Foxy,

None the less I think that Costello, himself the descendent of Irish migrants, was wrong then if he intended what you say, multiculturalism started in 1788.
The First Fleet Negroes prospered, in the main, and they multiplied until there was a recognizable Negro community in Sydney

Dear Is Mise,

Neither Peter Costello nor I said that multiculturalism
started in 1788.

The White Australia policy was finally eliminated in 1966,
as well as the Government-promoted assimilation policies.
The contributing factors included generally changing
social attitudes, war service, travel, foreign students
in Australia, discrimination in registering British
subjects after 1948, and the confusion in the 1950s over
the control of non-European' entry. The revised
immigration policy allowed new people to come and
settle in Australia: people from a wide range of
nationalities, races, religions and cultures. By the end
of the 1970s, Australia had acquired an unmistakably new
heterogeneous face.

The official Government policies reflected these
social developments. They moved from "assimilation" to
"integration" and then to "multiculturalism." The Galbally
Report (1978) was the turning point, when it urged the
Australian Government "to encourage...the retention
of the cultural heritage of different ethnic groups and
promote intercultural understanding (p.1.38). Since then
the Australian Government has re-defined "multiculturalism"
several times. One simplified definition states. "Multiculturalism...
involves living together with an awareness of cultural diversity."
(ACPEA, 1982. p. 12).

However, the concept of multiculturalism continues to have
different meanings for different people. Some people are still
most comfortable with a singular national identity and
assimilationsit policy.

Foxy,

"None the less I think that Costello, himself the descendent of Irish migrants, was wrong then if he intended what you say, multiculturalism started in 1788....."

"Neither Peter Costello nor I said that multiculturalism
started in 1788...."

Never said that you did; note the comma before multiculturalism
"....what you say,[here!] multiculturalism started in 1788....."

Dear Is Mise,

Up until the early 1970s, assimilation and the
preservation of "White Australia" continued as the
Australian Government's official policies.
Migrants of every ethnic origin were expected to
assimilate promptly into a monocultural mould of
Australian identity, based on the Anglo-Saxon
and Celtic culture. (Theophanous, A.C. (1995).
"Uniderstanding multiculturalism and Australian
Identity." Melbourne: Elikia Books, p. 4-5).

The Ideal immigrant was the one who assimilated
easily, one who became more similar to the host
population as a result of social interaction and
through the shedding of attributes of their culture.
(Lewis & Slade, 1994,p. 38-39. Lewis, G. & Slade, C.
(1994). p. 151. "Critical communication," Sydney. Prentice Hall
Australia).

We cannot re-write history.
The facts exist. What we can do
is ask all our citizens to
subscribe to a framework that protects
the rights and liberties of all.
Which is the point that Peter Costello
was trying to make

Fox, "We cannot re-write history"

You do and you are constantly being picked up for it.

Trying to associate yourself with Costello is a rather obvious ploy.

Chalk and cheese.