The contribution of World War Two to Australia's Immigration Policies
The Government upheld the policy for years following the original legislation. However, the end of World War Two did affect Australia’s Immigration Policies. Not only was Europe ravaged and devastated but Australia was dangerously close to being defeated by Japan. This inspired the slogan ‘Populate or Perish’. Australia’s lack of men had led to conscription. Prime Minister Ben Chifley commented on the threat of invasion saying, 'A powerful enemy looked hungrily toward Australia. In tomorrow’s gun flash that threat could come again. We must populate Australia as rapidly as we can before someone else decides to popular it for us’. Knowing that the natural birth rate wouldn't give the country the numbers it needed, large scale migration started to be negotiated with European countries.
|
A survey conducted in 1947 showed that 58% of people surveyed were against letting Jews into Australia, despite the Jewish population being largely persecuted by the Nazi Regime and their leader Adolf Hitler. They were the scapegoat of Germany’s financial woes following World War One. The Jews were eventually allowed in on the grounds of it being humanitarian. At first only Jewish people with Australian family could immigrate into the country but this restriction was lifted. The first boat carrying Jews arrived in the November of 1946. Over the next 8 years approximately 17,000 Jews would migrate to Australia to start their new lives away from the horrors of their homeland. |