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Arts and Humanities Commons

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Social and Behavioral Sciences

University of Wollongong

Series

2003

Labour

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities

Belated Labour Reform: Australia And The Abolition Of Asian Indenture, Julia T. Martinez Jan 2003

Belated Labour Reform: Australia And The Abolition Of Asian Indenture, Julia T. Martinez

Faculty of Arts - Papers (Archive)

The abolition of indentured labour and the rejection of so-called' coloured' labour was a central concern of the first parliament of Australia, following" Federation. An exception was made, however, for the pearl-shelling industry which continued to import Asian indents despite concerns that this undermined the ' White Australian agenda. In the 1950s Australian government support for indentured labour remained steadfast ignoring growing international criticism. The dismantling of the indenture system in the late 1960s was a belated attempt at labour reform. Government debates, however, reveal that the liberalisation of labour policy masked a continued desire to limit Asian immigration.


Colonial Companies, Indentured Labour And Imperialism 1860-1940, Robert Castle, James Hagan, Andrew D. Wells Jan 2003

Colonial Companies, Indentured Labour And Imperialism 1860-1940, Robert Castle, James Hagan, Andrew D. Wells

Faculty of Arts - Papers (Archive)

The literature on modem imperialism is both immense and inconclusive. The defInition, central facts, archival sources, methods, theories and implications of 'imperialism' are subject to endless contestation. The doyen of Australian liberal historiography, WK Hancock, was moved to warn nearly half a century ago, 'Imperialism is no word for scholars'. Despite his assertion the scholarly and polemical debates continued unabated.