Rudi Webel's Story

Ongoing violence and crime prompted Rudi and Shelagh Webel to leave South Africa in the late 1990s. Ten years later the anxiety of that time has been replaced by the security of their new life in Melbourne's eastern suburbs.

"We loved Johannesburg - it's a beautiful place - but the crime really got to us," said Rudi. "It was out of control. It directly affected our business and members of our family, so we decided enough was enough."

But preparing to leave wasn't simple for the Webels. It took several years for the couple to sell their successful metal forging business, which employed 20 people, and embark on the next phase of their lives - moving first to Canada and settling in Vancouver with their three sons, Leonard, Roland and Geoff.

"Vancouver was beautiful," said Shelagh. "It sort of seduced us, but we weren't prepared for the weather or the limited work availability. It was so cold and wet, and it was difficult for us to set up a business there."

Why we chose Victoria

The couple stayed for two years but finally decided Vancouver wasn't for them, and reconsidered Australia, which had always been high on their list. "Obviously the attraction to Australia was the good weather and the similar culture, plus we liked the idea of Melbourne because it was a manufacturing centre," said Rudi.

How we got here

"By searching on the internet I learnt about Victoria's State nominated visa category, and we decided to apply. We didn't use an immigration agent. I did it all myself by following instructions online. I filled in all the forms and sent them to the various departments, and once they gave me the go ahead on my skills as a toolmaker, our visa was processed in less than three weeks. We were shocked - it was so quick."

Rudi, Shelagh and their youngest son, Geoff, arrived in Melbourne in December 2003. The two older boys had moved out of home - Leonard to London and Roland to marry a high school sweetheart in Johannesburg.

What we love about Victoria

"When we landed in Melbourne we immediately felt at home even though we'd never been here before," said Shelagh. "It was the most wonderful feeling. I think we just knew this is where we wanted to be - the opportunities and the future for us were so promising."

Prior to arriving in Melbourne the couple got some advice about where to live by chatting online to other South Africans living in the city. But during their first two weeks they also rented a car and drove across Melbourne looking at possible areas to live.

"The general ambience and appearance of the eastern suburbs appealed to us immediately," said Rudi. "It just felt good. We also studied the demographics of the area because we wanted to make sure I could get a job as a toolmaker in a nearby industrial area such as Bayswater or Dandenong."

Finding work

Rudi's first job was as a technical representative for a company that provided metal die-casting services to the automotive industry. "They originally hired me to help them get new business but after about three months they asked me to take on the role of production manager. I ended up staying for two-and-a-half years, supervising about 40 employees including tool makers, maintenance staff, store personnel as well as packers and drivers."

Within a year the couple bought a house in Melbourne's leafy suburb of Ferntree Gully and Geoff completed his final year at school, going on to complete a diploma in business, marketing and event management.

At first Shelagh took a break from work and renovated their new home. "I'd worked all my life so I really enjoyed relaxing for a while. It was lovely. I also started going to a local gym and it was so easy to make friends. People are just so welcoming here. They have a great sense of humour too, which is very similar to our own."

Our new life

Shelagh is now back at work as a bookkeeper for a local real estate agents and loves discovering new parts of Melbourne and Victoria. "There's so much to see and do, so much to experience here. We love walking and there's some lovely parks and trails nearby. We also go for long drives. Victoria is so diverse. You've got mountains, beaches, forests and rivers, all within easy reach."

"Our life here is very relaxed," said Rudi. "There's no rush. We're at peace, and it's safe and stress free."

Since leaving his job as a production manager Rudi has set up his own business, Axess Trading, which imports health care products for the aged care and occupational therapy industry. "Our products are mostly handrails, however we are hoping to include showers heads and hand showers to our product range. The shower heads will have a water saving feature, which is very important in Australia."

The company has a warehouse in the eastern suburbs from where it packs and despatches all of its products, and is also importing semi-finished items and modifying them for the do it yourself market. "All up we're planning to supply about 100 products," said Rudi.

"We're trying to grow our market share at this stage and hopefully within the next five years we'll be nationally represented with outlets in every major city in Australia." There are also plans for Geoff to join his dad in business to help out with sales and marketing.

Another great thing about their new lives in Melbourne, said Shelagh, was meeting and getting to know the neighbours. "We've got such great neighbours. We catch up at least once a week. When we first moved in they introduced themselves by calling out to us and passing a beer over the fence."

The future

In 2006 Rudi, Shelagh and Geoffrey decided to be naturalised as Australians, and went to the ceremony together as a family.

"Without a question Melbourne is home now," said Shelagh. "We're just hoping that our two other sons can join us. Leonard is coming later in the year. He's been on holiday before but this time he's coming to look for work. We hope once he gets here he'll be excited by the opportunities and decide to stay. Roland is also planning to visit soon."

Further information

• Living in Melbourne
• Victorian Government business visa sponsorship.