Immigration Museum

Last week we toured the Immigration Museum here in Melbourne. Like many countries, the Australian immigration policy has changed back and forth at different times, depending on the political climate and perceived needs of the country. I found the first cartoon summarized some of the anti-immigration policy really well. The Aboriginal presence here before English settlement is illustrated in the other cartoon. (Very similar issues as the Native Americans in the United States). One way Australians kept people out was to require a dictation test, as you can see above. Although they didn't want to appear outwardly racist against non-Europeans, this test assured most applicants would fail because they hadn't mastered all possible European languages. The museum also includes a Discovery Centre, which is basically a research library focusing on immigration, family history, and cultural research. It seemed like a valuable resource for the community here. The displays did a good job of personalizing the history, by telling various family stories and providing interactive elements, such as a world map showing various flight routes by Australian airlines. You can read a bit more about migration here. The government has some basic information here on relocating to Australia, and what to expect. One of the challenges to immigrants has always been that Australia is so far away from other countries. We have even felt this in the electronic age, and I've made an extra effort since we've been here to stay in touch with our American friends and family. At times, the physical distance has translated into emotional distance as well. It would make me hesitant to relocate here permanently, even though I've really enjoyed the country and culture so far.