TEN POUND POMS 14-CARAT GOLD COMMEMORATIVE

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The years following World War II were especially unsettling for Australia. Many survivors were incapacitated or ill, leaving a depleted workforce within an already small population of about 7.4 million. This led to the Assisted Passage Migration Scheme and the rise of the ‘Ten Pound Pom’ - the nickname Australians gave British migrants arriving from 1947 onwards. In typical Aussie style, the term was a light-hearted reference to the heavily subsidised ten-pound ocean fare from war-torn Britain. By the time the scheme ended in 1982, more than a million UK migrants had settled here.

 

Most adapted quickly, happy to leave post-war Britain for a warmer, more easy-going land of opportunity, despite the shock of tin-roofed hostels and unfulfilled job promises. Those who found work benefited from wages around fifty per cent higher than in England, particularly in the trades, allowing them to move into suburbia and build secure, family-focused futures. Some returned home, though many came back to Australia. Overall, the scheme was a resounding success, earning the Ten Pound Poms the title ‘invisible migrants’ despite their lasting and significant contribution to Australia’s growth, culture and prosperity.

 

Which is why The Bradford Mint is proud to offer this exclusive gold commemorative, in celebration of the courage and commitment shown by the ‘Ten Pound Poms’ as they seized the opportunity a new beginning in Australia represented.

 

Call one of our Senior Executives today on 02 9841 3324 to secure your tribute to the people who rebuilt Australia.