On 5 October 1967, the governments of Australia and Turkey signed an agreement to allow Turkish citizens to immigrate to Australia. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, nearly 19,000 Turkish immigrants arrived from 1968-1974. In 1967, Turkey and Australia signed a bilateral agreement on assisted migration. Under the agreement, Australia offered migration to whole families, as permanent migrants. It was also the first agreement signed with a predominantly Muslim country.
The signing of the 1967 agreement led to the launch of recruitment campaigns in Turkey, encouraging people to migrate with promises of work, open spaces, affordable housing and endless sun and surf.
Around 19,000 assisted Turkish migrants arrived in Australia between 1968 and 1974 through the agreement.
It represented a significant step in the gradual dismantling of the White Australia policy after a 1966 migration review.
The policy officially ended in 1973.
Turks first began to emigrate to Australia from the island of Cyprus for work in the 1940s, and then again when Turkish Cypriots were forced to leave their homes during the Cyprus Conflict between 1963 and 1974.
They were the only Muslims acceptable under the White Australia Policy.
The first Turkish immigrants were greeted at Sydney International Airport by Turkish Cypriots whilst Turkish immigrants who moved to Melbourne were greeted at Essendon Airport by members of the Cyprus Turkish Association.
Hundreds of new arrivals from Turkey to the country stayed in Villawood Migrant Hostel in Sydney.
NERMIN USTA AND HER STORY
Mrs Nermin Usta arrived to Australia with her husband and 3 kids 50 years ago.They stayed in Villawood Migrant Hostel around 40 days. Mr Usta told us she never regret to come Australia.
YASAR KAYA AND HIS STORY
Mr Yasa Kaya is 98 years old now, he remember everything very clear the day he arrived to Australia. He was in the first fleet fom Turkey to Australia as migrant. He told us he does not know why he came to Australia. New life or Adventure?
WORKING LIFE IN AUSTRALIA
Turkish migrants in working life from 1969 to 1982.
NAIME ESER AND HER STORY
Turkish migrants generally settled in Sydney and Melbourne. Mrs Naime Eser arrived to Australia with her family when she was 9 years old. She remembers the hostel they stayed when they arrived to Melbourne and how was the first day in Australia.
GULIZAR CETIN AND HER STORY
Gulizar Cetin arrived to Melbourne with her husband and 4 kids. Mrs Cetin told us how challenging it was in Australia when they arrived. She told SBS Turkish, when they went to shopping in the supermarket, they thought they were buying salt, but it was sugar.
Today, around 60,000 Turkish speakers live in Australia -- with many more claiming Turkish ancestry.
