This chapter is concerned to set Australia’s immigration policies in the context of her international relations in the years 1971–75. It will deal primarily with those aspects of the policies which affected, or were affected by, the outside world. Factors of substantially domestic nature will not be emphasised. Four areas of policy seemed particularly important. The first was the traditional immigration of settlers from Britain and Europe. Long founded on the “populate or perish” belief, there was now a very different emphasis. The second concerned the settlement of non-European peoples. The White Australia Policy might have been dead, but it refused to lie down. The third area encompassed the entry of visitors, students, businessmen and other temporary immigrants. The fourth was Australia’s policy on political asylum and the acceptance of political refugees. This last has been particularly emphasised because, of the four areas of policy, this was growing to be one of the most significant internationally and most in need of longterm consistency.

From the very beginning of Australia’s European life, migration has been a major force. In the first place it has been vital to development and growth, quite as vital as the inflow of capital and organization. Over the period 1788–1971 and excluding the Aborigines, the Australian population grew from nil to 12 640 000, 35 per cent by net migration and 65 per cent by natural increase, much of this last being due to new immigrants having children after arrival in Australia. This immigration has not been uniformly steady or invariably popular.