Chinese Immigration despatch, Queensland 1877

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Type: Government records
Date: 1877
Materials: Ink, Paper
Collection: Chinese in Australia Rare Books collection
Accession number: 2011.0019.0007

Description

A two page 'DESPATCH FROM THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL to THE AGENT-GENERAL...OF NEW SOUTH WALES, VICTORIA, / TASMANIA, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, AND NEW ZEALAND.' titled 'CHINESE IMMIGRATION', which is printed in black ink on both sides of a single sheet of cream paper. The top edge of the sheet is torn and stained, and a semi-circular section is missing. The lower right edge and corner is also torn with a section missing.

About the collection

The Chinese In Australia Rare Books collection includes a book, an advertising flyer, and a group of 18 parliamentary papers from 1862 to 1891. The paper based objects all date from the second half of the 19th century, and concern the relationship between Chinese and non-Chinese residents of Australia especially on the goldfields. The documents reflect the anti-Chinese attitudes that were prevalent at the time. The Australian gold rushes had a significant influence in shaping the societies of the then British colonies including Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. Amongst the changes was an increase in the number of non-Europeans, namely Chinese, within the broader community. This resulted in social tensions, violence, and legislative changes designed to restrict the numbers of Chinese in the colonies. When the colonies formed a Federation, one of the first pieces of legislation passed was the Immigration Restriction Act 1901, the basis of the 'White Australia' policy, which allowed immigration officers to discriminate on the basis of race.

Read live from the Museum's Collection API (12/11/2026, 5:02:17 am). Record last updated by the Museum 2026-09-30. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.