White Australia policy was the popular name for Australia’s old immigration policy. In law, it was based on the Immigration Restriction Act, passed in 1901 by the newly formed federal government. The act did not actually exclude Asians from Australia. Instead, it provided for a dictation test in a European language for intending immigrants. In practice, this condition tended to restrict the entry of non-Europeans. In an amending act of 1905, the words prescribed language replaced the words European language to avoid giving offense to Asians. In 1958, the federal government abolished the dictation test.
The movement for a White Australia policy grew gradually in the 1800’s. During the 1840’s, squatters tried to import Asian laborers to work at low wages after the government stopped transporting convicts to the country from Britain. Antagonism developed against the Chinese laborers who worked on the Australian gold fields. Riots flared up. In 1855, the Victorian government restricted the entry of Chinese into the colony by imposing poll taxes on new arrivals. In Queensland, sugar planters began to use laborers from the Pacific Islands on their plantations. See Blackbirders .
People throughout the colonies called for laws to cut Australia off from sources of cheap labor. In 1878, seamen struck against the employment of Chinese on Australian ships. In 1885, the Queensland government restricted the use of Pacific Island labor. Between 1881 and 1888, all the colonial governments passed legislation to restrict Chinese immigration. The federal government banned Pacific Island immigration in 1901.
