About the White Australia policy
At the end of the 19th century, Australian colonies had concerns about who was migrating to Australia. With a rise in the number of migrants from China and the Pacific, many colonies passed tough immigration legislation.
The Immigration Restriction Act was one of the first Commonwealth laws passed after Federation. It was based on the existing laws of the colonies.
The aim of the law was to limit non-white (particularly Asian) immigration to Australia, to help keep Australia ‘British’.
Pass or fail: the dictation test
Under the Immigration Act, migrants who entered Australia between 1901 and 1958 could be asked to take a dictation test.
To pass the test, they needed to write 50 words in any European language, as dictated by an immigration officer. After 1905, the officer could choose any language at all. A Chinese immigrant, for example, could be asked to write out 50 words in French, Italian or another language.
Few migrants could pass the test in these circumstances. This meant that it was easy to fail an applicant if they were from an ‘undesirable’ country, had a criminal record, had medical issues or were thought to be ‘morally unfit’.
If an applicant failed the test, they could be deported by the Australian Government.
Some people were exempt from the test. They included non-European Australian residents travelling overseas temporarily, and non-European visitors entering Australia temporarily for work, education or to visit family. These people received a Certificate of Exemption.
The end of the Act
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. It removed the last traces of the White Australia policy.
Despite the White Australia policy, people from all over the world settled in Australia, creating the multicultural society we see today.
Our founding fathers must be turning in their graves as Federal Parliament continues to increase the representation of the many colours that make the current Australian population.
Here are some new and some veterans in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Anthony
Albanese
Prime Minister
Member for Grayndler
Italian descent
Senator Penny Wong
Foreign
Minister
Malaysian
Michelle-Ananda Rajah
Member for Higgins
Tamil
Sally-Sitou
Member for
Reid
Chinese
Cassandra Fernando
Member for
Chisholm
Sri Lankan
Gladys Liu
Liberal Chisom
Hong-Kong born
Dave Sharma
Member for
Wentworth
Canadian born
Trinidadian
Indian heritage
Senator Mehreen Faruqi
Greens
Pakistan born
Tu Le
Member for
Fowler
Vietnamese
Dr Anne Aly
Born 29.3.1967, Alexandria, Egypt
Member for Cowan
Minister for Early Childhood Education
Minister for Youth
Linda Burney
Indigenous Australian
Member for Barton
Minister for Indigenous Australians
Sam Lim
Member for Tangney
Malaysian born
Peter Khalil
Member for Wills
Egyptian born
Dai Le
Member for Fowler
Vietnamese
Zanetta Mascarenhas
Member for Swan
Goan
Hon Anthony
Albanese MP
- Senator Patrick Dodson, Western Australia
- Senator Jacqui Lambie, Tasmania
- Senator Malarndirri McCarthy, Northern Territory
- Senator Lidia Thorpe, Victoria
- The Hon Linda Burney MP, the Member for Barton
- The Hon Ken Wyatt MP, the Member for Hasluck
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