Damon Mcknight
Australia has a long history of immigration, with millions of people migrating to the country over more than two centuries. The reasons for immigration to Australia have varied over time, but often people have been drawn to the country in search of a better life, economic opportunity, or relief from conflict in their homelands. The migration patterns have been shaped by both pull factors in Australia, such as gold discoveries or free land, and push factors in migrants' home countries, such as famine, religious persecution, or economic hardship. The first inhabitants of Australia were the ancestors of the present Indigenous people, the Aboriginal Australians, whose ancestors arrived from Asia more than 50,000 years ago. The first migration from Europe to Australia occurred when Britain transported over 160,000 convicts from its overcrowded prisons to the Australian colonies between 1788 and 1868. This was followed by waves of free settlers and assisted immigrants, who came to Australia in search of a new life.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Migration period | 1788 to present |
| First inhabitants | Indigenous people (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) |
| First European migration | 1788 |
| First European migrants | Convicts, free settlers, assisted immigrants |
| Number of convicts transported from Europe | 160,000+ |
| Number of free settlers and assisted immigrants (1793-1850) | 200,000 |
| Main countries of origin for free settlers | England, Ireland, Scotland |
| Push factors from home countries | Famine, religious persecution, economic hardship, conflict, social upheaval |
| Pull factors in Australia | Gold discoveries, free land |
| Number of migrants since 1788 | 10 million |
| Number of migrants since World War II | 8 million |
| Major waves of migration | 1850s gold rush, post-World War II, 1970s refugees from Indochina |
| Migration restrictions | Dictation Test (1901-1958), Immigration Restriction Act (1901), White Australia policy (repealed in 1970s) |
| Recent migration trends | Increased Asian immigration, significant student immigration from Asia |
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What You'll Learn
Gold discoveries and free land
Australia's huge reserves of gold attracted people from around the world, and the gold rushes of the 19th century had profound social, political, and economic effects on the country. The first gold discoveries in the 1850s started a series of rushes that transformed the Australian colonies. The gold rushes greatly expanded Australia's population, boosted its economy, and led to the emergence of a new national identity. The gold rushes spurred the exploration and settlement of remote lands, pushing the frontier in Queensland and Western Australia in particular. During the 1850s, the colonies accounted for more than 40% of the world's gold production. This rapid rise catapulted Australia onto the international stage and helped create a wealthy society with probably the highest standard of living in the world at the time.
The discovery of gold in Australia also helped to diversify the colonies' predominantly British society. In addition to British settlers, the gold rushes attracted migrants from China, the United States, and other countries. Thousands of Chinese people came to Australia during the 1850s gold rush. When the gold was exhausted, many took up market gardening or established businesses such as restaurants or laundries. The gold rushes also encouraged immigration from Central and South Asia, Japan, and the South Pacific islands.
The British colonial government strongly encouraged immigration in the 1800s, believing that Australia's small population had to grow to ensure the economic development and security of the colonies. The government's attitude towards gold discoveries changed in 1848 with news of the California gold rush. The promise of fortunes to be had across the Pacific led thousands of men to leave the colony, creating labour shortages and economic depression. Governor Charles FitzRoy believed that a mineral discovery in the colony could reverse the economic downturn. He convinced the British government in 1849 to appoint a government geologist, Samuel Stutchbury, and offered a reward to anyone who found a commercially viable amount of gold.
In addition to gold discoveries, free land was also a factor in encouraging people to move to Australia. The Australian government offered cash incentives and awarded mineral rights to successful prospectors. The availability of free land was particularly attractive to agricultural workers, who made up a significant portion of the free settlers migrating to Australia.
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Famine, religious persecution, and economic hardship
Australia has long been a destination for migrants from across the world, with close to ten million settlers moving to the country since 1788. The reasons for immigration have varied, but for many, the pull of a new life in Australia was driven by the push factors of famine, religious persecution, and economic hardship in their home countries.
Famine
Famine has been a significant factor in driving people to migrate to Australia. The Irish Potato Famine, which occurred between 1845 and 1849, caused mass starvation and disease, leading to a reduction of almost 25% in Ireland's population. During this period, two million Irish people emigrated, with many thousands fleeing to Australia. The crop failures were due to a plant disease that affected the potato crop, which the majority of the Irish population depended on for their diet.
Religious Persecution
Religious persecution has also played a role in Australian immigration history. German Lutherans, for instance, began arriving in Australia in 1838, seeking religious freedom from church taxes and the unification of Lutheran and Reformed churches in Prussia. Similarly, the introduction of the White Australia Policy in 1901 aimed to restrict immigration from non-European countries, particularly from Asian countries, reflecting a sentiment of racial and cultural exclusion. However, this policy was officially abandoned in 1973, with the implementation of the Universal Migration Policy, which allowed people from any country to apply for migration regardless of race, ethnicity, or religion.
Economic Hardship
Economic hardship has been a consistent push factor for migration to Australia. The Industrial Revolution in 19th-century Britain caused social upheavals that encouraged people to seek better economic opportunities in Australia. Additionally, the discovery of gold in the 1850s attracted migrants from various countries, including China, the United States, and Europe, who came in search of economic prosperity. The gold rush played a significant role in shaping the multicultural society that Australia is today.
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![Western Australia for the Settler 1919 [Leather Bound]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/617DLHXyzlL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
Post-World War II immigration
Post-war immigration to Australia refers to the migration to Australia in the decades immediately following World War II, specifically the wave of predominantly European immigration that occurred between 1945 and the end of the White Australia policy in 1973.
During the war, Japan's invasion of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, along with the fall of Singapore and the bombing of Darwin, posed a real threat of invasion to Australia. This vulnerability made the Australian government consider policies to boost the country's population and defences even before the war ended.
In the aftermath of World War II, Prime Minister Ben Chifley established the federal Department of Immigration to administer a large-scale immigration program. Chifley's government believed there was an urgent need to "populate or perish". The first Minister for Immigration, Arthur Calwell, promoted mass immigration with the same slogan.
The Assisted Passage Migration Scheme, also known as the Ten-Pound Pom scheme, was introduced in 1945 to attract migrant families from Britain. By 1947, over 400,000 British people had signed up for the scheme, and over a million Britons emigrated to Australia between 1947 and 1981. The scheme allowed for affordable travel to Australia, with adult tickets costing £10, and all children travelling for free by the 1960s.
Arthur Calwell also looked beyond Britain for new migrants, selecting people from Europe's overflowing displaced persons camps. The first shipload arrived in Australia in 1947 from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. They were young, single, and quickly became known as the "beautiful Balts". Calwell also sought to meet immigration targets by choosing migrants from Southern and Eastern Europe, as well as carefully selected temporary migrants from the Middle East and Asia.
The post-war immigration drive significantly contributed to Australia's population growth, adding 1.2 million people and bringing the total population to about 10.3 million by 1960. This massive influx of people eventually transformed Australian society.
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Convicts and forced migration
Convict transportation and forced migration have played a significant role in the history of Australia. From 1788 to 1868, Britain transported over 160,000 convicts to the Australian colonies, forming the first wave of migration from Europe. This system of punishment, known as "transportation", was a form of forced migration, as the convicts did not choose to go to Australia willingly. The British government implemented this policy to relieve overcrowding in its prisons and establish a remote outpost.
When the First Fleet arrived in 1788, they encountered a land already inhabited by Indigenous Aboriginal people, whose ancestors had lived in Australia for at least 50,000 years. The migration of Europeans disrupted the way of life of these Indigenous communities, leading to conflict and prolonged frontier wars. The British colonial government actively encouraged immigration during the 1800s, aiming to boost the population and ensure the economic development and security of the colonies.
One notable group of forced migrants to Australia were the South Sea Islanders, brought in as labourers in the late 1800s. Additionally, the Chinese were the third-largest migrant group in Australia by 1901, with many arriving during the 1850s gold rush. When the gold rush ended, they took up market gardening or established businesses such as restaurants and laundries. The dictation test, implemented between 1901 and 1958, required migrants to pass a test in any European language to enter Australia, creating a barrier for non-European immigrants.
Following World War II, Australia actively promoted immigration with the slogan "Populate or perish!" The country accepted over two million migrants and displaced people from Europe, including one million British migrants, known as "Ten Pound Poms". During this period, Australia also witnessed the arrival of Vietnamese "boat people", fleeing the social upheaval and the aftermath of the Vietnam War. These diverse waves of migration have contributed to shaping Australia's unique multicultural society.
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Economic development and security
The British colonial government encouraged immigration to Australia in the 1800s, believing that the small population of the Australian colonies needed to grow to ensure their economic development and security. The Australian colonies wanted skilled labourers and single women, and the British government wanted to reduce the number of poor people in Britain, who were a financial burden on the wealthy.
From 1831, the British and Australian colonial governments paid, or partly paid, for thousands of migrants to move to Australia. This boosted the population of the Australian colonies and reduced the need for convict labour. Between 1832 and 1850, around 127,000 assisted migrants came to Australia, making up about 70% of all immigrants in that period. In the 1850s, after gold was discovered, around 230,000 assisted migrants came to Australia, making up about 50% of all migrants. Most came from the United Kingdom, including Ireland. Assisted migration continued for the rest of the 1800s and was an important factor in increasing the European population in Australia.
In the years after World War II, Australia stepped up its immigration with the slogan 'Populate or perish!'. It negotiated agreements to accept more than two million migrants and displaced people from Europe, and offered assisted passages to one million British migrants. In the 1970s, Australia repealed the restrictive 'White Australia' policy framed in 1901. This policy had required migrants to pass a dictation test in any European language in order to enter the country.
Australia is a signatory to the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and recognises the right of asylum. In the 1970s, a new wave of seaborne refugees docked in Darwin, fleeing the Second War in Indochina. Despite great opposition and a rise in multiculturalism, most of these refugees were allowed to settle in Australia.
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Frequently asked questions
The first migrants to Australia were the Aboriginal peoples, whose ancestors arrived from Asia more than 50,000 years ago.
The first Europeans to migrate to Australia were British settlers who arrived on the First Fleet in 1788. The British colonial government sent the expedition to establish a penal colony on the continent and relieve overcrowding in Britain's prisons. Over the next 80 years, the British transported more than 160,000 convicts to Australia.
Between 1793 and 1850, nearly 200,000 free settlers and assisted immigrants migrated to Australia. The majority were English agricultural workers or domestic servants, but tens of thousands of Irish and Scottish migrants also arrived. Many Irish fled the Great Famine, which caused the deaths of around one million people from starvation or famine-related diseases.
In the years after World War II, Australia stepped up its immigration with the catchphrase "Populate or perish!". The country negotiated agreements to accept more than two million migrants and displaced people from Europe, including one million British migrants, nicknamed "Ten Pound Poms".
