27/10/2026
The Journey of Migrants: Building a Multicultural australia
During the 1950s and 1960s, Australia was gradually changing. The country was encouraging migration to increase its population, strengthen its workforce and support economic growth after the Second World War. Yet this was also a time when the White Australia policy still influenced who could enter and settle in the country.
The White Australia policy had been established in law in 1901, following earlier restrictions in the Australian colonies. Although immigration rules began to change during the 1950s, major reforms came in 1966. In 1973, the Whitlam government formally ended racially discriminatory immigration practices, and the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 helped remove the remaining legal foundations of the policy.
Australia’s post-war migration program was driven partly by concerns about national security and the need for a larger population. The government encouraged people to come from Britain and Europe, and gradually opened the door to migrants from other parts of the world, including the Middle East.
My mother’s story is part of this history.
When my mother(nabiha ) arrived in Australia from Lebanon, she came with my two older sisters and very few possessions. Among the things she carried was her Bible, given to her by an Australian evangelical missionary. She brought with her something that could not be packed into a suitcase: her faith, her language, her traditions and the culture she had grown up with.
Like many migrants of that generation, she began a new life in an unfamiliar country, carrying the experiences and values that had shaped her. Migrants did not need to bring their entire homeland with them to share it with Australia. They brought their knowledge, skills, family traditions, stories and ways of preparing food. Through everyday life, these became part of the communities in which they settled.
Over time, migrants contributed to Australia’s workplaces, businesses, schools and local communities. They helped build the economy, supported families and introduced Australians to different languages, customs and cuisines. Their contributions were not limited to their employment or financial achievements; they also enriched the social and cultural life of the country.
My mother is one example of this contribution. Through her Lebanese food, her faith, her stories and her work in the community, she has shared a part of Lebanon with the people around her. Her business, Nabiha’s Kitchen in Wagga Wagga, has provided food and opportunities for people to experience Lebanese culture. Her contribution is not simply about running a business. It is also about welcoming people, sharing traditions and helping others learn about a culture that may be unfamiliar to them.
This is one of the beautiful things about multicultural Australia. We can learn from one another without having to give up who we are. We can taste each other’s food, listen to each other’s stories, learn about different beliefs and discover the many experiences that shape our communities.
Culture is more than what we wear, what we eat or what language we speak. It is part of our identity and our connection to our families and history. When people are encouraged to share their culture, everyone has an opportunity to learn. When people are expected to abandon it, something valuable can be lost.
Australia’s First Nations peoples have their own ancient and continuing cultures, languages and connections to Country, which long predate European settlement. Their experiences also remind us of the importance of respecting cultural identity and protecting traditions for future generations.
Today, Australia is home to people from many different backgrounds. Our diversity has helped shape the nation we know, from our workplaces and local businesses to our neighbourhoods, friendships and shared meals.
The story of migration is not only about people arriving in a new country. It is about what happens when people bring their lives, their experiences and their gifts into a new community.
My mother’s journey reminds me that a person does not need to arrive with great wealth or many possessions to make a meaningful contribution. Sometimes, the most valuable things a person brings are their faith, their knowledge, their culture, their willingness to work and their desire to give something back.
A multicultural Australia gives us the opportunity to share these gifts with one another, to grow in understanding and to build communities in which people from different backgrounds can belong.
And perhaps that is one of the most important lessons of our migration history: we do not have to be the same to contribute to the same country. We can remain connected to where we came from while helping shape the place we now call home.
