Postwar Immigration Policies and Population Growth
- After 1945, both Australia and New Zealand launched large-scale immigration programs to boost economic growth, address labor shortages and strengthen national security.
- Governments encouraged migration to rebuild postwar economies and expand skilled labor.
- Australia’s Populate or Perish campaign illustrated the urgency placed on population growth.
- Assisted passage schemes targeted European migrants, especially from Britain and Southern Europe.
- New Zealand also relied heavily on British migration but gradually expanded intake from the Pacific Islands.
- Migration dramatically increased urbanization, labor force participation and industrial development.
Australia’s Assisted Passage Migration Scheme (1945–1972)
Origins and Goals
- Launched to attract workers for postwar reconstruction and manufacturing expansion.
- Offered subsidized travel for British citizens to encourage settlement.
- Targeted skilled laborers, families and young workers to support long-term growth.
- Reflected Australia’s desire to maintain cultural ties with Britain.
- Provided rapid population increase in a short time.
Impact and Outcomes
- More than one million British migrants settled in Australia under the scheme.
- Helped develop key sectors such as construction, transportation and mining.
- Created new suburbs and urban centers due to population demand.
- Increased cultural exchange and changed social demographics.
- Set the foundation for later non-European migration once restrictions eased.
Definition
Assisted passage
Government-supported travel to attract immigrants.
Definition
Populate or Perish
Australian slogan promoting immigration for national survival.
End of Racial Exclusion and Shift to Multicultural Policies
- From the 1960s onward, both nations dismantled racially discriminatory policies and adopted multiculturalism as an official framework for social integration.
- The White Australia policy ended gradually between 1949 and 1973, opening doors to Asian immigrants.
- New Zealand recognized the need for labor and expanded migration from Polynesia and Asia.
- New legal reforms prioritized skills, family reunification and humanitarian intake.
