294:. It enabled immigration officials to exclude individuals on the basis of race without explicitly saying so. However the shift from an unfair, discriminatory but real test as the three colonies had passed into one that was a legal piece of trickery was rapidly accomplished with a minimum of regulation and with no essential legal changes within two years of the passing of the Immigration Restriction Act at the end of 1901. After 1903 the passage chosen was not important in itself as it was already decided the person could not enter Australia and so failure was inevitable. Although the test could theoretically be given to any person arriving in Australia, in practice it was given selectively on the basis of race, and others considered undesirables. Between 1902 and 1909, 52 people passed the test out of 1,359 who were given it.
306:
445:
438:
42:
566:
European languages remaining active until such prescribed language be chosen by the
Parliament. This wording was used to placate the objection from Japan that only European languages could be used. As the Parliament never prescribed any language, the dictation case remained limited to European languages only—and more specifically to the main language of any European nation, as illustrated in the infamous
242:
evaluate applicants on the basis of language skills, rather the decision that a person was a “prohibited immigrant” was already taken when the “test” was to be administered and the language chosen was always one known beforehand that the person would fail. This pretend was well recognised at the time as
Senator Harney of Western Australia expressed it:
550:, a white British woman born in India. She was twice set the test in Italian, which she failed. In the face of a long press and legal campaign for her admission, the government was unable or unwilling to provide a convincing reason for her exclusion and eventually she was admitted, welcomed by a huge crowd at the quay in Sydney.
495:
100 for each immigrant, unless the immigrant was
European. The Minister for Foreign Affairs was also able to detain ships which were suspected of carrying illegal immigrants. People who brought ill or insane immigrants into Australia were also liable for the costs of caring for them, on top of other
565:
At first the dictation test had to be given in any
European language and the dictation test could be administered any time within the first year of a person's arrival to Australia. In 1905 the Act was amended so that the dictation could be submitted in "any prescribed language", the restriction to
278:
The Act provided that any would-be immigrant could be subjected to a 50-word dictation test. "Any person who when asked to do so by an officer fails to write out at dictation and sign in the presence of the officer a passage of fifty words in length in a
European language directed by the officer"
241:
test, which required a person seeking entry to
Australia to write out a passage of fifty words dictated to them in any European language, not necessarily English, at the discretion of an immigration officer. The test was a pretend of fake one as it not designed to allow immigration officers to
490:
The Act established a range of federal crimes relating to immigration. Illegal immigrants could be imprisoned for up to six months and then could be deported. Both the captain and the owners of ships which transported illegal immigrants to
Australia could be fined
582:, which replaced the dictation test with a universal visa system (or entry permits), and removed many of the other restrictions, although many migrants from southern Europe and Asia were already living in Australia, some of them having arrived as
918:
In 1905, following
Japanese reclamations, the Act was amended to "any prescribed language", with European languages remaining the only one authorized pending the selection of such prescribed language by the Parliament, which was never done.
543:, the court found that Scottish Gaelic was not within the fair meaning of the Act, and overturned Kisch's convictions for being an illegal immigrant. The failure to exclude Kisch brought the dictation test into widespread public ridicule.
245:“The Government had placed itself on the horns of a dilemma, as, if the Bill were honestly administered, it would be inept, and, if not honestly administered, it would involve Parliament and its officers in a piece of gross chicanery.”
780:
226:. The law granted immigration officers a wide degree of discretion to prevent individuals from entering Australia. The Act prohibited various classes of people from immigrating and provided for
573:
In 1932 the period during which the test could be given was extended to the first five years of residence and officials could give the test to an individual an unlimited number of times.
531:, including using the dictation test. Kisch was fluent in a number of European languages and, after completing passages in several, was finally failed when he declined to be tested in
237:
Because of opposition from the
British government, more explicit racial policies were avoided in the legislation, with the control mechanism for people deemed undesirable being a
1122:
567:
528:
469:
398:
1102:
886:
835:
651:
1112:
1019:
504:
The dictation test came into disrepute when it began to be used to exclude and deport individuals which the government considered undesirable.
1078:
764:
551:
535:. The officer who tested him had grown up in northern Scotland but did not have a particularly good grasp of Scottish Gaelic himself. In the
421:
256:
in the Colony of Natal which later became part of South Africa, unlike that and similar
Education Tests elsewhere, passing was not possible.
718:
462:
93:
1043:
610:
1107:
805:
69:
An Act to place certain restrictions on Immigration and to provide for the removal from the Commonwealth of prohibited Immiprants
1117:
375:
1127:
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676:
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100:
668:
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231:
508:
60:
17:
223:
1002:
961:
Charteris, A. H. (1937). "Australian immigration laws and their working".
279:
was deemed a "prohibited immigrant" and was to be prevented from landing.
291:
738:
736:
723:
Australian Broadcasting Corporation: Australia's Centenary of Federation
557:
resigned from the Lyons Cabinet in 1937 as a result of the controversy.
583:
546:
In 1936, the dictation test was controversially used again to exclude
856:
A. H. Charteris, "Australian immigration laws and their working", in
696:
A. H. Charteris, "Australian immigration laws and their working", in
520:
191:
928:
Section 3 (a) dictation test, (d) diseases & (e) imprisonment
516:
492:
1071:
Australia's Dictation Test: The Test it was a Crime to Fail
757:
Australia's Dictation Test: The Test it was a Crime to Fail
970:
Robertson, Kel; Hohmann, Jessie; Stewart, Iain (2005).
742:
972:"Dictating to One of 'Us': the Migration of Mrs Freer"
719:"The Establishment of the Immigration Restriction Act"
937:. Federal Register of Legislation. 23 December 1901.
175:
165:
155:
145:
130:
125:
117:
109:
99:
89:
77:
48:
34:
523:, arrived in Australia in 1934. The Government of
568:attempted exclusion of Egon Kisch from Australia
963:The Legal Status of Aliens in Pacific Countries
862:The legal status of Aliens in Pacific countries
702:The legal status of Aliens in Pacific countries
663:
661:
222:which sought to exclude all non-Europeans from
1015:Real examples to see if you can pass the test.
463:
282:This was similar to tests previously used in
8:
1123:Repealed Acts of the Parliament of Australia
828:"Immigration Restriction Amendment Act 1905"
252:While the initial bill was based on similar
1044:"Abolition of the 'White Australia' Policy"
887:Office of Parliamentary Counsel (Australia)
836:Office of Parliamentary Counsel (Australia)
652:Office of Parliamentary Counsel (Australia)
470:
456:
296:
40:
1020:"Administering the Dictation Test, 1950s"
669:"Immigration Restriction Act 1901 (Cth)"
911:
635:
299:
66:
399:Justice of the High Court of Australia
31:
743:Robertson, Hohmann & Stewart 2005
7:
1103:History of immigration to Australia
1048:Dept of Immigration and Citizenship
781:"Australia and Refugees, 1901–2002"
94:Australian House of Representatives
806:"Immigration Restriction Act 1901"
644:"Immigration Restriction Act 1901"
611:War-time Refugees Removal Act 1949
25:
527:went to extraordinary lengths to
443:
436:
386:Immigration Restriction Act 1901
376:1901 Australian federal election
304:
202:Immigration Restriction Act 1901
139:Immigration Restriction ben 1901
35:Immigration Restriction Act 1901
1113:1901 in international relations
995:"The Australian Dictation Test"
883:Federal Register of Legislation
832:Federal Register of Legislation
785:Parliament of Australia Library
648:Federal Register of Legislation
422:New South Wales vs Commonwealth
391:Commonwealth Franchise Act 1902
810:Parliamentary Education Office
677:Museum of Australian Democracy
370:Term of government (1901–1903)
1:
576:The Act was replaced by the
259:The Act was replaced by the
218:and formed the basis of the
933:Immigration Restriction Act
363:Prime Minister of Australia
1144:
541:R v Wilson; ex parte Kisch
519:from Germany for opposing
507:Jewish political activist
171:Immigration Acts 1905-1949
1069:Michael Williams (2021).
755:Michael Williams (2021).
249:, 14 November 1901, p.3.
187:
180:
170:
55:
39:
1108:Australian migration law
313:This article is part of
216:immigration to Australia
1118:Immigration legislation
866:Oxford University Press
706:Oxford University Press
673:Documenting a Democracy
212:Parliament of Australia
50:Parliament of Australia
1128:White Australia policy
1098:1901 in Australian law
220:White Australia policy
27:Australian legislation
976:Macquarie Law Journal
935:No. 17 of 1901 (Cth)"
759:. Brill. p. 17.
879:"Migration Act 1958"
729:on 12 December 2004.
1054:on 1 September 2006
816:on 22 October 2005.
654:. 23 December 1901.
247:The West Australian
126:Legislative history
1024:Immigration Museum
618:Migration Act 1958
579:Migration Act 1958
262:Migration Act 1958
228:illegal immigrants
182:Migration Act 1958
1080:978-90-04-47110-8
1030:on 29 August 2008
766:978-90-04-47110-8
552:Interior Minister
480:
479:
415:Blundell v Vardon
356:
331:
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284:Western Australia
197:
196:
16:(Redirected from
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1050:. Archived from
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1026:. Archived from
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889:. 8 October 1958
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858:Norman MacKenzie
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812:. Archived from
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725:. Archived from
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709:
698:Norman MacKenzie
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586:during or after
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408:D'Emden v Pedder
348:
341:Hopetoun Blunder
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105:23 December 1901
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1005:on 1 March 2014
999:Tenpoundpom.com
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600:George Kwok Bew
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555:Thomas Paterson
533:Scottish Gaelic
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429:Farey v Burvett
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381:Barton ministry
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288:New South Wales
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90:Enacted by
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868:, 1937, p. 30.
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745:, p. 241.
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708:, 1937, p. 30.
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500:Controversies
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157:First reading
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146:Introduced by
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113:1901 and 1958
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1070:
1056:. Retrieved
1052:the original
1047:
1032:. Retrieved
1028:the original
1023:
1007:. Retrieved
1003:the original
998:
979:
975:
962:
955:Bibliography
943:
932:
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891:. Retrieved
882:
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852:
840:. Retrieved
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814:the original
809:
800:
788:. Retrieved
784:
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727:the original
722:
713:
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692:
680:. Retrieved
672:
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588:World War II
577:
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545:
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525:Joseph Lyons
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101:Royal assent
59:
29:
548:Mabel Freer
496:penalties.
401:(1903–1920)
354:(1901–1903)
350:Member for
254:legislation
176:Repealed by
161:5 June 1901
121:1 June 1959
1092:Categories
947:section 14
864:, Oxford:
704:, Oxford:
682:7 November
625:References
606:campaigner
602:, an anti
561:Amendments
537:High Court
515:, who was
509:Egon Kisch
166:Amended by
61:Long title
1073:. Brill.
1058:5 January
630:Citations
239:dictation
224:Australia
150:in Barton
110:Commenced
1009:27 April
594:See also
584:refugees
539:case of
486:Offences
292:Tasmania
232:deported
192:Repealed
118:Repealed
78:Citation
1034:13 July
893:6 March
860:(ed.),
842:6 March
790:7 March
700:(ed.),
269:The Act
210:of the
206:was an
189:Status:
1077:
838:. 1905
763:
521:Nazism
517:exiled
352:Hunter
230:to be
906:Notes
511:from
204:(Cth)
134:title
1075:ISBN
1060:2010
1036:2005
1011:2014
895:2023
844:2023
792:2015
761:ISBN
684:2016
290:and
199:The
132:Bill
604:Act
493:GBP
208:Act
1094::
1046:.
1022:.
997:.
978:.
974:.
885:.
881:.
834:.
830:.
808:.
783:.
735:^
721:.
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671:.
660:^
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646:.
590:.
570:.
286:,
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234:.
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1038:.
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982:.
980:5
965:.
931:"
897:.
846:.
794:.
769:.
686:.
471:e
464:t
457:v
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
