History notes:

In the early years of its operation nearly everyone who took the dictation test failed; after 1909 no person
passed the test.

he dictation test was administered by customs officers at ports around Australia.

Those who failed the test were refused entry or deported.

This 1936 cartoon reflects changing attitudes in the Australian community towards the dictation test.

The test kept most non-Europeans from settling in Australia until 1958.

In the years after Federation it was recognised that Australia needed a bigger population to develop the
nation economically.
Although the dictation test was not used after 1958, it was still some years before Australia adopted a non-
discriminatory immigration policy.

Following World War II, the Australian government recognised the need for a bigger population and it
adopted a large-scale immigration program.

Changes in people's attitudes towards racial discrimination became widespread in the Australian
community.

This led to both political and legal changes.

By 1975 the Australian Parliament had passed the Racial Discrimination Act and decisions about who
could migrate to Australia were no longer made on the grounds of race or ethnicity.
Immigration Restriction Act, 1901. National Archives of Australia: A1559, 1901/17
White Australia Game, 1914. National Archives of Australia: A1336, 3368
James Francis Kitchen Minahan's handprint, 1908. National Archives of Australia: A1,
1908/12936 page 78
Certificate exempting from dictation test (CEDT), 1916. National Archives of Australia: E752,
1916/54
Dictation test passages, 1925.National Archives of Australia: A1, 1935/704
Cartoon deriding the dictation test, 1936. National Archives of Australia: M1617, 39
Certificate Exempting from Dictation Test, 1920. National Archives of Australia: ST84/1, 1920/276/71-
80