That was true for 99% of migrants. There there were the 1% who got the cash, house and a well paid cushy job. In no time they were on government welfare for life, these days most of that 1% are on old aged welfare, bleating about the failure of government to shout them schooners down at God's Waiting Room.

Paul,
Funny you should mention Bob Hawke, he was the main sell-out over Cockatoo Island and we’ve always blamed him for the rest of the Union movement not only not openly supporting the workers on the Island but for also ignoring the strike.
The Government wanted to sell Cockatoo Island for development and a large kickback to the favoured few, the Union organizers got the local tribe involved and Aboriginal Title stymied that little racket.
Many of the men never worked at their trades again, age was against them and they were not familiar with modern production methods, the shipyard, dealing as it did in very heavy industry used different methods to modern industry in general.
As an example we inspectors sometimes used wooden callipers to measure large diametres ; callipers 6 feet and more in length.
In all my years at the dockyard the vast majority of stoppages could have been avoided if the management hadn’t been intent on causing trouble.

For evidence of an imported (skilled) workforce , one only needs to look at the Snowy Mountains Hydro Electric Scheme, many of those individuals employed on that project were very skilled back in their mother country.

O sung wu,
Nice to hear from you.
I remember as a youth on the NSWGovt. Rlys. the migrants coming as workers.
Among those allocated to Enfield Locomotive Depot was a skilled surgeon, he was sent as a shed labourer but when the unofficial interpreter (ex-pow) had a yarn to him he went to the District Loco. Engineer who moved the migrant to an office job and unofficial assistant to the first aid bloke.

Hi there IS MISE...

Yes, we weren't very skilled at identifying well qualified individuals to professionally enrich our workforce back in the day? There again, nothing's changed much? When I was still working a colleague of mine who harboured a fascinating and expert competency in rebirthing methods of stolen M/V saw an invitation in the 'US Police Chief Magazine' for qualified police to attend an advanced investigative seminar in the United States specifically addressing the topic of rebirthing.

Yup, he applied, was knocked back because his brain dead boss didn't want him to possess superior knowledge to him. But to conceal the real reason, and, to appear like he was giving him a true 'junket' he instead sent him on a vehicular homicide seminar. Which had virtually no practical application in his duties in Scientific Branch. Go figure?

Issy and o sung wu, funny you should say that, my old doctor for 35 years, now dead, was a surgeon from Hungary, worked on the Snowy Mountains Scheme, until he could do "night school" and become a GP here.

Great old bloke, told me how he operated on German soldiers near the end of the war, and for some the end of their life, on his own, as a 2nd year trainee with a cleaner for a nurse. Said he learned quick in those days.

Just on Hawke, Uncle Jim was a Postal Workers Union official, told the story how in his words "Hawke came in on the grouter" and sold the postal workers out, after a 6 week strike they had reach an amicable agreement, and were ready to settle. Hawke took over at the death, and that was the end of that, the workers got nothing, Hawke got all the glory.