Competition in the gold fields between british and chinese miners, and labourunion opposition to the importation of pacific islanders into the sugar plantations of queensland, reinforce. Making multicultural australia timeline commentary. Assimilation was a highly intensive process necessitating constant surveillance of peoples lives, judged according to white man. Although the immigration restriction act 1901 was repealed by the migration act 1958, which saw the end of the application of the dictation test, this didnt actually signify the end of the white australia policy. By 1950, the government had banned marriages between whites and people of other races, and prohibited sexual relations between black and white south africans. This legislation, known as the white australia policy, was specifically designed to end asian migration to the country in order to maintain a white population. The term white australia policy was widely used to encapsulate a set of historical policies that aimed to forbid people of noneuropean ethnic origin, especially asians and pacific islanders from immigrating to australia, starting in 1901. White australia policy september, 1945 church assembly in melbourne expressed dissatisfaction and con cern about our national attitude of mind as shown in the white australia policy and asked that the federal government be ap proached with a view to revision of australia s national policies con cerning asiatic races. There was never an actual policy or law that was referred to as the white australia policy. Labor governments formal abolishment of the policy in 1973 is used as an official marker of the end of the. The development and land use impacts of local mosques 2 acknowledgements i would like to thank my thesis supervisor susan thompson who has provided me with invaluable support and assistance in preparing this thesis. A clear sense of the national interest, an understanding of what is important for australians, and confidence in the capacity of australia to shape its future internationally define the governments approach to foreign and trade policy. As sydneys population continues to grow at a rapid rate the western fringe of sydney, predominately rural and low density housing, will become occupied over the next twenty years.
But no reasoned analysis of the policy had been formulated nor had any attempt been made to trace its development through australian. The white australia policy wap, and its eventual repeal, played a significant role in shaping australia in the twentieth century. Australia obviously had no obligation to undertake an experiment of this kind, and gorton himself acknowledged that success was not guaranteed. Issued policy to totally disregard race as a factor in selecting migrants.
Italian and other migrant settlement in australia chapter pdf available april 2017 with 1,586 reads how we measure reads. The effect was most obvious on the asian population. Together with section 15 of the 1901 post and telegraph act see below, these formed a powerful set of legal instruments shaping immigration. The end of white australia and australias changing perceptions of asia, 19451990 so strong that we are not sorry to think that we shall have passed away before that day arrives. No progress will be made on asylum policy until the major parties. Fact sheet 8 abolition of the white australia policy.
Abolition of the white australia policy the white australia policy describes australias approach to immigration from federation until the latter part of the 20th century, which favoured applicants from certain countries. The liberal party and the dismantling of the white australia policy as bruce grant has pointed out, by the time government changed hands in 1949 from labor to liberal, immigration was in full flow, but the set of circumstances that made the original decision easier to uphold was that the 1950s were years of prosperity, and that many immigrants were cold war refugees thus would be. The white australia policy was the name given to laws that stopped non white immigrants from coming to live in australia. By 1972, the white australia policy was officially dead, and by. The goal for this law was to have a white australia, with no other cultures. Chinese immigrants and pacific islanders who were believed to be driving wages down were the main targets. While contemporary australia is proud of its multicultural status, the white australia policy shows this wasnt always the case. The white australia policy was a fantastic piece of legislation that was brought in just after australias federation in 1901. Minister for special skill required in australia or to persons under contract or agreement to serve as part of the crew of a vessel engaged in the coasting trade in australian waters if the rates of wages specified therein are not lower than the rates ruling in the commonwealth. The immigration restriction act 1901 was an act of the parliament of australia which limited immigration to australia and formed the basis of the white australia policy which sought to exclude all noneuropeans from australia.
The immigration restriction act was one of the first successes of the labor party and dated from 1901. The australian government actively enforced the white australia policy. I am forever indebted to you for the encouragement you have provided, especially over the last few weeks. In 1901, 98% of people living in australia were of european background, with clean skin, and with british laws and customs. By 1965, both major political parties had removed white australia from their political platforms.
Prime minister harold holt became convinced that australias immigration policy could no longer be based on the racial exclusion of noneuropean people. What was the white australia policy, and how does it still. This policy was defined by its attempts to restrict immigration of all noneuropeans, but specifically asians, in. The decision to abolish atsic has connotations reflective to that of terrorism. The most glaring inequities in the treatment of asian immigrants, including obstacles to citizenship, had been reversed with the passing of a new migration act in 1958. Australias foreign and trade policy is about advancing the interests of australia and australians.
I think the decision came as a shock to many australians, and not just indigenous citizens. The white australia policy had an immediate impact, rapidly changing demographics. During this time, many students came to australia and subsequently chose to stay once they completed their studies. It severely limited the size of chinese communities in australia for more than 50 years, until its abolishment in 1973. The demise of the white australia policy the liberal. This policy was introduced to australian immigration laws about 1897, and made law in 1901, to stop the influx of asian immigrants or anyone who could not claim white european heritage into australia. A form of placemaking for culturally diverse communities.
The white australia ideology was commercialised and used. Soon after the climax of the war, australia began to allow people of mixed races into the country. The white australia policy unofficially began in the 1850s in an attempt to create a uniracial australia. The law granted immigration officers a wide degree of discretion to prevent individuals from entering australia. This wooly thinking prevailed everywhere in the west.
White australia policy national museum of australia. My part in the abolition of the white australia policy. White australia policy september, 1945 church assembly in melbourne expressed dissatisfaction and con cern about our national attitude of mind as shown in the white australia policy and asked that the federal government be ap proached with a view to revision of. The white australia policy was widely popular in the australian community until the 1970s. The policy was openly racist, and was designed to support the ideal of australia as a purely white nation, untroubled by the threats non white populations were thought to pose to the countrys social, political and moral standards.
The policy discriminated against any person who was noneuropean and those of colored races by refusing to allow them to enter the country. Rather, the white australia policy refers to a range of policies which determined australias approach to immigration from the 1850s, until its official abolition in 1973. Following the war, the nations recognition that a larger population was required led to decreased restrictions on the white australia policy. They had to be in a position which was unchallengeable, to have a national aspiration. No suggestion of a doubt about its wisdom or of the possibility of modifying it could safely be uttered by a political leader. The white australia policy was proclaimed and accepted by all political parties. Austr alia was an undeveloped country, and economically the eyes of the world were upon it. The white australia policy describes australias prejudiced approach to immigration, from federation until. The legal end of the white australia policy is usually placed in the year 1973, when the whitlam labor government implemented a. The abolition of the policy took place over a period of 25 years. The migration act 1966 was the first immigration law that made all potential migrants subject to the same rules and restrictions with. The white australia policy describes australias approach to immigration from federation until the latter part of the 20th century, which favoured applicants from certain countries.
Back then it was popular to think that aboriginals didnt exist, or werent worthy of acknowledgement, and women were st. How the white australia policy shaped australia history essay. End of the white australia policy 80 days that changed. Governments progressively dismantled such policies between 1949 and 1973. Australias immigration policy following the second world war. Was it gough whitlam who abolished the white australia policy. Racism has been a familiar under current in australias social and political culture since the gold rushes and the lambing flat anti chinese riots in.
Home about parliament parliamentary departments parliamentary library research publications research papers index page research papers 201011 multiculturalism. The governorgeneral signed the document two days before christmas day 1901, a week after he had signed the pacific islander labourers act into law. Coloureds were people of mixed bantu, european, malay, and khoisan descent. The momentous mabo case finally acknowledged the history of indigenous dispossession in australia, abolished the legal fiction of terra nullius, and altered the foundation of australian land law. Chinese australian women in white australia 77 language sources such as newspapers and temple records were utilised.
Cultural atlas malaysian culture malaysians in australia. What was the reason for the introduction of the white australia policy in australia. Abolition of the immigration act or white australia policy the origins of the white australia policy can be traced back to the 1850s, when white miners resentment towards the chinese diggers growing into violence on the buckland river in victoria, and at lambing flat in new south wales. The end of terra nullius, the beginning of native title. Why did australia abolish the white australia policy. The white australia policy was not a single government directive but a series of acts with a common goal. From white australia policy to multicultural australia. The development and land use impacts of local mosques. End of the white australia policy national museum of. Earlier forms of racial discrimination were already present even before the south african national party adopted apartheid as a matter of national policy. In 1973 the new whitlam government took the final steps to dismantle the white australia policy and remove race as a factor in australias immigration provisions. By the early 1960s, the infamous immigration restriction act of 1901, bedrock of the white australia policy, no longer existed. This factor, alongside the abolishment of the white australia policy, led to australia becoming a desirable destination for malaysian immigrants, primarily ethnic chinese. This is directly linked to the achievement gap, and there are many reasons for it, including that minorities may not have the educational exposure or parental support they need to succeed, even at.
These laws were put in place in 1901, and were repealed from the 1950s to 1970s. The white australia immigration policy of last century was formally abolished when the whitlam government took power in 1972. The 1975 racial discrimination act made the use of racial criteria for any official purpose illegal. Historically, immigration plays a major role in australia. Statistics show that students categorized as minority and lowincome score substantially lower on the sat than their white, upperclass counterparts. Under apartheid, the population was divided into four groups.
The beginning of the end of the white australia policy. This document put in place the law that was the cornerstone of australias white australia policy. The means of maintaining this racial and cultural homogeneity is loosely termed the white australia policy. The white australia policy was a system of both official and unofficial discrimination in australian history, during which immigration policy and citizenship requirements were heavily biased to favour white european migrants, and more specifically anglosaxon migrants over other races although in the present day australia generally prides itself on being one of the most multicultural of the. A history of the white australia policy and the abolition. Read the white australia policy sheet and answer these questions.
Until world war n, australians perceived japan as the chief and almost only source of asian threat to the national ideal. The white australia policy was a policy that was passed into australias law system in 1901. The white australia policy university of nebraska omaha. The change began in the 1960s with a series of measures which heralded the demolition of the white australia policy. Hancock expressed it in australia, the indispensable condition of every other australian policy,14. The abolition of the policy took place over a period of more than 25 years. But the move to change it and open the country to migrants from asia.
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