NEXUSTECH MEDIA PTY LTD
THE NEXUS Issue #1 15/03/2019
THE TEN POUND POMS
Photo: The S.S Britanis, one of the many ships used to migrate transport migrants
The term ten-pound poms might not be well
known in the 21st century. Ten-pound poms
were British immigrants who came to Australia
and New Zealand from the United Kingdom at a
discounted cost. Their passage was heavily
subsidised by the Australian government, under
the Assisted Passage Scheme and it was it was
a very sought-after entrance into Australia from
1945-1982. There were over a million British
people taking advantage of the program.
Australia during this time desperately needed
more people to populate its shores so by the
end of 1944 the British and Australian
government had begun negotiations to promote
Australia. It was promoted as a land of glorious
opportunities and that it was a place where the
English could escape the difficulties of England
and live a new modern life in Australia.
Around these times the white Australia policy
was still very much in effect, and it was decided
to encourage British migrants into Australia by
subsiding their fares. By bringing in more ‘white’
people from Britain, the white policy flourished.
The original cost of the passage would’ve been
around £120, but it was discounted to £10, this
made the program very accessible for many
British people seeking a new chapter in their life.
The immigration scheme also offered children
the ability to travel free of charge. On top of all
these promises, the Government also promised
employment prospects and affordable housing
to the new comers. This allowed them access to
a generally more optimistic lifestyle. But upon
arrival, migrants were thrown in basic migration
shelters called Nissen huts that resulted in
disappointment and doubt about what Australian
government promised. The living conditions
were very basic, and migrants lived in
corrugated iron structures.
Even though the conditions were not
conducive to good health the migrants were
caught between “a rock and a hard place.”
The migrants were generally obliged to
remain in Australia for at least two years after
arrival, or they had the option to refund the
cost of their passage. If they choose to travel
back to Britain, the cost for the journey back
was at least £120 (in 1945 pounds, equivalent
to £5,087 in 2019), a large amount of money
in those days that most could not afford.
An estimated quarter of British migrants
returned to the UK. However, half of the
migrants that returned to the UK, returned to
Australia again, earning them the name the
"Boomerang Poms.” It was also possible for
the British to migrate to Australia on a non-
assisted scheme before the early 1970s,
although it was costly therefore most travelled
as Ten Pounders.
The migration scheme offered many benefits
to families and business entrepreneurs, such
as big opportunities with space to live, higher
wages, lower taxes, a new life for your family.
With these benefits and the low cost for
migration the program was hard to say no to.
Victor Hare, a ten-pound pom, who migrated
to Australia in 1971 on the ship S.S Britanis
under the Assisted Passage Migration
Scheme with his wife Susan and their two
children Jo (2) and Paul (7). Victor states
from personal experience that, “the boat
journey from Southampton, UK to Fremantle,
WA via Africa took 3 weeks and the sea was
very rough with many people displaying
symptoms of sea sickness.” Victor
remembered that upon arrival in Fremantle
they were herded into
sheds, like sheep, and then divided into flats
or Nissan huts. Victor can clearly remember
when he made his way to the migrant office
that many of the returning migrants faces
reflected either disappointment or happiness.
The families were not given much of a choice
but dived into either flats or Nissen huts
based on a number system.
The story behind the
British migrants
who shaped
Australia’s economy
and culture forever.
Photo of victor hare and Susan hare onboard
the Britanis (1971)
sheds, like sheep, and then divided into flats or
Nissan huts. Victor can clearly remember when
he made his way to the migrant office that many
of the returning migrants faces reflected either
disappointment or happiness. The families were
not given much of a choice but dived into either
flats or Nissen huts based on a number system.
Victor and his family were put in to Nissan huts.
Susan reflects that, “the Nissan huts we referred
to as Baked bean cans by everyone. The
families that lived in these huts were not pleased
as the huts did not match the descriptions and
images on the brochures that they received in
the UK”. The Hare family lived in the Nissan huts
for 3 weeks before buying a family home in
Duncraig.
Overall, the experience of being a ten-pound
pom was positive for the families and Australia
by providing the numbers of skilled workers.
Families were given a new way of life in the form
of great business opportunities in a growing
economy.
As Australia can now reflect on the opportunities
given to many migrants from Britain, the current
government needs to learn that migrants are not
sheep and should be treated in a dignified
manner. Today the migrants come from all over
the globe and should be welcomed with open
arms and form part of Australian culture and
mate ship.
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4
https://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/ar
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Pound-Poms.html

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