waves of migration

By shivi
  • 1 CE

    1770

    1770
    Captain James Cook claims Australia for Britain
  • 2

    1848-1855

    Californian gold rush attracts tens of thousands of people from Europe, Latin America, Australia and China.
  • 3

    1851

    Gold is discovered in NSW Australia, the gold rush results in mass migration from the British Isles, Europe, America and China
  • 4

    1855

    Victoria introduces the first immigration act in Australia which is aimed at limited Chinese immigration
  • 5

    1860's

    Local Indigenous populations continue to resist settlers and immigrants. Killings of local Aboriginal populations continue across Australia until the early 1900's
  • 6

    1880's

    Melbourne entrepreneur Edward Cole starts to produce pamphlets, essays and medals promoting world peace and arguing against racially-based immigration policies.
  • 7

    1888

    The phrase 'White Australia Policy' first appears in William Lane's publication 'The Boomerang' in Brisbane.
  • 8

    1901

    The newly federated Australia passes the Immigration Restriction and Pacific Island Labourers Act. Referred to as the ‘White Australia’ policy it includes a dictation test for the sole purpose of excluding immigrants deemed undesirable.
  • 9

    1910-1930s

    Campaigns aimed at increasing and improving the local white population are run by Australian women's organisations. They support eugenic measures which exclude 'unfit' white migrants and produce 'well born' white children.
  • 10

    1911

    Britain begins sending child migrants to Australia, resulting in about 6,500 children often being subjected to enforced labour and appalling treatment in the interests of building a 'white' Australia. The practice continues until 1970.
  • 11

    1933-1945

    Adolf Hitler reveals his obsession with racial purity in his 1925-26 publication, Mein Kampf. These ideas are based on the principles of eugenics and draw on interpretations of Darwinian ideas of fitness and progress.
  • 12

    1947

    Efforts to perpetuate a white Australia see the start of a massive assisted British immigration scheme, as well as the acceptance of refugees from Baltic countries.
  • 13

    1948

    In Australia, segregation is imposed unofficially in public places such as theatres and swimming pools.
  • 14

    1950s

    Citizenship ceremonies are embraced by local residents across Australia, who organise events for recently arrived migrants in council and community halls.
  • 15

    1967

    National referendum gives the Commonwealth power to make and override state laws for Aboriginal people, and to count Aboriginal people in the national census.
  • 16

    1973

    The 'White Australia' policy officially ends and Al Grassby, Minister for Immigration, launches the policy of multiculturalism.
  • 17

    1975

    The Racial Discrimination Act is passed in the Federal Parliament.
  • 18

    October–November 2005

    Race riots break out in Paris and Birmingham due to discrimination against Muslims and people of African origin, and tensions between the African and South Asian communities.
  • 19

    2009-2010

    Australia and Britain apologise to child migrants who were brought to Australia in order to increase Australia’s white population during the 20th century.
  • 20

    Today

    Today Australia still has no Bill of Rights. Under the Migration Act, disability is still taken into consideration in assessing migrants for entry into Australia. Consequently, the Migration Act is exempt from the Disability Discrimination Act (section 52).