Development of Events in the Australian Colony: Early Immigration

From the gold rush in the 1800s to today's opportunities for skilled migrants: is Australia really the most successful multicultural society in the world?

Since the First Fleet dropped anchor in 1788, close to 10 million settlers have moved from across the world to start a new life in Australia.

They have arrived in waves, encouraged by developments like the 1850s gold rushes, or to escape adverse conditions at home such as the Industrial Revolution’s social upheavals in 19th-century Britain, the two world wars and the aftermath of the Vietnam War in the 1970s. Collectively these migrants have helped shape a unique British-based and now multicultural society on the perimeter of Asia

From 1831 the British and Australian colonial governments paid, or partly paid, for thousands of migrants to move to Australia. This boosted the population of the Australian colonies and at the same time reduced the need for convict labour. From 1832 until the 1850s around 357,000 assisted migrants came to Australia.

In 1788 the 11 ships of the First Fleet, carrying about 1,000 British people, landed in Australia. Since then, millions of people have migrated to Australia from countries all over the world. These immigrants have shaped the identity of modern Australia.

In the 1820s, the British authorities began to consider encouraging the immigration of free settlers, but initially restricted access to land grants to those with adequate resources to develop the land and employ convict labour. In 1831, land grants ceased and a new policy was initiated based on the sale of land to fund assisted immigration schemes from the British Isles. The first assisted migrants arrived in 1832 and included a majority of single women in an effort to address the gender imbalance that had emerged in the population.

From 1831 the British and Australian colonial governments subsidised or paid for thousands of migrants to move to Australia.

Celebrate the journeys that changed Australia forever
Immigration is a vital feature of Australia's history and national identity. Explore the journey through immigrants' stories; discover the changing routes and travelling conditions, and find out what departure and arrival meant for those seeking a home in this distant land.

Analysis of a Primary Source
During the 1850s, people from all over the world came to the Victorian goldfields in search of fortune and a better life.
Many took great risks leaving their homelands for a long journey to Australia.

What can this painting, titled The Last of England, by Ford Madox Brown, tell us about people's experiences travelling from England to the Australian gold rushes?

In the 1850s, Chinese immigrants arrived in Australia hoping to make their fortune on the Victorian goldfields.
They soon settled down and built temples known as 'Joss Houses'.

In this video, Curator Michelle Smith talks about temple boards held in the collection of The Gold Museum, and describes their interesting features.

In this video, Naomi Holden tells us the story of immigrant Eliza Perrin through her dress that is held in the Gold Museum.

Some women in the 1850s had no family or government support and were forced to live on the streets, relying on the charity of others.
In this video, Lisa Treloar tells us the story of Irish immigrant women, through the character of Irish Jane.

It might seem strange to think that there is a noticeable German influence in Australia, but in fact, there has been a significant German presence in the island continent since the early days of European colonization in the nineteenth century.

Waves of German immigration to Australia have paralleled historical events in the German-speaking parts of Europe. German migrants to Australia have brought with them their language and many aspects of their culture, which over the years has become modified and merged into the broader Australian way of life.

Comprehensive indices and lists of ships and assisted and unassisted passengers immigrating to SA from 1836 - 1940 with surviving manifests available to view through the State Records website or through the free Family Search Website. You can search passenger name, year or ship name.

The Ships List, a free international resource of passenger lists built and maintained by enthusiasts.

The passengers data base was produced by staff and volunteers at the South Australian Maritime Museum over 20 years. It includes entries for 328,000 passengers and 20,000 voyages to South Australia.

Learn the history of Chinese migration to Australia in the 1800s, and hear the story of Captain John Egge, entrepreneur and business owner.
Can you think of some other notable migrants and the contributions they made to Australia?

Thousands of Chinese people joined the Victorian gold rush in the 1850s.
Many remained in central Victoria when the rush ended and became market gardeners, tailors, herbalists and restaurateurs.

Doug Lougoon, President of the Bendigo Chinese Association, describes the journey of his grandfather from prospector to successful market gardener and land owner.

Long before the enactment of the White Australia policy, the Victorian government introduced a poll tax to discourage Chinese immigrants entering the colony.
To avoid paying the tax, Chinese travellers disembarked their ships near Robe in South Australia. Learn about their experiences on the long trek to the Victorian goldfields.

Nineteenth-century tin mines were tough places to live.
In north-east Tasmania, the weather was often wet, the terrain rugged and the work brutal.

Chinese miners began working marginal claims in the 1860s.

Many chose to remain in the region when the mines were exhausted, contributing to modern-day Launceston's healthy population of people with Chinese ancestry.

During the gold rush, bushranging flourished in New South Wales and the newly formed colony of Victoria.
In this video we meet some of Australia's most notorious bushrangers, explore bushranger objects at the National Museum of Australia and learn about the Eugowra gold escort robbery.

The gold rush of the 1890s, which started in Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie, prompted a rush of hopeful prospectors to Western Australia.
Perth Mint exhibition supervisor Greg Cooke talks about the reality of life in the harsh outback with little water and no roads.