The last continent to be claimed by Europeans, Australia began to be settled by the British in 1788 in the form of a jail for its convicts. While British culture has had the largest influence on the country and its presence can be seen everywhere, the British were not Australia's original populace. The first inhabitants of Australia, the Aborigines, are believed to have migrated from Southeast Asia into northern Australia as early as 60,000 years ago. This distinctive blend of vastly different cultures contributed to the ease with which Australia has become one of the world's most successful immigrant nations. The A to Z of Australia relates the history of this unique and beautiful land, which is home to an amazing range of flora and fauna, a climate that ranges from tropical forests to arid deserts, and the largest single collection of coral reefs and islands in the world. Through a detailed chronology, an introduction, appendixes, a bibliography, and cross-referenced dictionary entries on some of the more significant persons, places, and events; institutions and organizations; and political, economic, social, cultural, and religious facets, author James Docherty provides a much needed single volume reference on Australia, from its most unpromising of beginnings as a British jail to the liberal, tolerant, democracy it is today.

The report discusses the changing distribution of the New South Wales population including the immigration boom in Sydney during the past decade. It also analyses in detail the changing picture of the first-and second-generation immigrants in New South Wales.

First published in 2004, this book is the inaugural volume of the Indian Ocean Research Group (IORG) and is based on a selection of papers presented at the IORG launch in Chandigarh in November 2002. The volume emphasizes the complexity and historical and contemporary geopolitical significance of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). It also propagates the necessity for increased intra-regional cooperation, especially in terms of economic and environmental security, maritime boundaries, sea lane security and ocean management, in the spirit of open regionalism, in order to ensure a more secure IOR. In addition, the volume initiates an agenda for future social science policy-orientated research. The book should be of particular interest to policy-makers, business people and academics, as well as citizens of the IOR.

This volume is the result of the Association for Canadian Studies in Australia and New Zealand (ACSANZ) 1995 conference held at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. A special feature of the conference, though not its exclusive focus, was trade relations. But as with all ACSANZ conferences, the papers were wide-ranging and contributors were not limited to a single theme. This publication is a refereed collection from more than sixty papers that were presented and range from discussions of immigration policy in Canada and Australia to architectural practices in British Columbia; from Canadian influences on Australia's economic development to issues of identity politics in each nation's literature. In addition, the collection represents major research in the areas of globalization, migration, pluralism, and ethnic relations, with a strongly, though not exclusively, comparative orientation. This work is a co-publication with the International Council for Canadian Studies.

Skilled migration is rapidly rising as countries vie for the 'best and brightest' migrants to fill labour market shortages or to add to their stock of 'knowledge workers'. The 'knowledge economy', and the increasing value placed on human capital over physical capital, has led to what some describe as a 'war over skills'. Within this context, the way in which Australia seeks to attract skilled permanent and temporary migrants is put under the spotlight in this very timely publication. Are we open and flexible or defensive and protectionist? This book compares the policies of Australia with those of other nations. What makes this book unique is the input of lawyers, for the first time in Australia, in the discussion of issues. Their challenge to existing selection policies, taxation systems and recognition mechanisms provides a major new contribution to these topics.