Immigration Office

The Immigration Office occupied this section of the building.

Customs oversaw the arrival and departure of immigrants, both in the building and on the wharves. Its officers inspected luggage and validated documents, determining whether immigrants matched the identity papers they carried. The Passenger Act was implemented in the 1850s to prevent unscrupulous captains from overcrowding ships to increase profits.

Customs also enforced a range of immigration restrictions. During the gold rush, officers collected the poll tax from Chinese immigrants. From 1901 they administered various parts of the White Australia Policy, including the discriminatory Dictation Test.

Link to 'Getting In' exhibition at the Immigration Museum