History of the White Australia Policy

By cdruery
  • White Miners and the Chinese

    White miners had a resentment towards Chinese miners as they thought they would lose their jobs if they continued to come over.
  • Queenslanders and the Kanakas

    In Northern Queensland people thought that they would be excluded from the upcoming federation if they continued to let 'Kanakas' from the South Sea Islands trade.
  • Immigration Restriction Act Passed

    On this day the newly formed federal government passed an act ending employment of people from the Pacific Islands. It also restricted all forms of Immigration.
  • White Australia Policy praised

    Prime Minister Willaim Morris Hughes praised the White Australia Policy saying, "It is the greatest thing we have ever achieved."
  • White Australia Policy reinforced

    As hostility with Japan rose, Prime Minister John Curitn reinforced the philosiphy of the Policy. He said, "This country shall remain forever the home of the descendants of those people who came here in peace in order to establish in the South Seas an outpost of the British race."
  • People deported creates outrage

    When the war ended refugees who had moved to Australia and hadn't moved again of their own free will were threatned with deportation. This created outrage.
  • First step towards a new policy

    Prime Minister Howard Holt allowed 800 european refugees to stay in Australia. He also allowed Japanese war brides to be permitted in the country.
  • Next Major Step

    In this year non-European residents who had stayed 15 years or longer were allowed to apply to be citizens.
  • New Migartion Act passed

    In this year a new Migration Act was passed that allowed 'distinguished and highly qualified Asians' to migrate to Australia. It also abolished the controversial dictation test.
  • Non-european policy reviewed

    In this year many changes were made to make it easier for non-Europeans to migrate, settle and become citizens.
  • Abolishing the White Australia Policy begins

    In this month it was announced that the Policy would begin to be demolished. Non-European and part-European migartion rose dramatically.
  • Further steps taken to make migration fairer

    This yeat saw Whitlam's Labour government take three further steps to remove race as a factor in migration.
  • Government commissions review

    This year saw the government do a major review of immigration
  • Migration continues to become fairer

    The past decade has seen many people migrate to Australia with new policies making migration more possible to achieve. A large percentage of Australians are either born in another country or have parents born in another country.