Leslie Massey
Australia has no official language, but English is the de facto national language and is spoken by the majority of Australians. The Australian variant of English, with its distinct accent, idioms, and vocabulary, has been influenced by the intermingling of early settlers from various dialectal regions of Great Britain and Ireland, particularly the dialects of South East England. The country's indigenous languages, once numbering nearly 300, have drastically declined due to British colonization, with only a small number of speakers remaining. In recent decades, Australia has become increasingly multilingual due to immigration, with Mandarin, Arabic, and Vietnamese among the most commonly spoken non-English languages.
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What You'll Learn
British colonisation
Australia's language and culture have been significantly influenced by British colonisation. English, the primary language spoken in Australia, was introduced during British settlement in 1788. Over time, it gradually replaced Indigenous languages to become the majority language of the country. Although Australia has no official language, English is the de facto national language and is spoken in the home by 72% of Australians.
The Australian variant of English, known as Australian English, has developed its own distinct accent, idioms, and vocabulary, setting it apart from British and American English. It emerged from a mix of dialects brought by early settlers from various regions of Great Britain and Ireland, particularly the dialects of South East England, including the traditional Cockney dialect of London. The influence of Irish is also evident in the use of the suffix "-o", originating from the Irish "ó".
In addition to language, British colonisation also influenced the religion practised in Australia. Christianity, particularly Roman Catholicism and Anglicanism, is the most widely practised religion, reflecting the religious culture brought by British colonists. According to census data, around 52.1% of Australians identify as Christians, with smaller proportions following other religions.
Over time, Australia has become an increasingly multilingual nation due to immigration from various countries. After World War II, the country experienced an influx of refugees and displaced persons from Europe, leading to a greater variety of languages spoken. In recent years, there has been a sharp increase in immigration from Asian countries, resulting in a rise in the number of speakers of languages like Mandarin, Cantonese, Arabic, and Vietnamese.
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Immigration from Europe
Australia has no official language, but English is the de facto national language and the language spoken by the majority of the population. The Australian variant of English, known as Australian English, has its own distinct accent, idioms, vocabulary, and grammar that set it apart from other varieties of English. The development of Australian English was influenced by the intermingling of early settlers from various dialectal regions of Great Britain and Ireland, with the dialects of South East England, including the traditional Cockney dialect of London, being particularly influential.
The migration policies of the 1950s and 1960s in Australia favored the intake of low-skilled labor from Southern European countries like Italy and Greece, resulting in a significant number of migrants with low to no English proficiency. This trend shifted in the 1980s, with a focus on recruiting migrants for service-oriented and professional roles, which required higher English proficiency. This shift was driven by the decline in manufacturing, which disproportionately impacted migrants, leading to higher unemployment rates compared to Australian-born workers.
The impact of European immigration on Australia's language landscape can also be seen in the emergence of creole languages. After European contact, English-based creoles developed, with Kriol and Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole) becoming two of the strongest and fastest-growing Indigenous languages in Australia. These creole languages are now widely spoken in certain regions of Australia, contributing to the country's linguistic diversity.
While English remains the predominant language in Australia, the country's rich history of immigration, including significant contributions from European countries, has resulted in a diverse and evolving linguistic landscape, with a growing number of Australians speaking languages other than English at home.
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Immigration from Asia
Asian immigration to Australia refers to immigration from the continent of Asia, including East Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. The history of Asian immigration to Australia is complex and multifaceted, with various waves of immigration and changing immigration policies over time.
The first major wave of Asian immigration to Australia occurred in the late 19th century, coinciding with the Victorian gold rush of the 1850s and 1860s, which witnessed a significant rise in Chinese immigration. However, this period was also marked by the implementation of the exclusionary White Australia policy, which aimed to restrict non-European immigration. The Immigration Restriction Act of 1901, also known as the White Australia policy, made it challenging for Asian immigrants to settle in the country by requiring them to pass a European language dictation test. Despite these restrictions, there is evidence of a small number of Koreans in Australia as early as 1920, and over 200 people with Chinese heritage fought for Australia in both World Wars.
In the 1950s and 1960s, the Australian government began to expand access to citizenship for non-Europeans and increase immigration from non-European countries. The Migration Act 1958 marked a significant shift, as it phased out the White Australia policy and led to a significant increase in Asian immigration. The Fraser government saw the largest intake of Asian immigrants since the Victorian gold rush due to an influx of Vietnamese refugees after the Vietnam War.
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, there was a notable debate about Asian immigration and multiculturalism, known as the 'Blainey debate,' sparked by historian Geoffrey Blainey's criticism of high levels of Asian immigration. Despite this controversy, Australia continued to move towards more non-discriminatory immigration policies, with Prime Minister Gough Whitlam taking steps to dismantle the White Australia policy in 1973.
In the 21st century, Australia experienced another sharp increase in immigration from Asia. According to the 2021 census, 17.4% of the population identified as Asian, with Mandarin, Cantonese, and Hindi among the top ten languages spoken at home. Asian immigrants from various countries have played an important role in shaping Australia's cultural and economic landscape, contributing to its entertainment industry and literature, as exemplified by comedian and author Anh Do of Vietnamese descent.
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Indigenous languages
The Indigenous languages of Australia number in the hundreds, with estimates ranging from 250 up to possibly 363 languages, including around 800 dialects. Each language is specific to a particular place and people. In some areas, like Arnhem Land, many different languages are spoken over a small area. In other areas, like the huge Western Desert, dialects of one language are spoken. The Indigenous languages of Australia comprise numerous language families and isolates, perhaps as many as 13, spoken by the Indigenous peoples of mainland Australia and a few nearby islands.
The status and knowledge of Aboriginal languages today vary greatly. Many languages became extinct with settlement as the encroachment of colonial society broke up Indigenous cultures. For some of these languages, few records exist for vocabulary and grammar. At the start of the 21st century, fewer than 150 Aboriginal languages remained in daily use, with the majority being highly endangered. In 2020, 90% of the barely more than 100 languages still spoken are considered endangered. Only 13 languages are still being transmitted to children.
The National Indigenous Languages Survey is a regular Australia-wide survey of the status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages conducted in 2005, 2014, and 2019. In 2016, Malcom Turnbull made history by being the first prime minister to speak an Australian Indigenous language in a parliamentary speech. There are currently 22 Indigenous language centres around Australia for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to maintain, preserve, and promote the diversity of their languages.
The relationships between the language families are not clear at present, although there are proposals to link some into larger groupings. Despite this uncertainty, the Indigenous Australian languages are collectively covered by the technical term "Australian languages", or the "Australian family". The term can include both Tasmanian languages and the Western Torres Strait language, but the genetic relationship to the mainland Australian languages of the former is unknown, while the latter is Pama–Nyungan, though it shares features with the languages of the Cape York Peninsula. Most Australian languages are commonly held to belong to the Pama–Nyungan family, a family accepted by most linguists.
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English as the de facto national language
English is the primary language spoken in Australia and is the country's de facto national language. Although Australia has no official language, English is the first language of the majority of the population. It has been entrenched as the de facto national language since the onset of British colonisation in 1788. At that time, English gradually overtook Indigenous languages, many of which have now become extinct.
Australian English has a distinct accent, idioms, and vocabulary, setting it apart from British and American English. The Australian variant arose from a dialectal melting pot of early settlers from a variety of dialectal regions of Great Britain and Ireland. The dialects of South East England, including the traditional Cockney dialect of London, were particularly influential in the development of Australian English.
General Australian serves as the standard dialect across the country, particularly in urban areas. It emerged during the 19th century and has become prominent on radio and television since the latter half of the 20th century. There are some regional variations in vocabulary and phonology, with certain words being peculiar to particular Australian states or territories.
While English is the dominant language in Australia, the country has become increasingly multilingual in recent years. The proportion of Australians speaking a language other than English increased after the Second World War due to the immigration of refugees and displaced persons from Europe. In the 21st century, there was another sharp increase in immigration, especially from Asia. In 2021, 22.8% of the population reported using a language other than English at home. The most common languages spoken at home, other than English, include Mandarin, Arabic, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Punjabi, Greek, Italian, Hindi, Spanish, and Nepali.
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Frequently asked questions
The country that had the greatest effect on Australia's language is the United Kingdom, specifically England and its English language, which was introduced to Australia in 1788 during British settlement. It has since become the de facto national language of Australia, with 72% of Australians speaking only English at home as of 2021.
The primary language spoken in Australia is English, with the Australian variant, known as Australian English, being the dominant variety. Australian English has a distinct accent, idioms, and vocabulary that set it apart from other forms of English.
While English is the most widely spoken language in Australia, there are also hundreds of Aboriginal languages. Many Aboriginal languages have become extinct since 1950, but some efforts have been made to revive them. In 2021, 22.8% of the population reported using a language other than English at home, with Mandarin, Arabic, Vietnamese, and Cantonese being the most common.
Immigration has significantly influenced the languages spoken in Australia, with the country becoming increasingly multilingual. After World War II, there was an influx of refugees and displaced persons from European countries, leading to a greater variety of languages being spoken. More recently, there has been a sharp increase in immigration from Asian countries, resulting in a rise in the number of speakers of languages such as Mandarin, Arabic, and Vietnamese.
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