Griffiths, Phil (2012) The strategic fears of the ruling class: the construction of Queensland's Chinese Immigrants Regulation Act of 1877. Australian Journal of Politics and History, 58 (1). pp. 1-19. ISSN 0004-9522
Abstract
In early 1877, there were no immigration restrictions in any of the Australian colonies. Queensland's Chinese Immigrants Regulation Act of 1877 was the first of many laws that restricted Chinese immigration, in a movement that ultimately led to the White Australia legislation of 1901-2. This article finds that, contrary to the hegemonic understanding of White Australia, there was no significant working class or popular pressure behind the passage of the Act. Instead, it reflected the agendas of Queensland's elite, and in particular their concern that a large influx of Chinese people to the Palmer River goldfield could threaten their strategic control of Far North Queensland. In support of anti-Chinese laws, Queensland's conservative newspapers whipped up fears of a Chinese 'invasion', a theme that would continue for nearly a century.
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| Item Type: | Article (Commonwealth Reporting Category C) |
|---|---|
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | © 2011 The University of Queensland and Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd. Permanent restricted access to published version due to publisher copyright policy. |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Business and Law - School of Accounting, Economics and Finance (1 Jan 2011 - 30 Jun 2013) |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Business and Law - School of Accounting, Economics and Finance (1 Jan 2011 - 30 Jun 2013) |
| Date Deposited: | 27 Jun 2012 07:34 |
| Last Modified: | 03 Feb 2015 03:26 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | White Australia; Queensland; Chinese immigration; ruling class strategy; colonial; settler state |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 16 Studies in Human Society > 1606 Political Science > 160601 Australian Government and Politics 21 History and Archaeology > 2103 Historical Studies > 210303 Australian History (excl. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander History) 16 Studies in Human Society > 1608 Sociology > 160803 Race and Ethnic Relations |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 44 HUMAN SOCIETY > 4408 Political science > 440801 Australian government and politics 43 HISTORY, HERITAGE AND ARCHAEOLOGY > 4303 Historical studies > 430302 Australian history 44 HUMAN SOCIETY > 4410 Sociology > 441013 Sociology of migration, ethnicity and multiculturalism |
| Socio-Economic Objectives (2008): | C Society > 94 Law, Politics and Community Services > 9402 Government and Politics > 940299 Government and Politics not elsewhere classified |
| Identification Number or DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8497.2012.01620.x |
| URI: | http://eprints.usq.edu.au/id/eprint/21066 |
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