[Editor: This chapter is part of The White Australia Policy: The Rise and Fall of Australia’s Racial Ideology (2025).]
The dictation test
The Natal government in South Africa faced similar considerations when creating legislation to stop non-white immigration. Their way of dealing with the situation was to institute a language test, by means of which they could stop all non-Europeans from entering the country, whilst at the same time giving their legislation a façade which was designed to avoid any outward impression (or perception) of being an insult to the non-white allies, colonies, and trading partners of Great Britain.[1]
This tactic, being viewed as a diplomatic and non-confrontational option (which would hopefully avoid any resentment on the part of non-white governments, and be acceptable to the British government), was copied by the Australian government.
The governments of British colonies in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa had passed legislation to reduce or stop non-white immigration. The attitude of the Japanese government was that immigration laws passed by British colonies, which openly banned Japanese citizens from migrating to those colonies, were insulting, and they therefore requested that the British government induce its colonies to use immigration laws similar to that of Natal. However, when the Australian government used the Natal law as the basis for its own immigration law, the Japanese protested to the British, who pointed out that this type of law was what the Japanese had previously asked for.[2]
The Immigration Restriction Bill, introduced into the Australian parliament in 1901, was outwardly designed to give any intending immigrants a dictation test, whereby an immigrant could be required to write a passage of fifty words as dictated by a government official who was empowered to handle immigration matters.
It was originally proposed to give the test in English, but that draft clause sparked criticism. Some misunderstanding occurred, with some people thinking that the test would be used to keep out Europeans who could not speak English. The Argus (Melbourne) claimed that the English test “would stop, and we suppose it is meant to stop, any ordinary German or French or Scandinavian immigration”.[3]
The English language clause was subsequently changed to a test in any European language (which gave a wider scope to bar any unwanted immigrants). As the test could be given in any language from Europe, this meant that the government official presiding over the test could effectively bar any English-speaking non-white person from entering the country, simply by giving them the test in a European language which they were unlikely to know.
A confidential memo (1906) from the Department of External Affairs gave the following instructions:
“It is intended that the dictation test shall be an absolute bar to admission. Officers will therefore take means to ascertain whether, in their opinion, the immigrant can write English. If it is thought that he can, the test must be dictated in some other European language, one with which the immigrant is not acquainted.
… All coloured persons who are not exempted by the Act … must be asked to pass the dictation test”.[4]
The memo also stated that, subject to the Officer’s discretion, “Persons who are suffering from any serious physical incapacity, and who are without means” should be given the dictation test, but that “Europeans of sound bodily health, notwithstanding that they have no money … are to be admitted without restriction.”
In line with British treaties and sensibilities, the same memo also noted that
“The dictation test is not to be applied to Japanese, Indians, and Hong Kong Chinese, who are the holders of passports from their Governments.”
Those who created the White Australia Policy did not specifically want to base it upon the diplomatic subterfuge of a dictation test; but, if Australia was to remain a part of the British Empire, then it was considered to be the best option available.
References:
[1] “Founded on the American Act: Natal introduces immigration restriction”, in: Connected Worlds: History in Transnational Perspective, ANU Press (Australian National University)
“Anti-Indian Legislation 1800s – 1959”, South African History Online
“Letter to Dadabhai Naoroji and others” (1897), in “The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi” (vol 2: 13 January, 1897- 11 July, 1902), pp. 167-170 [pp. 167-168: “the Natal Act was passed with the deliberate intention of applying it almost exclusively to the Indians.”]
[2] ““White Australia” — a “New Year’s gift””, The Toowoomba Chronicle and Darling Downs General Advertiser (Toowoomba, Qld.), 31 December 1901, p. 2
[3] “Tuesday, August 13, 1901”, The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), 13 August 1901, p. 4
[4] “Immigration Restriction Acts 1901 and 1905 – guidance for officers”, National Archives of Australia [a scan of a document entitled “Immigration Restriction Acts 1901 and 1905” (stamped “Confidential”), Department of External Affairs, January 1906] [see p. 1 of document]
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