Ten Pound Poms (also called Ten Pound Tom boys or Ten Pound Tourists) is a colloquial term used in Australia to describe British subjects who migrated to Australia after the Second World War under an assisted passage scheme established and operated by the Government of Australia.[1]
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Created 1945 during the government of Ben Chifley as part of the "Populate or Perish" policy, by the first Minister for Immigration, Arthur Calwell, the scheme was designed 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 — adult migrants were charged only ten pound sterling for the fare (hence the name), and children were allowed to travel for free — the Government promised employment prospects, housing and a generally more optimistic lifestyle. However, on arrival, migrants were placed in basic hostels and the expected job opportunities were not always readily available.[2] It was a follow-on to the unofficial Big Brother Movement and attracted over one million migrants from the British Isles between 1945 and 1972, representing the last substantial scheme for preferential migration from the British Isles to Australia.[3] In 1957, more migrants were encouraged to travel following a campaign called 'Bring out a Briton'. Coming to and end in 1982,[4] the scheme reached its peak in 1969; during this year over 80,000 migrants took advantage of the scheme.[5] The cost to migrants of the assisted passage was increased to £75 in 1973.[2]
While the term "Ten Pound Pom" is in common use, the scheme was not limited to just migrants from the United Kingdom. Persons born in the the Irish Free State or in the southern counties of Ireland prior to the establishment of the Republic of Ireland in 1949 were also classified as British subjects.[6] In fact most British subjects were eligible and, at the time, that included not only those from the British Isles but also residents of British colonies such as Malta and Cyprus. Australia also operated schemes to assist selected migrants from other countries, notably Netherlands (1951), Italy (1951), Greece (1952), West Germany (1952) and Turkey (1967).[7]
Assisted migrants were generally obliged to remain in Australia for two years after arrival, or alternatively refund the cost of their assisted passage. If they chose to travel back to Britain, the cost of the journey was at least £120, a large sum in those days and one that most could not afford.[4] It was also possible for many British persons to migrate to Australia on a non-assisted basis before the early 1970s, although most travelled as Ten Pounders. This was part of the wider White Australia Policy. A quarter of British migrants chose to return to the UK but half of these - the so-called 'Boomerang Poms' - realised their mistake and returned to Australia.[4]
Prior to 1 December 1973, migrants to Australia from Commonwealth countries were eligible to apply for Australian citizenship after one year's residence in Australia. In 1973 the residence requirement was extended to three years, reduced to two years in November 1984. However, relatively few British migrants — compared to other postwar arrivals, such as Italians, Greeks and Turks — took up Australian citizenship. Consequently, many lost their Australian resident status later on, usually through leaving Australia.
One of the most famous Ten Pound Poms is current Prime Minister Julia Gillard who migrated with her family from Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales in 1966,[8] in the hope the warmer climate would help her fix a lung infection.
The England fast bowlers Harold Larwood (in 1950)[9] and Frank Tyson (in 1960) also took advantage of the scheme when they retired from cricket.
The Bee Gees (Gibb brothers) lived their first few years in Chorlton, Manchester, England, then moved in the late 1950s to Redcliffe, Queensland, Australia, where they began their musical careers.[10]