When was the immigration restriction act introduced

Detention to cease if bond given. The detention shall be for safe custody only, and shall cease if a bond with two sufficient sureties to the satisfaction of the Minister or the collector be given by the master owners or charterers of the vessel for the payment of any penalty which may be adjudged under this Act to be paid for the offence or default.

Sale of vessel on default. If default is made in payment of any such penalty, the officer may seize the vessel; and the like proceedings shall thereupon be taken for forfeiting and condemning the vessel as in the case of a vessel seized for breach of any law relating to the Customs, and the vessel shall be sold. Application of proceeds. The proceeds of the sale shall be applied first in payment of the penalty and of all costs incurred in and about the sale and the proceedings leading thereto, and the balance shall be paid to the owners of or other persons lawfully entitled to the vessel before condemnation and sale.

Contracts for manual labour — when enforceable. No contract or agreement made with persons without the Commonwealth for such persons to perform manual labour within the Commonwealth whereby such persons become prohibited immigrants within the meaning of paragraph g of section three shall be enforceable or have any effect. Assisting persons to contravene Act.

Any person who in any way wilfully assists any other person to contravene or attempt to contravene any of the provisions of this Act, or makes or authorizes any contract or agreement the performance of which would be a contravention of this Act, shall be guilty of an offence against this Act.

Any person who makes or authorizes such contract or agreement shall be liable to the Commonwealth for any expense incurred by the Commonwealth in respect of any immigrant prohibited by reason of the contract or agreement.

Bringing idiots or insane persons into the Commonwealth. Any person who is wilfully instrumental in bringing or attempting to bring into the Commonwealth any idiot or insane person contrary to this Act shall, in addition to any other penalty, be liable to the Commonwealth for any expense in respect of the maintenance of the idiot or insane person whilst within the Commonwealth.

Powers to enforce Act. Every member of the police force of any State, and every officer, may with any necessary assistance prevent any prohibited immigrant, or person reasonably supposed to be a prohibited immigrant, from entering the Commonwealth, and may take all legal proceedings necessary for the enforcement of this Act. Appointment of officers.

Subject to any Act relating to the public service, the Governor-General may appoint officers for carrying out this Act, and may prescribe their duties. The Governor-General may make regulations for carrying out this Act and for empowering officers to determine whether any person is a prohibited immigrant. All such regulations shall be notified in the Gazette, and shall thereupon have the force of law.

All such regulations shall be laid before both Houses of the Parliament within thirty days after the making thereof if the Parliament be then sitting, and if not then within thirty days after the next meeting of the Parliament.

Annual return showing persons refused admission. The Minister shall cause to be made annually a return which shall be laid before Parliament, showing the number of persons refused admission into the Commonwealth on the ground of being prohibited immigrants, the nations to which they belong and whence they came, and the grounds on which admission was refused; the number of persons who passed the test prescribed by paragraph a of section three, the nations to which they belong and whence they came; the number of persons admitted to the Commonwealth without being asked to pass the test, the nations to which they belong, and whence they came.

Where no higher penalty is expressly imposed, a person guilty of any offence against this Act, or against any regulation made thereunder, shall be liable on summary conviction to a penalty not exceeding Fifty pounds, and in default of payment to imprisonment with or without hard labour for any period not exceeding three months. Pacific Island Labourers Acts of Queensland.

National Museum of Australia. On 23 December the Immigration Restriction Act came into law. It had been among the first pieces of legislation introduced to the newly formed federal parliament. The legislation was specifically designed to limit non-British migration to Australia.

It represented the formal establishment of the White Australia policy. Attorney-General Alfred Deakin, 12 September That end, put in plain and unequivocal terms … means the prohibition of all alien coloured immigration, and more, it means at the earliest time, by reasonable and just means, the deportation or reduction of the number of aliens now in our midst.

Criticisms of non-white groups were based on the idea that they were less advanced than white people in all ways, especially morally and intellectually. The nation aimed to attract a well-paid, male, white and skilled labour force to uphold this image. Non-whites, and even sometimes working women, were seen as a threat to this ideal. Their perceived inferiority meant they were often paid less, and it was believed they could steal employment opportunities, undermining the stability of the white population.

Prior to the Australian colonies had seen a growth in non-white migration, especially during the gold rushes as many migrants arrived to seek their fortune. Reactions of white Australians to this trend were overwhelmingly negative. The fact that many migrants had begun to relocate from the gold fields to cities, accepting work at lower rates of pay and selling goods cheaply in competition with white business-owners caused tensions.

These attitudes led to each colony establishing its own economic and migration policies, some going so far as to exclude anyone of non-British descent. National Library of Australia obj When Australia federated in , parliamentarians felt it necessary to create a national law for immigration. The Immigration Restriction Bill was one of the first Bills introduced to the new parliament and proposed a twofold approach to restricting non-white population growth.

The Act came into law on 23 December The Act gave immigration officers the power to make any non-European migrant sit a word dictation test. Uniting the six colonies was not easy and there were many fights and walkouts in negotiations along the way. After a series of conferences and meetings, a draft Australian Federal Constitution was drawn up. Then a series of referendums were put to the people, until finally, in , there was a majority agreement for Federation.

In most people in Australia were proud to be Australians. They thought their country was the land of opportunity.

But, while Australians elected their own parliament that made Australian laws, they did not control their own foreign policy or defence. Australia did not have its own Navy and it could not make treaties with other nations. Australia was part of the British Empire. While Britain arranged conferences to hear the views of the Dominions, Britain kept a firm control over defence and foreign policy.

But Australia was getting ideas of its own. It was especially concerned that Britain did not have strong military bases in the Pacific area and Britain had signed a treaty with Japan who Australia feared. As a result, Australia began to build up its own navy in Australia wanted to remain a country of white people who lived by British customs. Trade unions were keen to prevent labour competition from Chinese and Pacific Islander migrants who they feared would undercut wages.

One of the first pieces of legislation passed in the new Federal Parliament was the Immigration Restriction Act. This Act stated that if a person wanted to migrate to Australia they had to be given a dictation test.

The dictation test could be in any European language. So a person from China or Japan who wanted to live in Australia could be tested in one or all of French, Italian or English languages. In , the Act was changed so it could be given in any language at all.