Canberra, 19 July 1951
I would like to draw your attention to a problem which is becoming increasingly important and requires joint action by Commonwealth and State authorities—the welfare of Asian students in Australia.
Australia is providing education for Asian students on a large from the students coming to Australia under the Colombo Plan, of which there may be up to 200 in Australia at any one time, there are already some 1,100 Asian students here paying for their own tuition. In many respects, Australia is now taking a place in the education of the leading Asians of the future once completely filled by the United Kingdom. I consider this a development of great importance for Australia herself apart altogether from the benefits to the students. It is, however, creating its attendant problems—problems which have already been met and largely solved by the United Kingdom, with its long experience in providing for the welfare of Asian students.
Information obtained from school and university authorities, as well as from various associations and individuals, indicates that general ‘welfare’ is becoming even more important than the question of the formal education the students receive in Australia. This problem does not so nearly concern students under the Colombo Plan, since they will be more closely integrated with the communities in which they will live and will be working under supervision; nevertheless, they will benefit from anything we can do to help the other students.
The Commonwealth Office of Education has been acting in this matter, in conjunction with my own Department. I have been concerned, myself, by the volume of urgent correspondence on this subject, from a wide variety of leading Australians, official and otherwise. I take the liberty of quoting sections from some of these letters.
(1) From the Registrar of the University of Western Australia, Mr. C. Saunders:
’…Despite all the ad hoc arrangements which have so far been made we have had several tragedies associated with these particular students.
‘Firstly, two of them have committed suicide in the past three years. One other had such a bad mental breakdown that the Warden of St. George’s College flew with him to Derby to meet the representatives of the family. The most recent case was when a young student from Malaya hanged himself in a Claremont hostel devoted to such students… The Vice-Chancellor of this University, Dr. G A. Currie, is strongly of the opinion that something like an “International House” along American lines should be established at the Australian universities.
‘In view of our recent correspondence I want personally to emphasise that something more should be done than leaving these people merely to the voluntary good will of local inhabitants. We are all apt to get overloaded and rather tired, and disturbing events of the sort I have mentioned above may have repercussions’.
(2) From Mr. Clunies Ross, Chairman of the International Service Committee of the Rotary Club, Melbourne. After expressing the Committee’s belief that every effort should be made to house Asian students in the Melbourne University under attractive and congenial conditions, he said:
’… The aim of the Government is to enable Asian students to be closely associated with Australians and to avoid any suggestion of segregation. To overcome this problem, it was felt that … up to, say 50% or 60% of accommodation could be reserved for Asian students and the remainder for other overseas students, together with some proportion of Australians … It is necessary to ascertain (a) whether the University of Melbourne would welcome any move for the establishment of an International Students’ House, and whether the University would be prepared to play its part in a joint collection of the necessary finance, and (b) whether the Commonwealth Government would consider it legitimate to devote some part of the funds for technical assistance under the Colombo Plan to a similar purpose need hardly say that, were the Commonwealth Government to provide some considerable part of the finance necessary, it would prove a valuable stimulus to the collection of the necessary funds’.
(3) From the President of the Students’ Representative Council in the University of Adelaide to the Minister for the Interior. The reply of the Minister for the Interior concluded: J
’I could not agree more with your suggestion that a hostel of this nature is not only desirable but essential, and also with your proposal that it should be 50% Australian and 50% in character’.
(4) Lastly, representing the concern of the secondary school authorities, I quote from a personal letter written to me last month from Mr. J. R. Darling, Headmaster of Geelong Church of England Grammar School.
‘The second point is more general, but I believe desperately urgent and important. that is the [provision in]1 capital cities here of some kind of hostels for these Asian students. The whole business of educating them in Australia will do more harm than good if they have to suffer as they at present do, the humiliation of being turned away over and over again by ignorant landladies, who refuse to house coloured people. There is really only one answer to that, which is hostels in which there should be half and half Australians and Asians. I have raised this over and over again both in the Universities’ Commission, of which I am a member, and on the University Council. In the good Australian way it is passed backwards and forwards because nobody will take the responsibility. In the end it seems to me that it is your responsibility and that of Federal Government. I know that the Federal Office of Education is very much interested and would deal with the details as soon as they were authorised to do so.’
These are only a few of the letters. They will emphasise the note of urgency that is common to them all.
May I make one additional point of some importance? My Department has for some time been concerned that accommodation difficulties, problems of orientation and a good deal of ordinary loneliness may not only lead to occasional instances of personal tragedy, but also leave the way open to Communist influences. There are already indications that this is happening.2
I am sure you will agree that what could be a splendid contribution to the future both of Asia and Australia might break down on this side and do harm to our good name and to our international relations. To my mind, it is already established that:—
(a) Residential hostels to accommodate both Asian and other overseas and Australian students should be established 1n capital cities mainly concerned, as soon as possible.
(b) Since this will take time, the activities of beneficent organisations in helping Asian students should in the meantime be aided and perhaps ‘co-ordinated.
(c) Both projects are ones for the co-operation of non-governmental and governmental (both Federal and State) authorities and for financing partly by public subscription and partly by governmental grant.
I may add that my Department has been in close touch with the Commonwealth Office of Education, which has not only expressed itself wholeheartedly in favour of the proposal to establish international halls of residence, but in fact has already put a good deal of thought and study into the practical aspects of the proposition. That Office is, I understand, prepared to assist in further developments. I am confident that an appeal to the public for funds, carefully handled, would meet with a generous response. At the same time I feel that the success of such an appeal would depend on a pledge by Commonwealth and State Governments that they would assist financially; this would, naturally, involve consultations with the Treasurer, to whom I am sending a copy of this letter. I am also sending copies to the Minister for Immigration and the Minister for the Interior.
I am well aware of the difficulties associated with any scheme which involves building, as well as the question of university finance in the various States. I would therefore suggest that the scheme should aim, first, at some more limited objective such as securing premises to be used as a centre where Asian and Australian students could meet and where an office could be provided for an individual who could be available to help Asian students in their problems. Later, a move could be made towards a more ambitious project for mixed Asian—Australian hostels.
My immediate proposal is that a conference be held in Canberra as soon as possible, of representatives of the Treasury, the Department of Immigration, and Department of External Affairs, the Commonwealth Office of Education, the Department of Social Services and the Universities. I feel that this is a necessary pre-requisite to the creation of a public appeal and of a body to organise it. I would be grateful to know if this suggestion meets with your approval.
[NAA: A10299, A18]