Post-WWII Migration: Populate or Perish

Active learning works for this topic because students need to step into the shoes of migrants and policymakers to truly grasp the urgency and complexity of post-WWII migration. Role-playing interviews and collaborative research make the human stories behind the policy visible, turning abstract historical events into lived experiences.

• Year 6
• HASS
• 3 activities
• 45 min–60 min

Learning Objectives

1. Explain the primary strategic and economic motivations behind Australia's 'Populate or Perish' policy after World War II.
2. Analyze the challenges and opportunities faced by British 'Ten Pound Poms' and other European migrants upon arrival in post-war Australia.
3. Evaluate the immediate demographic and workforce changes in Australia resulting from post-war mass migration.
4. Compare the push and pull factors that influenced European migration to Australia during the mid-20th century.

Simulation Game

⏱ 45 min·Pairs

Simulation Game: The Migration Interview

Students act as migration officers and potential migrants from 1950s Europe. They must discuss the 'push' factors (war, poverty) and 'pull' factors (jobs, safety) that lead someone to leave their home for Australia.

Prepare & details

Explain the strategic and economic reasons behind Australia's 'Populate or Perish' policy.

Facilitation Tip: For the Migration Interview simulation, provide students with role cards that include both factual background and emotional context to deepen their engagement with the material.

Setup: Flexible space for group stations

Materials: Role cards with goals/resources, Game currency or tokens, Round tracker

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 50 min·Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Ten Pound Poms

Small groups research the 'Assisted Passage Scheme'. They create a travel brochure from the 1950s designed to convince a British family to move to Australia, highlighting the promised benefits.

Prepare & details

Analyze the experiences of 'Ten Pound Poms' and other European migrants in post-war Australia.

Facilitation Tip: During the Ten Pound Poms investigation, assign small groups a specific country of origin to research, ensuring they compare data on recruitment numbers and settlement experiences.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

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

Stations Rotation

⏱ 60 min·Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Bonegilla and Beyond

Set up stations with photos and diary entries from migrant hostels like Bonegilla. Students rotate to learn about the food, the language barriers, and the first jobs migrants took when they arrived.

Prepare & details

Evaluate the immediate impact of mass migration on Australia's population and workforce.

Facilitation Tip: In the Bonegilla and Beyond station rotation, place primary sources like letters or photographs at each station to ground discussions in real-life experiences.

Setup: Tables/desks arranged in 4-6 distinct stations around room

Materials: Station instruction cards, Different materials per station, Rotation timer

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Teaching This Topic

Experienced teachers approach this topic by balancing factual content with emotional engagement, using primary sources to humanize historical events. Avoid presenting the policy as purely altruistic or purely coercive—focus on the tension between Australia’s strategic fears and migrants’ hopes. Research suggests that role-playing and collaborative inquiry help students retain both the policy details and the human stories.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students confidently explaining the reasons behind Australia’s migration policies and the challenges migrants faced, using specific historical evidence. They should also demonstrate empathy by articulating the perspectives of different migrant groups and policymakers.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the Migration Interview simulation, watch for students assuming migrants only came to Australia for leisure or adventure.

What to Teach Instead

Use the role-play debrief to ask migrants why they left their homes and what they hoped to find in Australia, directly addressing the misconception with their own words.

Common Misconception

During the Ten Pound Poms collaborative investigation, watch for students believing the 'Populate or Perish' policy was inclusive of all nationalities.

What to Teach Instead

Have groups present their findings on who was targeted by the policy and why, using recruitment posters or government documents to highlight the preference for British and European migrants.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

After the Migration Interview simulation, provide students with two index cards. On the first, ask them to write one specific reason for the 'Populate or Perish' policy. On the second, ask them to name one group of migrants and one challenge they likely faced, using details from their role-play.

Discussion Prompt

During the Ten Pound Poms collaborative investigation, pose the question: 'Imagine you are a migrant arriving in Australia in 1950. What are two things you might be excited about, and two things you might be worried about?' Facilitate a class discussion using the group’s research findings as evidence.

Quick Check

After the Bonegilla and Beyond station rotation, present students with a short list of potential 'push' and 'pull' factors for migration. Ask them to categorize each factor as either a push or pull factor for post-WWII European migrants heading to Australia, and to briefly justify their choices using the primary sources they analyzed at each station.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge advanced students to research and present on a migrant group not covered in class, such as Dutch or Italian migrants, focusing on their cultural contributions.
• Scaffolding for struggling students includes providing sentence starters for the push/pull factor activity and pre-selected primary source excerpts to analyze.
• Deeper exploration: Invite students to compare Australia’s post-WWII migration policy with another country’s contemporary policy, using a Venn diagram to highlight similarities and differences.

Key Vocabulary

Populate or Perish	A post-World War II Australian government policy that encouraged mass migration, driven by the fear that a small population made the country vulnerable to invasion.
Ten Pound Poms	A term for British migrants who were able to emigrate to Australia after World War II for a nominal fee of ten pounds, as part of assisted passage schemes.
Displaced Persons (DPs)	Individuals who were forced to flee their home countries due to war or persecution, many of whom found new homes in Australia after World War II.
Assisted Passage Migration Scheme	Government programs, particularly between Britain and Australia, that subsidized the cost of travel for migrants to encourage settlement in Australia.
Push Factors	Conditions in a person's home country that encourage or force them to leave, such as war, poverty, or lack of opportunity.
Pull Factors	Conditions in a new country that attract people to migrate there, such as economic opportunities, safety, or perceived better quality of life.