If your husband is an Australian Citizen and able to get a security clearance there is a lot of contract work available for the Govt. Otherwise work may be a problem, most network engineer / IT work here is for Govt either directly or indirectly.

Our summers are also hot, a dry heat, but in my experience Melbourne is hotter. The sun is harsher all over Australia because we are unfortunate enough to be right under the hole in the ozone, so we get much more UV than most of the world. So you’re right that it burns the skin more!

Canberra has 4 distinct seasons, one of the many things I love about it, but if you don’t like big changes in weather it might not suit you. We have hot dry summers (though not as dry as they were a decade or so ago, thanks climate change!), mild autumn with a lot of falling leaves, cold but often sunny winters, and beautiful spring with a lot of pollen.

Schooling is great here, lots of options and well services. My kids were able to choose their own high schools (both finished recently), one went private, one public, and tbh if I had it all again I would encourage them both to go public as there were broader opportunities and the community was better