Travelling around europe for over a year

Before you plan further, look at the Schengen rules, and individual country laws, for traveling/working in Europe.

ok thanks zoe will have a look around now :)

Two issues - one is the visa or work permit but it may be easier for you as a commonwealth citizen than others. Few here can address that question because it is mostly US citizens here plus a few Canadians. Two - purchasing a car and insurance without a permanent address could be a problem.

You said you live in Australia - are you an Australian citizen? Are you under 31? You may be eligible for a working holiday visa in the UK. That can be a great entry point for longer term travel in Europe. You would only be allowed to work in the UK but you should be able to travel outside the UK as well with this kind of visa.

https://www.gov.uk/tier-5-youth-mobility/overview

And then there's the problem of doing most of your driving in Europe with the steering wheel on the wrong side if you buy the car in the UK.

First of all, if you are a U.S citizen, contact the U.S. State Department for advice on visas, work permits, extended stays, vehicle purchases, etc. If you are not a U.S. citizen, contact the relevant agency in your government (usually the same agency that issues the passports) and ask your questions. Second, since you mention working in Italy, contact the Italian consulate in Australia to determine what would be required to work in Italy. If you are eligible to work in Italy, I would imagine consulate staff could help you get the correct paperwork completed. You may also want to talk to the UK consulate on any laws/requirements to buying a car in the UK and determine what paperwork is needed, registration or licensing fees, etc. Finally, make sure you know how long it will take to process the paperwork, and how long the visas/work permits are valid for---you don't want to be less than a week away from departure and still waiting on a work permit. Likewise, you don't want to be caught working a week after your work permit/visa expires. Also make sure that you know any relevant laws on paying income taxes, car purchase taxes, licensing the car, etc.

I may be wrong, but why would the US State Department be the place to go for the last word on European rules & regulations regarding visas, work permits, car purchases, etc? How could they be expert on these things?

Norma is correct. You need to contact the countries embassies (or consulates) for correct information. Contacting our state department is wasting time. Their could be correct and could be very incorrect. It is fatal to rely on incorrect info in these matters.

State is the absolute worstest place to get information.