Australia Refugee History Timeline

  • Period: to

    Refugee

  • First Settlers

    On the 26th of January 1778, the First Fleet arrived at Botany Bay. this day was the begining of the colonisation of Australia by British/European society
  • Australian Gold Rush

    The Australian Gold Rush began in early 1851. The Gold Rush proved to be a major pull for British, Irish, German and Chinese immigrants looking to improve their fortunes. During the Gold Rush the population of New South Wales and Victoria increased by 50% - 70%.
  • Snow Sports

    Somewhere around 1861 the Kiandra Snow Club was formed. This was the first recognised snow club formed in the world and proved to be a major pull factor for immigrants.
  • The Federation of Australia

    The Federation of Australia
    1 Jan 1901
    The Federation of Australia came into force on the 1st of January 1901. After this time the White Australian Policy was introduced which required immigrants to pass a dictation test before being allowed in to the country.
  • The Great Depression

    The Great Depression occured from 1929 to 1932. This was a period were Australia went through great economical hardship. During this time no migrants were allowed to enter in to the country.
  • Jewish Refugees

    From 1938, Australia had an influx of Jewish Refugees trying to escape the Holocaust the occured during the Second World War.
  • Post-War Immigration

    After the Second World War, Australia went through a period where mass immigration was promoted. The Minister of Immigration at the time, Arthur Calwell, made the famous slogan "populate or perish".
  • Asylum Seeker Policy

    From 1970 onwards, the policies regarding the acceptance of asylum seekers began to change. Slowly, Australia started to accept asylum seekers.
  • The Pacific Solution

    From 2001, border protection of Australia became an issue. The Pacific Solution was introduced which ment asylum seekers would be kept in detention centres before being assimilated into Australian society.
  • The Present