Australia has a long history of migration. Indeed, you could say that the first settlers to walk off the tall ships in Sydney Cove in 1788 were the first migrants to the land which eventually became Australia. Booms in migration also occurred when the wool industry became the country’s major source of income in the early 1800s and during the late nineteenth century when gold was discovered in Australia. However, in modern times there is also a substantial history of migration to Australia which has grown the population, stimulated the economy and enriched the culture of the country shaping and moulding it into the vibrant, diverse and cosmopolitan culture which is found in its major cities today. Approximately one in four people living in Australia today were born overseas.
Soon after World War Two, Australia introduced a substantial immigration program. There was a serious lack of available labourers and the doctrine of ‘populate or perish’ had become the political orthodoxy of the times. This was coupled with the fact that Europe had been left shattered by World War Two and had thousands if not millions of people looking to start again in the new world. In these times people from the UK could travel free or with assistance to this country and large numbers of people came to Australia from all of the European countries. Various conflicts in the late 20th century also spurred waves of migration from Vietnam, Chile, Hungary and Yugoslavia. In contemporary times, Australia’s immigration policies remain aimed at assisting people to migrate to this country and the countries where most migrants come from include the United Kingdom, India and China.
In economic terms migration has stimulated demand for goods and services in the economy with each successive wave. It has precipitated the expansion of business and government services. Also migrants have brought a new supply of labour, skills and capital to Australia as well as new types of developments and business ventures. A number of the technological inventions made in Australia have also been made by migrants and consistently it has been shown that migrants pay more in tax than they consume in services, therefore generating surpluses for the society as a whole.
It is anticipated that future migration to Australia will continue to result in the benefits of previous migration which have been shown to be significant.
