While the historical events that the series are based on and the Assisted Migration scheme of the ’50s did indeed exist, the characters and stories in Ten Pound Poms are works of fiction.

The term “ten pound poms” was used colloquially throughout Australia and New Zealand to describe the Brits that migrated there after the Second World War. In the series, as is the reality of the way the word was used in the early 20th century, the term “pom” was used in a derogatory way, often pre-empted by terms like “whinging” or “bloody”.

The term “whinging poms” was often used for any Brits who complained about the Australian conditions and heat, with “pom” being short for pomegranate, alluding to the Brits’ reddish complexions.

In terms of the scheme itself, it was a very real thing and in 1945, the Government of Australia initiated the Assisted Passage Migration Scheme while the Government of New Zealand launched a similar programme in 1947. It formed part of the Australian Populate or Perish policy intended to substantially increase the population of Australia and to supply workers for the country’s booming industries.

The Ten Pound Poms scheme itself attracted a staggering total of more than one million migrants from the British Isles between 1945 and 1972. Even more migrants were encouraged to leave Great Britain for Australia when the ‘Bring Out a Briton’ campaign was launched in 1957. The scheme reached its peak in 1969 when more than 80,000 migrants took advantage of it.

As is explored in the series, Brits were having a hard time of it in the UK, faced with limited opportunities and post-war emotions, it was a pretty grim place to be. But with televisions constantly advertising a sunny alternative life in Australia, many made the trip over for just £10, which processed fees for migration and would be the equivalent of some £350 today.

Children under 19 travelled for free and, while it’s wild to think of doing such a long journey for a small fee nowadays, many people jumped at the chance as they were promised better job prospects, affordable housing, sun, sea, and generally a more optimistic and better life. But on arrival, as Ten Pound Poms explores, the Brits were faced with the harsh reality of basic migration hostels and camps, overwhelming heat, terrible food, insects, and minimal job opportunities.

Writer Danny Brocklehurst spoke to RadioTimes.com and other press about his inspiration for the drama and covering this part of British and Australian history, saying: “It’s a show about the scheme that was launched to potentially populate Australia post-war – ‘Bring out a Brit ten pound pom scheme’ as it became known, where for £10 you would get the ship over, accommodation offered when you arrived in Australia and help to find work if you didn’t already have work.

“They were promised the dream of beautiful white-washed houses and full employment, but when they got there, the reality was often very different.”

He continued: “I’ve got to be honest, I didn’t really know much about this period. It was one of those things that was on the edge of my consciousness and Eleven Film, who I’d been trying to find the right idea to work with for a while, they just sent me a link to a very old documentary from the early ‘80s.