Maritime Melting Pot - Indian Ocean Cultures

The first ‘boat people’ were refugees from Malaya, Singapore, the Dutch East Indies and The Philippines who came here escaping the advancing Japanese in 1942. However, the term was first coined to describe the refugees who made their way to Australia, by sea, following the collapse of South Vietnam in 1975. The people were mostly South Vietnamese escaping the oppression of the new regime. Australian attitudes to the newcomers varied from compassion and welcome to suspicion and rejection. These attitudes have been mirrored in recent times with people escaping war and deprivation in the Middle East making for Australia in dangerously unseaworthy craft. Australia’s contentious 'offshore processing' policy has made the treatment of ‘boat people’ a major public issue.