Some banks do provide student accounts where only government fees are charged. Cash is then accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. At Macquarie University there are three ATMs that allow you to withdraw cash using your ATM card from nearly any local bank. The National Australia Bank has its own branch on our campus. There are two ways of transferring money from your home country to Australia - bank drafts or cheques and telegraphic transfers.
Credit cards are also a convenient way of transferring funds.
Check on the interest rates that will be charged. Bank draft or cheques from overseas take a few days to arrive and can take up to 10 working days to clear through an Australian bank. Telegraphic transfers usually take only a few days, but usually cost more than other methods.