Major Periods in Australian Immigration

By Max Marriott
  • Period: to

    Convict Transportation

    • Over this time, Britain transported roughly 160,000 prisoners to Australia
  • Period: to

    Free Immigrants

    • The basis of Australian society was founded by roughly 200,000 immigrants who came from Britain to start a new life

  • The Gold Rush

    • Thousands of Chinese came to Australia during the Gold Rush, becoming the third largest migrant group
  • Period: to

    Labourers

    • Many other races such as South Sea Islanders, Afghans and Japanese arrived and contributed to Australian industry

  • White Australia Policy

    • Immigration restriction acts to try and make the population 90% British

  • Populate or Perish

    • To recover from WW2 many cheap European migrants were permitted entry to Australia

  • Boat People

    • Many Indochinese refugees came fleeing the war in Vietnam
  • Period: to

    Asylum Seekers

    • New refugees mainly from middle east and Sri Lanka arrive
  • Period: to

    Indigenous and Torres Straight Islander

    • The indigenous people had been here before the settlers for thousands of years