Police officer's amazing journey from Paignton to Adelaide

“I picked up an atlas when I was about five, I found out that Australia didn’t have any volcanoes and it rained less than England.”

That’s when Inspector Kelly Pusey from Paignton first decided that she wanted to move down under. After 14 years in the South Australian Police Force, she’s back in the Bay, encouraging others to make the same move. For the right candidate, this recruitment campaign could be the start of a whole new life.

Originally from Devon, Kelly Pusey grew up with her family in Torquay and Paignton. Most of her family have always lived in the area, her grandmother first arrived in the Bay by escaping across the Channel during the Second World War. Her dad is a keen Torquay United supporter, often seen with his harrier hawk, keeping seagulls off the pitch.

Like many officers, Kelly decided she wanted to join the force at a young age.

She said: “I always wanted to be a police officer as a kid because I liked going around and catching people being naughty.  When I went to university I did a law degree but realised that the only law that interested me was criminal law.

“The police just really appealed to me, so when I saw somewhere hiring new officers, it was a no-brainer.”

Kelly moved away from Torbay in 2005 to join Hampshire Constabulary. After five years, the opportunity arose for Kelly to fulfil her childhood dream.

“A colleague of mine had just emigrated to Australia to join the Police, so it was on my mind,” Kelly remembered.

“When they came to the UK on a recruitment campaign, it was just the right moment. I had just finished five years of service which was the minimum length. I told my partner, who is also in the force, that I’d love to go for it and he was just as keen.”

Both managing to secure a job with the South Australia Police Force, Kelly was soon en route to a new life on the other side of the world.

She said: “We were setting up our lives from scratch, that was quite daunting.
“But the South Australia Police Force were amazing in helping us settle in. They embraced us wholeheartedly and nothing was too much.”

While many aspects of the job were similar to England, the size and scale of policing what is effectively a continent was a new experience.

For three years, Kelly was posted in a community station in the Outback, where houses could be 20 miles apart and it was common to not see another human all day.

She said: “I was the only officer working in the town. I’d get up in the morning and go for a run through the opal mines. I wouldn't see another living person, just plenty of kangaroos and emus. Then I’d just go to work with all that on my doorstep. That’s how everyone lived out in the desert.”

Now living and working in Adelaide, Kelly and her husband have embraced the Aussie way of life.

She said: “I just love the lifestyle, you can't beat it. The weather is obviously amazing. I love the outdoors and South Australia has pretty much all the different things you can think of. There are fabulous beaches, there's mountainous ranges, there's wineries.

“In terms of the work, the policing is very similar, that’s why recruitment works so well from the UK. You get similar sorts of crime wherever you are, but what UK police officers do very well is communication. Communities in Australia are very strong, when you show them respect, they will embrace you. I certainly found that I was taken under their wing.”

After living in Australia with her now-husband, Kelly said the only thing she truly misses from the UK is her family, still based in Torbay.

Now, Kelly is back in England, looking for 200 police officers from the UK, Ireland and New Zealand to follow in her footsteps.

Offering a competitive salary, generous leave entitlements, recognition and rewards, visa costs and health benefits, the successful candidates will have the opportunity to continue their career in policing in sunny South Australia.

To be eligible, police officers must have at least 3 years’ experience in the last 5 years and be under 45 years old (for the purposes of the Visa).

Kelly added: “Do your research because it is a big move. However, for the right person, it’s an unmissable opportunity. If it’s something you want to do, then now’s the time to do it.”

More information can be found at: www.police.sa.gov.au.