Abolition of the ‘White Australia’ Policy

http://www.immi.gov.au/media/fact-sheets/08abolition.htm 

The 'White Australia' policy describes Australia's approach to immigration from federation until the latter part of the 20th century, which favoured applicants from certain countries. 

The origins of the 'White Australia' policy can be traced to the 1850s. White miners' resentment towards industrious Chinese diggers culminated in violence on the Buckland River in Victoria, and at Lambing Flat (now Young) in New South Wales. The governments of these two colonies introduced restrictions on Chinese immigration. 

Later, it was the turn of hard-working indentured labourers from the South Sea Islands of the Pacific in northern Queensland. Factory workers in the south became vehemently opposed to all forms of immigration which might threaten their jobs; particularly by non-white people who they thought would accept a lower standard of living and work for lower wages. 

In 1901, the new federal government passed an Act ending the employment of Pacific Islanders. The Immigration Restriction Act 1901 received royal assent on 23 December 1901. It was described as an Act 'to place certain restrictions on immigration and to provide for the removal from the Commonwealth of prohibited immigrants'.

The abolition of the policy took place over a period of 25 years.

Following the election of a coalition of the Liberal and Country parties in 1949, Immigration Minister Harold Holt allowed 800 non-European refugees to remain in Australia and Japanese war brides to enter Australia. 

Over subsequent years Australian governments gradually dismantled the policy with the final vestiges being removed in 1973 by the new Labor government.

“白澳”政策的废除

   “白澳”政策反映了澳大利亚的移民态度，其起始于联邦成立时期，直到20世纪后半叶结束。该政策仅偏袒来自某些国家的申请人。

“白澳”政策的源头可追溯到十九世纪八十年代。当时白人矿工对勤劳的华人淘金者的愤恨达到了顶点并最终在维多利亚（Victoria）的巴克兰德河（Buckland River）、新南威尔士（New South Wales）的蓝坪（Lamping Flat）造成暴力冲突。这两个殖民地政府对华人移民推出限制。

后来，这种事情就轮到了那些在昆士兰（Queensland）北部努力工作的来自南太平洋岛国（South Sea Island）的契约工人们。南方的工厂工人们变得强烈反对各种形式的移民，因为移民可能会威胁到他们的工作职位——尤其是非白人移民，因为在他们看来，这些移民可以接受较低的生活水平，可以为较低的薪水工作。

在1901年，新一届联邦政府通过了一项法令不再聘用太平洋岛国的人（Pacific Islanders）在1901年12月23日，该《1901年移民限制令》（Immigration Restrict Act 1901）获得御准。该法案被描述为一份“在移民方面放置特定限制并且规定从澳大利亚联邦清楚手限制移民”的法案。

经历了25年的时间，该政策才得以废除。在1949年，自由党（Liberal）和乡村党（Country）组成的联合党赢得大选后，移民部长哈罗德·霍尔特（Harold Holt）允许800名非欧裔难民留在澳大利亚并且许可日本战争新娘进入澳大利亚。

在后续的几年中，理解澳大利亚政府逐步废除了该政策，而在1973年，新一届工党（Labor）政府清除了该政策的最后残余。

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备注：

1、这个文章选自移民局网站，介绍了澳洲移民历史。

2、《1901年移民限制令》规定，禁止任何疯子、有可能犯罪的人和有传染病的人移民到澳大利亚，同时，还禁止妓女、罪犯和有合约在身的劳工移民到澳大利亚。

The Act prohibited from immigration those considered to be insane, anyone likely to become a charge upon the public or upon any public or charitable institution. It also included any person suffering from an infectious or contagious disease 'of a loathsome or dangerous character'.

The Act also prohibited prostitutes, criminals and anyone under a contract or agreement to perform manual labour within Australia (with some limited exceptions).

3、关于日本战争新娘。日本战争新娘是那些日本投降后和驻扎在日本的澳洲皇军（Australian Imperial Forces）结婚的日本女性。在战争期间，也有其他非欧裔的难民来到澳洲，有的和澳洲人结了婚。在白澳政策盛行的时候，政府曾经要拆散这些夫妻，因而曾引起大规模的抗议活动。

During World War II, many non-white refugees entered Australia. Most left voluntarily at the end of the war, but many had married Australians and wanted to stay. Arthur Calwell, the first immigration minister, sought to deport them, arousing much protest.

4、在澳大利亚，除英语外说得最多的五种语言是：意大利语、希腊语、广东话和普通话。