HUMAN CHARACTERISTICS
THAT MAKE AUSTRALIA
UNIQUE
-A G E S T R U C T U R E
-D I S T R I B U T I O N
-E T H N I C C O M P O S I T I O N
-G E N D E R
-G R O W T H R A T E S
Australian population records
 Australia is the 52nd most populous country out of
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nearly 200, but it is expected to fall to 64th by 2050.
The median age—the age at which half the
population is older and half is younger—was 36.4 in
2006.
Australia has a very low population density at 2.6
people per square kilometre.
Australia’s fertility rate is 1.7 children per woman.
The life expectancy for children born in 2006 was 78
years for boys and 83 for girls.
Changes to ethnic distribution
 Migration is the permanent or semi-permanent movement of people from one
location to another. Immigration is the movement of people into a country
and emigration is the movement of people out of a country. A migrant is different
from a refugee: migrants elect to move to another country and are free to return. In
contrast, refugees are forced to leave their country and cannot return, because of
persecution based on their race, religion, nationality, political opinion or
membership of a particular social group. In 1948, the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights stated that anyone in fear of persecution should be able to seek a safe
refuge in another country. This is a basic human right.
Australia has a non-discriminatory immigration policy — this means that anyone
from any country can apply to migrate, regardless of ethnic origin, gender, race or
religion. Each year, the government decides how many migrants are allowed into
Australia and whether they can enter via the family, skilled or humanitarian
categories. These decisions are made in consultation with states, territories and
local governments, as well as with businesses, trade unions and environmental
organisations. This process determines the migration levels that will contribute
tosustainable development.
Who are the first Australians?
Changes to ethnic distribution
 Change over time
 Since 1788, immigration has contributed to Australia's
increasing population. Over time, however, the number,
the country of origin and the reasons people migrate to
Australia have changed. In 1947, the proportion of the
population born overseas was 10 per cent, and 81 per
cent came from English-speaking countries. By 2006, 24
per cent of the population was born overseas, 33 per cent
migrated from north-west Europe (mainly the United
Kingdom and Ireland), 19 per cent from southern and
eastern Europe, and 13 per cent from South-East Asia.
The pattern of Australian immigration
Australia's immigrant population by country of birth
Ten pound tourists?
The changes to the immigration pattern started after World
War II, when many Australians feared an invasion from
countries located to the immediate north. The slogan
‘populate or perish’ was touted, and migrants and
refugees from Europe were encouraged.
Many British citizens were seduced by advertisements of
sun, surf and opportunities, and they emigrated to
Australia as ‘ten pound tourists’. After the White
Australia policy was abandoned in the 1970s, a larger
proportion of migrants and refugees arrived from Asia,
especially during the Vietnam War. Today the Asian
region has become an increasingly important source of
migrants, who bring with them a diversity of cultures.
International comparison of the sex ratio
 Australia had slightly fewer men than women in 2003 and a similar
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sex ratio to other developed nations like the United States, Sweden
and the United Kingdom.
However it was also comparable to Ethiopia, a developing nation.
Countries that had large numbers of men compared to women
included China, India, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar.
In China the One Child Policy and the importance of boys has led to
an imbalance in the sex ratio
. In India, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar the inequality between
men and women may mean that women could be less likely to
receive medical treatment and adequate nutrition than the males
do.
In countries like Cambodia, North Korea, Lebanon and Sierra Leone
there are fewer men than women. This may be attributed to males
in these countries being more involved in conflict.
Country
Sex ratio (number of males to 1 female)
Australia
0.99
Cambodia
0.94
China
1.06
Ethiopia
1.00
France
0.95
India
1.07
North Korea
0.94
Kuwait
1.52
Lebanon
0.94
Country
Sex ratio (number of males to 1 female)
Qatar
1.9
Russia
0.88
Saudi Arabia
1.22
Sierra Leone
0.93
Sudan
1.03
Sweden
0.98
United Kingdom
0.98
United States
0.97
World
1.01
Factors that cause change in communities
SNAPSHOT:
YirrkalaYirrkala is an Indigenous coastal community in northeast Arnhem Land on the Gove Peninsula in
the Northern Territory. It is located 600 kilometres east of Darwin and 18 kilometres south-east of Nhulunbuy
at 12º24’S and 136º88’E. Yirrkala has a population of about 800 people who are mostly of the Yolngu tribe. It
also is a centre for about 800 people who live in the surrounding areas known as the homeland. The homeland
movement was begun in Arnhem Land and involves the Aboriginal people returning to their traditional lands
and lifestyles without relying on western ways of life. These homeland sites have no mains electricity and nor
all-weather road access. Traditional activities like hunting, fishing, gathering and ceremonies are encouraged
in and around Yirrkala.
Indigenous people have lived at Yirrkala throughout history, but it increased in size when a Methodist mission was
set up there in 1935. As the people of the region have only had contact with Europeans for about the last 60
years, their traditional cultural artistic and ceremonial activities are still strong. Local government is now led
by the Yolngu-led Dhanbul which is similar to a shire council in non-Indigenous communities.
Yirrkala is best known for the following:
 The birth of the Aboriginal land rights movement can be traced to this region. In the 1960s the government
granted mining leases on Yolngu land. The bark petition was begun in Yirrkala and led to the establishment of
the Woodward Royal Commission and the tabling of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1976.
 It is home to some leading Indigenous artists whose art can be found in galleries across the world.
 It is the traditional home of the didgeridoo.
 It is home to members of Yothu Yindi (an indigenous rock band).
 It is the setting for the movie Yolngu Boy (2001).
You can download these activities from the blog
ACTIVITIES
UNDERSTANDING
What are the differences between:
a a migrant and a refugee
b immigration and emigration?
Describe the changes in the number and country of origin of migrants entering Australia since 1901.
What are the factors that would cause people to migrate to Australia?
THINKING AND APPLYING
People have different perspectives on whether Australia should increase or decrease the number of immigrants. Suggest what
argument might be put forward by:
a a refugee from Afghanistan
b a Vietnamese restaurant owner
c a Department of Immigration employee
d an unemployed person
e an environmentalist.
Imagine you are a non-English-speaking migrant. Describe your life at school and in the Australian community.
How have migrants contributed to our ethnically diverse society? Take a tour around your local area and describe the impacts of
migration. Illustrate your fieldwork with photographs.
USING YOUR SKILLS
Refer to the graph in [[#ahead-4-5|Section 4.5]].
a What was the net migration to Australia during the gold rush period of the 1850s?
b List two factors that have greatly reduced the number of migrants coming to Australia.
Refer to the compound bar graphs of Australia's immigrant population.
a What was the percentage change in the people born in the United Kingdom and New Zealand between 1901 and 2006? Account for the change.
b From which countries did most migrants arrive following the end of World War II in 1945?
c List the countries that had the greatest number of migrants to Australia following the end of the White Australia policy in the 1970s.
d Name four countries that appear in 2006 but not in 1990. Suggest reasons for this change.
Changes in indigenous populations
The Indigenous people of Australia are Aborigines and
Torres Strait Islanders. Their cultures are some of
the oldest in the world. However, they are also one of
the most deprived groups in Australia, with many
living in poverty. Compared with many other
Australians, Indigenous people are disadvantaged
with respect to education, income, health,
employment and housing.
An unequal country
Indigenous
Australian
Non-Indigenous
Australian
Death rate, males
19 per 1000
7 per 1000
Death rate,
females
12 per 1000
5 per 1000
Life expectancy,
males
59 years
77 years
Life expectancy,
females
65 years
82 years
Maternal mortality 34.8 per 100 000
10.1 per 100 000
Incidence of
tuberculosis
15.3 per 100 000
1.2 per 100 000
Expenditure by
Australian
government and
the private sector
on health services
$3065 per person
$2518 per person
Indigenous population distribution in Australia, 2006

State/territ Indigenous Proportion
ory
population of
Australian
Indigenous
population
(%)
Proportion
of total
state/territ
ory
population
(%)
New South
Wales
148 178
28.7
2.2
Queensland
146 429
28.3
3.6
Western
Australia
77 928
15.1
3.8
Northern
Territory
66 582
12.9
31.6
Victoria
30 839
6.0
0.6
South
Australia
26 044
5.0
1.7
Tasmania
16 900
3.3
3.4
Australian
Capital
Territory
4 043
0.8
1.2
Other
territories
231
0.1
9.7
Australia
517 174
100.0
2.5
Change to the Indigenous population 1911–2006
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After European settlement, the size of Australia's Indigenous population declined
dramatically due to introduced diseases and displacement. When the Australian
Constitution came into effect in 1901, Aboriginal people were not counted as part of the
Australian population. It was not until the 1967 referendum that Australians voted to
include Indigenous people in the census count. Today, with changing social and political
developments and an increasing sense of pride in their Aboriginal origins, more people
now identify themselves as Indigenous.
More babies but lower life expectancy
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The Indigenous age–sex population structure is different from the total
Australian structure. Indigenous people have higher fertility and higher
death rates, and their population is younger than the total Australian
population. Although fertility rates for Indigenous women fell to 2.1 babies
per woman by 2006, this is still higher than the fertility rate of 1.7 babies
per woman in the total Australian female population.
The high death rate is reflected in a life expectancy of 59 years for males
and 65 years for females. Only 3 per cent of the Indigenous population are
over 65 years, compared with 13 per cent of the total population. This is a
result of poorer health from higher rates of smoking, obesity, diabetes,
asthma and kidney diseases compared with the rest of the population. On a
positive note, more babies are reaching their fifth birthday with a decrease
in the infant mortality rate, helped by government health services, nongovernment organisations (NGOs) and Indigenous community health
programs.
Distribution of Indigenous people
Most of Australia's Indigenous people live in major urban
and other urban areas. Compared with non-Indigenous
people, however, a higher proportion of Indigenous
people live in rural and remote areas. Today, more
Aboriginal people are moving to rural areas, while the
general population is moving to urban areas. About 27
per cent of the Indigenous population live in remote
parts of Australia compared with only 2 per cent of nonIndigenous Australians. The remoteness of these
communities has meant limited access to health services,
adequate housing, education services and employment
opportunities.
Activities also on blog
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Who are Australia's Indigenous people?
How are Indigenous people disadvantaged?
Where do most Indigenous people live today?
Why did Australia's Indigenous population decline after European settlement?
THINKING AND APPLYING
What was the trend for the Indigenous population during the twentieth century? Suggest
reasons for the trend.
What were the difficulties in determining the Indigenous population from 1788 until after the
referendum in 1967 to include Indigenous people in the census count?
Refer to the table ‘An unequal country’. Use the internet and other resources to describe what
can be done to improve Indigenous peoples’ quality of life.
In groups, select a well-known Indigenous person. Use the internet and other resources to
describe the selected person. Outline why he or she is well known and the obstacles he or she
had to overcome to become successful.
USING YOUR SKILLS
Refer to the population pyramid. Compare the percentage of Indigenous people with the total
Australian population for the following age groups:
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a 0–4 years
b 45–49 years and over.
Suggest reasons for the differences.