I play on the same time zone as you do HarpHarp (Perth, Australia), and I still play on a JP server for the same reasons you do (plus it was also my server in version 1.0 and I'm kind of sentimental like that ). Most of the JP servers now have smaller English-speaking populations than they used to as a lot of people switched servers, but if you look hard enough you should be able to find more than a few English-speaking FCs to join.

Tonberry and Masamune have the largest English-speaking populations amongst the JP server group though so it's definitely still worth trying to transfer to either of those, or, another alternative, is if you would like you're more than welcome to join Ridill as there I co-own a small but friendly English-speaking FC/ls with my bf, but it's up to you.