Question:

Explain the influence of migration in Australian political and economic developments overtime

Answer:
Migration has had a significant impact on Australia’s political and economic developments overtime
due to various world events such as the Gold Rush and WWII. These have influenced the increase in
migrants’ overtime and have created new laws, policies, and economic benefits for the country.
Prior to Australia’s Federation in 1901, Asian migrants, drawn by the Gold Rush, came in mass to
Australia and began making their lives in Australia. The Anglo Australians began their resentment for
them because of their cheap labour which would make competition for lower wages to increase
drastically. Among the first of legislation coming after federation, was the “Immigration Restriction
Act 1901”, or as it was coined, “The White Australia Policy”, fuelled by political Eurocentric views,
meant that to migrate to Australia, one had to be of European decent, and pass a dictation test, which
most Asians could not pass and thus restricting migration. This would mean that the threat of cheap
labour would be removed and the removal of the traditional cultural practices and celebrations they
would bring to communities. However, the Asians who came opened successful businesses and
established wealth in Australia. This restriction of migration hindered economic progress once
instated. Leading into the World Wars, the economy was disadvantaged, and this formed the need to
start speeding up economic growth.
After the World Wars, the economy was not stable and labour shortages were common. WWII had
seen attacks on Australia and the ability to defend itself was limited by lack of population. These
world events were the main political and economic influence of the “Populate or Perish Policy 1947”,
which was a program to attract skilled migration to Australia. The new policy meant that Australia
could source labour, particularly men with a shortage after the war and this aim for male labour is
clearly represented in source 1, specifically stating in a large font, “Man’s Job”, showing its target for
men. The costuming of the figure represented is European, and so presents the target market. The
background has a representation of industries, like a ram and barely representing the Agricultural
industry and the way in which the European is walking ultimately conveys the message that there is
lots of economic opportunity in Australia, to entice European migration to Australia. The need for
labour in Australia was increasing more and the country required a more constant flow of migrants.
The need for more constant flow of migrants influenced the easing of restrictions and promotion of
migration to Australia. The assisted passage scheme from many countries allowed the instant flow of
Western European and United State migrants, and gradually in the 1960’s, Eastern Europeans
migrants were included in this scheme. Source 2 is an advertisement to encourage migration to
Australia with the assisted passage scheme. The child on the ad smiling provokes the viewer to
consider a future in Australia with the emotional attachment to children. The ad makes a reference to,
“your child” to show that one’s children may be better in Australia. The financial incentive it
advertises of child goes free, eases the financial strain to migrants and may also indirectly highlight
that the move to Australia will be easy to encourage migration. The further italicisation of “Australia”
places emphasis on the country. The removal of the dictation test in 1966 meant that more Asian
families could start to migrate to Australia, and significant amounts did. The removal of the
“Immigration Restriction Act 1901” was a political move which meant that no person could be
restricted to immigration, and the “Racial Discrimination Act”, influenced by the civil rights
movement in America and flow of Asian migrants, made it illegal to discriminate in any way, to
promote these migrants, and this would indirectly support them to pursue economic development
without being targeted or disadvantaged by being migrants. Nationalistic events saw the end of the
progress to allow more people entering the country, but significant population had already been
established in Australia.
Ultimately, migration has had a significant influence on political and economic developments as they
have formed agendas to address new policies, schemes, and economic benefits to align with these
world events.