POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

'White Australia Policy' badge

Object No. 2007/210/1

This badge is material evidence of a shameful period in Australia's history, when exclusionary and racist practices were openly supported in public policy and government legislation. The development of the White Australia Policy can be traced to growing resentment against Chinese miners arriving in Australia during the gold rushes in the second half of the 19th century. This attitude led to riots at Lambing Flat (Young) in New South Wales and Buckland River in Victoria and ultimately to formal limitations on Chinese immigration. The empoyment of indentured workers from Melanesia (Kanakas) in Northern Queensland produced a similar racist response. Fears of competition from Kanakas and loss of employment for descendants of British stock ensured legislation was devised to restrict immigration at the time of Federation of the colonies in 1901. Perhaps the most infamous method of restricting access was the dictation test of 50 words in any European language not necessarily known by the applicant; often an obscure language such as Irish Gaelic was selected to ensure the applicant failed and could be refused entry to the country. In 1919 Prime Minister William (Billy) Hughes hailed the White Australia policy as 'the greatest thing we have achieved'. The badge dates to around the time of this comment. Implicit in the context of a 'white Australia' was the expectation that the Indigenous population would eventually become extinct via disease and intermarriage. In fact, after 150 years of decline, Indigenous population numbers increased from the 1930s. The beginning of the end of racist policy occurred in 1949 with the entry of 800 non-European refugees and Japanese war brides. However, it wasn't until 1973 under the Whitlam Labor Government that the last vestiges of references to race were removed from immigration policy, and Australia today prides itself on fostering a multicultural citizenry. This badge is a rare non-textual example of the attitudes sustaining the White Australia Policy. As an item to be worn, it demonstrates the willingness and community acceptance with which people once advertised their racist beliefs during what is now rightly considered a shameful episode in Australia's history. Nevertheless, this is an episode that should be acknowledged, and the badge contributes to our understanding and interpretation of the policy and its historical context. Refs Department of Immigration www.immi.gov.au Aplin, G., Foster, S.G, and McKernan, M., 'Australians: Events and Places', Sydney, 1988: 117 Aplin, G., Foster, S.G, and McKernan, M., 'Australians: A Historical Dictionary, Sydney', 1988: 436-37 Jupp, J., 'The Australian People: an encyclopaedia of the nation', Angus and Robertson, North Ryde, 2001: 44-49