Anxieties in colonial Mauritius and the erosion of the White Australia Policy

Between 1901 and 1973 immigration to Australia was governed by the White Australia policy, which prevented non-Europeans from entering Australia for residence except under special circumstances. Its relaxation in 1964 and 1966 has usually been explained within two overlapping frameworks: the context of Australian domestic politics and the wider context of Australia's relations with its Asian neighbours. Writers have argued that in the mid-1960s the White Australia policy was substantially revised because it was no longer supported by a broad consensus at home. They have also suggested that from the 1950s the sustained criticism advanced by Asian governments had a profound impact on the formulation of the policy because the Australian government became increasingly concerned about the damage the White Australia policy was doing to Australia's reputation overseas. This article examines how the Australian immigration authorities reacted to sustained attempts by people who were not considered 'white' and 'European' to migrate to Australia. It suggests that the authorities' response involved changes to Australia's immigration policy, and that an attempt to understand these changes must take into account, not only domestic and international opinion, but also the contexts which motivated people affected by the White Australia policy to migrate to Australia. This issue is explored by way of a case study: the migration (and attempted migration) of Mauritian gens de couleur (literally: people of colour) to Australia