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Gold Rush
During the nineteenth century, the gold rush was the only time in Australia's history where there was a large-scale increase in population which was not the direct result of government immigration policies and programs. -
Populate or Perish
After World war 2, Australia was promoting immigrations with the catchphrase "populate or perish!", the catchphrase was trying to replenish the citizens that were lost at war. Australia offered cheap ways to get to Australia. -
First wave of post-war migration
As Australia assisted many people to migrate over to Australia there was bound to be a big wave. In 1947 the first big wave arrived in Australia, The people were mainly from war-torn Britain and Poland. -
Rise of migrants from southern Europe
The number of migrants from southern Europe sharply rose during the 1950s. -
Europeans escaping conflict in communist countries
Europeans escaping from conflict within communist countries, such as the civil unrest in Hungary in 1956 and Czechoslovakia in 1968, brought 150,000 migrants. -
Rise of Italian-born Australians
The number of Italian-born Australians rose from 34 000 in 1947 to 267 000 in 1966 due to an agreement signed in 1951. -
Rise of Greek-born Australians
the number of Greek-born Australians rose from 12,000 in 1947 to 140,000 in 1966 due to an agreement signed in 1952. -
Boat People
In the late 1970s, a new wave of refugees that came on boats docked in Darwin, first from East Timor, then from Indochina. Most of these refugees were fleeing from war and violence in their home countries. The immigration restrictions relaxed a lot and many of the refugees were allowed to settle in Australia -
Overthrow of the Allende government
Latin Americans escaping dictatorships, such as the overthrow of the Allende government in Chile in 1973 and the civil war in El Salvador, brought 53,000 migrants. -
Civil war in Lebanon
Civil war in Lebanon in 1975 brought over 20,000 Lebanese refugees, of whom over half were Muslim. The Lebanese community continued to grow in Australia during the 1980s as a result of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. -
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Asylum Seekers
Since the late 1990s, there have been increasing numbers of asylum seekers fleeing conflict and wars in the Middle East and Sri Lanka arriving in Australia by boat. There is a lot of controversy about what do do with the unauthorised arrival of these asylum seekers.