3. The White Australia Game

Episode 3 of Australia Fair looks at the halcyon period of the White Australia. Once the White Australia Policy kicked in after Federation in 1901, things sailed along until the Second World War. Most Australians firmly believed that maintaining a homogeneous White population was crucial, and mechanisms like the dictation test were notoriously rigged to prevent non-white individuals from entering Australia. But the White Australia policy also impacted non-white people already in the country. Across the Federation period, South Sea Islanders were ‘blackbirded’ to Australia. Often tricked or forced into indentured labour, many then settled and built lives in Australia and were forcibly deported following the implementation of the policy. We also look at today’s Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme, which brings workers from Pacific Islands to Australia for low-skilled, seasonal work. Critics argue that this scheme mirrors past injustices, drawing comparisons to blackbirding and modern-day slavery due to reported exploitation and poor working conditions.