Where did the concept of white Australia come from?

Where did the concept of white Australia come from?

The White Australia policy is a term encapsulating a set of historical racial policies that aimed to forbid people of non-European ethnic origin, especially Asians and Pacific Islanders, from immigrating to Australia, starting in 1901.

What is the White Australia Policy?

White Australia policy, formally Immigration Restriction Act of 1901, in Australian history, fundamental legislation of the new Commonwealth of Australia that effectively stopped all non-European immigration into the country and that contributed to the development of a racially insulated white society.

What was the purpose of the White Australia policy?

The Australian Government actively enforced the White Australia policy. 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.

Why was it important for Australia to have a white population?

The nation aimed to attract a well-paid, male, white and skilled labour force to uphold this image. Non-whites, and even sometimes working women, were seen as a threat to this ideal.

Is there a white New Zealand or white Canada policy?

There is no “White New Zealand” policy, or “White Canada” policy, and no one ever hears of those countries being overrun by Asiatics. Both New Zealand and Canada regulate immigration without using terms that are insulting to the enslaved peoples. Can’t Australia do the same?

What was the policy of immigration to Australia?

Despite these objections to restricting immigration, between 1875 and 1888 all Australian colonies enacted legislation which excluded all further Chinese immigration. Asian immigrants already residing in the Australian colonies were not expelled and retained the same rights as their Anglo and Southern compatriots.