Twentieth-century Immigrants

Abstract

During the twentieth century, New England, like other parts of Australia, was the destination of an increasingly diverse body of overseas immigrants. This chapter looks at a few telling aspects of the settlement process. It asks why - given the near stagnation of population growth in the region - new residents have continued to arrive, and what has enticed them to stay. It seeks the views of some of these immigrants about the region's attractions and appeal. The focus is particularly on the Tableland - that part of New England which stretches from Walcha to Tenterfield and across to Inverell - and on the remembered experiences of a small number of immigrants from non-English-speaking backgrounds.