Journal of Studies in Social Sciences and Humanities (Dec 2016)
Populating far-flung lands
Abstract
Migration is seen as one of the great challenges of the modern world, and is often regarded in negative terms. However, in the 19th century people were migrating in immense numbers, yet this was defined in positive terms, and actively encouraged. The issues experienced by Empire-building countries such as the United Kingdom were related to finding enough people willing to migrate to its new lands on the furthest side of the world, Australia and New Zealand; these new lands desperately needed populating. Three years after the first settlers arrived, one new city reported a total population of just 1149, despite land and employment being available; similar stories came from other areas. Many of the problems in attracting new settlers were that most showed a preference for going to America. This paper investigates ways in which governments proposed solutions for encouraging migration to areas which were not considered ideal destinations. The findings show that migration choices can be manipulated by a combination of incentives, testimonials, selection criteria and targeted marketing. It also indicates that migration decisions are not made without careful consideration over a period of time.
