Sooner or later getting a valid driving licence in Australia will become a vital issue. Although regarding self-determination Australia consists of six independent states and two territories, the localisation of foreign driving licences has recently become standardised.
As we live in Sydney, in the capital of New South Wales, we are experienced in the naturalisation of the local driving licences.
The major condition of getting or naturalising a driving licence (at least in New South Wales) is having lived in Australia for a minimum of 6 months without interruption. But if you have a permanent residence permit, you only have three months to get the Australian driving licence (starting from the date of your arrival).
To localise a licence in New South Wales (but presumably it is true in the other states and territories as well) you need to be prepared for the following steps. The first step is to have a valid international driving licence. The next thing to do is to go to the nearest RTA office with your licence, your passport, a document proving your Australian address (e.g. a bank account or a utility bill with your name and address on it) and you will immediately get your Australian driving licence.
In case you have a temporary or a student visa you will need to renew your licence every year, which costs 52 AUD. If you arrive in Australia with a permanent residence permit, you get your driving licence for 3 or 5 years which costs 124 AUD or 166 AUD.
It is important to note that the Australian government will only recognise your licence without any particular conditions if you are older than 25 and have had the licence for longer than 5 years.