Australia is a true melting pot of different cultures. Those outside the country often do not realise just how diverse the population of this strange country is. But the fact remains that successive waves of immigration have formed the nation. It is a key aspect of the country’s history and one that is sadly overlooked given the current state of their refugee policy.
The first major wave of white migration to Australia came with the gold rush. The amazing opportunities on offer led to large numbers of Europeans, specifically English, Irish and German, coming over in search of wealth. A large number of Chinese migrants also arrived, but following race riots in mining camps, the White Australia policy was put in place to limit non-white migration. The next, and possibly biggest, wave of migration came following the Second World War. Realising that the country needed to become more populated to survive, many migrants from Greece, Italy and other European countries were encouraged to come over. Many contributed to Australian tennis.
There’s No End of Variety in This Enormous Nation
Following the Vietnam War, the urgent need to house refugees saw White Australia finally dropped, and the country’s vast Vietnamese population started to arrive. In more recent years, Sudanese and Ethiopian communities have started to emerge. The nation remains a major destination for refugees, due to its vast wealth and proximity to the developing world. As things stand, however, the current Liberal government shows no intention of loosening their refugee policy. Processing camps on nearby islands have repeatedly been revealed to be far below purpose. It remains to be seen what solution lies in the country’s future.
Good post. The offshore refugee camps are one of our greatest national shames.