Useful Information for Students
A very informative guide:
Australian government, and other authorities, websites you should visit:
Overseas Student Ombudsman http://www.oso.gov.au/
ESOS Framework http://www.aei.gov.au/AEI/ESOS/EasyGuide_ESOS.htm
Australian Education International www.aei.dest.gov.au/ESOS
Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) www.immi.gov.au
Department of Education, Employment and Working Relations www.deewr.gov.au
Tuition Assurance Scheme www.acpet.edu.au
CRICOS register http://cricos.deewr.gov.au/
Overseas Health Cover http://studyinaustralia.gov.au/Sia/en/StudyCosts/OSHC.htm
The following services may be useful to know during your studies in Sydney.
| Service | Phone Number/Contact |
|---|---|
| Police, Ambulance or Fire (call in a life threatening or emergency situation) | 000 |
| State Emergency Service (SES)(call for help in floods or storms) | 132 500 |
| Directory Assistance | 12 455 |
| Royal Prince Alfred Hospital | 9515 6111 |
| Immigration and business, student and visitor visas (DIAC) | 131 881 |
| Department of Fair Trading | 13 32 20 |
| Mc Kell Building | |
| 2-24 Rawson Place | |
| Sydney NSW 2000 | |
| Doctors and Dentists | Ask our Student Support Officer for locations throughout Sydney |
| Emergency Health line |
Health Direct: http://www.healthdirect.org.au/ 1800 022 222 |
| Emergency Chemist | 9438 3333 |
| Salvation Army (general advice and support services) | 1300 36 36 22 |
| Smith Family (general advice and support services) | 9085 7222 |
| St Vincent de Paul Society (general advice and support services) | 9560 8666 |
| ABC Taxis | 132 522 |
| RSL Taxis | 9581 1111 |
Telephone Numbers
All landline telephone numbers can be found in the White Pages (residential) or Yellow Pages (business). These are also available on the internet:
www.whitepages.com.au
www.yellowpages.com.au
Using public telephones
You can buy phone cards from $5 to $50 in value from newsagents and chemists. If a phone accepts coins, it will take 10c, 20c, 50c and $1 coins only. A local call cost is 40c.
To call a Sydney telephone number from overseas, you need to include the country code for Australia (61) and the area code for Sydney (2). For example, to call the College (9212 7799) from overseas you would have to dial the international code relevant for your country and then 61 2 9212 7799.
To dial an overseas telephone number from Sydney, you need to dial 0011 + the country code + the area code + the telephone number.
Transport
You can call the transport information line on 131 500 for any timetable queries.
Sydney bus services information
www.sydneybuses.info
Sydney train services information
www.cityrail.info
Sydney ferry services information
www.sydneyferries.info
Trading Hours
Most shops operate 7 days a week and are usually open from 9.00am to 5.30pm with late night shopping on Thursdays until 9.00pm. Most supermarkets in the suburbs are open later.
Banks
Banks are generally open from 9.30am-4.00pm Monday to Thursday and from 9.00am to 5.00pm on Fridays. Banks are generally closed on Saturdays and Sundays.
To open an account of any nature you must take your passport and other forms of identification with you to the bank. Accounts with ATM access are preferable as there are many ATMs throughout Sydney and this makes accessing money very easy.
Australia Post
Post offices in Australia are called Australia Post and are open from 9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday and some branches are open on Saturday mornings. Whilst banking cannot be done at a post office, telephone and electricity bills can be paid through Australia Post.
Religion
Many different religions are practised throughout Sydney and the surrounding suburbs. If you wish to contact a particular religious group regarding locations or opportunities to practise your faith, please ask our Student Support Officer to assist you.