In 1901 most Australians were loyal, white subjects of the British Empire with direct connections to Britain. Within a hundred years, following an unparalleled immigration program, its population was one of the most diverse on earth. No other country has achieved such radical social and demographic change in so short a time. Destination Australia tells the story of this extraordinary transformation. Against the odds, this change has caused minimal social disruption and tension. While immigration has generated some political and social anxieties, Australia has maintained a stable democracy and a coherent social fabric. One of the impressive achievements of the book is in explaining why this might be so.

“This book charts the history of migration to Australia from the twentieth century to the present. Written by one of Australia’s leading historians of immigration, the book explores three main themes: the maintenance of British White Australia through to 1947; the Europeanisation of immigration through to the 1970s; and, the dismantling of White Australia and the radical diversification of immigration that has continued to the present day. More than just a linear history, Richards uses the drama of real stories and experiences to illustrate broader arguments and places Australia’s experience in the context of international migration patterns.”

•  1 The new century: 1900 and 2000 1
• 2 The slow awakening: 1900-14 28
• 3 Migrants and the Great War: 1914-18 58
• 4 White British Australia resuscitated: the 1920s 80
• 5 Malaise, recrimination and demographic 113
• pessimism: the 1930s
• 6 Race, refugees, war and the future: 1939-45 141
• 7 Arthur Calwell and the new Australia: 1945-51 166
• 8 The great diversification: the 1950s and 1960s 204
• 9 White Australia dismantled: the 1970s 244
• 10 The end of the heroic days: the 1980s 269
• 11 Whither immigrant Australia? 297
• 12 The new century 321
• 13 Retrospect 350
• Statistics 385
• Notes 392
• Select bibliography 420.
• First Edition.

  • 432 p. : ill., map ; 24 cm. #141025