Racism in the Goldfields
Introduction
The goldfields unfortunately were not brilliant as they seemed, especially for the people who did not come from the countries that were united under the Union Jack. These countries were England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales and they didn't like people from other nations coming to mine for gold with them. The counties were America, France, Italy Germany, Poland, Hungary and the largest number of foreign miners came from China. When people of different nations came to the goldfields they always headed to their flag and stayed with their people, not many people wanted to connect with the people from other countries. Racism on the Goldfields - Chinese The Chinese miners were treated the worst, they were forced to pay an Immigration Tax of one thousand pounds when they landed at Port Phillip Bay. But instead of paying this tax the Chinese landed in South Australia and walked into Melbourne. When they got to Sovereign hill they were forced to live at the bottom of Sovereign Hill where when it rained, all the water containing human waste was washed down the hill and towards them. This didn't really affect the Chinese people's living standards in a negative way apart from the smell. The Chinese people were smart and actually used the waste water on their vegetable gardens to grow food to eat instead of paying lots of money for extra mutton and bread. The Chinese people were also disliked because they would work for longer hours and at cheaper pay, this was disliked by the other miners because it sometimes lost them their jobs or prevented them from getting a job. In a few goldfields the Chinese miners were attacked because the European miners were jealous of how successful they were because they worked so hard. The reason many of the Chinese people came to Australia was to escape economic problems back in China and to create a better future for their families. When the Chinese were traveling to Australia their fares were paid by brokers who they had to pay back before sending any money to their families. |
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Racism on the Goldfields - Indigenous Australians
When the Gold rush started many Aboriginals were forced off their land and the animals they hunted for food were scared away. They also had trouble finding clean water to drink because the Europeans waste got washed in to the clean water. Some aboriginals moved away from the goldfields whereas others tried to fit in with the Europeans and made camps on the edge of goldfields and were got work as police or trackers. The police force made of the aboriginals were called the Native Police Corps but many people did not like the powers the Native Police Corps had and the Native Police Corps didn't like their jobs. After 1853 the aboriginals weren't employed as police but they were employed as trackers. In the Goldfields the Europeans also employed the aboriginals to find food for them and the aboriginals were also a form of cultural entertainment.
The White Australia Policy
The White Australia Policy describes the approach Australia had to foreign people. The policy started in the 1850s when the White diggers didn't like the Chinese diggers. The policy continued after that with the people who weren't white getting forced into smaller paying jobs and bad houses. In 1901 the government passed an Act the prevented Pacific Islanders from getting jobs in Australia this act received relay assent and was described as an Act that was "to place certain restrictions on immigration and to provide for the removal from the Commonwealth of prohibited immigrants." It also prevented the sick, the could be insane and the could be criminals from getting jobs. The first time action was taken against the White Australia Policy was after World War II when the first Immigration Minister Arthur Calwell tried to deport the refugees who had married and wanted to stay in Australia. This decision caused some protests on the street.
The next step towards abolishing the White Australia policy was when non-European residents that had stayed in Australia for 15 years were allowed to become Australian citizens.
The official abolition of the policy took 25 years to complete starting from 1948 and ending in 1973. The government abolished the White Australia Policy by letting more foreign immigrants become citizens.
Indigenous Citizenship 1967
In the around the from 1957 to 1967 the aboriginals campaigned for their civil rights. At the time many aboriginals were living in makeshift huts on the edge of towns and cities. The Aboriginals decided that they had had enough of being left out and they started campaigning for their rights. The Aboriginal campaigners were also joined by some non-aboriginal people who also wanted civil rights for the Aboriginals. The activists campaigned for equal rights for Indigenous Aboriginals and to revoke the laws that had deprived the Aboriginals of Civil Rights in the first place. In 1967 after ten years of campaigning a referendum took place. A referendum is where all the people eligible to vote will vote for a certain thing. In the 1967 referendum the people of Australia voted that the Aboriginals and Torres Straight Islanders would have equal civil rights.
Bibliography
Parry, Ann. Gold Rush Journeys. South Yarra, Vic.: Macmillan Education Australia, 2012. Print.
Muir, Kenneth. Gold: The Precious Metal That Brought Instant Wealth and Long-term Prosperity. Sydney, NSW: Trocadero, 2012. Print.
Parry, Ann. The Discovery of Gold. South Yarra, Vic.: Macmillan Education Australia, 2012. Print.
Unknown Author (2007) What citizenship right existed in Australia by 1067? Available From
Unknown Author. Collaborating for Indigenous Rights. Available from
Unknown Author. (2009) Fact Sheet 8 - Abolishion of the 'White Australia' Policy. Available From
When the Gold rush started many Aboriginals were forced off their land and the animals they hunted for food were scared away. They also had trouble finding clean water to drink because the Europeans waste got washed in to the clean water. Some aboriginals moved away from the goldfields whereas others tried to fit in with the Europeans and made camps on the edge of goldfields and were got work as police or trackers. The police force made of the aboriginals were called the Native Police Corps but many people did not like the powers the Native Police Corps had and the Native Police Corps didn't like their jobs. After 1853 the aboriginals weren't employed as police but they were employed as trackers. In the Goldfields the Europeans also employed the aboriginals to find food for them and the aboriginals were also a form of cultural entertainment.
The White Australia Policy
The White Australia Policy describes the approach Australia had to foreign people. The policy started in the 1850s when the White diggers didn't like the Chinese diggers. The policy continued after that with the people who weren't white getting forced into smaller paying jobs and bad houses. In 1901 the government passed an Act the prevented Pacific Islanders from getting jobs in Australia this act received relay assent and was described as an Act that was "to place certain restrictions on immigration and to provide for the removal from the Commonwealth of prohibited immigrants." It also prevented the sick, the could be insane and the could be criminals from getting jobs. The first time action was taken against the White Australia Policy was after World War II when the first Immigration Minister Arthur Calwell tried to deport the refugees who had married and wanted to stay in Australia. This decision caused some protests on the street.
The next step towards abolishing the White Australia policy was when non-European residents that had stayed in Australia for 15 years were allowed to become Australian citizens.
The official abolition of the policy took 25 years to complete starting from 1948 and ending in 1973. The government abolished the White Australia Policy by letting more foreign immigrants become citizens.
Indigenous Citizenship 1967
In the around the from 1957 to 1967 the aboriginals campaigned for their civil rights. At the time many aboriginals were living in makeshift huts on the edge of towns and cities. The Aboriginals decided that they had had enough of being left out and they started campaigning for their rights. The Aboriginal campaigners were also joined by some non-aboriginal people who also wanted civil rights for the Aboriginals. The activists campaigned for equal rights for Indigenous Aboriginals and to revoke the laws that had deprived the Aboriginals of Civil Rights in the first place. In 1967 after ten years of campaigning a referendum took place. A referendum is where all the people eligible to vote will vote for a certain thing. In the 1967 referendum the people of Australia voted that the Aboriginals and Torres Straight Islanders would have equal civil rights.
Bibliography
Parry, Ann. Gold Rush Journeys. South Yarra, Vic.: Macmillan Education Australia, 2012. Print.
Muir, Kenneth. Gold: The Precious Metal That Brought Instant Wealth and Long-term Prosperity. Sydney, NSW: Trocadero, 2012. Print.
Parry, Ann. The Discovery of Gold. South Yarra, Vic.: Macmillan Education Australia, 2012. Print.
Unknown Author (2007) What citizenship right existed in Australia by 1067? Available From
Unknown Author. Collaborating for Indigenous Rights. Available from
Unknown Author. (2009) Fact Sheet 8 - Abolishion of the 'White Australia' Policy. Available From