THE IMMIGRATION SITUATION IN AUSTRALIA. There has been a steady immigration movement to the British colonies of Australasia since the earliest days of their settlement. Previous to the formation of the Australian Commonwealth in 1901, however, the extent of immigration from overseas is not definitely shown, because the various colonies did not distinguish between transoceanic immigration and the constant movement of population that went on among the colonies. It is well known, however, that in every period by far the greater part of the immigration to the Australian states from across the seas has come from the United Kingdom and the white population of the Commonwealth is fundamentally British. AUSTRALIA'S IMMIGRATION POLICY. Since the federation in 1901 immigration has become a national question and its regulation has been within the Commonwealth. The immigration policy of the Commonwealth, however, is similar to that pursued by the separate colonies, which in general was the exclusion of Asiatics and Pacific Islanders, and the preservation and development of a "white Australia." The immigration problem in Australia is that of a vast undeveloped land, the only districts which are at all well populated with whites being a fringe of country along the coast. With an area of 2,974,581 square miles Australia had in 1907 a population of only 4,197,022, while the continental United States with a land area of 2,974,159 square miles, had in 1900 a population of about 76,000,000. The total area and the number of acres alienated, in process of alienation, leased or licensed, and unoccupied, in each Australian state, in 1907, are shown in the following table: TABLE 1.—The extent of settlement in Australia in 1907, by States. New South Wales.. Victoria.... Western Australia. Total.... 198, 638, 080 33, 921, 508 16,565, 225 126,081, 293 1,903, 731, 840 89, 351,069 36, 863, 669 774, 534, 132 In proc-Leased Uness of or li- occualien-censed. pied. lation. It will be noted that of the total area of the Commonwealth 52.7 per cent remained unoccupied in 1907. Only 4.7 per cent has been entirely alienated, 1.9 per cent being in process of alienation, and 40.7 per cent being leased or licensed. The largest proportion of land entirely alienated is in Victoria; Tasmania and New South Wales also have relatively large proportions of area entirely alienated. On the other hand, in Victoria less than 1 per cent has been alienated, while 72.3 per cent remains unoccupied. Both in South Australia and Tasmania considerably more than one-half the total area of the State remained unoccupied in 1907. In order to induce settlers to take up unoccupied land the government allows them to purchase the freehold by the payment of small half-yearly installments upon liberal terms. Advances for improving their holdings are also made in all the States except Tasmania. Even with such liberal inducements, however, the movement of settlers from overseas is not great, and some of the States continue to induce immigration by paying the passage wholly or in part of persons desiring to settle on the land or to engage in farm or dairy work, or work of a similar nature. Such assistance is also afforded to domestic servants and to other persons who can satisfy the agents-general of the Commonwealth in London that they would make desirable settlers for Australia." ASSISTED IMMIGRATION. The policy of assisting immigration has been vigorously pursued by the several colonies of Australasia for a greater part of the time since the early days of their settlement. This practice was practically discontinued in Victoria in 1873, in South Australia in 1886, and in Tasmania in 1891. In 1887 it was discontinued in New South Wales, but with certain reservations which enabled that colony to assist a limited number of immigrants during the period 1888 to 1899. From 1900 to 1905 no assistance was given by that colony, but the practice was resumed in 1906. Queensland and Western Australia have continually pursued the policy of assisted immigration. The following figures show the total number of assisted immigrants that have come to the various States now comprising the Commonwealth of Australia up to the end of 1907: The immigrants mostly desired by Australia are agricultural settlers with small capital who will devote themselves to the development of the agricultural area, and also suitable immigrants with health and willingness to work on the land." The Australian Commonwealth, 1908, p. 46. Official Year Book of the Commonwealth of Australia, No. 2, 1901–1908, p. 176. POPULATION AND EARLIER IMMIGRATION. In 1788, 1,030 persons settled in New South Wales, the parent colony of Australia, and since that beginning immigration has been a very important factor in the growth of the population. This growth is shown in the following table, which gives the combined population, exclusive of aborigines, of the Australian colonies now forming the Commonwealth at various census periods: The high rate of increase between 1831 and 1841 was due to the policy of state-aided immigration, which was vigorously pursued during that period. The rapid growth between 1851 and 1861 was largely due to the discovery of gold in Victoria and the consequent heavy immigration to that colony. Later the large gains in the populations of Queensland and Western Australia were also mainly the results of the large immigration attendant upon gold discoveries. In the following table is shown the population at the specified census periods of each colony now composing the Commonwealth: TABLE 2.-The population of Australasia, by colonies, at the specified census Previous to the formation of the Commonwealth in 1901, the immigration records of the several colonies were kept separately, and while statistics are available to show the extent of the movement, in some of the colonies account was not taken of the destination of emigrants nor of the country of last residence of immigrants. It is impossible, therefore, to determine exactly what proportion of the immigration was intercolonial and what proportion was from over the sea. However, the table next submitted shows for various periods the increase of population in the several colonies by reason of the excess of immigration over emigration. |