Immigration - The Waves That Shaped Australia (1-Year Access)

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As a short treatment of the history of migration to Australia, this program pays tribute to convicts and free settlers alike while acknowledging prior claims of Aboriginal people to the land. Successive waves of migrants, principally European in origin, came when times were good. When times were bad, these migrants were the first to feel the effects of resentment and open prejudice. Refugees and post World War II migrants were often given the unpleasant jobs that no one else wanted but it was through their efforts that projects such as the Nullarbor Railway and the Snowy succeeded. Although fairly stringent immigration restrictions are now enforced, Australia has continued to respond to humanitarian requests to provide sanctuary for homeless people from troubled areas elsewhere in the world, most notably from South East Asia.

(1986, 18 mins) A Film Australia National Interest Program.

© National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.