​Were you a 'Ten Pound Pom'? If so, we want to hear from you

It follows a group of Brits who left a dreary, post-war Britain behind them and embarked on a life-changing adventure on the other side of the world – Australia, where the government had just enacted the Assisted Passage Migration Scheme which saw the cost of travelling heavily subsidised in a bid to substantially increase the population and to supply vital workers to its nascent economy. The overriding policy at the time was dubbed “Populate or Perish”.

The migrants were called Ten Pound Poms because of the charge of £10 in processing fees to migrate to Australia.

During the period covered by the scheme (1947-71) 991,431 British subjects received an assisted passage. An annual average of almost 3,000 came from Northern Ireland.

In the peak year of 1953, 6,300 people left to try their luck Down Under. In 1954 a record 1,548 returned (the annual average was just less than a thousand). Most people remained in Australia for more than five years.

Were you, or one of your relatives, one of the Ten Pound Poms? If so, we would love to hear your story. Please get in touch with our features editor Helen McGurk, email: [email protected]