Immigration limitation act- 1901
The Immigration Restriction Act ( 1901 ) can be argued was a policy enacted to reflect the biass in Australian society at the clip. The Immigration Restriction Act consisted of the Australian Parliament restricting in-migration to Australia. which came to be known as The White Australia Policy. The White Australia Policy consists of assorted historical Torahs that favour in-migration to Australia from Britain but strongly deter non-whites or people who are non of British descent. At the bend of the Century Australia was still a comparatively new state. It’s population was 4 million. slightly little. compared to other universe populations. At the clip the general public consensus was that Australia should be a white state and leting indiscriminate in-migration could endanger its individuality. The White Australia Policy had overpowering support from Australia’s white population. so it could be argued that its debut was simply a contemplation of the public’s ideals at the clip.
This is reflected by historian Myra Willard: “…no motor power. operated more universally on this continent. or in the beautiful island of Tasmania… than the desire that we should be one people. and stay one people. without the alloy of other races. ” Myra Willard. ‘History of the White Australia Policy to 1920’ . Melbourne University Press. 1923. P 119 It is clear that white Australians were passionate about continuing a white Australia. Undoubtedly the Federal Government was under a great trade of public force per unit area to conform. By analyzing the logical thinking behind the Policy it was more than merely an effort to continue white civilization. As the Parliamentary arguments at the clip convey. there was an statement that the white race was superior and non-whites were deemed inferior. The Prime Minister at the clip Edmund Barton delivers this message to Parliament. “We are guarding the last portion of the universe in which the higher races can populate and increase freely for the higher civilization. I place before the house a step of definite and high policy. ” Although the White Australia Policy did hold overpowering support within Parliament and the populace there were some who opposed the new policy.
We Will Write a Custom Essay Specifically
For You For Only $13.90/page!
order now
Some expostulations were made on moral evidences mentioning that the Laws were barbarous and violative. “I have already admitted that it is our responsibility to curtail the in-migration of Asiatics… I can non convey myself in the face of entreaties like that. and in the face of the cognition I have of India and Asia by and large. to make anything in the insulting and barbarous manner proposed by the Bill… . ” Commonwealth Parliamentary Debates’ . November 13. 1901. p 7158 Resistance was besides met with from Britain. which many Australian Parliamentarians were concerned about. The British Government had warned against an straight-out prohibition based on race and coloring material. The Immigration Restriction Act would be contrary to the British rule of equality and would deeply pique their Indian topics and their Nipponese Alliess. Despite Britain’s clear expostulations many were still prepared to back up the Bill even if it meant interrupting ties with Britain. This is clearly expressed by William Morris Hughes: “We want a White Australia and are we to be denied it because we shall pique the Japanese or abash His Majesty’s curates? I think not… If we are to travel on doing things smooth for His Majesty’s Government- if our first and lone desire is to determine a policy to accommodate our ain terminals. so we know where we are. We have come. it appears to me. to the farewell of ways. ” William Morris Hughes. ‘Commonwealth Parliamentary Debates’ September 12. 1901. P 4825 Prior to 1901. in-migration was controlled by the settlements.
During the gold haste in the 1850’s many migrators came to Australia from around the universe and wanted to settle at that place. While the bulk were from Britain. 60. 000 came from Continental Europe. 42. 000 from China. 10. 000 from the United States and merely over 5. 000 from New Zealand and the South Pacific. By the clip of Federation the entire population was close to four million of whom one in four were born overseas. The Australian settlement was shortly switching to a population of different migrators. This left Australians present policies that would command migration. The Australian settlements were peculiarly concerned with the sum of Chinese migrators and the struggles that had arisen between the Chinese and white Australians colonist. Prior to 1901 the Colonial States gathered to discourse ways of forbiding Chinese migration and other migrators.
Therefore when Australian Federation was formed. the Immigration Restriction Act was introduced as solution to the job the colonial provinces had been confronting. As a consequence the figure of Chinese migrators decreased immediately. At face value the Immigration Restriction Act was arguably racist and exclusionary. However in early nineteenth Century Australia it was widely viewed as a necessity. Australia was still a new state with a comparatively little population. It was viewed worldwide as a land of prosperity and became popular for many to migrate there and seek their luck. Had non the Federal Government implemented Torahs to modulate in-migration Australia could hold potentially lost its individuality as a predominately White State. The Immigration Restriction Act appealed to people’s frights and the demand for self saving. and at the clip this statement was reasonably plausible.
In each and every avenue of life we find the competition of the colored races perniciously crawling in. and if we are to keep the criterion of life we think necessary. in order that our people may be brought up with a grade of comfort. and with scholastic advantages which will contribute to the betterment and general promotion of the state. some intermission must be made in respect to the extension of the competition of the colored foreigners by and large. ( Member of parliament 1901 ) . This quote clearly provinces that the bulk of Parliament felt strongly about protecting Australia’s white individuality. This was done in the face of resistance from Britain and the likeliness of upsetting other states like Japan. It was a bold measure but the bulk of Australians were determined. . The White Australia Policy was an of import chapter in Australian history. It had its benefits and restrictions. It affected non merely Australia but many people around the universe. It was something that many states were against and is really different to what Australia’s in-migration policy is today.
Bibliography
Immigration Restriction Act 1901 – Wikipedia. the free encyclopaedia hypertext transfer protocol: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Immigration_Restriction_Act_1901 USED ON: April 14th
The Constitution Of The Immigration Restriction Act – ABC
hypertext transfer protocol: //www. rudiment. cyberspace. au/federation/fedstory/ep2/ep2_events. htm USED ON: April 26th
White Australia: Immigration Restriction Act 1901. Australia to 1914 hypertext transfer protocol: //www. skwirk. com. au/p-c_s-14_u-127_t-350_c-1213/history-of-racist-attitudes-and-fear/nsw/history/australia-to-1914/white-australia-immigration-restriction-act-1901 Copyright © 2013 Red Apple Education Ltd. All rights reserved. USED ON: April 14th
White Australia policy – Wikipedia. the free encyclopaedia
Related essay samples:
- After The government began to modify the
- Australian Identity Essay
- Queen Victoria’s Death (aus)
- What It Means to Be Australian Essay
- Explain the Reasons Why Australia Became Involved in the Vietnam War
- Chinese Immigration Chinese Settlement In New South Wales History Essay
- How and Why Did Federation Occur in Australia?
- Long distance migrations Essay
- Poetry is language at its most distilled and most powerful
- Multiculturalism In The Education Sector Education Essay
- Australia as a Successful Multicultural Nation
- Kangaroo, an Australian Icon Essay
- Spanish Community In Melbourne History Essay
- Vietnam War – Paper Essay
- Inequality to Aboriginal people in Australia Essay