Australia After Ww2

After WW2, Australia felt that the population was too small to defend itself in case of another event. It also felt that Australia needed an economic boost and an increase in the population was the way to do so. In a speech to parliament in 1944, Immigration Minister Arthur Calwell expresses the need for migrants; “…Only by filling this land can we establish a title to hold it” (House of Representatives, Debates, 1944, vol. HR177, p.935). The Chifley Labor government’s aim in the late 1940s was to attract British migrants to Australia with free passage or “assisted migration”. So the government used advertisements to go after the British in the 1950’s by using positive images such as “sunshine and smiles” to attract more citizens. The idea of owning your own home and living in a laid-back, liberal community appealed to some and so the government assisted the migrants in coming to Australia by providing them with accommodation, work and support. Yet the propaganda of “sunshine, salesmen and subsidies...” did not attract the numbers of British migrants needed to achieve the goals set, and so the Australian government broadened its migration policy to other areas of Europe.
Australia began a policy to attract migrants from Europe, in particular from Greece and Italy and the Baltic States – since many of these people wanted to start of a fresh new life after the devastation that WW2 had caused.
The Australian governments saw this as an advantage as many of these people could pass as British and were a big boost to Australia’s workforce. With a preference for “British-looking people”, all immigrants were tested as to whether they were appropriate to come to Australia. Immigrants were examined to assure they were fair skinned, physically attractive, fit and healthy- otherwise they would be sent back to their original country. Insert evidence
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The non-British migrants were known as ‘new Australians’ to show that they would become Australian. The government thought it would be effortless for the fair-skinned and skillful migrants to assimilate into the Australian community. The assimilation policy intended to guarantee that the migrants’ traditional culture, language and customs would eventually fade away and the ‘new Australians’ would not be seen as different from other Australians. Insert evidence here
This wasn’t the case as many migrants suffered discrimination and feelings of isolation for being different and looked to sticking with others in their ethnic group as a means of finding a sense of belonging. “As a child in the fifties, there was a certain shame attached to being ethnic. Italians in my world at this time tended to create their own little sub-communities and stick together, always speaking in their native tongue, so it was imperative that I learn English quickly and act as a translator for my parents…”(Recollections of Elvira Ubaldi, Australia Donna). The government’s assimilation policy failed in areas where large cultural communities developed where migrants were able to maintain their traditional lifestyle.
The Australian government dropped the assimilation policy and integration became the official policy. It was becoming accepted that the customs, foods and lifestyles of the ‘new Australians’ were slowly helping to change Australia and build up our national identity. Insert evidence here. Multiculturalism became the official policy under the Whitlam Labor government in 1973. This was the end of the White Australia Policy.
During the 1970s, Australia allowed increased immigration from some Asian countries, and the first Vietnamese ‘boat people’ arrived. In the 1980s, Australia’s immigration policies emphasised family reunions. In the 1990s, the family migration programs were reduced in favour of business migration programs and an increased refugee intake. Insert evidence here.
In conclusion, between 1945 and 2000, Australia has become a more accepting, multicultural society. Australia had gradually become more diverse to new migrants and we have adopted the fact that the influence of many cultures is helping to define the Australian community.