Duped Down Under
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After World War 11, more than a million Brits were enticed to move to Australia for just £10. A new BBC drama, Ten Pound Porns, shows how many felt they were sold a lie. Its creator, Danny Brocklehurst, explains why
When a production company sent me a link to a documentary about the Ten Pound Porns scheme asking whether I thought there might be a drama in it, my interest was piqued.
I had been wanting to write a period piece that wasn't all bonnets and frocks. I had been wanting to write about immigration. And the theme of escape and how no matter • where we go we take our problems with us, is ever present in my work. In short, I was in. The assisted migration scheme, designed to entice Britons away from the grey UK skies and start 'a new life in sunny Australia', was created in 1945. It became popular in the Fifties when post-war regeneration was slow, employment poor and fresh food was still restricted by rationing.
The premise was simple: for just £10 (around £335 today), applicants would get a luxury boat trip (taking around six weeks), accommodation on arrival, a visa and assistance with work, homes and schooling. In return, you had to surrender your passport for two years and integrate into Antipodean society. To discourage a speedy return, it stated anyone wishing to sail back to the UK would have to pay the full return fare of £120 - around £5,500 today.