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The origins of the 'White Australia' policy can be traced to the 1850s. White miners' resentment towards industrious Chinese diggers culminated in violence on the Buckland River in Victoria, and at Lambing Flat (now Young) in New South Wales. The governme
1850 -
In 1901, the new federal government passed an Act ending the employment of Pacific Islanders. The Immigration Restriction Act 1901 received royal assent on 23 December 1901. It was described as an Act 'to place certain restrictions on immigration and to p
1901 -
In 1919 the Prime Minister, William Morris Hughes, hailed it as 'the greatest thing we have achieved'.
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Second World War
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Minister Holt's decision in 1949 to allow 800 non-European refugees to stay, and Japanese war brides to be admitted, was the first step towards a non-discriminatory immigration policy.
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The next major step was in 1957 when non-Europeans with 15 years residence in Australia were allowed to become Australian citizens.
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The revised Migration Act 1958 introduced a simpler system of entry permits and abolished the controversial dictation test.
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After a review of the non-European policy in March 1966, Immigration Minister Hubert Opperman announced applications for migration would be accepted from well-qualified people on the basis of their suitability as settlers, their ability to integrate readi
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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 arrival
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In 1973 the Whitlam Labor government took three further steps in the gradual process to remove race as a factor in Australia's immigration policies.
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An increase in the number and percentage of migrants from non-European countries did not take place until after the Fraser government came into office in 1975.