Junior School Magazine - Edition 5 (June 2018)

I rish I mmigrants TITLE: Irish immigrants have brought about change to Australian society and as a results they have helped reshape Australian Identity. INTRODUCTION: Australia today is a multicultural society. This means that the nation has accepted many migrants from all over the world and Australia has evolved to respect and appreciate the culture of these immigrants. This report will examine the multiple reasons that influenced Irish immigration from 1788 onwards. It will also investigate the challenges and opportunities Irish migrants faced upon arriving and settling in Australia. This report will also identify the contributions Irish immigrants made to the Australia today. From the push and pull factors that forced these immigrants out of Ireland, to how they contributed to Australia, the Irish had plenty of surprises on their plate. REASONS FOR LEAVING THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Around 1850, Irish immigrants had many reasons to immigrate to Australia. 1845 had seen half the potato crop ruined; this was significant as many relied on it as their main source of food. The next year potato blight struck, leading to complete failure of the crop. Many Irish were forced to survive solely on cabbage leaves or blackberries and some families were relying on work houses for support. IN the coming few years the potato crop didn’t recover. In 1851 alone 1 million Irish died from starvation. It wasn’t just the potato famine that forced immigrants to Australia, there were a few pull factors as well. Many sought gold in Australia and the promises of health, employment, housing and security were fine offerings. The journey though was not a pleasant one. All immigrants had to travel by ship from “The Queen” a ship carrying all Irish convicts in 1791, to the overcrowded ones in 1850. These ships nicknamed “coffin Ships” were responsible for the death of up to half their passengers. ARRIVAL AND SETTLING IN AUSTRALIA: Though Irish immigrants had already faced their fair share of hardship, there was more to come. Most of the “coffin Ships” docked on the east coast of Australia. They settled most prominently in Victoria. Many immigrants moved to small farms in the north-east of Victoria. As these areas known as “Tipperary Gully” areas were mostly inhabited by Irish and therefore very much like Ireland. Most came to this area to develop the Catholic Church. Not all settlers moved to Victoria though. Some moved to New South Wales to develop the colony, some to Queensland to work in the sugar and cotton industries and some women and girls from workhouses in Ireland to South Australia to work as low paid servants to free settles. Many Irish immigrants were not treated well. As many immigrants had come as political prisoners, most saw all immigrants as terrorists. Governor Hunter banned the Irish language in the convict colony. Through all this they pulled through and made many contributions to Australia. RESHAPING THE AUSTRALIAN IDENTITY: Although the Irish are not all prominent in Australia, they have certainly helped to shape the nation. Since they first arrived in the late 16th century the Irish have played a big part developing the Catholic religion in Australia> nearly ¾ of the convicts who brought the catholic religion to Australia were Irish. The first Catholic priest was Irish. It wasn’t just the catholic religion that the Irish brought to Australia though, they also brought St Patrick’s Day. This started out as the celebration only celebrated by Irish convicts, but by the early 1800’s it was celebrated by all convicts and is still a popular celebration today. Among all the Irish in Australia there were a few that stood out. James Scullin was one of them. He was Prime Minister of Australia for around 3 years and passes several bills important to the Great Depression. Peter Lalor was also important. He was elected the President of the rebels during the Eureka Stockade. He fought for miners of all backgrounds starting multiculturalism in Australia. CONCLUSION: This report analysed the challenges and opportunities the Irish immigrants faced before and after arriving in Australia. During the 19th century, many Irish immigrants came to Australia due to many push and pull factors. When they arrived in Australia, they faced lots of hardship, but overcame them to see the benefits of the new country. The Irish Immigrants have contributed greatly to the advanced Australian society today. They are now appreciated as a part of a multicultural nation.

Penelope Deacon Year 6G

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JSM Edition 5