Lashan Ranasinghe left Australia almost 10 years ago and has no regrets. Picture: YouTube
An expat who left Australia almost 10 years ago has revealed why he packed up his life to live abroad and why he is never coming back.
Lashan Ranasinghe quit Australia for good in 2017 after spending time abroad in Canada and Europe during his university years.
The civil engineering project manager spent a few years in Canada but moved to London in 2020 where he waited out the covid pandemic. He made the move to France in 2024 following the conclusion of the Paris Olympics.
Despite the high cost of property in London (renting in central London can cost an average £1600 (AUD $3000) a month) Mr Ranasinghe said he hadn’t looked back since leaving Australia.
The 32-year-old said his biggest issues with Australia were largely cultural problems he rarely encountered elsewhere in the world.
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Mr Ranasinghe spent time abroad during his university years which changed who he was as a person. Picture: YouTube
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“A big reason why I left Australia is the people. There are genuinely good people in Australia but after living abroad and coming back you tend to notice patterns and differences when averaged across the wider populace,” he said on his YouTube channel.
“There’s a reputation Aussies have about being laid back and chill but it’s really just surface level. When you grow up in it, there’s a cultural cancer holding this country back and it’s called tall poppy syndrome.
“If you have any ambition or desire to do something outside the norm everyone around you will ostracise you, cast out, bully you, tear you down repeatedly until you give up and do what everyone else is doing.
“You ever wonder why famous Australian actors like Chris Hemsworth or Margot Robbie all move abroad to kickstart their careers? Because staying in Australia is a dead end for them.”
Mr Ranasinghe highlighted his own career in civil engineering as an example of a lack of opportunities in Australia.
In Sydney, Mr Ranasinghe said he worked on projects like the widening of local motorways. By contrast, his first job in London was the upgrading of Heathrow Airport. Even the completion of Spain’s most famous cathedral – Sagrada Família – was orchestrated from London, Mr Ranasinghe said.
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Mr Ranasinghe has spent time in Canada and Europe. Picture: YouTube
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“For industries outside the major ones like healthcare, law, engineering, mining there’s a massive dearth of opportunities in Australia – even in those industries, there are way more opportunities if you take the leap and move abroad,” he said.
Mr Ranasinghe said Australia had a lot of amazing things going for it but he had no regrets about leaving, particularly because of the racism experienced during his time Down Under.
“Australia has a lot of great things about it – weather, beaches, food, best coffee in the world, good salaries, quality of life, education, health care,” he said.
“Out of everywhere I’ve lived there really isn’t anywhere better to raise a family than Australia. That’s the thing though – I’m grateful I was brought up there but I don’t regret leaving for a second.
“Australia likes to portray itself as multicultural and accepting but it is such a racist country, my God.
“It’s so endemic in our society you almost feel like you have to make jokes about yourself and the fact that you are different just to fit in. My parents are from Sri Lanka and while my background is Sri Lankan culturally I am Australian.”
Mr Ranasinghe’s views can contrast sharply with UK residents looking to travel the other way.
UK woman Chanel Buckland made the leap to Australia in 2022 where she established herself in Melbourne as a special needs teacher.
Chanel Buckland has been loving her new life in Australia. Picture: Supplied
The 28-year-old UK native is paying $310 a week for a room with an ensuite in a Richmond share house, an expense less than half the cost of renting in central London.
“People worked to survive in London and I like holidays – I wouldn’t be able to afford to travel if I wanted to in London,” Chanel said.
“It’s so easy to live here. My workload here is a lot better, employers don’t want you to burn out.
“I never called in sick at home. I tried to go into work with tonsillitis here and they sent me home. It’s not frowned upon to take time off for appointments.”
Ms Buckland said Australia’s work-life balance, attractive salaries, better weather and almost-double public holidays compared to the UK made the move a no-brainer for many Brits.
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