From Sydney to Norwich: A Business Relocation Story
Building a Creative Business Across Continents
Relocating your life across the world is no small undertaking. Doing it while running a growing creative business makes it even more ambitious.
Earlier this year, Lucy and Henry, made the move from Sydney to Norwich with their two young children. After more than 11 years in Australia, they packed their lives into a handful of suitcases, lived out of an Airbnb for two and a half months, and successfully kept their business running throughout the transition.
This is the story of why they chose Norwich, how they approached the move, and what they see for the future of their work.
A Big Move, Carefully Considered
After more than a decade in Sydney, the decision to relocate wasn’t taken lightly. The family arrived in Norwich in June, initially casting a wide net when it came to finding somewhere to live.
“We looked everywhere,” Lucy explains. “From Suffolk right up towards King’s Lynn. But very quickly we realised we wanted to be close to Norwich.”
Being a self-confessed “city girl,” Lucy knew she wanted to live within easy reach of urban life while still enjoying Norfolk’s green spaces. Proximity to London also played a key role—offering access to family, friends, and professional opportunities, all within a manageable two-hour train journey.
What Is Precinct Creative?
Precinct Creative is Henry and Lucy’s business. Their main purpose is designing signage, wayfinding and spatial branding that transforms built environments.
Their focus lies in how people move through, understand, and interact with physical spaces – from office buildings and shopping centres to public environments. While signage and wayfinding are a core output, Henry is keen to stress that this is about far more than signs on walls.
“Signage isn’t a single object, it’s a system,” he says. “It’s part of a much bigger journey that often starts before you even leave home.”
Accessibility and universal design principles are also central to their approach, ensuring environments are easy to navigate for everyone.
Balancing UK Life with Australian Clients
Despite the move, Precinct Creative’s client base remains predominantly Australian—for now.
Interestingly, the time difference has become an advantage rather than a challenge. Feedback provided by Australian clients at the end of their working day can often be turned into updated designs by the time they wake up.
“There’s something really powerful about that overnight turnaround,” Lucy notes. “It works well for both sides.”
At the same time, the focus is firmly on embedding themselves into the Norwich creative scene.
Since arriving, Lucy and Henry have been actively networking, meeting with local practices, attending talks, and connecting with Norwich’s growing design community.
“There’s a really strong sense of collaboration here,” Lucy says. “People are incredibly open, generous with introductions, and genuinely supportive.”
While Norwich may not be a huge city, it has a tightly knit creative ecosystem with a depth of talent that has been a pleasant surprise.
“Relocating from the other side of the world is always daunting,” Lucy reflects. “But Norwich is ticking so many boxes.”
For Lucy, one of the biggest revelations has been realising that meaningful, fulfilling creative work doesn’t have to be tied to London—or any single global city.
“There’s this assumption that you have to be in London for opportunities,” she says. “But coming back here and working as a professional in Norwich has completely changed that mindset.”
Why Norwich?
When asked what ultimately attracted them to Norwich, several key themes stand out.
“Norwich has given us a work life rhythm that genuinely supports both our family and our practice: morning coffee runs to Bread Source or Yard Coffee, afternoons spent working from our home studio in Reepham, and weekends exploring Waterloo Park, Eaton Park, Pensthorpe or ROARR!. What has surprised us most is the openness and friendliness of the people here (even the drivers) and how quickly we felt part of the community” says Lucy.
The city also has a strong creative and professional community, supported by excellent infrastructure including hospitals and two universities.
With Henry originally from the area, there is already a strong sense of familiarity and comfort, and family-friendly places like The Forum and the Millennium Library have quickly become favourites for both work and downtime.
