Multicultural Evolvement in Australia

The diversity of origins of Australians has made Australia to be one of the countries that adopt multiculturalism. The migration to Australia happened since centuries ago and still continues until the present. Up until the 1960’s, Australia was defined as a White Nation. The dominant national culture was defined in Anglo-Celtic terms and all other cultures were excluded from its self image.

There are three main phases in the evolution of Australia's public policies on immigration and related migrant settlement and cultural diversity issues, referred to as assimilation, integration and multiculturalism.

When Australia was made into a federation, it needed more people to develop the land. When gold was discovered in the Gold Rush period, people from all parts of the world were attracted like magnet by the promise of wealth that they could discover in Australia. Due to racial attitudes and economic factors, the influx of Asians and coloured people into Australia society was feare...