‘Backpacker’ Dispatches: Working Holiday Stories from Australia
By Lea Knopf, published by the Migrant Workers Centre
Australia welcomed its first Working Holiday Makers (WHMs) in the 1970s, promoting the program as an opportunity for cultural exchange. Since then, it has expanded to include agreements with 49 countries, allowing young adults to live and work in Australia for up to a year, often extending their stay.
Despite their visibility in many workplaces, WHMs remain largely invisible within Australian society.
Policymakers and the public alike often overlook who these workers are and how to engage with them, deferring instead to employer interests in shaping the program’s design and purpose.
In ‘Backpacker’ Dispatches: Working Holiday Stories from Australia, researcher Lea Knopf presents a narrative summary of 12 in-depth interviews conducted with Working Holiday Makers. Through personal accounts, the report explores the complex realities of this group - their hopes, hardships and contributions, offering an intimate look at the human side of Australia’s Working Holiday program.
The Migrant Workers Centre thanks Lea Knopf for her insight, care and dedication in listening to and sharing these stories, as well as the participants who generously contributed their time and experiences. Your voices lie at the heart of this research and strengthen our mission to advocate for the rights and dignity of all migrant workers in Australia.
Key recommendations
- Fund longitudinal research to assess the long-term impacts of the Working Holiday Visa (WHV) program, centring the voices and experiences of WHMs in policymaking.
- Overhaul the WH program to realign it with its original purpose of cultural exchange - not as a stopgap for labour shortages - including reviewing punitive taxation and restrictive visa conditions.
- Introduce a regulated labour program to replace the reliance on WHMs for addressing workforce gaps, ensuring proper protections and compliance mechanisms for all temporary workers.
