Historical
Pre-1973 White Australia Policy Era (Closed)
Citizenship in Australia
- Eligibility
- Pre-1973 White Australia Policy era: From the Immigration Restriction Act 1901 (Cth) (the first Act of the Commonwealth Parliament) until progressive dismantling 1958-1973, Australia operated explicit
- Timeline
- closed
- Renunciation
- Not required
Sources
- [T1] — National Museum of Australia — Citizenship Act defining moment
- URL: https://nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/citizenship-act
- [T1] — Australian Citizenship Act 1973 (No. 99 of 1973) — As made (renaming + Statute Law Revision Act 1973)
- URL: http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/num_act/aca1973254/s2.html
- [T1] — Australian Citizenship — History of Citizenship Act (Department of Home Affairs)
- URL: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/citizenship-subsite/anniversary/Pages/citizenship-history.aspx
Example scenarios
Closed cohort — the window has ended
Pre-1986 British subject status — closed cohort.
closed pre 1973 cohort
Subject to pre-1973 racial criteria; Whitlam 1973 abolition prospective only; closed historical cohort.
Informational summary compiled from primary legal sources — not legal advice. Citizenship law changes; verify with the competent authority before acting. Last verified 2026-05-18.
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