Aug 30, 2017
Dr Kristy Kokegei presented June's Talking History Lecture in 2016 'The Good Neighbour Council and Australia’s postwar immigration program: a nuanced social experiment'. Between 1947 and 1950 Australia received and settled over 180,000 displaced persons from across Europe. Five years later Australia welcomed its one millionth post-war migrant. The Australian Government’s policy of migrant assimilation, implemented during this period of mass-immigration, is often referred to as a dogmatic and unsympathetic attempt to force new arrivals to cast off their language, customs and national sentiments. Recent research debunks this reading of post-war assimilation, instead revealing the subtle efforts of average Australians and organisations, such as the Good Neighbour Council, in facilitating public debate and providing settlement services to post-war migrants. Over the course of the next decade what actually transpired was a large-scale social experiment in peacefully settling European migrants into an overwhelmingly Anglo-Celtic British society. Dr Kristy Kokegei explored the local activities of the Good Neighbour Council of South Australia within the context of this broader social experiment. This free public lecture was part of the History Trust of South Australia's Talking History series. For upcoming events visit: history.sa.gov.au/whats-on/events/