Migration in the 1800s

In the early 1800s, the main groups in the colonies were of English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish heritage. Many of Australia’s pastimes, cultural activities and religious practices reflected those of Great Britain. There were also small groups of migrants from Europe and Asia. European arrivals in the 1800s included Italians, Greeks, Poles, Maltese, and Russians, as well as French settlers working in the wine industry. They were mostly young men seeking work and fortune, or seamen who had deserted their ships.

After 1842, Chinese migrants began arriving in Australia, and their numbers grew after the discovery of gold. There were racial tensions on the goldfields, which sometimes led to riots against the Chinese, such as those in Bendigo in 1854. These racial tensions resulted in the first restrictions on immigration in Victoria in 1855 and New South Wales in 1861.

After the gold rushes of the 1850s, many Chinese returned home. Among those who stayed were the market gardeners who supplied much needed fresh fruit and vegetables in areas where water was scarce.

From the 1860s, people from Iran, Egypt and Türkiye came to operate camel ‘trains’ through outback Australia. Along with the Indian cameleers, they were loosely referred to as ‘Afghans’, largely because of their similar dress and common Islamic religious beliefs. These cameleers were regarded as ‘pioneers of the inland’.

There were also Indians and Pacific Islanders who worked in the sugar and banana industries in Queensland, often for very low wages and in poor conditions.

From the 1880s, workers from Lebanon arrived in Australia. Many were involved in the fabric and clothing industries, and Lebanese families came to own most of the draperies in country Australia.