Guarding the flood gates: the removal of non-Europeans 1945-49

Mavis Anderson, Gwendoline Westbury, Joyce Cain and John O'Keefe had two things in common: they were British subjects living in Australia, and between 1943 and 1947, they all married somebody seemingly not eligible for Australian permanent residence. The great mistake explored in this chapter---the deportation and attempted deportation of non-Europeans in the immediate postwar years---had serious consequences for those who were separated from their new families. Arguably, the mistake also involved a serious error of judgment on the part of some of those to be deported: they did not expect the authorities to disregard their marriage to an Australian. But could they be blamed for following their hearts?