History of Filipino Migration
There were approximately 700 Philippines-born persons in Australia at the turn of the century, mainly in Western Australia and Queensland. The Immigration Restriction Act of 1901 led to the introduction of policies excluding non-Europeans from entry to Australia (colloquially known as the ‘White Australia Policy’). This resulted in a significant decrease in the number of Philippines-born settlers in Australia.
The number of Filipinos was down to 141 at the time of the 1947 Australian Census, and it was not until the 1950s that the population began to increase. Significant numbers of Filipino students were allowed entry to Australia under the Colombo Plan and many chose to stay after graduation.
The immigration policy reform of 1966 allowed well-qualified non-Europeans to immigrate to Australia. In 1972 there were two events that led to a rapid growth in the Philippines-born population in the following two decades.
The first was the end of the so called “White Australia Policy” which finally allowed normal Filipino migration to Australia. The declaration of Martial law in the Philippines in the same year resulted in an exodus of Filipinos.
