Opposing Australia's First Assisted Immigrants, 1832-42

This book explores the paradoxical denigration of the first significant group of free (non-convict), working-class emigrants to the Australian colony of New South Wales in the 1830s, revealing the conflicting and opportunistic rationales used to protect the elites' financial and social hegemony. It sheds light on early forms of class antagonism in Australia and provides valuable insights for researchers in Australian history, migration studies, and colonial history.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 28 October 2022
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

This captivating book delves into the perplexing depreciation of the initial cohort of free, working-class emigrants who ventured to the Australian colony of New South Wales in the 1830s. Despite their invaluable contributions to the colony's workforce, the colonial elite harbored a profound disdain for these newcomers, attributing their perceived laziness and moral turpitude to them. These criticisms, rooted in political, economic, and cultural motivations, ultimately aimed to safeguard, legitimate, and solidify the elites' financial and social dominance. The author embarks on a quest to uncover the underlying motivations behind the public denouncements of immigrants by exposing the conflicting and opportunistic rationales employed. These immigrants, hailing from Britain and Ireland through the experiment of "government-assisted migration," are often celebrated as "brave pioneers" today. However, this book uncovers the deep-seated antagonism towards immigration that persists within Australian society. By shedding light on early manifestations of class antagonism in Australia, this book offers valuable insights for scholars researching Australian history and migration studies, as well as those engaged in the study of colonial history. It serves as a valuable model for reassessing and confronting a longstanding pattern prevalent in most settler societies: a hostility towards immigrants.

Weight: 364g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030849221
Edition number: 1st ed. 2021