'Racial suicide' and 'Racial decay' in Australia Flashcards
What is racial suicide?
The extinction of a racial or ethnic population that tends to result when, through the unwillingness or forbearance of its members to have children, the birthrate falls below the death rate. To quote the slideshow, “Aboriginal people would inevitably die out –wouldn’t accept settler way of
life = racial suicide.”
How many Aboriginal people were left by the time the 20th century came around?
~60 000
What did the reserves aim to do for the Aboriginal people?
Aimed to control and ‘civilise’ Aboriginal people.
How did the Europeans view the steadily decreasing Aboriginal population?
They believed it was racial suicide rather than racial decay. Essentially this means that they believed that the Aboriginal people were going to die out naturally anyway, and that the European invasion was not the reason that the Aboriginal people were dying out.
Were marriages between races allowed?
Only when special permission was obtained.
What did the Europeans set up for the Aboriginal people?
Reserves, stations and missions.
Fill in the blank:
Aboriginal people were not allowed to ______, drink _______, or carry ________.
Vote, alcohol, guns.
What were the white superintendents in charge of reserves called?
‘Protectors of Aborigines.’ (Very ironic)
Why were eugenicists in australia concerned? How did they respond?
Eugenicists worried about slow birth rate of white
population compared to Asian population in region.
They assumed that Australia would be invaded unless the
European population was increased. The Europeans implemented a number of White Immigration policies.
What two policies did the Europeans implement in order to maintain control?
- Immigration Restriction Act of 1901
- British Empire Settlement act of 1922
Give detail on the Immigration Restriction Act.
The Immigration Restriction act of 1901 served to entice white europeans into immigrating into Australia. The reasoning behind this was that the government had concerns over the slow birth rate of white settlers and wanted a vaster white population. This allowed the authorities to refuse entry into Australia of any immigrant that wasn’t white. Immigrants had to take a diction test in any European language chosen by the authorities.
How long did the ‘White Australia’ policy last?
Until the 1960s.
What was the British Empire Settlement Act? When was it passed?
It was the act that encouraged immigration to Australia. The British wanted people who would be willing to work as labourers and civil servants. After WWI, children in the UK were sent to Australia. Between 1922 and 1927 about 14000 boys and 2000 girls were sent and housed and trained in institutions (boys set to work as labourers, girls in domestic service).
How many children were taken to Australia under the British Empire Settlement Act after WWI, and when?
1922-1927, 14000 boys and 2000 girls.
