Could you enter Australia?
Imagine you've arrived in Australia, ready to start a new life. But before you're allowed to enter, an immigration officer stops you. You may have done nothing wrong. Your appearance, background or nationality alone could be enough to make you a target.
To decide who could enter the country, officials used a powerful tool called the dictation test. Between 1901 and the mid-20th century, travellers could be asked to write down a passage read aloud in a European language chosen by the officer. The language could be one the traveller had never heard before, making failure almost certain.
Choose a real historical traveller and experience the test for yourself.
Select a profile to continue:
Disclaimer
The eight profiles featured here are based on real people who travelled to Australia while the dictation test was in use. Their stories have been researched using records from the National Archives of Australia and other historical sources. Personal details have been changed to protect their privacy. All passages were taken from authentic historical files now stored in the National Archives of Australia. Only male voices are used for the dictation test audio files because of limited information available about female immigration officers.