Our trip began with a lovely visit with Neil and Susan Beaumont in their lovely home in Dingley Village. Their son David was our exchange student his junior year in high school and is now married to a beautiful woman, Sophia and has a new home. It was wonderful to have an eyes on look at their life. What amazing tour guides they were – it will be hard to repay them for all they did. We even spent a day with David and Sophie at the Australian Open! A bucket list adventure.
Learning about the history of Australia was quite surprising. The Aboriginal people have lived on the Australian continent for between 50,000 to possibly 65,000 years. There are still over 1,000,000,000 Aboriginal people on the continent, in over 300 clans, speaking 250 different languages. The last clans were still living on the land until the 1980’s when they were forced from the location due to a variety of issues. A nomadic people, dependent on small watering holes in the outback, they were finally forced to surrender their native life most likely due to a lack of water. Reports say that it could have been caused by the introduction of the camel (who can drink 30 gallon at one time) and began to overpopulate in the area.
As you know, Australia was first populated by Europeans that were criminals from Europe (mainly England). But did you know that before that, these criminals were sent to America? Until the revolution and victory over England in 1776. Then England turned it sites on Australia as its new penal colony. With a shortage of women, many women and children criminals were sent for very minor offences such as stealing a loaf of bread.
In 1889 stirrings began to unite Australia and January 1, 1901, Australian became the “Commonwealth of Australia”. There is still an underlying feeling that Australia did not gain full independence because of how America’s breaking away had taken place – England would not allow that to happen again!
The constitution passed in 1901 indeed included some unbelievable laws. The “White Australia Policy” is the name given to the various immigration laws. Five shocking facts about Australia between 1901-1973:
- During the gold rushes in the late 1800’s, non-white migrants arrived and began competing with the white business owners which led each colony to establish its own migration policies, sometimes excluding anyone of non-British descent.
- Entry tests were made impossible. The Immigration Restriction Act (IRA) gave immigration officers the power to make non-white migrants complete a 50 word dictation test. It was given in a European language, and if they passed the test, it was given again in number of different languages until they failed.
- Any “undesirables” was deported. The IRA also meant any non-white people who had come to Australia prior to the law being passed, also had to sit for the exam, and if they failed they would be deported.
- Families were separated. Many non-white (mostly Japanese) refugees left after WWII either voluntarily or were deported. Even ones that had married Australians. (This was overturned in 1949, and they were allowed to return).
- At the end of WWII, Australia was underpopulated, so the government developed a POP policy. Populate or Perish, which included the 10 pound pom – People from Britain and Northern Europe could emigrate by charging only 10 pounds for a ticket.
