Why are people from England called "poms"?

Question

at most cricket games or other events (or even casually), people from england are referred to as "poms" or "pommies". why?

Answer 1

I was under the impression that mainly people from England's territories were called pommies...but I'm anxious to get an answer on this...though every website I've seen has said the origin of the expression is not confirmed.

Answer 2

when prisoners from england got deported to australia,the name pom come from prisoners of [her]Majesty.P.O.M

Answer 3

Prisoner of Mother England is a common belief, aslo my father said it was something to do with the bright red cheeks on brits resemmbling Pommegranates (some kind of apple apparrantly)

Answer 4

The original word came from what was printed on the back of prisoners uniforms which was POME which stood for prisoners of mother england

Answer 5

It's nothing to do with prisoners.

The white faces of english settlers, once exposed to a little Aussie sun, took on the apppearance of pomegranites - mainly white skin with pinky patches.

Hence pom's or pommies describes anyone from England/Britain.