RESTRICTING MIGRATION

Legislation to restrict the influx of undesirable migration was being passed by the colonies during the last decades of the 19th century. Laws such as the Influx of Chinese Restriction Act of 1881 were introduced to limit the growth of ethnic communities. At the time of Federation; January 1 1901, 98% of Australians were of British descent, determined to conserve a 'White Australia' and to establish control of migration, the new Australian federal government passed the Immigration Restriction Act December 23 1901.

The IRA imposed racial and ethnic discriminatory measures on non-British migrants deemed undesirable which were subject to strict conditions upon entry into Australia. These measures were enforced by the use of the Dictation Test, issued by Customs Officials, it required migrants to write a 50 word passage in any European language. The threat and implementation of the Dictation Test essentially stopped 'coloured' immigration for the first half of the 20th century.

Few exceptions were granted to existing 'ethnic' migrants, mainly for economic reasons. Valuable communities such as the 'Afghan Cameleers', instrumental in the exploration of Australia's interior and the Japanese pearl divers in the northern waters went to great lengths to obtain exemption from the dictation test. After Federation, Naturalization; the process of the legal act by which a non-citizen obtains citizenship, which provided civil rights such as the vote, ceased to be granted to non-British migrants.