Ten Pound Poms

Ten Pound Poms (or Ten Pound tourists) is a colloquial term used in Australia and New Zealand to describe British citizens who migrated to Australia and New Zealand after the Second World War. The Government of Australia initiated the Assisted Passage Migration Scheme in 1945, and the Government of New Zealand initiated a similar scheme in July 1947. The Australian government arranged for assisted passage to Australia on chartered ships and aircraft. The migrants were called Ten Pound Poms due to the charge of £10 in processing fees to migrate to Australia. Assisted Passage Migration Scheme The Assisted Passage Migration Scheme was created in 1945 by the Chifley government and its first Minister for Immigration, Arthur Calwell, as part of the "Populate or Perish" policy. It was intended to substantially increase the population of Australia and to supply workers for the country's booming industries. In return for subsidising the cost of travelling to Australia, the Government promised employment prospects, affordable housing, and a generally more optimistic lifestyle. But upon arrival, migrants were placed in basic migration hostels and the expected job opportunities were not always readily available. Adult migrants were charged only ten pounds sterling for the fare (hence the name; in 1945 pounds, ), and migrant scheme children travelled free of charge. It was a follow-on to the unofficial Big Brother Movement and attracted more than a million migrants from the British Isles between 1945 and 1972. It was the last substantial scheme for preferential migration from the British Isles to Australia. In 1957 more migrants were encouraged to travel following a campaign called "Bring out a Briton". The scheme reached its peak in 1969, when more than 80,000 migrants took advantage of the scheme. In 1973 the cost to migrants of the assisted passage was increased to £75. The scheme was ended in 1982.