This postcard, printed by Edward William Cole, was published in Australia in 1908.

The map, entitled The White Australia, refers to Australia's White Policy, a law restricting immigration enacted in 1901, when Australia began its process of independence. This policy, which remained in force until the 1950s, limited the arrival of non-white workers in Australia, primarily for racist reasons.

Cole's postcard is part of his particular propaganda campaign against White Australia. To this end, he compares the population of Australia, which at that time numbered only 4 million, with that of other regions such as India (300 million), China (400 million), the island of Java (30 million) and Japan (47 million). The text at the bottom also refers to Australia's large size and vast expanses of uninhabited areas.

The various phrases scattered across the postcard refer to the need to admit all types of immigrants, as otherwise it would not be possible to populate the entire country. In fact, Cole asserts that not only should immigration by non-white people not be prohibited, but that it would be essential to revoke the policy if a prosperous Australia was to be achieved.

As a curious detail, at the end of the text, there is a statement that assumes that all white immigrants, simply because they work near the equator, would see their skin and that of their children gradually darken, which is a misinterpretation of the theory of evolution.

Sources

• Australia – Its Size, its Neighbours, and its Future. The White Australia Postcard