Year 6 History: Who migrated to Australia?

Learn more about what happens to refugees in the world - why they leave, where they go, and how they are treated.

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Sailing from the German port of Bremerhaven under charter to the International Refugee Organisation, the ship carried the first group of European displaced persons to be resettled through the Australian government’s post-war migration program.

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‘Populate or perish’: post war migration

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Internees were mostly ‘enemy aliens’ from countries at war with Australia. Most were civilian men, but some women and children were also interned. Internees were held in camps around Australia, often in remote locations. People were interned based solely on their nationality, even if they had done no wrong.

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Thousands of residents of Australia had their lives turned upside down almost overnight in 1939. Suddenly their neighbours, members of the wider community and the government looked at them differently. With the outbreak of World War II German born people living in Australia were classified as “Enemy Aliens”.

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The largest internment camp in Australia during World War One was at Holsworthy, near Liverpool on the outskirts of Sydney.

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Immigration is a vital feature of Australia's history and national identity. Since 1788, millions have made the long journey across the oceans to Australia seeking fortune, opportunity and freedom. They came by clipper, steamer and liner until the aeroplane became established as the main means of long distance travel in the 1970s.

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In 1901 the colonies in Australia came together to form a united country. Shortly after that the parliament introduced the Immigration Restriction Act.

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This interactive graphic illustrates how immigration policies and historical events – from the first world war to the Covid-19 pandemic – have changed the make-up of Australia since federation.

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Each immigrant has their own story to tell
Immigration is about us all – those who were here and those who came.

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Melbourne’s heritage-listed Station Pier was Victoria’s most important arrival point for migrants. Since 1854, the site has welcomed and processed millions of anxious and excited new arrivals.

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As promotion for the Australian government’s migration programs, milestone arrivals, such as the 10,00th migrant from a particular country, were made into press events.

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More than 100,000 people worked on the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme from its launch in 1949 to its official opening in 1972. Migrants of more than 30 nationalities made up about 65 per cent of the workforce.

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Learn what life was like for migrants from war-devastated Europe who came to work on this ambitious project.

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The Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme in New South Wales was nominated by the American Society of Engineers in 1967 as one of the engineering wonders of the world.
The scheme brought thousands of migrants to Australia.