Adrian Bayley will be 76 before he is eligible for parole.

The man who brutally raped and murdered Irishwoman Jill Meagher has been jailed for life and will serve at least 35 years behind bars.

Adrian Ernest Bayley was sentenced in Melbourne today as her grieving family and husband Tom looked on.

Speaking outside the Victorian Supreme Court, her distraught father George McKeon said justice has been done.

“Jill was brutally raped and murdered and she is never coming back,” he said.

“Jill lived a life full of family, friends and her beloved Tom.

“Because of Ben Leonard and the team at Victoria Police, and Richard Lewis and his colleagues at Public Prosecutions Victoria, justice has now been done.

“Police and prosecutors, we thank you.”

Bayley reportedly stared at the floor throughout the hearing and only looked up once when the sentence was handed down.

The Drogheda woman was just minutes away from home after night out with her friends on September 22 last year when she was dragged into a laneway by Bayley.

He raped and strangled her, left her body in the laneway and went home to get a shovel. He drove her body out to Gisborne South where he buried her in a shallow grave.

The serial sex offender was on parole at the time after serving eight years in prison for raping five prostitutes in St Kilda. He was released on parole in March 2010. He has a history of attacks spanning two decades.

Justice Geoffrey Nettle told the Supreme Court today that Bayley’s crime of murder and rape was of the most heinous kind. The Age reports that he described the rape as “savage and degrading”.

Justice Nettle jailed Bayley for life for the murder plus 15 years for the rape.

He imposes a non-parole period of 35 years to give Bayley.

Justice Nettle said he made the decision because of Bayley’s guilty plea and “small degree of genuine remorse”.

The 41-year-old will be 76 when his non-parole period is up.

Justice Nettle said the murder was one of the worst ever committed in the state and Mr Bayley had to be jailed for a very long time.

“The nature and gravity of your offending and its antecedence ensure that nothing but life imprisonment will suffice,” he said.

“It was a savage violent rape of the worst kind.

“Your killing of the deceased ranks among the worst kind conceivable.”

Justice Nettle said Bayley had told psychologist Professor James Ogloff that he had tried to kiss Ms Meagher and touch her bottom on the night.

She reacted by slapping him across the face but Bayley told Prof Ogloff that he lost it and was outraged that she rejected his advances.

Justice Nettle said Bayley was determined to have his way with her and overpowered her. He added that Bayley strangled her after she became angry, hit him with her mobile phone and threatened to call police.

Bayley claimed he sat in the laneway crying and panicking when he realised Ms Meagher was not breathing after the savage attack.

“I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that you intended to kill her. You could’ve easily controlled her but whether it was a sadistic pleasure for hurting women or fear of being caught, you strangled her when she threatened to call police,” Justice Nettle said, reports The Guardian Australia.

“This was particularly heinous as you hid the body and were on parole at the time. You are a recidivist, violent sex offender, with no compunction for inflicting pain on women.”

Ms Meagher’s husband Tom, her brother Michael and her parents George and Edith McKeon were in court as Bayley was jailed.

Almost 25 per cent of people born in the Republic of Ireland who live in Australia have a bachelor’s or master’s degree.

The Irish in Australia have a high employment rate, strong third-level education and above-average incomes.

Census data reveals a big increase in Republic of Ireland-born migrants arriving in Australia after the global financial crisis.

In the early 2000s the number of arrivals were below 1,000 for three years consecutively and the inflow slowly grew until 2008 when it hit 3,560.

By 2009, some 3,928 arrived and in 2010 another 4,517 migrants landed in Australia. The figures cover 2011 until August – in those eight months a further 3,953 arrived.

A total 10,991 migrants who arrived during the 1980s still live in Australia and 6,572 from the ’90 also stayed.

The census shows there are 67,317 people born in the Republic of Ireland living in Australia with a further 22,594 from Northern Ireland.

The data reveals the biggest age group is 25 to 29 with 9,861. This is followed by the 30-34 age group with 7,275 and the 35-39 age bracket with 5,596.

Irish-born migrants have a high employment rate with 43,597 from the Republic of Ireland employed full-time or part-time. This represents 68 per cent of migrants over 15.

Of the group, 1,643 are unemployed while 17,801 are not in the labour force. The figures from Northern Ireland also show a strong employment rate with 12,147 working and 427 unemployed.

Income is high among the migrants from the Republic of Ireland: 11.6 per cent of the total population earn $104,000 or more a year.

This is the leading category, followed by the $52,000-$64,999 bracket with 11.5 per cent of the total.

The Australian Capital Territory has the strongest median weekly income for people from the Republic of Ireland at $1,003. However, for people from Northern Ireland the Northern Territory is strongest at $1,105.

Overall weekly median income of $892 makes the Irish the most well-paid European migrant group.

Among the total employed people from the Republic of Ireland 12,558 are classed as professionals followed by 8242 as technicians and trades workers. Managers are third with 5930.

The Republic of Ireland-born migrants also have strong education records: 43,381 completed the equivalent of Australia’s Year 12 and 44,489 have post-school qualifications.

A total 13,446 have a bachelors degree, 2,975 have reached masters level and just over 14,000 have a certificate. A further 595 have achieved doctoral degree level.

Andrea McCullagh and Luke O’Neill

Ireland’s Ambassador to Australia, Noel White, welcomed the figures.

Census data showing high levels of employment, earnings and educational achievement among Australia’s Irish community have been described as “heartening” by the Irish Ambassador to Australia.

Responding to the Australian Bureau of Statistics data, Noel White said Irish migrants made an important contribution in Australia.

“It is heartening to see this analysis from the census data. Of course it does not come as a surprise to learn Irish people tend to adapt well to life in Australia,” he said.

“The analysis serves as an important reminder that Irish people bring highly developed and sought-after skills to Australia; they make an important contribution to the economy and to society in general.”

Prof Colm Harmon, head of the University of Sydney’s school of economics, described the education levels of Irish migrants as striking.

“The Irish-born based in Australia are more then pulling their weight economically with participation rates in work somewhat ahead of the Australian national average.

“They are securing well-paid jobs which is capitalising on their education and cultural fit to Australia built up over generations,” he said.

“I suspect if you could dig deeper you would see strong entrepreneurial evidence with self-employment, and a strong role of a sort of green ‘old school tie’ (or perhaps old GAA jersey!), with strong peer effects which comes from the deep presence of Irish in Australian society,” he said.

“What is striking is the education levels.  The percentage holding degree qualification is about the same as the equivalent population in Ireland – around 25 per cent.

But the numbers holding further education qualifications like certificate and diplomas is over four times that of the same group in Ireland.

With perhaps more of that group emigrating plus ‘upskilling’ while in Australia with vocational qualifications, given their earnings are even slightly ahead of the Australian average, the Irish might be a good example of the power of focused work-relevant training,” he said.

With an influx of Irish migrants to Australia since 2008, Prof Rónán McDonald, director of the Global Irish Studies Centre at UNSW said Australia was gaining from Ireland’s loss.

“It’s good to see Irish people flourishing in Australia, and contributing so handsomely to national life and development, as they so often have in the past,” he remarked.

Andrea McCullagh and Luke O’Neill

Former Ireland international Barry Murphy has turned over a new leaf with his band, Hermitage Green.

British and Irish Lion Simon Zebo became a viral sensation last week when a video of him and Ireland teammate Paddy Jackson rapping to Jay-Z emerged online – and now Limerick band Hermitage Green are hoping to call on his skills while they tour Australia.

Hermitage Green have built up a huge following in Ireland over the past year and they are set to follow the Lions around Australia for a week.

Former Ireland international Barry Murphy was forced to hang up his boots because of injury – but is heading out on his own Lions tour with his band.

Murphy hopes his pals from his Munster and Ireland days will come to see him play and possibly join him on stage.

“Hopefully a few of them might come in. Seeing there are so many players out there not all of them play in every game so they might be able to come along to some of the gigs,” he said.

“There’s a good few Munster players out there that I would have played with and a few of the Irish lads. They’d often come to our gigs when they are at home as well.

“Simon Zebo would be a big fan of ours. He comes to loads of our gigs and any time we are playing in Cork we stay in his parents house.

“He’s a keen rapper and dancer so we will try to get him on stage. One of the Welsh players is going to play on stage with the Manic Street Preachers. We are going to try and counteract that and get Simon on stage with us.”

Murphy is from Corbally in Limerick and retired from rugby two years ago when he was just 28.

He broke two metatarsal bones in his foot and spent months in rehabilitation, but the injury forced him to retire as he didn’t manage to fully recover.

Throughout his rugby career with Munster he played guitar as a hobby and Hermitage Green started over jamming sessions with his pals in his brother’s pub.

“We never really intended on becoming a band. We’d just play a few songs and back each other and have a jam,” he said.

“He asked us to play in the front bar one week because there were a few people in there on Monday night and the next week we played to another few people and that’s how it started.

“I’m very lucky to have two careers in two things I love to do. They do go pretty well together.”

The Limerick-based band is made up of Barry’s brother Dan, Darragh Griffin, Darragh Graham and Dermot Sheedy. They play a wide range of instruments including banjo, steel slide guitar and bodhran and their music has been compared to Mumford and Sons. But Murphy explained that their music is threaded with heavy metal and traditional Irish influences.

“People say we are like Mumford and Sons but we are not at all. We are all massive fans but they have a very unique sound. If you were to sound like them you would be ripping them off,” he said.

Hermitage Green have not released an album yet but have already toured in South Africa, the Middle East and Britain. They visited Australia earlier this year and are also looking forward to touring the east coast of the US in the coming months. They have all been playing full-time in the band since September and are sparking interest among record label executives.

Hermitage Green will play  dates in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne from June 20 to June 27. For details, see www.hermitagegreen.com.

Karen Hennessey, of St Patrick’s Day WA, said the committee is eager to stay on to work on next year’s event.

The City of Vincent in Perth is giving $20,000 to Irish Families in Perth (IFIP) to hold the St Patrick’s Day festival in Leederville in 2014.

Next year’s parade is scheduled for March 15.

This year, an estimated 10,000 people flooded the streets of Leederville to celebrate the city’s first St Patrick’s Day Parade and family fun day at the Oval. Bob Geldof brought star quality to the event and addressed the enthusiastic parade-goers from the top of a  Perth sightseeing bus.

IFIP, a non-profit organisation, has again proposed a plan to paint Leederville green with an even bigger and better parade next year. The parade will again comprise community groups, multicultural floats and a Grand Marshall. Last year’s Grand Marshall was Alannah MacTiernan, Mayor of the City of Vincent.

“Due to last year’s successful event, the city has approved funding of $20,000 to Irish Families in Perth to organise the St Patrick’s Day Parade on March 15 in Leederville,” City of Vincent CEO John Giorgi said.

Event organiser Karen Hennessey is optimistic the parade will gather even more funding.

“We relied heavily on the white-collar boxing event last year for funding, so we’re hoping to apply for a lot more this year,” she said.

After the success of this year’s parade, Ms Hennessey admitted the committee will be under pressure to top the surprise appearance of Bob Geldof.

“People keep saying, ‘What are you going to do after Bob Geldof? Get Bono?’” she said.

As this year was the first St Patrick’s Day Parade to be held in Perth City, Ms Hennessey believes the committee has learned what went well and what needs to be worked on, although they have not received any official feedback from any government bodies.

“The committee seems keen to stay on and I think the main aim for next year is just looking at doing little things better and try not to spread ourselves too much next year,” Ms Hennessey said.

“We just really need to put a foot on the ground and look at what we can do from last year.”

Ms Hennessey said they were hoping to attract a younger generation to this year’s committee.

“I think we’d love a whole run of younger people to come on board. I think we really put so much effort into getting it up and running that it sort of began to take its toll on the committee. This year we’d love to have people who have time on their hands to come on board.”

The committee has yet to decide on a date for its AGM but those interested  can contact Irish Families in Perth or the St Patrick’s Day WA Committee.

Irishman Allan Dixon is one of 18 finalists for Tourism Australia’s ‘Best jobs in the World’. The winners will be announced on Friday.

Irishman Allan Dixon will learn if he has secured one of Tourism Australia’s Best Jobs in the World on Friday.

The Arklow man, who has made it to the final 18 from more than 600,000 applicants worldwide, is hoping to claim victory over his two opponents in the category of Outback Explorer.

He is set to embark on a series of challenges in Alice Springs, Uluru and Kings Canyon for the rest of the week.

Allan’s itinerary boasts an array of adventurous trials, including a 4WD ride from Alice Springs to Uluru, swimming across a waterhole, spear throwing, camel riding, navigating to local attractions and identifying the Southern Cross constellation, all within the space of one week.

However, nothing can deter the thrill-seeker from vying for the coveted title and he has expressed his excitement at the opportunity to be involved in such a once-in-a-lifetime competition.

“It feels amazing to be in Australia. It’s my first time landing here and it’s lived up to my expectations,” Allan said on his arrival.

“I was expecting kangaroos, thongs, surfers, and sun and it’s exactly that.”

The 26-year-old technology film producer is experiencing Australia at its finest, being chauffeured to some of the main attractions the country has to offer in a limited time.

“It’s overwhelming, but completely exciting,” Allan said of the whirlwind competition.

“Our days are action-packed with media calls, photo challenges and meeting the Swans on the SCG. There are so many surprises every day.”

While still a bit jet lagged, Allan is looking forward to proving himself to the judges with such a hectic schedule.

“The itinerary is excellent. We’re being brought around to iconic spots in Sydney.

“My outback adventure group are going out to Uluru to do some outback challenges. So we’ll see if we can handle the conditions out there on hikes and the culture and throwing spears,” he said.

He will be competing against a Frenchman and an American for the dream job and he is optimistic he will sail through the competition if things all go to plan.

“I think I have quite a good chance of winning. The photo challenges will be a walk in the park, I’ll even throw them a few videos out of the blue.

“As long as I don’t miss my 5am wake-up calls, I’m ready to take on everything,” Allan said.

Along with his well-wishers in Australia, he has a huge support group and family at home cheering him on.

“My family and friends have been great. The messages of support are keeping me going and Tourism Australia is really taking care of us.”

Tourism Australia’s managing director James McEvoy explained how each challenge has been devised by each state and territory involved in the competition.

He said the exercises were carefully tailored to each role.

Allan is also set to face a daunting panel interview before the winner is set to be announced on June 21.

Queensland is falling behind other Australian states as a preferred destination for Irish workers on 457 visas, figures show.

A total of 5,590 primary 457 visas were granted to Irish citizens for the financial year to April 30.

Primary visa grants refer to people who applied for sponsorship on their own behalf while secondary applicants are those attached to partners’ applications.

The number of Irish workers granted sponsorship with companies in Queensland fell by just under 4 per cent, compared to the previous financial year.

Western Australia remains the most popular destination for Irish citizens joining the 457 visa scheme.

New South Wales has traditionally attracted the majority of Irish workers on the scheme but WA has now captured almost 40 per cent of the new migrants.

Some 2,130 are based in WA, while NSW is home to 1,520 people granted the visa.

The figures for South Australia doubled to 140 compared to last year. Victorian employers sponsored 900 Irish workers and Queensland 710.

Canberra and surrounds attracted 60 new Irish people on primary visas, while 110 were sponsored in the Northern Territory and 20 in Tasmania.

Just under 14 per cent of all Irish 457 visa workers in Australia are based in Queensland, the figures show.

The number of visas granted in NSW fell 6.3 per cent compared to the previous financial year, but in WA they rose by 26.2 per cent.

The latest round of figures released by the government show that 3,100 secondary applications were attached to the primary grants, making up a total of 8,680 new visas.

This figure represents 8.3 per cent of the all applications – making Ireland the third largest contributor to the scheme behind India and Britain.

The number of 457 primary visa applications lodged was 6.8 per cent higher than the same timeframe last year. But the number of visas actually granted was just 1.7 per cent higher.

The number of onshore primary visa lodgements rose by 27.4 per cent and the overall number of primary visa holders was 20.4 per cent higher than in April 2012.

There is a general downward trend since applications hit a peak in August 2012 but the number of Irish people on the 457 scheme continues to grow.

Overall the level of applications are falling from Britain, the United States, Canada, Germany and South Africa compared to last year. But applications from Ireland, India, China, South Korea, Nepal and Italy are still showing significant growth.

The Irish are Australia’s best paid European migrant group, according to census data obtained by the Irish Echo, which points to high earnings by Irish workers across the country.

People born in the Republic of Ireland have significantly higher incomes than their fellow Europeans in Australia, statistics show.

The Irish Echo compared the income figures for 53 migrant communities. Only Zimbabweans earn more, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

People born in the Republic of Ireland have a median weekly income of $892, which is bettered only by people from Zimbabwe, who earn a median $908 each week.

Some 67,317 people born in the Republic of Ireland filled in a form on census night 2011, as did 22,594 people born in Northern Ireland.

The ABS data shows that people born in the Republic of Ireland command greater wages than those born almost anywhere else, including Australia.

The median weekly income for Australian-born workers is $597 per week, while the figure for “all overseas” born workers is $538.

New South Wales is home to the majority of Irish-born people living in Australia, according to the figures.

The state’s Irish-born workers command a median weekly income of $992 per week, outstripped only by those in the Australian Capital Territory, where there is a significantly smaller population of Irish born.

But Western Australia – a destination of growing popularity among would-be Irish emigrants – is not far behind in the income stakes. Irish-born workers’ median weekly income in WA stands at $928.

Meanwhile, New South Wales based workers born in Northern Ireland command a median weekly wage of $667. Those working in WA earn $728.

The Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory emerge as the most lucrative destinations for workers born in Northern Ireland, recording median wages of $1,105 and $960 respectively.

Detailed census data provided to the Irish Echo by the ABS shows that over a tenth of Irish nationals living in Australia listed their annual income as $104,000 or more, a yearly wage twice Australia’s median annual salary.

A further 10 per cent stated they earn between $78,000 and $104,000, while another nine per cent listed earnings between $65,000 and $77,999.

Just over nine per cent of people who listed Northern Ireland as their place of birth on census forms earn $104,000 or more, while eight per cent earn $78,000 to $104,000 and a further seven per  cent earn between $65,000 and $78,000.

A quarter of those born in the Republic who were resident in Australia on census night fell into the 25-34 age bracket.  In contrast, just under 25 per cent of people born in Northern Ireland who were resident in Australia on census night fell into the 60-69 age bracket.

The Irish Echo will further explore Census data on Irish migrants living in Australia in coming weeks.

The dramas of the working holiday visa are played out in a new web series co-created by Irish actor Elijah Egan.

The first episode of Subclass 417 – which you can watch above – was released online on Monday and it will be showcased at the inaugural Melbourne WebFest in July.

“I’ve been here four years and I have noticed how many Irish and English are over here on working holiday visas seeing if they can extend their stay for longer,” he said.

“Particularly in the last two years the amount of Irish and English is phenomenal. St Kilda is like Grafton Street or the middle of London.”

Egan, 29, is from Woodstown, Co Waterford, and is currently living in Melbourne. The web series is partially based on his and his English co-star Christian Heath’s experiences in Australia.

The pair wrote the six part series together earlier this year. The two lead characters are both actors trying to get a break into the industry before their visas expire.

The first episode sees them grappling with capsicums, renting an apartment and dealing with realities of working as a clown.

“They are trying to find roles, they are unlucky and lucky in love and they are trying to get sponsorship by the end of the year so that they can stay,” he said.

“It’s part fiction, part reality.”

Subclass 417 takes its title from the Australian immigration officials’ name for the working holiday visa. The mini series was picked up by the Melbourne WebFest on the strength of the script alone. But the friends were too late to enter the competition itself.

However, a six-part behind-the-scenes documentary was shot for the festival as a “how to” on web series.

“This year is the inaugural Melbourne WebFest. We were a bit too late to enter but from the script they decided to use it as one of the featured series,” he said.

“It’s good for us in terms of getting it out there.”

They plan to enter other web series festivals in LA, Vancouver, Marseilles and Hollywood – and they reckon that the show could be transformed into a TV drama.

Egan (pictured) believes that TV networks are more open to hearing Irish accents on screen following the success of Mrs Brown’s Boys.

“When I first came here my agent said your accent is going to be a problem,” he said.

“This year there have been two big shows with Irish accents. There was a chef from Dublin (Colin Fassnidge on My Kitchen Rules) and Mrs Brown’s Boys on primetime.

“That is a real benchmark that they are taking notice that there are a lot here. They are not a flash in the pan.”

Egan has acted in a number of advertisements for famous brands in Australia. He travels home every year to tour around Europe with the Wilde Shamrock theatre company.

Heath, 29, walked away from a career in marketing to become an actor two years ago and is originally from Buckinghamshire.

To watch more episodes of the show go to http://subclass417.com

Dubliner Ciarán Egan.

How long have you been in Australia?
I have been living in Australia since January of this year.

What brought you here?
I have always wanted to travel and experience something new, so myself and my girlfriend decided we would take the big step and move over.

Describe your career path.
My career path has seen a bit of everything, from delivery driving to working as a draftsman. Prior to moving to Australia I was working as a sales agent in AA insurance. I was there for three years and worked my way up through different departments. I now work at a new Hyundai dealership in south Melbourne as a new car salesman.

Best things about living in Australia?
The best things about living in Australia is obviously the weather compared to at home, but also the fact there is always something to do. People will go out after work food, for drinks or even just for a coffee. There is a real sense of happiness. In Ireland, people work then go straight home afterwards. They leave socialising until the weekend. The big factor was the opportunities people have over compared to home.

Worst things about living in Australia?
To be quite honest there isn’t anything that I would put down as being bad over here. Maybe that is because I have only been here four months and haven’t experienced everything yet.

What, if anything, do you miss about Ireland?
The things I miss most is family and friends and my boxer Roxy. Skype is great but it isn’t the same as sitting there on a Sunday afternoon with the family around and a big roast dinner on the table. Another thing is the time difference with the soccer matches – I rarely get to watch Manchester United beating everyone. You can’t beat having your family near you, or giving one of the lads a call to go watch a match. I suppose it’s the security of having people there that you know you can rely on. Over here, there is a sense that you are on your own.

Have you ever considered moving back to Ireland?
Not in the slightest.

:: We want to hear the story of Australia and you. Share your story here, or email it to newsdesk@irishecho.com.au