Bronwyn says: "It must sound strange but I still can't get used to the fact that it's safe enough to walk down the street to the local shops, or go for a jog to the beach because my life in South Africa was spent in constant fear of being mugged, raped or worse. In the end it was a tragic event which finally led us to leave to start a new life in Australia. My husband came home one day and broke down in tears, telling me a third young staff member from his sales business had died of AIDS. The disease is so common over there and it makes life so traumatic, especially when you know someone well. It was our rock bottom moment; we agreed we couldn't cope living there anymore and decided there and then to make the move to Australia where we had previously visited on holiday. We were already fed of living in a house set-up like a maximum security prison because of the terrible crime rates. We had to have electric gates, guard dogs and bars at the windows -and we could never risk just walking to say hello to a neighbour because it was far too dangerous to walk the streets. Even when we were in the car we were always worried about being carjacked. It was a big decision to leave and I desperately miss my family and friends but we are so much happier. When we first moved into this house we felt really nervous because it seemed so exposed without gates and bars but we soon got used to the fact that Australia is so much safer. It's the simple pleasures which I cherish now and I do hope people appreciate living here as much as we do."

Isabella Piccolruaz, 63, and her husband Englebert, 62, migrated to Australia together in 1969 from Italy. They have two grown up children, Danielle, 34 and Walter, 40, have lived on Australia Street for a year.

Isabella says: "It was with a great sense of youthful adventure which led us to decide to leave Italy 38 years ago to make a new life in Australia. We were not desperately unhappy there, we just fancied trying something new. I never forget happily skipping onto the boat in Naples with my husband and baby thinking how wonderful it was all going to be, but almost as soon as we left the port sea-sickness kicked in and lasted for the entire 32-day journey. We would stare out of the port hole into the blackened seas as giant waves smashed against the ship. As each miserable day passed I also began to feel increasingly anxious about the risk we were taking and what sort of life would be waiting for us. My fears were confirmed when we arrived and had to stay in a cramped, migrant hostel. It was so depressing and I kept weeping and wondering why on earth we bothered coming here. I can't believe we survived in that hostel for over a year until we could afford to rent our own unit. My husband had found a job as a wood carver of religious artifacts and we then had our second child. Over the years we gradually began to live a better lifestyle and we don't regret coming here. Last year we moved to our new modern duplex home on Australia Street and we love taking long walks every day along nearby beaches. We still speak Italian at home and miss the European culture, but being here in this lovely, peaceful road makes everything we worked for worth it."

Rangi says: "Very often I announce to the family that we need to have a family night where we have a Hangi, a traditional Maori method of cooking meat and vegetables over hot stones in the ground in our garden. I sometimes do it when I feel we have not seen enough of each other - we sing songs, talk and eat and generally have a great time together and it really unifies the family. It is very important to me that my children and grandchildren are reminded of their roots and culture. We still own a property in Rotorua in New Zealand which we left seven years ago for a new life in Australia. We decided that the work opportunities and economy were stronger here and we like it most of the time - except none of us are particularly keen when it's really hot. We miss the cooler climate of New Zealand as it's not so humid. We like the fact there is a real mix of nationalities on this road but to be honest we do like to keep to ourselves and don't really talk to the neighbours. We miss the fact that we can't just leave our door unlocked like we could in New Zealand and recently we have been talking about maybe going back there as we really do miss our Maori friends and family relatives. We are grateful for the chance to live here but I think it's true that there is no place like home."

Widow Doris Potter, 83, has lived on Australia Street for nearly 50 years. She has two grown-up children Sandra, 58 and Rhonda, 60, who live nearby. Doris is one of four adult residents living on the street born in Australia.

Doris says: "I must admit I've never been overseas, even to New Zealand , I just never had the money or opportunity. But that doesn't seem to matter now as the world seems to have gradually come to my street and I love the fact there are lots of different cultures here. I was surprised to learn though that I am one of the only residents here to have been born in this country, I didn't realise I had become that unusual. Not that I mind at all, I think its good that this country welcomes new people and there is plenty of space for everyone that's for sure. After all, my grandfather came to Australia from Ireland in the late 19th century so my family were from overseas too really. When I first moved to Australia Street in 1959 to start a family with my husband, who was in the Air Force, I thought that we would only stay for a couple of years before moving into a much bigger house. It was my dream to have a big property, but we could never afford it. The funny thing is that now I absolutely love my old single-story semi because as time has gone by most of the houses in the road have been knocked down and rebuilt into modern duplexes. I am good friends with a few of my immediate neighbours who look out for me, but I don't see much of the others. People always seem to be so rushed and stressed, they hardly have time to say hello. Most of the young women in the street seem to have very busy jobs, not many of them stay at home. My life was very different to theirs, I started work at the age of 14 to be a nanny and then when I married at 23 I became a housewife and looked after my husband and children. That's how life was then for women. I see people charging off at the crack of dawn and feel rather sorry for them. I'm lucky enough to stay at home all day and I love this street - I'm looking forward to spending the rest of my days here."

Chinese born Solan Tan, 40, and his Japanese wife Emi Suzuki, 37, have lived on Australia Street with their son Toshi, aged six, for five years. Solan runs his own building materials business and Emi is a housewife.

Solan says: "I can't help feeling proud when I turn into my driveway each evening after work and sometimes I just pause outside to admire the property and think back to when I first arrived as a student in 1988 from Guangzhou in Southern China. Life was very tough: I literally had no money, knew no-one and didn't understand a word anyone was saying. I was studying English and I was sharing a small bedroom with three other male students. It was so cramped and we used to have to take it in turns to sleep on the bed, otherwise we had to make-do with the floor. Days would be spent furiously learning the language in a city classroom before dashing to a restaurant to earn a meagre living as a kitchen hand. It was exhausting. I didn't think I would stay because everything was so hard, but I got a place on a year-long computer course which then led to a job assembly computer parts. Just as I was earning a decent pay packet I met my wife, Emi, in a Sydney bar, who had come to Australia from Japan to study English as a student. We married in 1998 and I've recently started my own business which is doing well. We can certainly achieve a better quality of life here in general because the weather is better in Australia, the pace of life is less frenetic and we have more freedom. We are free choose to have more than one child here, which would be illegal in China, but we are happy with one. We want him to understand his background so we celebrate special festival days such as Chinese New Year. We will never forget our heritage."

Lebanese born Albert Shalala, 44, a graphic designer, and his American born wife Catherine, 42, a technical writer, have lived on the street for 11 years with their two children James, 11, and Rebecca, aged eight.

Albert says: "I can still clearly remember the excitement of migrating as a young boy with my family to Australia from the Lebanon in 1966. I was only four and it was the first time I had been on a plane. I thought the whole thing was just magical and spent the whole journey staring out of the window. It was only years later I understood the journey had been terrible for my parents who were filled with anxiety about moving to a new country, with no jobs waiting for them. They were stepping into the unknown and were terrified about our future and whether it would all work out. Thankfully, relatives who already lived here helped them start their own bakery business, even though my parents had no experience in the trade. They worked remarkably hard and thanks to them I had a great upbringing in Sydney and I got a great education here. In 1989 Albert I met my wife, Catherine, who herself emigrated as a young child from the US with her family, who have a German heritage. The fact we have ended up living on Australia Street is perfect for us - everyone here is from different backgrounds and we are all accepted for who we are. Australia itself is wonderful because it has a lot of space but not many people. We have considered moving to the US in the past to have a change of scene and culture but we feel too attached to this country now, the lifestyle is definitely the finest in the world."