Since the arrival of the first Europeans, this country has taken in an estimated 10 million migrants. But the path to a multicultural society has not been straightforward.
"We are all migrants of either today, yesterday or the day before. Australia is a migrant country, it will always be so," federal immigration minister Al Grassby told the ABC in 1973.
"From 1945 well into the 1970s many of the immigrants that were coming … were low skilled, and it was pretty soon evident that if you were of a non-English speaking background and you were low-skilled you were more likely to suffer social inequality," she says.
The feeling gave rise to the so-called culture wars of the 1980s, when the influences of Thatcherism in the UK and the US Reagan administration reached Australia. "What we get in response is the Hawke government's National Agenda for a Multicultural Australia … which moved away from an emphasis on migrant needs and migrant rights to cultural expression, to this idea of multiculturalism as something that all Australians have access to."When John Howard became prime minister in 1996, one of his first moves was to remove multicultural funding from the budget.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Why 'fogbows', ghostly white rainbows, are such a treat to spot in AustraliaMarlene Pointon is still pinching herself at the sheer joy of being in the right place at the right time to spot a fogbow and capture the fascinating phenomenon on camera.
Read more »
Bulldogs and Wests Magpies star Kyle White dies in sleep aged 53Former rugby league cult hero Kyle White is being remembered for his fearless mentality and style of play after he died in his sleep on Monday night.
Read more »
Corporate Kate: Princess stuns business leaders in white power suitKate Middleton has continued to promote her Shaping Us campaign by holding a business taskforce meeting on early childhood development with a range of leaders from major British companies.
Read more »
Bruce Springsteen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus among stars awarded medals at White HouseUS President Joe Biden welcomes a collection of singers, authors, artists and humanitarians to the White House to present them with medals — before stealing the show with a quip about seeking re-election.
Read more »
Southern white rhino calf delights conservationists after first birth at zoo in 10 yearsA Victorian zoo welcomes its first southern white rhino calf in a decade, as conservationists around the world consider next steps for the species.
Read more »