British India, White Australia

‘Commonwealth, curry and cricket’ has become the belaboured phrase by which Australia seeks to emphasise its shared colonial heritage with India and improve bilateral relations in the process. Yet it is misleading because the legacy of empire differs in profound ways in both countries. Indians may be the fastest-growing group of migrants to Australia, but they have long been present.

British India, White Australia explores connections between Australia and India through the lens of the British Empire, by tracing the lives of people of Indian descent in Australia, from Australian Federation to Indian independence. The White Australia Policy was firmly in place while both countries were part of the British Empire. Australia was nominally self-governing but still attached very strongly to Britain; India was driven by the desire for independence. The racist immigration policies of dominions like Australia, and Britain’s inability to reform them, further animated nationalist sentiments in India.

Kama Maclean has undertaken extensive archival research in all three countries and the book includes cartoons and photographs, many of them shocking, that reflect attitudes of the time. In this original, landmark work she calls for more meaningful dialogue and acknowledgment of the constraints placed upon Indians in Australia and those attempting to immigrate. The force of white imperialism was strong: some Australians may have found solidarity with the cause of Indian nationalism, but at the point British India ceased to exist, White Australia remained steadfast. Indians are now the fastest-growing group of migrants in Australia, yet their presence has a long history, as told in this book.