Historian Alan Atkinson pushes back against Pauline Hanson's call for a monocultural Australia, arguing that the nation has always been diverse. In a recent opinion piece, Atkinson writes that multiculturalism is deeply embedded in Australian history, from the First Fleet to the present day.
Atkinson's Argument Against Monoculturalism
Atkinson states that multiculturalism means having several cultures within a single nation-state, and that Australia has never been monocultural except as an unrealised dream. He points out that pluralism, a broader concept involving multiple language and legal traditions under one government, exists in countries like the UK, Canada, Belgium, and Spain. According to Atkinson, pluralism is deeply embedded in Judeo-Christian ways of life, even citing the parable of the Good Samaritan.
Historical Diversity of the First Fleet
Atkinson highlights the diversity of the First Fleet in 1788. The fleet included English and Irish, who were separate nationalities and often at odds, with many Irish speaking Gaelic. It also included Highland Scots, 11 Africans, and about 40 people from continental Europe, including France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Norway, and Sweden. Governor Arthur Phillip was instructed to find Pacific Islander women to partner with convict men, though he opposed this, fearing the women would 'pine away in misery'.
Multiculturalism in Colonial Seaports
Atkinson notes that all colonial capitals started as seaports, and the men working on British ships came from ports worldwide. Bustling seaports were necessarily multicultural, and diversity was seen as a sign of acuteness and prosperity. Leading colonists employed workers with distinctive skills, such as a Chinese carpenter and Greek vinedressers at Elizabeth Farm.
Decline and Revival of Multiculturalism
In the late 1800s, enthusiasm for diversity waned due to objections from working men and white storekeepers in Queensland and northern NSW. The White Australia policy was introduced in the 1900s, but Australia later woke up to the virtues of diversity, according to Atkinson. He concludes that multiculturalism is part of the Australian way of life, whether one likes it or not.
