I'm now performing research for another car purchase, and have found a similar pricing disparity for another car in the Volkswagen family, the Skoda Fabia Wagon / Estate / Combi (same car, different names in different places).
Australia Fabia Wagon 70TSI Manual: $18,490 = £10,800
UK Fabia Estate SE 1.0MPI 75PS Manual (with Simply clever package, rear view camera & 5 year extended warranty to bring it up to Australian specifications): $26,280 = £15,359
Given that the Fabia is made in the Czech Republic it seems quite odd that Australian prices are so low. However, they sold 20,522 Fabias (hatch and estate) in the UK in 2016 versus only 308 Fabias from January to May in Australia, so perhaps they are trying to build sales in Australia.