The old and new guards: a factor in the liberalisation of Australia’s restrictive immigration policy

Abstract: Prior to the second world war, the White Australia policy had been secure as the foundation stone of Australia's immigration policy. In the post‐war period, however, the policy came under increased critical scrutiny. The result was the gradual liberalisation of Australia's restrictive immigration policy. There are many factors which can be held accountable for the dismantling of the White Australia policy. A certain factor was the rise of a new educated professional generation in the post‐war period. Their new positions in an expanding middle management environment enforced a desire to be well informed and responsible. As a consequence, the new generation found defects in national policy and the most visible was White Australia. This new generation called for a re‐evaluation of, and alternatives to, the policy through the formation of public organisations and through their increasing power in Australian decision‐making bodies, especially the public service and the major political parties.