All of my imformation comes from a book called Priministers of Australia, it is written byJill Bruce.
My other souce is Australian Priministers, edited by Michelle Gratton, It says the same thing.

Abolition of the 'White Australia' Policy

The history

The origins of the 'White Australia' policy can be traced to the 1850s. White miners' resentment towards industrious Chinese diggers culminated in violence on the Buckland River in Victoria, and at Lambing Flat (now Young) in New South Wales. The governments of these two colonies introduced restrictions on Chinese immigration.

Later, it was the turn of hard-working indentured labourers from the South Sea Islands of the Pacific (known as 'kanakas') in northern Queensland. Factory workers in the south became vehemently opposed to all forms of immigration, which might threaten their jobs - particularly by non-white people who they thought would accept a lower standard of living and work for lower wages.

Some influential Queenslanders felt that the colony would be excluded from the forthcoming Federation if the 'kanaka' trade did not cease. Leading NSW and Victorian politicians warned there would be no place for 'Asiatics' or 'coloureds' in the Australia of the future.

In 1901, the new federal government passed an Act ending the employment of Pacific Islanders. The Immigration Restriction Act 1901 received royal assent on 23 December 1901. It was described as an Act 'to place certain restrictions on immigration and to provide for the removal from the Commonwealth of prohibited immigrants'.

It prohibited from immigration those considered to be insane, anyone likely to become a charge upon the public or upon any public or charitable institution, and any person suffering from an infectious or contagious disease 'of a loathsome or dangerous character'.


Other restrictions included a dictation test, used to exclude certain applicants by requiring them to pass a written test in a language, with which they were not necessarily familiar, nominated by an immigration officer.

With these severe measures the implementation of the 'White Australia' policy was warmly applauded in most sections of the community.

In 1919 the Prime Minister, William Morris Hughes, hailed it as 'the greatest thing we have achieved'.
Second World War

After the outbreak of hostilities with Japan, Prime Minister John Curtin reinforced the philosophy of the 'White Australia' policy, saying ' this country shall remain forever the home of the descendants of those people who came here in peace in order to establish in the South Seas an outpost of the British race'.

During World War II, many non-white refugees entered Australia. Most left voluntarily at the end of the war, but many had married Australians and wanted to stay. Arthur Calwell, the first immigration minister, sought to deport them, arousing much protest.

Minister Holt's decision in 1949 to allow 800 non-European refugees to stay, and Japanese war brides to be admitted, was the first step towards a non-discriminatory immigration policy.

The next major step

The next major step was in 1957 when non-Europeans with 15 years residence in Australia were allowed to become Australian citizens.

The revised Migration Act of 1958 introduced a simpler system of entry permits and abolished the controversial dictation test.

The revised Act avoided references to questions of race. Indeed, it was in this context that the Minister for Immigration, Sir Alexander Downer, stated that 'distinguished and highly qualified Asians' might immigrate.

After a review of the non-European policy in March 1966, Immigration Minister Hubert Opperman announced applications for migration would be accepted from well-qualified people on the basis of their suitability as settlers, their ability to integrate readily and their possession of qualifications positively useful to Australia.

At the same time, the government decided a number of 'temporary resident' non-Europeans, who were not required to leave Australia, could become permanent residents and citizens after five years (the same as for Europeans).

The government also eased restrictions on immigration of non-Europeans. The criterion of 'distinguished and highly qualified' was replaced by the criterion of 'well qualified' non-Europeans, and the number of non-Europeans allowed to immigrate would be 'somewhat greater than previously'.

A watershed

The March 1966 announcement was the watershed in abolishing the 'White Australia' policy, and non-European migration began to increase. Yearly non-European settler arrivals rose from 746 in 1966 to 2,696 in 1971, while yearly part-European settler arrivals rose from 1,498 to 6,054.

Link

"In 1901, the new federal government passed an Act ending the employment of Pacific Islanders. The Immigration Restriction Act 1901 received royal assent on 23 December 1901. It was described as an Act 'to place certain restrictions on immigration and to provide for the removal from the Commonwealth of prohibited immigrants'."

How is it wrong, it says the same thing as you have posted here.

The first  Labor government was not elected until  1904 three years after the Protectionist Party introduced it. The protectionist Party went on to form a coalition with the free trade party as an opposition to Labor.

Why worry about what some political party did 107 years ago, none of it is relevant, all the parties have discriminated against someone at sometime. The fact is, if you choose to be left wing or right wing, its your choice, because you dont agree with another persons philosophy, it doesnt make them less relevant. I do wonder why people who are pro-immigration get so upset when someone has a different opinion, what effect does it have on you if people come or dont come.