The Big Brother Movement was a youth migration programme run by a non-profit organisation based in Sydney, Australia that ran from 1924 to 1983. It aimed to bring youths from Britain to Australia to work on farms or in the Australian outback. With the cooperation of the Australian Immigration Department the movement, which then was founded by Richard Linton in 1924. According to the Australian Dictionary of Biography, "the idea for the Big Brother Movement grew out of Linton's own experience of arriving in Sydney from New Zealand knowing that his elder brother was already there to assist him".[1]
According to a recently published book on the subject, the so-called Little Brother immigrant was "assigned to a Big Brother, resident citizen for advice, solace and companionship" within the framework of the patrie.[2]
Prior to World War II around 8,000 youths immigrated to Australia under the scheme. It was revived after the war and continued in a modified form in New South Wales until 1983.[1] Notable "Little Brothers" included Bill Burns.[3] Notable "Big Brothers" (or officeholders in the movement) included Archibald Gilchrist,[4] Bill McCann,[5] and Leslie Morshead.[6]
Five ships travelled from England to Australia during the Big Brother movement including the Jervis Bay named after Perth's waters as the boat sailed into Fremantle harbour. The movement ceased when World War II began and resumed in 1947 two years after the war. During this time Italians and other Europeans arrived in Australia as their country was war torn.
