what was the purpose of the white australia policy course hero

This Act, known as the White Australia policy, aimed to not only restrict numbers of non-white migrants to Australia, but also to deport ‘undesirable’ migrants who were already in the country.

Full Answer

What was the White Australia policy and how did it work?

The legal mechanisms of the White Australia policy were tied to a widespread belief in the superiority of British civilisation and the white race generally during this era. The masthead of the popular Bulletin magazine read:

Is the White Australia ideology still shaping Australian immigration policies?

Academics James Jupp and Gwenda Tavan have argued that the White Australia ideology is still shaping Australian immigration policies in the 21st century, especially in regard to refugees. The bipartisan commitment to offshore processing and the re-emergence of Hanson’s One Nation party following the 2016 election lend some weight to this view.

How did white Australians react to the growth of non-white migration?

Prior to 1901 the Australian colonies had seen a growth in non-white migration, especially during the gold rushes as many migrants arrived to seek their fortune. Reactions of white Australians to this trend were overwhelmingly negative.

What is the history behind Australia’s policy of immigration?

After the Second World War, Arthur Calwell, the Chifley government’s immigration minister, began to relax the policy to allow refugees from continental Europe to come to Australia. This included the ‘beautiful Balts’ whose image perfectly fitted the White Australia ideal, but also migrants from other backgrounds in regulated numbers.

What was the purpose of the White Australia policy?

This Act, known as the White Australia policy, aimed to not only restrict numbers of non-white migrants to Australia, but also to deport 'undesirable' migrants who were already in the country.

What was the White Australia policy quizlet?

People in Australia wanted the country to be "pure" and white. Since powerful people such as multiple prime ministers, poets and ministers all had the same racist views (all-white Australia), they had the power to change laws, and influence the public.

What was the purpose of the White Australia policy and why was Broome exempt?

One of the first laws passed after Australia became a nation in 1901 was the Immigration Restriction Act, which marked the beginnings of the White Australia policy. Recognising the threat this policy posed for Broome's industry, the government soon granted exemption to pearl shell workers.

What was the 1901 White Australia policy?

The Act came into law on 23 December 1901. The Act gave immigration officers the power to make any non-European migrant sit a 50-word dictation test. This was initially given in any European language, and after 1905 in any prescribed language.

Where did European colonization of Australia and Oceania begin?

European exploration and settlement of Oceania began in the 16th century starting with Portuguese settling the Moluccas and Spanish (Castilian) landings and shipwrecks in the Marianas Islands east of the Philippines followed by the Portuguese landing and settling temporarily (due to the monsoons) in the Tanimbar or …

What landform dominates much of New Zealand?

What land form dominates much of New Zealand? a high central peak. Which of the following places is the best example of an atoll?

Who did the White Australia policy affect?

The policy had the effect of creating a population of overwhelmingly European, and largely Anglo-Celtic, descent. In refusing immigration by people of other ethnic origins, it also effectively limited the immigration of practitioners of non-Christian faiths.

How did the White Australia policy affect the Aboriginal community?

In the confined area of Tasmania the effects of white settlement were devastating, bringing Tasmanian Aborigines to the verge of extinction. It has been conservatively estimated that at least 10 000 Aborigines died violently in Queensland between 1824 and 1908.

Who made White Australia policy?

Prime Minister Edmund BartonThe Immigration Restriction Bill, which enacted the white Australia policy, was initiated in the House of Representatives by Prime Minister Edmund Barton on 5 June 1901, nine sitting days after the Duke of York had opened the Australian Parliament on 9 May 1901.

When was the White Australia policy end?

The March 1966 announcement was the watershed in abolishing the 'White Australia' policy, and non-European migration began to increase. Yearly non-European settler arrivals rose from 746 in 1966 to 2,696 in 1971, while yearly part-European settler arrivals rose from 1498 to 6054.

How did the White Australia policy stop?

The Immigration Restriction Act and dictation test ended in 1958. Other parts of the White Australia policy, such as the registration of non-British migrants as 'aliens', continued into the early 1970s. The Racial Discrimination Act 1975 made it illegal to discriminate against migrants based on their race.

How did the White Australia policy affect Chinese?

Now known as the infamous White Australia Policy it made it very difficult for Asians and Pacific Islanders to migrate to Australia. This Act stated that if a person wanted to migrate to Australia they had to be given a dictation test.

How did the White Australia policy affect the population?

Demographic impact. The White Australia policy had an immediate impact, rapidly changing demographics. By 1947 only 2.7% of the whole population was born outside of Australia, Ireland or the United Kingdom. The effect was most obvious on the Asian population.

What act limited access to Australia for non-white migrants?

The introduction of two accompanying acts (the Pacific Island Labourers Act 1901 and the Post and Telegraph Act 1901) further limited access to Australia for non-white migrants by outlawing the use of imported labour and making it mandatory to hire white workers on any vessels transporting Australian mail.

Why was the dictation test so easy?

As the language chosen for the dictation test was at the discretion of the immigration officer, it was easy to ensure failure for migrants deemed undesirable, either because of their country of origin, possible criminal record, medical history, or if considered morally unfit.

Why did the government introduce the Ten Pound Pom program?

The government introduced many programs to encourage migration from Britain to increase Australia’s white population and the available workforce. The schemes were fuelled by the ‘populate or perish’ government mindset, and included the famous the Ten Pound Pom program that operated after the Second World War.

What is the criticism of non-whites?

Criticisms of non-white groups were based on the idea that they were less advanced than white people in all ways, especially morally and intellectually. In Australia, this idea focused particularly on people of Asian descent but applied to all non-whites, including Indigenous Australians, who were considered a ‘dying race’.

Why did people oppose the use of Pacific Island labour?

Many people opposed the use of Pacific Island labour because it was a cheap alternative to paying ‘proper’ wages to white employees. These attitudes led to each colony establishing its own economic and migration policies, some going so far as to exclude anyone of non-British descent.

What is Australia's utopia?

Ironically, Australia saw itself as a utopia and a working man’s paradise, a forward-thinking country that promoted equal rights and opportunities, for ‘desirable’ citizens at least. The nation aimed to attract a well-paid, male, white and skilled labour force to uphold this image.

What was the White Australia policy?

The White Australia policy was not a single government directive but a series of acts with a common goal: to achieve and maintain a white , British national character. The Immigration Restriction Act , Pacific Island Labourers Act and the Post and Telegraph Act (all passed in 1901) formed the initial legislative foundation.

What was the last remnant of the White Australia policy?

Eventually they were offered the same pathway to citizenship as Europeans. The progressive Whitlam government symbolically buried the last remnants of the White Australia policy in 1973. The Racial Discrimination Act made it illegal to “offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate” someone because of their race.

What was the most infamous feature of the Immigration Act?

The act’s most infamous feature was a dictation test. Migrants could be asked to write 50 words in any European language.

Why was non-racial language used?

Non-racial language was used to minimise international condemnation, but the xenophobic concern was plainly evident. Australia’s first prime minister, Edmund Barton, explicitly stated his belief in white superiority: There is no racial equality. There is that basic inequality.

When was the migration act introduced in Australia?

The White Australia policy received bipartisan support, but was gradually dismantled by both sides. Conservative governments introduced the Migration Act in 1958 and its significant modification in 1966.

When was the White Australia game popular?

The White Australia Game was registered in 1914 and was popular throughout the 1920s. Migration Heritage Centre.

Is there racial equality in Australia?

There is no racial equality. There is that basic inequality. These races are, in comparison with white races – I think no-one wants convincing of this fact – unequal and inferior. The White Australia policy was in place for seven decades after 1901 and had a profound impact on the newly federated Commonwealth.

When did the White Australia policy end?

End of the White Australia policy. 1966: End of White Australia policy. See our classroom resource. Prime Minister Harold Holt (second from left), with other Southeast Asia Treaty Organization leaders in Manila, the Philippines, 1966. In 1966 the Holt government introduced measures which were the first major steps towards ending ...

What changes to immigration policy were some of the most significant steps towards the formation of multicultural Australia?

These changes to immigration policy were some of the most significant steps towards the formation of multicultural Australia. Under the new laws, all potential migrants were now subject to the same rules and restrictions surrounding visas, and were eligible to become citizens of Australia after the same waiting period.

Why did the British government administer the dictation test?

British migration was favoured and encouraged, and a dictation test – in any language a potential migrant was unable to speak – was administered as a way of stopping migrants from outside the United Kingdom from entering Australia.

What was the migration review in 1966?

1966 legislation. A migration review in 1966 led to the most significant step towards the abolition of the White Australia policy. Under the new laws – introduced by the Holt government by ministerial decree and given bipartisan support in parliament – all potential migrants were subject to the same rules and restrictions with regard ...

What was the first piece of legislation enacted by the parliament of the newly federated Australian nation?

One of the first pieces of legislation enacted by the parliament of the newly federated Australian nation was the Immigration Restriction Act 1901. This Act, known as the White Australia policy, aimed to not only restrict numbers of non-white migrants to Australia, but also to deport ‘undesirable’ migrants who were already in the country.

When did Keith Cameron Wilson say "From now on there will not be in any of our laws or in any of our

Sir Keith Cameron Wilson MP, House of Representatives debate, 24 March 1966 : From now on there will not be in any of our laws or in any of our regulations anything that discriminates against migrants on the grounds of colour or race.

Who was the immigration minister after the Second World War?

After the devastation of the Second World War, Arthur Calwell, the Australian immigration minister, revived the idea that Australia must ‘populate or perish’. British migrants were sought, but government policy in the UK discouraged the emigration of people Britain needed to rebuild its cities and infrastructure.

Appendix

Image 1: The Mongolian Octopus – Its Grip on AustraliaPhil May, The Bulletin, 21st August 1886.

Secondary Sources

Australian Broadcasting Corporation: Radio National, Perspective 1 June 2005 – Gwenda Tavan, transcript, http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/perspective/stories/s1382242.htm (viewed 2 October)

Cite This Work

UKEssays. (November 2018). How The White Australia Policy Shaped Australia History Essay. Retrieved from https://www.ukessays.com/essays/history/how-the-white-australia-policy-shaped-australia-history-essay.php?vref=1

What was the White Australia policy?

The term White Australia Policy was widely used to encapsulate a set of historical policies that aimed to forbid people of non-European ethnic origin, especially Asians and Pacific Islanders from immigrating to Australia. Governments progressively dismantled such policies between 1949 and 1973.

How did the White Australia policy affect Australia?

IMPACT OF THE WHITE AUSTRALIA POLICY. The White Australia Policy had an impact almost immediately, changing the demographics of Australia in a big way. Between the Great Depression in 1929 and the end of the Second World War in 1945, immigration was low due to the turmoil going on during the time period.

What policy did Australia adopt after World War II?

Although some Australian ministers fought to preserve the White Australia Policy and deport non-European refugees during and after World War II, the restrictions relaxed, and Australian policy began to shift towards. opening its doors to immigration for all races and ethnicities.

What was the Australian policy during the First World War?

By the First World War, Australian support for the White Australia Policy was strong, and was helped further by the Paris Peace Conference in 1919-1920 when a racial-equality amendment to the League of Nations Covenant proposed by the Japanese was swiftly defeated. Australian immigrants were of Asian descent.

Why is Australia considered a working man's paradise?

By the 1880s, Australia had gained a reputation as being “the working man’s paradise” due to high wages for prosperous skilled workers as well as progressive benefits due to unionization. As many other sectors in the Australian economy began to grow, workers from all around the South Pacific were recruited.

When did Australia become less strict?

By around 1950, the policy became less strict; between 1947 and 1981 the number of people in Australia who were of non-European descent more than doubled, and at the turn of the 21st century, around 40% of. Australian immigrants were of Asian descent.

Why did people flood Australia?

Due to the discovery of gold in Australia in 1851, many immigrants flooded Australia in search of opportunities to get their hands on some. There was a lot of interest from Chinese workers, who accounted for approximately 50,000 of the immigrants seeking prosperity.