HASS · Year 10

Active learning ideas

Post-War Immigration Policy: Populate or Perish

Active learning works for this topic because students need to confront the lived realities behind policy slogans like 'Populate or Perish.' A hands-on approach helps them move beyond abstract statistics to understand the human stories of migrants, officials, and communities, making the policy’s impact tangible and memorable.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9H10K07

• 25–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Role Play
• 40 min · Pairs

Role Play: The Migration Interview

Students take on roles as Australian migration officers and European displaced persons in 1947. They must conduct interviews based on the criteria of the time, such as health, age, and 'assimilability.' This highlights the selective and often discriminatory nature of early post-war migration policies.

Analyze the strategic and economic reasons behind the 'Populate or Perish' policy.

Facilitation Tip

During the 'Migration Interview' role play, assign students specific roles (e.g., government official, migrant, trade unionist) and provide them with historical constraints to debate, such as quotas or language requirements.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are a government official in 1947. Present two key arguments for or against the 'Populate or Perish' policy, considering both national security and economic factors.' Allow students to debate their points.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 50 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Snowy Mountains Scheme

In small groups, students research the 'Snowy' as a multicultural workplace. They investigate the different nationalities involved, the working conditions, and how this project helped integrate migrants into Australian society. Groups present their findings as a 'commemorative plaque' or digital presentation.

Explain how post-war anxieties shaped Australia's immigration goals.

Facilitation Tip

For the 'Snowy Mountains Scheme' investigation, divide students into groups to analyze primary sources like pay stubs or accommodation records to uncover the diversity of workers and their experiences.

What to look for

Provide students with a short list of post-war immigration initiatives (e.g., 'Ten Pound Poms', 'Beautiful Balts', Snowy Mountains Scheme). Ask them to match each initiative with its primary goal or motivation as discussed in class.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: 'Populate or Perish' Propaganda

Students examine government posters from the 1940s that encouraged migration. They reflect on the fear-based messaging (e.g., the threat of invasion) and discuss in pairs how this messaging would be received today. They then share their thoughts on how national security concerns drive migration policy.

Evaluate the immediate success of the policy in boosting population numbers.

Facilitation Tip

In the 'Populate or Perish' propaganda Think-Pair-Share, provide students with mixed-media examples (posters, radio transcripts, newspaper clippings) to compare how different groups were targeted or excluded.

What to look for

On an exit ticket, ask students to write one sentence explaining the main fear driving the 'Populate or Perish' policy and one sentence describing a specific group of migrants who came to Australia as a result.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should approach this topic by framing it as a tension between policy and human experience. Start with the language of 'Populate or Perish' to reveal its urgency, then contrast it with the quiet resistance or adaptation of migrants. Avoid presenting immigration as a single success story; instead, highlight the contradictions, such as welcoming 'Beautiful Balts' while enforcing assimilation. Research in history education suggests students grasp large-scale policies better when they start with personal accounts and then zoom out to the bigger picture.

Successful learning looks like students questioning the assumptions of post-war immigration policy and recognizing how 'Populate or Perish' balanced national security, economic growth, and cultural expectations. They should be able to articulate the challenges migrants faced and the long-term effects of these policies on Australia’s identity.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Role Play: The Migration Interview activity, watch for students assuming post-war migration was open to everyone from the start.

  During this activity, provide students with a 'migration eligibility checklist' that includes criteria like nationality, health, and skills. Have them use this checklist to evaluate whether applicants from different backgrounds (e.g., British, Italian, Chinese) would have been approved, prompting them to recognize the policy’s selectivity.

• During the Think-Pair-Share: 'Populate or Perish' Propaganda activity, watch for students assuming migrants were always welcomed with open arms by the Australian public.

  During this activity, include a set of oral history excerpts from the Bonegilla Migrant Centre in the materials. Have students analyze these for evidence of prejudice or discrimination, then discuss how these experiences contrast with the government’s welcoming rhetoric.

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Methods used in this brief

• Role Play
• Inquiry Circle
• Think-Pair-Share