White Australia Policy

Home > History > Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific > Australian, New Zealand, and Pacific Islands History

White Australia Policy A policy established when responsibility for immigration passed to the newly created federal government of Australia in 1901. Building on established anti-Chinese immigration restrictions, the aim was to maintain racial harmony, and to keep out Asians who might be willing to work at much lower wages. As a result, immigration was restricted to White European immigrants from Europe, preferably from the British Isles. To enforce this, a dictation test for would-be immigrants was introduced in 1901 which could be in any European language (any ‘prescribed’ language after 1905). It was also used to keep out ‘undesirable’ Europeans, such as the celebrated case of Egon Kisch, a Czechoslovak Communist who was given a test in Scottish Gaelic (1934). As a result, by 1941, Australia was sparsely populated, while 97 per cent of the population could trace back their origins to the British Isles. Under Calwell and Chifley, immigration from Eastern and Southern Europe was emphasized for the first time. During the 1950s, as Australia focused more on its proximity to Asia, this racist policy became untenable. The controversial dictation tests were replaced by entry permits in 1958, and during the 1960s the system was completely dismantled.

White Australia policy A restrictive immigration policy pursued in Australia. In the mid-19th century there was a shortage of labour and SQUATTERS brought in Chinese and KANAKAS (Pacific Islanders) as labour. By the 1880s developing trade unions were calling for a policy to protect the “White working man”. By 1890 all states had legislation to preserve the purity of White Australia, Alfred DEAKIN being one of its strongest advocates. The new Commonwealth government legislated to exclude non-Europeans (Immigration Restriction Act, 1901). The main device used was to be a dictation test in any European language (any “prescribed” language from 1905), the language being chosen to ensure failure. This policy of exclusion continued until the 1950s. The Labor administration of Gough WHITLAM repudiated the policy in the early 1970s. Since then, immigration from southeast Asia has grown considerably.