost of living is lower, neither are generally within commuting distance of Sydney on a day to day basis. Both these cities suffered industrial trauma in the late 1980s/early 1990s when a lot of their heavy industries shut down, and although they are recovering, they still have their problems. Newcastle, for example, has one of the highest unemployment rates of any Australian city.

Melbourne. Melbourne's climate is very different to Sydney's. Winters are colder (about 14C/57F) on a winter's day, about 3C/5F colder than in Sydney. That makes a big difference to the lifestyle you can have, especially as Melbourne skies in winter are a lot greyer than Sydney's. In summer, Melbourne is probably better than Sydney, in that it's equally warm and drier (also less humid). Even in summer though, Melbourne's weather can be variable.
Melbourne is probably a more liveable city than Sydney, its road system in particular is better. Melbourne's economy is a lot stronger now than in the early 1990s, and it remains the centre for Australia's manufacturing industry. Real estate in Melbourne is about 30-35% cheaper than in Sydney.

Brisbane. Has a wonderful climate (winter about 21C/70F), although summer is relatively wet and humid. Brisbane's economy is fast growing and diversifying, and real-estate is far more competitively priced than Sydney or even Melbourne. A downside of Brisbane is that the city centre is somewhat tattier than the other major state capitals in Australia.
A recent problem in Brisbane is an infestation of fireants in some suburbs (two separate epicentres, one in the south west and one near the port). The Queensland government is trying hard to eradicate this pest - discovered in early 2001 - but in the meantime there are reports that infested areas have been affected by real-estate blight.
It is possible to live on the Gold Coast and commute into Brisbane (about 1 hour). The Sunshine Coast to the north, however, is a little too far away to commute to Brisbane on a daily basis.

Perth. Almost like a mini-California, Perth has great prospects. It has possibly the best climate in Australia (mild in winter, hot and dry in summer), a fast growing economy (with a lot of emphasis on resource based industries) coupled with relatively cheap real-estate and terrific beaches and parks. The biggest disadvantage of Perth is its isolation - Adelaide is your nearest substantial neighbour and that's over 3 hours flying time away.

Adelaide. Although a lovely city, Adelaide has lagged the rest of Australia in recent decades. Adelaide's biggest advantage is it's low cost of living - it has the cheapest real-estate of any major Australian city. Finding a job is more difficult though, although not impossible. However, if your profession is something like nursing or teaching, Adelaide might be quite a good choice. Nurses and teachers, for example are in demand throughout Australia and because of the low cost of living, people in these professions will probably have a higher standard of living in Adelaide than they would have in Sydney or Melbourne.
Adelaide is on roughly the same latitude as Sydney but its climate is very different. Adelaide's winters are cooler and wetter than Sydney's, but its summers are normally hotter and drier.

Canberra. Although the ACT government is trying to encourage other industries to locate there, Canberra is very much a government city. Which can cause a problem for migrants as Australian citizenship is required for most federal government jobs.
In comparison to Sydney, Canberra is quite cold in winter (by Australian standards), with about 12C/54F during the day and night-time temperatures often dropping well below freezing (-5C is quite common). Summer though is hot and dry, and Canberra's skies are often clear and sunny throughout the year.
As a planned city, Canberra is neat and orderly and very easy to get around, but not nearly as 'lively' as city as Sydney or Melbourne. If that's what you're looking for, then Canberra is not for you. But the area around Canberra is very beautiful (as long as you're not looking for beaches on your doorstep) and the ski fields in winter are only a few hours drive to the south.

Hobart. Tasmania is probably only for a specific type of migrant who's not looking for an especially warm climate (Tasmania's climate is similar to that of North West Europe, with average daytime temperatures in high summer of 22C/72F). That said, leaving climate aside, Tasmania can offer a very good lifestyle provided you can find a job there. The state has traditionally lagged the rest of Australia and unless you have specific skills in demand there finding a job may be difficult. Once you do find a job, salary levels won't be as high as elsewhere in Australia, although the cost of real estate is also low.

Darwin. Once a backwater, Darwin is now one of the fastest growing areas in Australia, helped by its proximity to Asia and new projects that will be completed in the next few years (development of the Alice Springs - Darwin railway and Timor Sea gas, to name but two). Darwin's population is still relatively small, at 100,000 and its isolation from the rest of Australia means that the cost of living there is higher than in most other States. Nevertheless, if you are looking for somewhere more unusual and exciting to live in Australia, Darwin could be worth investigating. The still small size of the Northern Territory economy means that the job market isn't as broad based as elsewhere and finding a suitable role might take longer. The biggest challenge for someone from the UK moving to Darwin would be the climate - especially in the wet season from November to March/April. Temperature-wise, Darwin at this time of year is often no hotter than Perth, but it is a lot more humid.
There are opportunities elsewhere in Australia, especially in regional centres in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia. In terms of size, some of these towns and cities, like Townsville and Cairns in Queensland can rival Darwin or Hobart, as can the opportunities they offer. But you would need to investigate the location thoroughly before deciding to move there.

Realistically, the four main centres of economic activity in Australia are around Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. And in my opinion alone, the best compromises between economic opportunities and cost/quality of living - especially for families - are offered by Brisbane (although this might change if the fireants take hold there) and Perth.