From the Pacific Islands and the Americas

The story of migration to Australia begins with the Aboriginal people who arrived many thousands of years ago, and extends through the first European settlement, to the more than 100,000 newcomers who now arrive each year from all over the world. Some migrants hope to improve their economic position through better work opportunities, some are fleeing persecution and war, others are joining family members. Whatever the reason for their move, migrants go on to become an integral part of their new culture, changing and shaping it just as those who came before them did. In the century or so after European settlement, many people came to Australia from New Zealand and North America seeking their fortunes. Industry, trade and the discovery of gold all played a part. Less fortunate were the Pacific Islands who in the late 1800s were brought to Australia to work on the sugar cane plantations. In the 1970s-1980s, South Americans escaping oppressive dictatorships and civil war arrived from Chile, Argentina and El Salvador. More recently, Australia has accepted many Fijians after military coups in that country. Since the deregulation of the financial markets in the 1980s, Australia has again attracted more North American entrepreneurs