Lexi Webster
Australia has a small but growing African population. In 2021, 447,524 people, or 1.76% of Australia's total population, were African by place of birth, an increase of over 100,000 since 2006. The majority of African Australians are from South Africa, and the rest are from various Sub-Saharan African countries. Most African migrants live in big cities, with the top states for Western and Sub-Saharan Africans being New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, and Western Australia.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Population | Nearly 380,000 African-Australians |
| History | Africans began migrating to Australia in larger numbers much later than to the US or Europe. |
| Racism | Widespread racism against Africans is not uncommon in Australia. |
| Criminal Stereotype | In 2018, it was reported that African Australians comprised 19% of young people in custody in Victoria, despite making up less than 0.5% of the overall population. |
| Criminal Statistics | South Sudanese Australians commit around 1% of crimes in Melbourne, higher than their share of the population (0.14%). |
| Over-representation in Statistics | The low average age of the South Sudanese-born population can account for their over-representation in the statistics. |
| African Gang Concerns | In 2018, then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull described the supposed presence of South Sudanese gangs in Melbourne as a "real concern". |
| Rejection of Concerns | Then-Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews rejected Turnbull's comments. |
| African Community in Australia | Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Hobart, and Canberra are some cities with a notable African community. |
| Languages Spoken at Home | English (50%), Afrikaans, Swahili, Kirundi, Gujarati, Luganda, French, and various other African languages. |
| Notable African Australians | Yassmin Abdel-Magied, Aliir Aliir, and Gabriel Erjok Majer Akon (DyspOra). |
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What You'll Learn
African Australians in custody
African Australians are Australians descended from any peoples of Sub-Saharan Africa, including naturalised Australians who are immigrants from various regions in Sub-Saharan Africa and descendants of such immigrants. People of African descent first arrived in Australia with the First Fleet in 1787. Since then, African Australians have continued to immigrate to Australia, with large-scale immigration from Africa to Australia only occurring recently. In 2021, the number of ancestry responses categorised within Sub-Saharan African ancestral groups as a proportion of the total population amounted to 1.3%. African Australians come from diverse ethnic, cultural, linguistic, religious, educational, and employment backgrounds.
African Australians, particularly those of South Sudanese descent, are disproportionately represented in custody in Victoria, constituting 19% of young people in custody in 2021 despite making up less than 0.5% of the overall population. This has raised concerns about racial profiling and media bias, with some blaming police tactics and systemic biases for the over-representation. However, it is important to note that the data is complex, and other factors, such as an increase in violent criminal activity within certain African Australian subgroups, may also contribute to these rates.
Historically, the concept of "blackness" in Australia has been primarily associated with Aboriginal Australians, and the country has a history of widespread racism against Africans. The recent increase in the African Australian population has presented new challenges for authorities, and there have been efforts to recognise and address these issues. For example, in 2013, Victoria Police settled a racial profiling complaint lodged by the African community by agreeing to review its procedures.
While the African Australian community in Australia is relatively new, it has already made significant contributions to various sectors, including business, sports, politics, medicine, law, engineering, the arts, and entertainment. Additionally, many individuals of African descent have excelled as community leaders within government, non-government organisations, and the private sector. The African Australian Advocacy Centre (AAAC) is dedicated to recognising and celebrating these achievements and fostering a strong community bond among African Australians.
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African gangs in Melbourne
Australia has a history of moral panics regarding immigrant criminality, specifically related to real or supposed "gangs" from communities involved in recent waves of immigration. The "African gangs" narrative, which refers to the supposed presence of Sudanese-Australian criminal gangs in Melbourne, is an example of this. The most intense period of panic around African gangs occurred over 32 months between March 2016 and November 2018, in the run-up to the Victorian state elections of 2018.
The immediate trigger for the moral panic was a "riot" at the Moomba Festival in 2016, which involved young people largely from African-Australian and Pacific-Islander backgrounds. In the two years following the festival, there were 130 articles published in Melbourne's two most popular newspapers, The Age and the Herald Sun, that mentioned the words "Sudanese" and "gang". During this period of panic, newspapers amplified any criminal activity committed, or alleged to be committed, by people of African origin, routinely publishing and focusing on the ethnicity of alleged offenders. This generated further comments from politicians, pressure on the police to take harsh action, and led to fear among Melbourne's Sudanese community.
Despite the salience of this discourse in the media, police and community organizations denied the existence of criminal gangs among the Sudanese-Australian community, and statistics showed that crime by Sudanese-Australian youth constituted only a tiny fraction of offences in Victoria. For this reason, media studies scholars view the African gangs narrative as an example of a racialized moral panic. The negative effects of this moral panic, including negative stereotyping, over-policing, and the racialization of crime, are still felt by the Sudanese community and Black people generally in Melbourne and across Australia. Young South Sudanese-Australians have reported feeling more closely monitored and targeted by police, and experiencing mental health problems following the 2018 crisis.
It is important to note that African Australians, predominantly of South Sudanese descent, comprised 19 percent of young people in custody in Victoria in 2021, despite making up less than 0.5 percent of the overall population. South Sudanese Australians commit around 1% of crime in Melbourne, which is higher than their share of the population (0.14%). However, this is not adjusted for the low average age of the South Sudanese-born population, which can account for their over-representation in the statistics.
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African convicts in Australia
Between 1788 and 1868, the British penal system transported approximately 162,000 convicts from Britain and Ireland to various penal colonies in Australia. The majority of these convicts remained in Australia after serving their sentences, with some becoming successful settlers. The convict trade to Australia, much like the slave trade, resulted in the destruction of ancient cultures and communities in both Australia and Africa.
Among these convicts were people of African descent, who were forced into the slavery and convict trade and were among those who landed on the shores of Australia. The knowledge of Africans transported to Australia as convicts is scarcely known, and they are often overlooked in the country's history. However, recognising them is vital to the Australian story.
The Transatlantic slave trade caused Black Africans to be dispersed around the world and used as free labour to build countries for the wealthy and powerful. Similarly, the convict trade to Australia resulted in the forced migration of people, including those of African descent, who were subjected to harsh labour and treatment.
One notable African convict was William (Billy) Blue, believed to have been born in Jamaica. Billy served with the British army in the American War of Independence and may have been a freed African-American slave from colonial New York. He was convicted of stealing raw sugar and sentenced to seven years of transportation to Australia. After serving his sentence, Billy settled in Sydney, married, and raised a family of six children. He became well-known as a harbour watchman and ferryman, and he was appointed as the water bailiff by Governor Macquarie.
Other identified African convicts on the First Fleet include John Moseley, John Caesar, John Coffin, John Randall, John Martin, Daniel Gordon, John Williams, Black Jemmy Williams, Thomas Orford, and Samuel Chinnery. These individuals helped shape Australia's history and contributed to the country's development.
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African languages in Australia
Australia is home to nearly 380,000 African-Australians. Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, and Hobart are some of the cities with a significant African population. The African population in Australia is relatively recent, with very few people of African descent in the country before the last 30 years.
The Indigenous languages of Australia number in the hundreds, with a range of estimates from a minimum of around 250 up to possibly 363. In 2020, fewer than 100 Indigenous languages remained in daily use, with 90% considered endangered. The 2021 census found that 167 Indigenous languages were spoken at home by 76,978 Indigenous Australians. The most spoken Indigenous languages in Australia according to the 2021 census are Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole) (7,596 speakers), Kriol (7,403), Djambarrpuyngu (3,839), Pitjantjatjara (3,399), Warlpiri (2,592), Murrinh Patha (2,063), and Tiwi (2,053).
The Australian sign language, Auslan, was used at home by 16,242 people at the time of the 2021 census. Over 2,000 people used other sign languages at home in 2021. In 2021, 5.8 million people used a language other than English at home. The most common of these languages were Mandarin, Arabic, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Punjabi, Greek, Italian, and Hindi.
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African festivals in Australia
Australia is home to several African festivals, which attract thousands of visitors each year. These festivals showcase the diverse cultures of the African continent, with a focus on music, food, fashion, film, dance, art, and community.
African Music and Cultural Festival (AMCF)
The African Music and Cultural Festival is a three-day event that attracts over 50,000 visitors annually to Melbourne's Fed Square. It features representations from over 35 African countries and community organizations through music, food, fashion, film, dance, art, and culture. The festival offers a range of activities for all ages, including free African drumming classes, face painting, jumping castles, and a variety of African street food options.
Africultures Festival
The Africultures Festival is Australia's largest African festival, held annually in Cathy Freeman Park, Sydney Olympic Park. Entering its 17th year, the festival showcases the vibrant cultures of Africa through food, music, arts, and dance. It features market stalls selling African arts and fashion, a diverse lineup of performers, and a variety of delicious African cuisine.
Africa Film Fest Australia
Africa Film Fest Australia is a film festival that showcases the work of Afro-Australian filmmakers, storytellers, and creatives. It aims to elevate and connect filmmakers with the right people in the industry. The festival includes film screenings, such as "Goodbye Julia," the first Sudanese film shown at the Cannes Film Festival, followed by a panel discussion and audience Q&A.
These festivals provide opportunities for Australians to learn about and celebrate African cultures, fostering cultural awareness and appreciation in the country. They are a testament to the vibrant and diverse African communities in Australia, contributing to the country's cultural landscape.
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Frequently asked questions
The African population in Australia is made up of migrants from various African countries, with notable communities in Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth. While there are no exact figures, it is estimated that there are nearly 380,000 African-Australians.
African migrants in Australia come from various countries in Africa, with a significant number from South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Many in the African community in Australia face challenges adapting to life in the country. Some have arrived as refugees, fleeing hardship. There is also widespread racism against Africans in Australia, and issues with racial profiling by police have been documented.
Notable African Australians include Yassmin Abdel-Magied, a Sudanese-Australian media presenter and writer who was named Queensland Australian of the Year in 2015 for her community work. There's also Aliir Aliir, a South Sudanese-Australian professional football player, and Gabriel Erjok Majer Akon, a South Sudanese-born Australian hip-hop artist, poet, and activist.
No, there is no historical connection between the African continent and Australia. Africans began migrating to Australia in larger numbers much later than they did to countries like the United States. However, there is evidence of some African presence in Australia's history, such as the coins from the Tanzanian medieval kingdom found on the Wessel Islands.
