The Big Brother Movement (BBM) 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]
The movement ceased when World War II began and resumed in 1947 two years after the war. Migration resumed in 1947, with BBM sponsoring a total of around twelve thousand lads to settle in Australia until 1982.
In April 1947, the Movement purchased a 600-acre property known as “Karmsley Hills” at Bossley Park near Liverpool, NSW, for £15,000. This farm was dedicated as a memorial to the Little Brothers who lost their lives in the war. Between 1947 and 1971, nearly 4,000 British lads passed through this establishment.
By the late 1950s, more lads were arriving for city work rather than farming. The average age of the arrivals up to the 1960s was 16, but later arrivals tended to be up to 20 years old. In 1983, the sponsorship scheme ended due to changing migration rules, leading to the sale of the farm and the reinvestment of the funds.
These funds enabled the organisation to evolve into BBM Ltd., awarding the first scholarships in 1983, BBM has sent over 1,100 young Australians overseas to pursue their professional goals. BBM's alumni have brought back innovation and international networks to Australia, excelled as industry leaders and educators, and continue to inspire those who follow in their footsteps. Today, BBM continues this legacy through its Global Footprints Scholarship program, empowering young people to gain invaluable work experience overseas.
Also, hundreds of “Little Brothers” remain in contact with BBM. BBM organises reunions and publishes a newsletter. The organisation maintains an electronic archive and historical records of the Little Brothers who arrived in Australia between 1925 and 1982. In many cases, this archive serves as the only official record of their journey to Australia. The original archive was handed over to the State Library of New South Wales in March 2023.
Notable "Little Brothers" included Bill Burns, [3] Tony Bleasdale, Stuart Harris . Notable "Big Brothers" (or officeholders in the movement) included Archibald Gilchrist, [4] Bill McCann, [5] and Leslie Morshead. [6]