Australia the land for tomorrow

Once the Australia became a federation nation in 1901, a new white policy was introduced which meant that the country would allow only whites to enter – preventing especially the Japanese and Chinese who where considered a threat to the “newly formed federation.” Chinese people where oringnally excluded to prevent them from taking claim of gold during the gold rush in the1850’s. Australia wanted its country to be populated from British people. A scheme was introduced to encourage British people to come to the country. After all Australia considered a new life with land waiting to be plowed.


For the first time Australia decided to look outside Britain to other European countries to fill the population. In 1948 after the 2nd World War a shift in thinking was adopted and Australia’s view on immigration changed. Many migrated to Australia to escape the threat of a nuclear war, many came to escape there homeland. At a time when the Soviets where taking over many Eastern European countries. Between 1945 and 1965 more than 2 million people migrated to Australia. But this was not enough to sustain the country and with the threat of communism the government set up a campaign “populate or perish.”
In response to the scheme the poster “Australia – Land of Tomorrow” was a poster deigned to encourage Europeans to come to Australia– use of European colours, green blue and yellow where used to entice.

“The creator of this poster, Joe Greenberg, was told later by a Czech migrant that it had been displayed in all the migrant camps in Europe, and had influenced him to come to Australia1.The poster has historic value as evidence of post World War 2 mass migration and the attempt by the Australian government to build the nation’s population with European migrants at a time when the White Australia Policy was firmly enforced.The poster has social value as a reminder of the experience of thousands of post war migrants and the apartheid years under the White Australia Policy. The poster is well provenanced to Joe Greenberg and the Victoria Museum Collection. The poster represents a time when Australia saw itself as a predominantly European culture and assisted nearly 200,000 people from Europe to migrate while maintaining the White Australia Policy and the Immigration Restriction Act to keep Asian and Pacific Islanders out.The interpretive potential of the poster is considerable. The poster displays Australian Government promoting Australia as the land of prosperity and growth to prospective European migrants with the banners such as “Australia: Land of Tomorrows” and imagery of opportunity. The poster interprets the attempts by the Australian government to build up Australia’s population of European migrants at a time when the White Australia Policy was firmly enforced.
Many fled to leave behind hardships, in return they had to work in jobs given by the government. Some of these jobs included building bridges and Dams.”
Another era of immigration began in the 50s and 60’s, countries included Italy, Croatia, , Malta, Greece and Turkey. The people from these countries sought for better employment and better living conditions.

The programmes encourage people to immigrate to Australia where considered a huge success, “the origins of “new Australians” changed dramatically, with British migrants only making up half of the intake, and many migrants coming from southern, eastern and northern Europe.” Mass migration to Australia continued until the 1960s.

Time for change

Today migrating to Australia is no longer and a easy thing to do. There are now restrictions to enter the country and a Visa requirements given based on a points system. Aboringnals have now been given more rights and are recognized and have since been given more land. Australia have tried to rectify there wrongs by setting up National Sorry Day.