The so-called ten pound Pom scheme has been reborn as a tourism campaign to bring British backpackers back to Australia in the wake of the pandemic.
After the second world war, the Australian government lured hundreds of thousands of Britons over the seas with a £10 ticket to boost the population and supply post-war industries with workers.
The 2022 version is somewhat more limited in its scope – and more expensive, despite the marketing gimmick.
Under the scheme, which is the brainchild of the South Australian state government, only 200 young people will be able to apply, they won’t be able to bring their kids with them, and they’ll need a A$495 (or around £281) working holiday visa first.
British or Irish citizens with the visa can apply for a £10 return ticket, as long as they also buy a package from tour operator Trailfinders.
While the South Australian government very deliberately nods to it by saying the air tickets will be precisely £10, it avoids the word “Pom”, which the Macquarie Dictionary describes as “sometimes derogatory, racist” and “historically a mild put-down for a newly arrived British immigrant”.
In 1945, the Australian government introduced the Assisted Passage Migration Scheme to attract immigrants from Britain. Those who came to the country under the scheme were charged a £10 fare for their travel, more than 10 times less than the price of a normal fare. In return, they were then expected to work for a set period of time. Those that took up the offer became known as ten pound Poms.
According to the National Museum of Australia, more than 400,000 Britons had signed up to the scheme by 1947.
Arthur Calwell, the Australian immigration minister under prime minister Joseph Chifley, said the scheme, which was part of a broader push to increase the population of the country after the second world war, was necessary as the country had to "populate or perish".
Even before the war had ended, the Australian government was planning for an increase in population.
Calwell told parliament only days before the end of the war: "If Australians have learned one lesson from the Pacific War now moving to a successful conclusion, it is surely that we cannot continue to hold our island continent for ourselves and our descendants unless we greatly increase our numbers."
The original ten pound Pom plan (or the Assisted Passage Migration Scheme) ran through the 1940s and 50s, while the White Australia policy was still in place.
The South Australian tourism minister, Zoe Bettison, said the plan was to encourage young people to explore the state and fill job vacancies.
“It’s a real win-win for young people eager to travel and work abroad, and for our local tourism industry,” she said.
“Whether it’s in our bars, restaurants, wineries and hotels, or on our outback stations and farms, there are so many ways that Brits and Irish citizens can work in Adelaide and across regional SA helping to not only fill roles but provide an economic and cultural exchange benefit which advantages both sides of the globe.”
The Australian Hotels Association general manager, Ian Horne, described the move as a big step in reopening the backpacker market.
“We know when they come, they not only work here, they additionally stay and spend as tourists,” he said.
“They also act as ambassadors for Adelaide and SA.”
According to the Trailfinders site, visitors must travel by 30 September. If they’re one of the lucky 200 applicants, they have to choose between a three-night arrival pack (£171), staying in a “sociable hostel” in Adelaide, and a six-night pack (£244).
