Skilled Migrants

Country

United Kingdom

Occupation

Engraver
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"We were literately living in a shoe box, renting a tiny flat in London. When we looked for houses in Adelaide we were shocked by the size of the properties and the spacious backyards we could have for a similar amount of money."

Assisting in the upkeep of the British Royal Family’s Crown Jewels helped pave the way for Ray Hood’s move to Adelaide. The hand engraver’s six-year apprenticeship at Mayfair-based Garrard & Co – one of the world’s premier jewellery manufacturers – helped him acquire the skills that ultimately led him to apply for a South Australian skilled migration visa. 

In 2012, Ray and his partner, Carly, made the move to Australia. Within weeks of arriving in Adelaide he had landed a job. After just eight months in that role Ray launched his own business – London Engraver – in the heart of Adelaide’s CBD. 

The support from the community has been incredible. I have local and interstate clients that contact me to do all sorts of engraving, from jewellery, heraldry and antique restorations to portraits of pets, trophies and wax carving. I was also given the honour of engraving the Parliament of South Australia’s ceremonial mace as part of its recent restoration.

Ray is now a permanent resident of South Australia, having found a niche market for his engraving skills. Such is the demand Carly left her full-time job to become the London Engraver’s operations manager. 

Carly said the move to South Australia has been nothing but positive and now Adelaide is where they call home.