Leslie Massey
In the post-World War II era, Australia experienced a wave of predominantly European immigration, with an average of around one million immigrants per decade between 1945 and 1973. This period of Australian history is marked by the slogan populate or perish, coined by Billy Hughes in the 1930s and later used by Arthur Calwell, the first Minister for Immigration. The slogan reflected the Australian government's belief in the urgent need for a larger population to defend the country and support its development. The immigration program targeted citizens of Commonwealth countries and later expanded to include other countries such as the Netherlands and Italy. This large-scale immigration had a significant impact on Australia's population, which grew from 7 million in 1945 to 10 million in 1959.
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What You'll Learn
'Populate or Perish' encouraged mass immigration to Australia
The "Populate or Perish" slogan was coined in the 1930s by Billy Hughes, Australia's Minister for Health and Repatriation. However, it was only after World War II that it was used to promote mass immigration to Australia. In the aftermath of the war, Prime Minister Ben Chifley established the federal Department of Immigration to oversee a large-scale immigration program. Chifley commissioned a report that found Australia urgently needed to increase its population for defence and development purposes, recommending a 1% annual population growth through immigration.
Arthur Calwell, the first Minister for Immigration, promoted the "Populate or Perish" slogan to encourage mass immigration. This slogan was used to help the Australian population accept the large intake of migrants, with the government fearing an invasion by Imperial Japan and feeling vulnerable due to its small population. The immigration program targeted migrants from Europe, with over 1 million Britons immigrating with financial assistance. The migration scheme initially focused on citizens of Commonwealth countries but later expanded to include other countries like the Netherlands and Italy.
The British component of the migrant intake remained the largest until 1953, when migrants from Southern Europe began to outnumber them. This caused alarm in the Australian government, leading to restrictions on Southern Europeans sponsoring newcomers and the launch of the "Bring out a Briton" campaign. However, with increased financial assistance to British settlers in the 1960s, Britain once again became the top source of new settlers. By 1955, the one-millionth postwar immigrant had arrived in Australia, and the population reached 10 million in 1959, up from 7 million in 1945.
The "Populate or Perish" campaign contributed to a significant increase in Australia's population and marked the beginning of a wave of predominantly European immigration that lasted until the end of the White Australia policy in 1973. While the mass immigration did lead to some economic challenges, it also created more jobs and contributed to the country's development and defence.
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The slogan was coined by Billy Hughes in the 1930s
The slogan "populate or perish" was coined by Billy Hughes, the seventh prime minister of Australia, who served from 1915 to 1923. Hughes was a controversial and influential Australian politician, whose career spanned several decades and included stints in various political parties. He was a member of the federal parliament from the Federation of Australia in 1901 until his death in 1952, holding the record for the longest continuous service of over 50 years.
Hughes coined the slogan in the 1930s when he was the Minister for Health and Repatriation. The slogan was used to promote mass immigration to Australia in the post-World War II era, also known as the postwar migration program. The Australian government, led by Prime Minister Ben Chifley, established the federal Department of Immigration in 1945 to administer a large-scale immigration program. The slogan "populate or perish" reflected the government's sense of urgency in increasing the country's population for defence and development purposes.
The postwar immigration program targeted citizens of Commonwealth countries, but it eventually extended to other countries such as the Netherlands and Italy. Hundreds of thousands of displaced Europeans migrated to Australia, and over one million Britons immigrated with financial assistance. The migration assistance scheme provided financial incentives for immigrants, and the qualifications were straightforward: migrants needed to be in good health and under the age of 45.
The impact of the "populate or perish" slogan was significant, shaping Australia's demographic landscape for decades to come. Between 1945 and 1955, the country's population grew from 7 million to 10 million. The postwar wave of predominantly European immigration continued until the end of the White Australia policy in 1973, marking the beginning of a contemporary wave of predominantly Asian immigration.
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The policy aimed to increase the population by 1% annually
Australia's postwar migration program, "Populate or Perish", was a response to the country's urgent need for a larger population to aid in defence and development. The policy aimed to increase the population by 1% annually through increased immigration. This target was based on a report commissioned by Prime Minister Joseph Chifley, which highlighted the need for more people in Australia for defence and development purposes.
To achieve this annual increase, the Australian government implemented several measures. They established the federal Department of Immigration in 1945, led by the first Minister for Immigration, Arthur Calwell, who promoted the "populate or perish" slogan. The government also launched an urgent recruitment campaign in Europe to attract migrants, particularly from Britain, through the Assisted Passage Migration Scheme. This scheme aimed to encourage Britons to migrate to Australia, offering financial assistance and targeting citizens under the age of 45 who were in good health.
The migration program resulted in a significant increase in Australia's population. Between October 1945 and June 1960, approximately 1.6 million immigrants arrived in Australia, with over 1,000,000 Britons immigrating with financial assistance. By 1959, Australia's population had reached 10 million, up from 7 million in 1945. The postwar migration program also contributed to a shift in the demographic makeup of the country, with migrants from Southern Europe outnumbering the British between 1953 and 1956.
However, the "Populate or Perish" policy also faced challenges and criticisms. There was alarm in the Australian government when migrants from Southern Europe began to outnumber British immigrants, leading to restrictions on sponsorship from Southern Europeans and the "Bring out a Briton" campaign. Additionally, there were social and economic challenges associated with integrating large numbers of immigrants, including language barriers and employment demands. Despite these challenges, the postwar immigration program played a significant role in shaping Australia's population and demographic landscape, contributing to the country's growth and development in the decades following World War II.
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The majority of immigrants came from Europe
The “Populate or Perish” slogan was used to promote a large-scale immigration program in Australia after World War II. The country was in urgent need of a larger population for defence and development purposes, and the immigration program aimed to increase the population by 1% annually.
The majority of immigrants to Australia during this period came from Europe. Between 1945 and 1965, two million immigrants arrived in Australia, with an average of one million per decade. The British component remained the largest group of migrants until 1953, with over one million Britons immigrating with financial assistance. However, between 1953 and 1956, migrants from Southern Europe outnumbered the British, causing the Australian government to place restrictions on Southern Europeans and launch the "Bring Out a Briton" campaign. The British component returned to the top position in the overall number of new settlers in the 1960s with increased financial assistance.
The migration assistance schemes initially targeted citizens of Commonwealth countries but later extended to other countries such as the Netherlands and Italy. Qualifications for the scheme were that migrants needed to be in good health and under the age of 45. Over time, the influx of immigrants from a wider range of countries began to shift Australia's culture away from the domination of British influence. By 1961, about 10% of the population came from places other than the British Isles, up from just 3% in 1947. Italians were the largest non-British group, followed by Germans, Dutch, Greeks, and Poles.
The postwar immigration boom contributed significantly to changes in Australia's economy and society. The work of migrants was essential to the country's rapid economic growth, especially in the booming manufacturing industry. The Snowy Mountains Scheme, a hydroelectricity and irrigation complex, employed 100,000 people from over 30 countries and is considered the birth of multicultural Australia.
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The policy ended the 'White Australia' policy
The "Populate or Perish" slogan was used to help the Australian population accept a large intake of migrants after World War II. The war had made Australia acutely aware of its isolated geographical position and its lack of people relative to other nations. The slogan was coined in the 1930s and was used to promote mass immigration to Australia.
The White Australia policy was a set of racial policies that aimed to forbid people of non-European ethnic origins, primarily Asians and Pacific Islanders, from immigrating to Australia. The policy was enshrined in law in 1901 and was based on the idea of maintaining a "high Western standard of economy, society, and culture". It was driven by racist attitudes towards people of different races, particularly those of Asian descent, and the belief that non-whites were a threat to the stability of the white population.
The "Populate or Perish" policy contributed to the end of the White Australia policy by increasing immigration from non-European countries. In the late 1940s, it became clear that British migration was not providing the desired numbers, and that strict adherence to the White Australia policy was hindering population growth. As a result, the Australian government began to relax the policy, allowing refugees from continental Europe, including the "beautiful Balts", to migrate to Australia. This was the first step in a gradual move away from the White Australia policy, as the government sought to increase the country's population for defence and development purposes.
Between 1945 and 1973, Australia experienced a wave of predominantly European immigration, with an average of around one million immigrants arriving per decade. However, this began to shift in the late 1950s when migrants from Southern Europe outnumbered British migrants, causing alarm in the Australian government. Despite this, the White Australia policy continued to be dismantled, with financial assistance provided to British settlers in the 1960s to encourage their migration.
In 1973, the Whitlam government adopted a completely non-discriminatory immigration policy, effectively ending the White Australia policy. This marked the end of the post-war wave of European immigration and the beginning of a contemporary wave of predominantly Asian immigration to Australia.
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Frequently asked questions
The 'populate or perish' slogan was used to justify a large-scale immigration program in Australia after World War II. Between 1945 and 1959, Australia's population grew from 7 million to 10 million.
The large influx of immigrants contributed to Australia's economic growth by creating more jobs. However, it also led to increased competition for resources and a need for the government to provide financial assistance to settle the new arrivals.
The 'populate or perish' campaign led to a significant increase in cultural diversity in Australia, with large numbers of immigrants arriving from Europe and, later, Asia. This challenged the prevailing ""White Australia" policy and contributed to its eventual end in 1973.
The 'populate or perish' campaign set a precedent for large-scale immigration to Australia, with the country continuing to experience high levels of immigration in the decades following World War II. The campaign also led to the establishment of the federal Department of Immigration and the Assisted Passage Migration Scheme, which provided financial assistance to encourage immigration.
