Cold War (including decolonisation)
The surge in migration to Australia at the end of World War II increased the already-present language diversity of the country. There was continuity: some prisoners and refugees stayed in Australia after the end of the War, and new groups arrived, such as Dutch refugees from Indonesia’s war of independence. Post-war migration schemes were developed or re-introduced in the 1950s and 1960s; these schemes brought larger numbers of those already present, especially those from both Northern and Southern Europe. The composition of many language communities was dramatically affected by the developments of the Cold War. It brought new suspicions about security that defined who was ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ Australia, at a time when significant political debates were taking place in languages other than English in Australia. This period also saw attempts to redefine Australia within its region through schemes such as the Colombo Plan, which brought people from Asia to study in Australia.