[In this chapter from his book, I Remember, Jack Lang gives a brief history of the White Australia Policy, relates how the British government interfered with local attempts to keep the hordes of coloured immigrants from flooding into Australia, and praises the policies that established a White Australia. Lang was the Premier of New South […]
W. G. Spence, trade union leader, and Australia’s Awakening
12 June 2015 by · Leave a Comment
“True patriotism should be racial.” ~ W. G. Spence [William Guthrie Spence (1846-1926) was one of Australia’s foremost trade union leaders. Reproduced here are various extracts from his book of reminiscences, Australia’s Awakening: Thirty Years in the Life of an Australian Agitator (1909).] Chapter XIII. The Industrial Fight in Queensland. The squatters had cut wages. […]
Arthur Calwell, leader of the Labor Party, defender of White Australia
12 June 2015 by · Leave a Comment
Arthur Calwell (1896-1973) came from humble beginnings. He was an ardent unionist and a strong advocate for workers’ rights, who was a union leader and a leader of the Australian Labor Party. Calwell started his working life as a clerk in the Victorian Public Service. When the First World War broke out, he tried to […]
Chris Watson, Australian Prime Minister, working-class champion of a White Australia
11 June 2015 by · Leave a Comment
Chris Watson (1867-1941) was Australia’s third Prime Minister. He was the first Labor Party prime minister in the world. Watson was a staunch advocate of the rights of the working-class, and a campaigner for a White Australia policy. Watson took the long hard road to get into politics. He left school at the age of […]
T. J. Ryan, Queensland Premier, loyal to White Australia
8 June 2015 by · Leave a Comment
Thomas Joseph Ryan (1876-1921) was Premier of Queensland (1915-1919) and had been, before his untimely death, considered to be the best choice as the new federal parliamentary leader of the Australian Labor Party.1 He graduated with a law degree from the University of Melbourne, and worked as a teacher and as a lawyer. Ryan was […]
Alfred Deakin, Australian Prime Minister, builder of the White Australia policy
17 May 2015 by · Leave a Comment
Alfred Deakin (1856-1919) was Australia’s second Prime Minister. He was a loyal defender of his people, and helped to build the White Australia policy. Deakin studied law at the University of Melbourne before entering politics. However, he was not just a lawyer and politician, but was also an author, journalist, playwright, poet, and teacher. He […]
Edmund Barton, Australian Prime Minister, champion of a White Australia
17 May 2015 by · Leave a Comment
Sir Edmund Barton (1849-1920) was Australia’s first Prime Minister. He was a committed campaigner for the federation of the Australian colonies, so that they would be united together as one nation, and was a staunch advocate of a White Australia policy. Barton was a prize-winning scholar, with a love of classical Greek and Latin. He […]
