According to the oral tradition, the first Greek that came to Australia was Damianos Gikas, that was transported to the Sydney as a convict in 1802. It is said that Gikas was a captain from Hydra, was arrested unfairly as pirate by an english vessel and was condemned in exile to Australia.However, this history cannot be confirmed with certainty, while there isn't any proof in the files of Australia or Greece.It appears however that this history emanated from the real history of the first Greeks in Australia.These first Greeks that landed in Australia were seven young men from Hydra, that arrived there in 1828, condemned as pirates from the English Justice. According to the historical sources, five of them were repatriated in 1836, showing that they were rather patriots than common pirates.

The first free greek emigrants that came to Australia were possibly some marine named John Peters, and came to Sydney in 1838, while the first Greek woman was Ekaterini Plessa, and came to Australia in 1853.Thus,a little before the discovery of the rich deposits of gold in Australia, there must have been no more than 4-5 Greek living there.This discovery did not increase particularly the migration tendency from Greece to Australia, as it happened with immigrants from other countries.The result was that in 1880 roughly 150 Greeks lived in Australia, even if the total population of the country had almost been tripled - mainly because of the new emigrants.

The main immigratory current from Greece to Australia the 19th century began after 1880.The 1891 census reported the existence of 482 individuals being born in Greece. That number, as all the others that were reported in census or estimates, is somehow conservative, while it does not include the Greeks that were born in Australia, as well as those who, for some reason, did not want to be recorded as Greeks.These emigrants were mainly from Cythira, Ithaca and Kastellorizo, and they were those that set the foundations of the Greek - Australian community and caused the phenomenon of the continuous migration, which led to the increase the number of Greeks in Australia to 878 individuals in 1901 and 1.798 individuals in 1911.The increase of the Greek population in Australia continued with the same pace even after 1950. Thus, in 1921 the Greek population of Australia counted 3.654 individuals being born in Greece, while in 1933 there were 8.337 Greeks in Australia and in 1947 12.291.

After 1952 the increase of the Greek element in Australia was rapid.Indeed, from 1953 until 1956, almost 30.000 Greeks came to Australia as immigrants, increasing thus the hellenism of Australia to 25.862 individuals in 1954.The migration from Greece escalated from 1961 until 1966, a period at which roughly 69.000 Greeks were installed in Australia.The Greeks were 77.333 in 1961 and 160.200 in 1971.After 1970 the immigratory current was decreased once again drastically, while had already begun a reverse transfer of emigrants back to Greece, a fact that (with the deaths) had as result the reduction of the Greek -Australian being born in Greece to 152.908 individuals in 1976, 146.625 in 1981, and 137.611 in 1986.Naturally, these numbers do not correspond to the total of the Greek element of Australia, since they concern only the individuals that had been born in Greece, that is to say the first generation immigrants.

The present Greek population of Australia

It is known that the elements according to the official census cannot be used as a base for the calculation of the population of the Greek element.Generally this applies to all the countries of reception of Greek immigrants and not only for Australia.The main reason is that makes census elements relatively inadequate for reliable estimates is that it refers only to the Greek emigrants whose both or one of their parents were have been born in Greece, to Greek emigrants that have been born in Greece, but none of their parents had been born birth there and naturally to Greek emigrants that havee been born in Greece. There are not included the Greek emigrants whose both parents have been born in Australia, that is to say the Greek-Australians of second, third, and fourth generation, neither the Greek emigrants from Cyprus, neither the Greek emigrants that haven't been born in Greece.Occasionally there have been presented in the bibliography various estimates, that raise the total Greek population of Australia to 700.000 or 750.000 in 1980.Other calculations report the Greek element to almost 400.000 individuals.

The Australian census of 1986 is helping considerably in the determination of the Greek population of Australia.According to the facts of that census (the elements from the newer census still have not become available), the total population of Greek origin in Australia is, 137.611 individuals (70.687 men and 66.924 women) of first generation (being born in Greece) and 137.688 individuals of second generation (being born in Australia with both or one of their parents having been born in Greece).The total rises to 275.299 individuals.

However, in a question that was raised for the first time in that census, "What is your origin?", 336.782 individuals answered that they were of Greek origin. This number includes individuals that have been born in Australia (49.8%), in Greece (39.3%), in Cyprus (4.8%), in Egypt (2.5%), elsewhere (2.5%), while a 1.1% did not answer.It should be marked that in the question were not given explanations as for what it means "origin", in consequence each one gave its own interpretation of the term.The total population of Australia in 1986 was 15.602.156, accordingly those of Greek origin represent the 2.16%.

 
Important it is the fact that from the population that had been born in Greece (first generation), a 3% declares being of "Macedonian" origin, separating it from the Greek origin.In Western Australia, this percentage reaches the 23.9%.

We believe, therefore, that the calculations that estimate the population of Greeks of Australia to 400.000 individuals, are the most reliable.

Geographic distribution

The current geographic distribution of first and second generation Greeks in Australia does not have great differences.Specifically, 46.79% live in Victoria, 32.93% in New South Wales, 10.25% in South Australia, 3.87% in Queensland, 3.38% in the Western Australia, 1.22% in Australian Capital Territory, 0.96% in the New Territories, and 0.60% in Tasmania.

This population is in the majority urban.Indeed, the first generation lives at 95.6% in the 12 big Australian cities (Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong, Geelong, Brisbane, Gold Coast-Tweed, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart, Darwin, Canberra-Queanbeyan), while 77.4% live in Melbourne and Sydney. Roughly half of this population (47.6%) lives in Melbourne.

More articles about Greece and Greeks from Hellenism.Net(in alphabetical order)

1. Alexiou, Haris   READ MORE >>
2. Ancient Greek Agriculture   READ MORE >>
3. Ancient Greek Astronomy   READ MORE >>
4. Ancient Greek Earth Science   READ MORE >>
5. Ancient Greek Jokes from Philogelos   READ MORE >>
6. Ancient Greek Mathematics   READ MORE >>
7. Ancient Greek Medicine   READ MORE >>
8. Ancient Greek Theatre - Origins of Greek Drama   READ MORE >>
9. Ancient Greek Theatre - Outdoor Theatres   READ MORE >>
10. Angelos Sikelianos   READ MORE >>
11. Archimedes   READ MORE >>
12. Argonautica   READ MORE >>
13. Aris   READ MORE >>
14. Aristotle or Aristoteles   READ MORE >>
15. Arvanitaki, Eleftheria   READ MORE >>
16. Astoria: "A Little Greece" in New York   READ MORE >>
17. Athens and surrounding area   READ MORE >>
18. Baklavas   READ MORE >>
19. Bellerephon   READ MORE >>
20. Bellou, Sotiria   READ MORE >>