Child and Youth Migration to Australia , is an invaluable source of information about various church and state sponsored child migration programs. Further information about child migration can be obtained from State government archives and private institutions. Although migrants from Britain and their ancestors make up a large proportion of the Australian population, there are few records dealing with their migration. This is because the Australian government had little involvement in British migration. Rather than being restricted through regulation, British were encouraged to migrate.
Passenger lists are the most complete record of British migration, but give only basic details.
Citizens of Australia were classed as British subjects until 1949, so there are no naturalisation records before then. Even after 1949, British citizens were under no compulsion to become naturalised, and only did so if they desired to obtain Australian citizenship. After World War II, the Commonwealth administered the famous 10 Pom scheme. This scheme ran from 1950 to 1973. Selection documents of 10 Poms are found in our Canberra office in series A1877 .