Last week I was having a 'Girl's Craft Day' with my friend Marie while the men took the shopping bus into town. Any time you get a couple of women together the conversation eventually turns personal and Marie and I started talking about our families and our past. Marie mentioned she had been one of the Ten Pound Poms, I had no idea what she was talking about. I knew Marie had been born in the United Kingdom but had spent most of her life in Australia, and in fact had raised her family there. I thought the story of the Ten Pound Poms was fascinating so I thought I would share it for Fun Facts Friday.

The "Ten Pound Pom" scheme is the colloquial name for an assisted migration scheme that operated in Australia after World War II. In spite of its name, this scheme was not limited to those from the United Kingdom but was open to citizens of all Commonwealth countries. (The word "Pom" meant English people, and was sometimes used in a derogatory manner.)

Adult migrants were charged ₤10 for their fare and children travelled for free. They were drawn by promises of employment and housing, a more relaxed lifestyle and a better climate.

"Ten Pound Poms" needed to be in sound health and under the age of 45 years. There were initially no skill restrictions. At one point in 1947, more than 400,000 Brits were registered at Australia House in London for the scheme.

The aim of the scheme was to substantially increase Australia's population in response to fears of a Japanese invasion, and a new awareness of Australia's vulnerability and unrealised economic potential as an under-populated country. The "Populate or Perish" policy was developed by the Curtin Government before the end of World War II.

Sometimes the promises to immigrants were not realised. Many migrants faced lengthy stays in migrant hostels, failed to get ideal employment or missed their old communities. Around one quarter of the "Ten Pound Poms" left Australia within a few years of their arrival.

The year 1969 was the peak year for the scheme, with more than 80,000 people coming to Australia. In 1973, the cost of assisted passages was increased to ₤75 per family. This was still a very cheap fare, but numbers of assisted migrants from the United Kingdom dropped off significantly. Assisted passage schemes were gradually phased out in the 1980s, having profoundly influenced the ethnic and cultural makeup of the Australian population.