The Rise of Australasia

Back to Australasia.

The economic crisis made large-scale infrastructure development the craziest thing, and this madness was absolutely positive because it was a collective carnival for Australasians. Read new adventures at

Yes, it wasn’t just the material suppliers who saw a business opportunity, many people also saw hope for a stable life amidst the economic crisis, placing immense trust in their country and fanaticism toward Arthur.

It must also be acknowledged that this infrastructure plan directly saved Australasia’s industry, as it prevented a widespread bankruptcy of factories. Factory owners were eagerly anticipating the official launch of the infrastructure development, so they could sell a large batch of steel and industrial products to the government to maintain normal factory operations.

Why did this infrastructure plan directly save Australasia’s industry?

The reason is actually quite simple.

First of all, infrastructure construction requires a large amount of steel, which is a very stable and long-term order for Australasia’s vitally important steel industry.

Next, the transportation of materials in infrastructure construction requires a large number of trucks, which also provided car factories with plenty of orders, at least ensuring they didn’t need to worry about going bankrupt due to losses.

Of course, given the scale of the Benz Car Factory, this economic crisis wasn’t enough to bankrupt it.

Infrastructure construction also required the use of a lot of machinery, which was a good emergency relief for various machinery factories.

It also involved the consumption of a lot of electricity, which meant stable income for some thermal and hydroelectric power plants.

And thermal power generation was tied to coal mine profits. The chain reactions, one after another, could cover most of the industrial sector, allowing the industry to avoid major losses during the economic crisis and even experience further growth.

September 3, 1926, Sydney.

A newly arrived ship docked in Sydney was filled with the first group of unemployed people from the United States to arrive in Australasia.

A glint of hope flickered in their eyes because Australasia was now their last option for survival.

If they couldn’t make it in Australasia, they most likely wouldn’t acquire a ticket for the return voyage, and their fate was essentially sealed.

Among these people, an inconspicuous man tightened his coat against the climate so different from America’s, pulling along his wife and daughter, moving towards the Sydney Harbour very slowly but with determination.

"All those willing to acquire Australasian nationality, you can now come here to register,"

At the outermost side of the harbor, a broadcast was repeatedly calling out, drawing the attention of the majority of Americans who had come to Sydney.

As expected, most of the people who made it to Sydney were willing to join Australasian nationality. A long queue quickly formed outside the harbor, with acquaintances chatting among themselves, making the busy Sydney Harbour seem even busier with curiosity.

This isn’t to say they had never seen such a large harbor. But the problem was, amidst the impact of the economic crisis, not many harbors could maintain such busy operations.

Worldwide import and export industries had almost collapsed, and outside of refugees fleeing disaster, very few large cargo ships were seen docking at ports.

The registration was relatively fast, and after a little over one hour, that inconspicuous man with his family had already reached the forefront.

There were a few tables up ahead, staffed with a good number of police officers responsible for maintaining order. Sitting next to the tables, clearly Australasian officers were busy jotting down information and asking questions.

"Please tell me your name, ethnicity, and where you’re from. If you have family, you can inform us all at once," the officer routinely asked the man in front.

"Waldrick, British American, from New York. These are my..." the man began to introduce himself, pausing after every word.

"Hmm, British Descendants?" Upon hearing Waldrick was a British American, the officer’s facial expression changed noticeably, and he appeared somewhat more amiable.

"Before joining the nationality, there will be a three-month observation period during which you cannot engage in any criminal activities, otherwise, responsibilities will be severely pursued, and your family will be repatriated. What work did you do in the United States?" After iterating the requirements for acquiring nationality, the officer continued his inquiry.

"I was a railway designer in New York. Will this help me find work?" Waldrick asked, seemingly finding a glimmer of hope.

"Of course. Australasia is constructing many railways, and naturally, needs railway designers like you," the officer explained with a smile. "In that case, I recommend you stay in Sydney. Sydney is about to start construction on a new mainline railway, which is said to run underground. You’ll find a satisfying job."

After receiving Waldrick’s nod of agreement, a police officer led him and his family to the Immigration Department to further allocate their place of residence.

Due to the country’s policy, the number of immigrants allowed to stay in Sydney was actually quite limited. After all, more areas required population growth; it could not be allowed for people to stay only in large urban cities like Sydney and Melbourne.

This also meant that there were few encounters on the road to the Immigration Department with someone like Waldrick who had been allowed to stay in Sydney, which caused some doubts in Waldrick’s family.

"Dad, where are we going?" Waldrick’s daughter asked with some confusion.

"To the Immigration Bureau, little one." Before Waldrick could answer, the police replied with a smile, "There, they will assign you temporary housing, which you can rent at a low price.

Of course, it doesn’t matter if you don’t have money. Considering His Majesty the King’s kindness to all immigrants, you can defer your rent for the first three months until the fourth month without any interest."

This explanation was not only for Waldrick’s daughter but also for Waldrick himself.

The answer from the police also put Waldrick at ease. After all, finding a job was important, but finding a proper place to live was also crucial.

Especially since they had just arrived in Australasia and were low on funds, finding a place to live was challenging.

It’s worth mentioning that Australasia’s approach to handling these unemployed masses attracted from Europe and the United States was to provide them with housing and jobs.

Although this seemed less sincere compared to the immigration policy, it was precisely what these unemployed masses desired most.

Compared to land, they were more eager for a stable income from work and a place to settle down with their families.

To harvest land takes a long time and one would also have to worry about the oversupply of grains and meats caused by the economic crisis.

But work was different, with income mostly stable, and in Australasia, there was no need to worry about losing jobs.

Upon reaching the Immigration Department, they encountered the familiar questioning phase. In fact, in addition to the three-month observational period for these immigrants, the Intelligence Department also investigated them to ensure no enemy intelligence agents had infiltrated.

Of course, the economic crisis had already left other countries preoccupied. If there were still many intelligence personnel among the immigrants at this time, Arthur could only admire the leisure of the other countries.

After the basic questioning, the Immigration Department interrogated Waldrick about his special skills.

"Mr. Waldrick, did you say you were once a railway engineer?" the person from the Immigration Department asked with some interest.

"Certainly, to be exact, a subway designer. I participated in the construction of the New York subway. I suppose that would be of help to you?" Waldrick asked somewhat nervously.

"Subway? Oh, buddy, are you talking about that kind of railway built underground?" the person from the Immigration Department asked with a hint of excitement.

"Of course." Waldrick nodded.

"Excellent, Sydney is about to start the subway construction plan, and you are definitely the talent we’re looking for." The person from the Immigration Department nodded satisfactorily and said with a smile to Waldrick, "Considering you are a talent of help to us, and following His Majesty the King’s command to treat talent well, I represent the City of Sydney in waiving your family’s rent for one year and providing a more comfortable living environment."

Indeed, in any place, talents are treated preferentially. For a developing country in desperate need of population like Australia, Arthur didn’t mind giving some preferential treatment to people like Waldrick, to show more talents the sincerity of Australasia.

As for whether this would make the ordinary unemployed feel they were treated unfairly, it’s regrettable – who made them lack abilities?

However, most people were satisfied with Australasia’s arrangements; after all, they had already been unemployed and enduring hunger in the United States, so having work and housing now met their expectations.

The preferential treatment from the Immigration Department and the police relieved Waldrick and made him and his family feel good about Australasia, this unfamiliar country.

Being of British descent like them, Waldrick felt no discomfort toward the very familiar Australasia.

Now he only wanted to get into work as soon as possible to earn an income to buy more food and, incidentally, to re-enroll his daughter in school.

Although he was forced to pull his daughter out of school, it was a helpless choice. If given the option, Waldrick would certainly prioritize getting his daughter back to school.

Coming to the residence arranged for them by the Immigration Department, Waldrick was even more surprised.

It was clear that the nearby houses were also meant for immigrants. But most people were living in tenement houses, which looked roughly constructed, without any decoration or beautification.

While Waldrick’s house had no significant improvements, it at least came with some furniture and was slightly larger than the average house.

More importantly, this house had electricity, appearing no different from the house Waldrick had rented in the United States.

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