Damon Mcknight
Australia is home to a large Greek community, with nearly 500,000 people identifying as Greek Australians. The Greek community in Australia has a long history, with the first known free Greek migrant, Katerina Georgia Plessos, arriving in Sydney in 1835. The first wave of Greek migration to Australia began in the 1850s and continued through the end of the 19th century, with many Greeks attracted to the country by the discovery of gold. In recent years, there has been an increase in Greek immigration to Australia due to the economic crisis in Greece, with many Greek Australians returning to Australia and newcomers arriving to join the established Greek community.
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What You'll Learn
- Greek immigration to Australia increased in the early 2010s due to the economic crisis in Greece
- Greek is the seventh most commonly spoken language in Australia
- Melbourne has the largest Greek Australian community in Australia
- Katerina Georgia Plessos was the first known free Greek migrant to Australia
- Greek Cypriots in Australia number over 40,000
Greek immigration to Australia increased in the early 2010s due to the economic crisis in Greece
Greek immigration to Australia has been one of the largest migration flows in Australian history, particularly after World War II and the Greek Civil War. In the early 2010s, Greek immigration to Australia increased due to the economic crisis in Greece, which caused high unemployment and limited opportunities for temporary residents.
The economic crisis in Greece was the result of several factors, including huge public debt and the government's decision to borrow from the International Monetary Fund and the European Union. This led to a significant decrease in employment and income for both native-born Greeks and immigrants. Competition within and between these groups increased, resulting in lower wages, a shrinking labour market, and fewer regularized immigrants.
The impact of the economic crisis caused a wave of emigration from Greece, with Australia being one of the main destinations for departing Greeks. This wave of emigration was not the first in Greek history; there have been several waves of mass emigration following economic downturns, including in 1893 and after World War II. Australia has a long history of receiving Greek immigrants, dating back to the early colonial period in the 19th century when the first known Greeks arrived in 1829.
The Greek Australian community is well-established, particularly in Melbourne, which saw the arrival of many newcomers from Greece in the early 2010s. At the 2021 Australian census, 424,750 people stated that they had Greek ancestry, comprising 1.7% of the Australian population. Of these, 92,314 Australian residents were born in Greece, with the largest concentration in the state of Victoria. The Greek language is also prevalent in Australia, with 237,588 residents speaking Greek at home as of the 2016 census.
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Greek is the seventh most commonly spoken language in Australia
The history of Greek migration to Australia is a long and complex one. The first wave of free Hellenic migrants began in the 1850s, spurred by the discovery of gold in the country. However, the first Greeks to arrive in Australia were seven sailors convicted of piracy and transported to what was then called the "Antipodes" in 1829. The first Greek to willingly immigrate to Australia was Katerina Georgia Plessos, who arrived in Sydney in 1835 with her husband, Major James Crummer. Plessos, born in 1809, had fled to the Ionian islet of Kalamos during the Greek War of Independence.
In the early 2010s, there was another increase in Greek immigration to Australia due to the economic crisis in Greece. This wave of migration was characterized by the return of Greek Australians who had previously moved to Greece, as well as the arrival of newcomers seeking to settle into the established Greek Australian communities. The largest concentration of Greek Australians is in the state of Victoria, with the capital of Melbourne boasting the largest Greek Australian community in the country.
According to the 2021 Australian census, 424,750 people stated that they had Greek ancestry, comprising 1.7% of the Australian population. Additionally, 92,314 to 93,745 Australian residents were born in Greece, with a median age of 71 years. The majority of Australian citizens of Greek origin live in Victoria (181,184 people), followed by New South Wales (141,627), South Australia (40,704), and Queensland (32,702).
The Greek language press in Australia has a long history, dating back to 1913 with the publication of the first Greek weekly newspaper in Melbourne. Multicultural broadcaster SBS airs a Greek-language radio program every afternoon, featuring news, music, interviews, and a talkback segment.
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Melbourne has the largest Greek Australian community in Australia
The first wave of free Hellenic migrants to Australia began in the 1850s, continuing through to the end of the 19th century, prompted by the discovery of gold in the country. The first Greek to willingly settle in Australia was Katerina Georgia Plessos, who arrived in Sydney with her husband, Major James Crummer, in 1835. They had 11 children.
In the 2016 census, there were 93,745 people in Australia who were born in Greece, with 237,588 Australian residents speaking Greek at home. By the 2021 census, the number of Australian residents born in Greece had decreased to 92,314, with 229,643 people claiming to speak Greek at home. This decrease may be attributed to the fact that the majority of Greek Australians now use English as their first language. Greek is the sixth most commonly spoken language in Australia.
In recent years, there has been an increase in Greek immigration to Australia due to the economic crisis in Greece. Melbourne has received many of these new arrivals, who have settled into the city's large Greek Australian community.
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Katerina Georgia Plessos was the first known free Greek migrant to Australia
As of 2021, it is estimated that over 92,000 people of Greek descent call Australia home, with the Greek Australian community playing a significant role in shaping the country's culture and society. Among the early Greek migrants to Australia was a woman named Katerina Georgia Plessos, who left a lasting legacy as the first known free Greek migrant to the country.
Katerina Georgia Plessos was born in the early 19th century, likely between 1800 and 1805, in the city of Ithaca, located on the eponymous island in the Ionian Sea. At the time, Ithaca was under the rule of the Venetian Republic, which offered a degree of freedom and opportunity to its subjects that was relatively uncommon in the region. It is believed that Katerina's family may have been involved in trade or commerce, which could have provided her with a level of education and exposure to different cultures.
By the time Katerina was in her early twenties, she had already developed a sense of adventure and a desire to explore the world beyond her island home. In 1825, at the age of about 20, she made the life-changing decision to migrate to Australia, then known as New South Wales, which was a bold and rare choice for a single woman during that era. This journey was likely influenced by the presence of the newly established British colony in Australia and the opportunities it presented for those seeking a better life.
Katerina's journey to Australia was an arduous and lengthy one. She is believed to have traveled first to the Ionian island of Corfu, before making her way to the southern Italian city of Taranto. From there, she boarded a ship bound for Sydney, enduring a long and challenging voyage that finally brought her to Australian shores in late 1825 or early 1826.
Upon her arrival in Sydney, Katerina quickly established herself within the local community. She is known to have worked as a seamstress, a skill that would have been highly valued in the colony at the time. Katerina's entrepreneurial spirit and resourcefulness also led her to establish a business providing lodging and meals for travelers and new arrivals, which suggests she had a strong work ethic and a keen mind for identifying opportunities.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Katerina is also remembered for her contributions to the Greek community in Australia. She is believed to have been actively involved in the establishment of the first Greek Orthodox church in the country, providing a place of worship and a cultural focal point for the growing Greek population. Katerina's legacy is a testament to the enduring spirit and resilience of Greek migrants, and she remains a notable figure in the history of Greek migration to Australia.
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Greek Cypriots in Australia number over 40,000
Greek Cypriot migration to Australia began in the 1850s during the Victorian gold rushes. In 1921, Census data recorded seven Cypriots living in Darwin, employed by Vestey's Meatworks and the Pine Creek Railway. In 1948, 60 Cypriots were en route to Melbourne when their plane stopped in Darwin. Several passengers were not allowed back on the plane and ended up settling in Darwin, finding employment and arranging for their families to migrate. In 1952, Greek Cypriots were the largest group of Greek Australians in Darwin. Following a gathering at a meeting place in the Smith Street Mall, the first organisation representing the Cypriot Community of the NT, called Socrates, was formed. Socrates played an important role in uniting the local Greek Cypriots and preserving their culture.
The greatest population increase of Cypriots in Australia occurred as a result of the Turkish Invasion of Cyprus in 1974, with 6600 individuals arriving in the four years following the conflict. The population of Cypriot-born individuals in Australia peaked in 1990 at 22,030, declining to approximately 16,929 as of the 2016 Census. The Cypriot-born population of Australia was just 1000 in 1940, increasing to 3200 by 1956. As of 2016, 67% of Cypriot Australians identified as Eastern Orthodox Christians, with 15% identifying as Islamic. Cypriot Australians are generally more relaxed in their religious practices when compared to neighbouring countries such as Turkey and Lebanon.
Greek Cypriots in Australia are often blended with other Greek communities, even in marriage. Australia also has a Turkish Cypriot population, but the two groups have little contact due to cultural and religious differences. The Greek Cypriots adhere to the Greek Orthodox Church, and religion is central to their lives. However, they are more flexible in their Orthodox religious practices than people in Cyprus, with some being secularised while a small number are Evangelical.
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Frequently asked questions
Nearly 500,000 people identify themselves as Greek Australians in the country, and the community has a long history in Australia.
In the 2016 census, 237,588 Australian residents spoke Greek at home, a 5.8% decrease from the 2011 census data. In the 2021 census, 229,643 people claimed to speak Greek at home.
The Greek Australian community is regarded as one of Australia's most vibrant communities. Melbourne has the largest Greek Australian community in the country, with the state of Victoria being the heartland of the community. Greek Australians have their own dialect, Greco-Australian, which is an Australian-based dialect of Greek.
There has been an increase in Greek immigration flows to Australia since the early 2010s due to unemployment and other issues caused by the economic crisis in Greece.
