Leslie Massey
Australia has a small population of black people, including Aboriginal Australians, immigrants from Africa, and black descendants of settlers. While there is no historical connection between the African continent and Australia, and the country's largest sources of migration have traditionally been Europe and Asia, there has been some movement between the two regions. For example, coins from the Tanzanian medieval kingdom of Kilwa Sultanate have been found on the Wessel Islands, and hundreds of enslaved Africans were deported to Queensland, Australia, after the 1823 Demerara Slave Rebellion in British Guiana. Today, African Australians face racial discrimination, xenophobia, and systemic racism in a predominantly 'white' Australia.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of African-Australians | Nearly 380,000 |
| Percentage of African-Australians in Australia | 1.3% |
| History of African-Australians in Australia | Small populations of African Americans in cities like Sydney and Melbourne in the late 19th century; some emigrated around the time of the American Civil War, while others worked as sailors. British Africans and African Americans were also transported as convicts. |
| Racism Faced by African-Australians | Racism against Africans is not uncommon in Australia. African Australians are exposed to multifaceted forms of racial discrimination, xenophobia, and systemic racism. |
| Notable African-Australians | Natasha Guantai, Kaiya Aboagye |
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What You'll Learn
African Australians and the Australian census
African Australians are Australians of direct Sub-Saharan African ancestry. They are from diverse racial, cultural, linguistic, religious, educational, and employment backgrounds. The majority (72.6%) of African emigrants to Australia are from southern and eastern Africa. In the 2020 census, over 400,000 people living in Australia recorded that they were of African origin, representing 1.6% of the Australian population and 5.1% of Australia's overseas-born population. Of these African Australians, 58% were white South Africans, and 42% were black Africans from Sub-Saharan countries.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics classifies all residents into cultural and ethnic groups according to geographical origin. The Bureau no longer collects data on race, but does ask each Australian resident to nominate up to two ancestries each census. According to the 2021 census, 189,207 Australian residents were born in South Africa, making up 0.7% of the country's population. Additionally, 144,666 people born in Australia claimed South African ancestry, making up 0.6% of the total population. In the same 2021 census, 144,666 Australian residents claimed "South African" ancestry, 6,153 stated their ancestry as "Afrikaner", and 501 as "Zulu".
The abandonment of the White Australian Policy allowed many African people to migrate to Australia through humanitarian programs due to civil war and ethnic cleansing in Africa. However, settlement has been challenging for some African Australians due to factors such as unemployment, racism and discrimination, language barriers, and lack of workforce skills required in Australia. For example, young people from African community groups in Melbourne have not been settling well in schools due to bullying and discrimination. This raises questions about the belonging and integration of people from African backgrounds in Australia.
African Australians have made contributions to various fields, including sports, community services, law firms, academics, and business. However, the success stories and contributions of African Australians are often not captured by the media. Instead, some politicians have expressed resentment toward African groups, calling them failed community groups that cannot integrate well into Australian society.
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Racism and xenophobia faced by black people in Australia
Racism and xenophobia have been prevalent in Australia since British colonisation. While all minority groups have experienced some form of discrimination, black people in Australia have faced unique challenges and continue to endure legacies of colonisation.
Historically, black Africans were among the early colonists, some of whom were convicts. Sectarianism and anti-Catholic sentiment were prevalent, and the Irish, in particular, faced surveillance and were denied the public practice of their religion. This early foundation of racism has persisted and evolved into various forms of discrimination against black people in Australia.
Black Australians continue to face racial profiling, racial slurs, abuse of authority, over-policing, targeting, and violence. They are exposed to racist bullying in schools, with limited redress. South Sudanese refugees, for instance, have reported high rates of incarceration, indefinite detention, mental health issues, and suicide. The community's sense of belonging and opportunities are impacted by severe and pervasive racism.
Xenophobia and discrimination are also prevalent in institutional settings such as the justice system, healthcare, and education. Migrants from African countries face negative perceptions and stereotyping, creating obstacles in accessing housing and employment. A lack of English fluency further exacerbates the issue, with high rates of racial abuse and discrimination experienced in public spaces and educational institutions.
The Australian media has also been criticised for perpetuating racism through polarising political rhetoric and media representations. Right-wing extremists contribute to inflaming racist sentiments in the community. Additionally, online racism on social media platforms has become a growing concern, impacting the well-being of individuals and communities.
While there is a growing public discussion about racism in Australia, and efforts to address it, the country continues to grapple with its legacy of systemic racism.
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The erasure of Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians have a long history of fighting for their rights and recognition. However, their culture and communities have faced significant disruption and erasure due to colonisation and racist, colonialist discourses.
The arrival of the British in 1788 marked the beginning of a sharp decline in the Indigenous population over the next 150 years, primarily due to introduced diseases and violent conflicts with colonists. During this period, Indigenous Australians also experienced mass dispossession and inhumane treatment, including forced removal from their lands and reservations. Despite these challenges, Indigenous communities persevered and began to advocate for their rights in the 1930s, with some regaining parts of their traditional lands in the 1960s.
The interpretation of archaeological sites and historical representations has often excluded Indigenous perspectives and experiences. Archaeologists have been criticised for practising a form of segregation that erases Indigenous people from the historical landscape. This has led to calls for an ""ethos of return" that aims to reverse this erasure and incorporate Indigenous histories and traditions into archaeological interpretations.
Indigenous knowledge and contributions have also been erased in various fields, including medicine and science. For example, the extraction of active ingredients from traditional medicines by white researchers who claim credit as "discoverers" erases the Indigenous knowledge that these remedies were built upon. Additionally, Indigenous people have been disconnected from their language, culture, and communities due to colonial policies and practices.
Despite some progress, Indigenous Australians continue to face inequality and disadvantage in various aspects of life, including education, employment, literacy, and child mortality. In 2023, a referendum voted against establishing an Indigenous advisory body to the government, demonstrating the ongoing struggle for representation and self-determination.
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The African slave trade in Australia
While Australia was not a "slave state" like the American South, slavery is a broader concept that encompasses various forms of forced labour and exploitation. The country's history of Aboriginal slavery and the involvement of some Australians in the African slave trade are often overlooked or ignored.
During the early stages of British colonisation in Australia, Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders were used as unpaid labour in various industries, including the pastoralist industry, pearling, sugar cane and cattle industries, and prostitution. They were subjected to cruel treatment, abuse, and control over their sexuality and movement. The traffic in Aboriginal labour, including children, was characterised by slavery conditions, with people being bought and sold as chattels.
From 1863 to 1904, approximately 55,000 to 62,500 labourers, mostly men and boys, were brought to Australia from islands in Melanesia, such as Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, and New Guinea. This practice, known as "blackbirding," involved coercion, deception, and kidnapping to recruit indigenous people to work on plantations in conditions similar to the Atlantic slave trade. The term "blackbirding" comes from the African slave trade and refers to the practice of capturing people at night, dressed in black.
The founders of several Australian townships, including Robert Towns and John Mackay, were involved in the lucrative slave trade for over 40 years. Despite the illegalities and high death rates associated with blackbirding, no action was taken against some perpetrators. The treatment of the Islanders was atrocious and exploitative, and they often died during the journey to Australia or while working under harsh conditions.
Additionally, some early Australian settlers and prominent figures profited from British slavery or received compensation for the loss of income when the trade was abolished. The wealth accumulated through slavery contributed to the foundation of colonial Australia, highlighting the country's connection to the global slave economy.
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Black identity in Australia
In Australia, the dominant narrative is that Black people are Aboriginal. This narrative often excludes non-Indigenous Black Australians, including those of African descent. The term "Black" in Australia is primarily associated with Aboriginal people, and the country has a significant population of Indigenous Black Australians. However, the African diaspora has been present in Australia since the beginnings of British colonisation, and there are also non-Indigenous Black Australians with diverse backgrounds and experiences.
The African-Australian population comprises about 1.7% of Australia's total population, with over 430,000 people identifying as African-born, including White, Asian, and Arabic African-born populations. This diverse group adds an important chapter to Australia's immigration history, with many migrating for socio-economic opportunities, education, and family reunification. However, their experiences are also shaped by Othering and systemic anti-black racism, where Whiteness is valorised as the norm, and Black bodies are associated with criminality, deviancy, and negative stereotypes.
The experiences of Black migrants and their Australian-born children can vary significantly from those of Indigenous Black Australians. Some non-Indigenous Black Australians may not have been racialised in the same way in non-white countries or experienced racialisation within the context of another country. Their Black identity in Australia is shaped by their relation to white Australia and the dominant narrative of Blackness being associated with Aboriginal people. This has led to a sense of erasure or overlooking of non-Indigenous Black Australians, as their racial identity is often overwritten or not fully recognised within the Australian context.
To address these issues, there have been calls for a rethinking of strategies to tackle systemic anti-black racism and Othering practices. This includes promoting racial equity and advancing a more socially inclusive multicultural society, where all individuals feel a sense of belonging and are not subjected to negative stereotypes and marginalisation. Additionally, the term Bla(c)k has been used to encompass the distinct experiences and histories of both Indigenous Australians and Afro-descendants, recognising the diverse nature of Black identity in Australia.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, there are black people in Australia. The term "Black" or "Blak" in Australia is used to refer to Indigenous Australians. There is a small number of recent African immigrants in Australia, but there is no historical connection between the African continent and Australia. Coins minted by the Tanzanian medieval kingdom of Kilwa Sultanate have been found on the Wessel Islands, indicating some historical presence of Africans in Australia.
Black people in Australia have reported experiences of racism, racial profiling, racial slurs, abuse of authority, over-policing, targeting, and violence. There are also reports of racist hate speech and the use of negative racial stereotypes by politicians and the media. In schools, African Australian children are exposed to racist bullying.
Racism towards black people in Australia is systemic and pervasive. According to UN experts, people of African descent in Australia are exposed to multifaceted forms of racial discrimination, xenophobia, and systemic racism in all spheres of predominantly 'white' Australia. The country's settler-colonial past and its White Australia immigration policy, which was dropped in 1973, have contributed to the racialised reality experienced by people of African descent.
The history of black people in Australia is complex and involves both Indigenous Australians and people of African descent. The African diaspora has been present in Australia since the beginnings of British colonisation, with people arriving via the First Fleet and the 19th-century multicultural maritime industry. Large-scale immigration from Africa to Australia is a recent phenomenon, with peaks in immigration occurring between 1996 and 2005 due to the admission of refugees and displaced persons on humanitarian grounds.
