Even as late as the 1960s Labor leaders like Calwell were making it difficult for foreign ministers trying to engage our asian neighbours. He caused problems for Evatt IIRC during the Chifley government when they were both ministers.

Then again when Calwell resigned as leader of the Labor party, it was Whitlam that took his place. Probably generational.

Interesting link: audio and transcript of a Curtin speech 'to america'.

Cam,
Xenophobia and racism is deeply entrenched in the political culture of the ALP. Racism is all important in forging an Australian nationalism based on colour. As is well known white chauvinism was central to the radical nationalism of union journals like the Worker, the popular writings of Henry Lawson and the Bulletin magazine in the 1890s, and the policies of John Watson, leader of the Labor Party 1901-1907, and Australian Prime Minister in 1904.

The standard account is that a White Australia Policy was the centerpiece of Australian policy for three-quarters of last century. Trade unions and the ALP were seen as major forces getting it implemented as a protection for the Australian worker and manufacturing.

A revisonist account argues that 'White Australia' was challenged within because White Australia did not provide any guide to how to live in an already multicultural society. Individual experience of living alongside people from different cultures was the best guide to showing the lie of the "filth and disease" so often ascribed to non-white people.

Labor championed an essentially white and British cultural identity while attempting to forge a self-reliant and increasingly militarised Australian nation.This was the way it endeavoured to negotiate the conflicting loyalties of class, nation and empire.

Cam,
the race debate continued in the 1990s with the 'political correctness' debate, the opposition to multiculturalism and the culture wars--the denial that Australia has a racist, bigoted past' despite the White Australia Policy and the system of isolating Aboriginal people on reserves and denying them citizenship.

This paper mentions that John Curtin progressed from a job as an AWU official in Victoria to the editorship of the Westralian Worker in WA. His work with the union movement eventually led to a place on the ALP State Executive and to the Prime Ministership.

The Westralian Worker was the principal newspaper of the Western Australian labour movement. It first hit the streets in 1900 and was financed and controlled by the AWU. More often than not, the Westralian Worker was a forthright advocate of the White Australia policy.

The ‘official’ racism of Labor politicians was reflected in frequent claims that southern Europeans were disrespectful to women, scabbed on the job, caused mine accidents, lived in filthy conditions and sent all their earnings out of the country.

Gary, Australian Republicanism of the 19thC was afflicted with the same view - it was closely associated with Lawson and the Bulletin. William Lane was another, his one man, one vote denies liberalism extending to race.