“Behind the white curtain”: Indian students and researchers in Australia, 1901–1950

Sarwal, Amit and Lowe, David (2020) “Behind the white curtain”: Indian students and researchers in Australia, 1901–1950. History of Education Review, 2 . pp. 1-14. ISSN 0819-8691

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Abstract

Academic scholarship on the White Australia Policy (WAP) has highlighted the history of Asian migration, early perceptions and policy-making initiatives. Prominent scholars have also pointed out the impact of the British Empire and WAP on Australia–India relations and early Indian migrants in Australia. Drawing on the debate concerning international students in Australia, our purpose in this article is to recover the role of Indian students in the story of Australian–Indian connections. The article aims to highlight the reasons behind the involvement of the Australian government in the provision of scholarships and fellowships to Indian students and researchers at Australian universities during the period of WAP. To achieve this, it uses contemporary Australian newspaper reports to explore the popular representations of sponsored Indian students and researchers in Australia from 1901 to 1950. The article concludes that the prevalence of this racially discriminatory immigration policy created a dissatisfaction among Indians, and some Australian sources of agitation, that helped chip away at the Australian government’s admission policies and the gradual demise of WAP. This article contributes to the historiography and the effects of colonialism on Australian–Indian relations and debates on policy formation based on ideas of whiteness.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Whiteness, White Australia Policy, India, British subjects, Scholarships, International Students, Australia
Subjects:	D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D880 Developing Countries D History General and Old World > DS Asia H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races J Political Science > JV Colonies and colonization. Emigration and immigration. International migration J Political Science > JZ International relations L Education > L Education (General) L Education > LA History of education
Divisions:	Faculty of Arts, Law and Education (FALE) > School of Language, Arts and Media
Depositing User:	Amit Sarwal
Date Deposited:	04 Jan 2021 02:24
Last Modified:	04 Jan 2021 02:24
URI:	http://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/12482

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