- Portuguese Australian
The biggest Portuguese Australian community is in
Petersham ,Sydney : but there are other communities aroundAustralia such asMelbourne ,Adelaide ,Brisbane and Perth. There are approximately 56,000 Portuguese emigrants and Australians with Portuguese heritage in Australia.Portugal ’s links with Australia may extend as far back as the sixteenth century, predatingCaptain Cook ’s voyage to Australia by 250 years. Some evidence suggests that Portuguese explorers were the first Europeans to visit Australia.History in the state of Victoria
A few Portuguese were among the earliest settlers in Australia. Emanuel and Ana Serrão and their infant daughter arrived in Sydney in 1824, and moved to
Warrnambool with their family in 1852. Few followed, and by 1901 only 86 Victorians were Portugal-born. Males made up 90% of the community.The Portugal-born population in Victoria declined in the early twentieth century, and by 1933, only 12 were recorded in the census.
While the post-war migration boom had little effect on the Portuguese population of Victoria, the late 1960s saw the beginning of a dramatic increase in immigration. After the
Portuguese colonial wars inAngola andMozambique ended in 1975, and the former Portuguese colony ofEast Timor was invaded byIndonesia in 1975, more ethnic Portuguese immigrants settled in Victoria. The number of immigrants from Portugal also increased, from 131 in 1966 to 2,335 in 1986.By 2001, 2,661 Portugal-born migrants were living in Victoria. The Portuguese community in Victoria today also includes people from the former Portuguese colonies of
Macau ,East Timor ,Cape Verde ,Mozambique ,Angola ,Goa andBrazil .Members of the Portuguese-born community today are predominantly employed as tradespeople and workers within the manufacturing and construction industries. More than three-quarters still speak Portuguese at home.
The community is supported by organisations including the Portuguese Community Council of Australia, which serves as an umbrella organisation for all Portuguese people in Australia. Portuguese language radio programs, weekly newspapers, language classes and sporting clubs help maintain the community in Australian cities. Events such as performances by
Madeira Folk Dancing provide an opportunity for the wider community to appreciate Portuguese culture.External links
* [http://www.consulportugalsydney.org.au Consulate general of Portugal, Sydney]
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