Key Terms & Definitions
What is an immigrant?
A person who moves to another country to live permanently
Why were Afghan cameleers important to Australia?
They helped open up and transport goods through the harsh outback
What policy excluded non-Europeans from entering Australia after Federation?
The Immigration Restriction Act 1901
What eventually replaced the need for camels?
Motor vehicles and rail transport
What animals did the Afghan cameleers introduce to Australia?
Camels
What is a cameleer?
A person who operates or leads a camel train
What major infrastructure did the Afghans help develop?
The Overland Telegraph Line and early railway networks
How were Afghans portrayed in The Bulletin in 1892?
As a “cheap labour curse”
What happened to Abdul Wade in 1923?
He sold his business and returned to Afghanistan
Why were camels better than horses in the outback?
They could survive longer without water and handle the harsh desert terrain
What is the term “Ghantown” used to describe?
Outskirts communities where Afghan cameleers lived, excluded from white towns
What was the name of the train named in honour of the cameleers?
The Ghan or the Afghan Express
What were Afghans falsely accused of doing in 1895?
Polluting waterholes
What does the term “White Australia Policy” refer to?
A set of laws designed to restrict non-European immigration
What is the difference between immigration and emigration?
Emigration = The country you are leaving
Immigration = The country you are entering
What does a ‘push factor’ refer to in migration?
A reason that forces people to leave their home country (e.g., poverty)
What role did camels play during the gold rush?
They carried supplies and even provided entertainment through races
What did the 1895 WA law stop Afghans from doing?
Mining on goldfields
How have Afghan cameleers been remembered in history?
As essential yet often unrecognised contributors to Australia’s development
What was a common reason Afghans eventually returned home?
Increased discrimination and fewer work opportunities
Name two ‘pull factors’ for Afghan migration?
Job opportunities in remote transport, mining, and exploration in Australia
Who was Abdul Wade?
A successful cameleer and camel importer known as the “Prince of the Afghans”
What happened to Afghan migration after Federation?
It was restricted under the White Australia Policy
What symbolic legacy remains today to honour the cameleers?
The Ghan train and historical sites like Ghantowns and the first mosque
Name the 4 places these 'Afghans' migrated from
Afghanistan, Iran, Egypt, and from North India.