Changing Patterns of Migration

From 1945 to the year 2000, we saw many changing patterns of migration undertake across all nations for various reasons. A series of events in Australia’s history have lead up to the change in migration patterns. From the middle of the nineteenth century, Australia was a destination for migrants. From 1945, 6.8 million people came to Australia as new settlers. The controversy surrounding the early migration is said to be the introduction of the ‘White Australia’ policy which was one of the first legislative actions of the new Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.

The effect of this policy was to reduce the extent of non-European migration so that by 1947, when the post-war immigration policy was being initiated, the Asian component of Australia’s population was estimated to be less than 0.4 per cent of the total. However, not until 1967, when the policy had soon been changed to allow the entry of skilled non-Europeans, was there any significant growth. With Australia abandoning the White Australia Policy it has opened the door for countries such as Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Malaysia and Indonesia to come to Australia. From the year 1945 to 1949, Ben Chifley took the position the Australian Prime Minister. He established the Federal Department of Immigration because he found that Australia was being under populated and needed a larger population for defence. He figured that a 1% population increase would achieve all this.

Migration in Australia increased largely at the end of World War 2, when many millions in Europe were displaced from their homes. Not only this, but at the same time, Australia became short of labour and soon many believed that population growth in Australia was essential for the future. Australia was in an agreement with the United Kingdom, some European countries and the International Refugee Organisation to encourage migrants to come to Australia. In the year 1950, 200 000 people had arrived. The 1970s was when the Vietnam War was coming to a...