| Total population | |
|---|---|
| Lithuanian 2,582 (by birth, 2021 census ) 19,430 (by ancestry, 2021 census) [1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Lithuania-born people by state or territory | |
| New South Wales | 1022 |
| Victoria | 770 |
| South Australia | 272 |
| Queensland | 255 |
| Western Australia | 206 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 39 |
| Tasmania | 36 |
| Northern Territory | 10 |
| Languages | |
| Australian English · Lithuanian | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity, predominantly Catholic | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Latvian Australians, Estonian Australians, Polish Australians, Belarusian Australians, Lithuanian Americans, Lithuanian Canadians | |
Lithuanian Australians refers to Australian residents of Lithuanian national background or descent. According to the 2021 Census, there were 19,430 people of Lithuanian descent in Australia and 2,582 Lithuania-born people residing in the country at the moment of the census. [1] As of 2016 [update] , the largest Lithuanian Australian community resides in the state of New South Wales, with 1022 Lithuania-born people, especially located in Sydney. [2]
Only small numbers of Lithuanians arrived in Australia before 1947. [3] Many Lithuanians and other Eastern Europeans fled the Red Army in 1944 and became Displaced Persons in refugee camps in Western Europe. From 1947 they were able to emigrate to countries such as Australia under the sponsorship of the International Refugee Organization. The first voyage under Arthur Calwell's Displaced Persons immigration program, that of the General Stuart Heintzelman in 1947, [4] was specially chosen to be all from Baltic nations, all single, many blond and blue-eyed, in order to appeal to the Australian public. [5] Of the 843 immigrants on the Heintzelman, 442 were Lithuanian. [6]
There were 16,290 people of Lithuanian descent in Australia and 2,609 Lithuania-born people residing in the country at the moment of the 2016 Census. [2] [7]
The White Australia policy was a set of racial policies that aimed to forbid people of non-European non-white ethnic origins – especially Asians and Pacific Islanders – from immigrating to Australia in order to create a "white/British" ideal focused on but not exclusively Anglo-Celtic peoples. Pre-Federation, the Australian colonies passed many anti-Chinese immigration laws mainly using Poll Taxes, with Federation in 1901 came discrimination based on the Dictation Test, which effectively gave power to immigration officials to racially discriminate without mentioning race. The policy also affected immigrants from Germany, Italy, and other European countries, especially in wartime. Governments progressively dismantled such policies between 1949 and 1973, when the Whitlam government removed the last racial elements of Australia's immigration laws.
The immigration history of Australia began with the initial human migration to the continent around 80,000 years ago when the ancestors of Aboriginal Australians arrived on the continent via the islands of Maritime Southeast Asia and New Guinea. From the early 17th century onwards, the continent experienced the first coastal landings and exploration by European explorers. Permanent European settlement began in 1788 with the establishment of a British penal colony in New South Wales. From early federation in 1901, Australia maintained the White Australia Policy, which was abolished after World War II, heralding the modern era of multiculturalism in Australia. From the late 1970s there was a significant increase in immigration from Asian and other non-European countries.
Displaced persons camps in post–World War II Europe were established in Germany, Austria, and Italy, primarily for refugees from Eastern Europe and for the former inmates of the Nazi German concentration camps. A "displaced persons camp" is a temporary facility for displaced persons, whether refugees or internally displaced persons. Two years after the end of World War II in Europe, some 850,000 people lived in displaced persons camps across Europe, among them Armenians, Czechoslovaks, Estonians, Greeks, Poles, Latvians, Lithuanians, Yugoslavs, Jews, Russians, Ukrainians, Hungarians, Kalmyks, and Belarusians.
Lithuanian Americans refers to American citizens and residents who are Lithuanian and were born in Lithuania, or are of Lithuanian descent.
Post-war immigration to Australia deals with migration to Australia in the decades immediately following World War II, and in particular refers to the predominantly European wave of immigration which occurred between 1945 and the end of the White Australia policy in 1973. In the immediate aftermath of World War II, Ben Chifley, Prime Minister of Australia (1945–1949), established the federal Department of Immigration to administer a large-scale immigration program. Chifley commissioned a report on the subject which found that Australia was in urgent need of a larger population for the purposes of defence and development and it recommended a 1% annual increase in population through increased immigration.
The Somali diaspora or Qurbajoogta refers to Somalis who were born in Greater Somalia and reside in areas of the world that they were not born in. The civil war in Somalia greatly increased the size of the Somali diaspora, as many Somalis moved from Greater Somalia primarily to Europe, North America, Oceania and South Africa. There are also small Somali populations in Asia. The UN estimates that in 2015, approximately 2 million people from Somalia were living outside of the country's borders.
English Australians, also known as Anglo-Australians, are Australians whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in England. In the 2021 census, 8,385,928 people, or 33% of the Australian population, stated that they had English ancestry. It is the largest self-identified ancestry in Australia. People of ethnic English origin have been the largest group to migrate to Australia since the establishment of the Colony of New South Wales in 1788.
USS General Stuart Heintzelman (AP-159) was a General G. O. Squier-class transport ship for the U.S. Navy in World War II. She was named in honor of U.S. Army general Stuart Heintzelman. She was transferred to the U.S. Army as USAT General Stuart Heintzelman in 1946. On 1 March 1950 she was transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) as USNS General Stuart Heintzelman (T-AP-159). She was later sold for commercial operation before being scrapped in 1984.
Argentine Australians are Australian citizens of Argentine descent or birth. According to the Census there were 9,879 Australians who claimed full or partial Argentine ancestry and 20,940 Argentina-born citizens who were residing in Australia at the moment of the census.
Salvadoran Australians are Australians of Salvadoran descent. Salvadoran immigration to Australia was caused principally by economic and political turmoil in El Salvador.
Bhutanese nationality law is the law governing the acquisition, transmission and loss of Bhutanese citizenship. The Bhutanese Citizenship Act of 1985 was introduced by the Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuck, on June 10, 1985, modifying the definition of a Bhutanese citizen. The Act was implemented as part of a new national policy of Driglam Namzha, national customs and etiquette. Because of its emphasis on Bhutanese culture, the Act is also referred to as the "One Nation, One People Act." The 1985 Act was amended by the Immigration Act of 2007 and then superseded in 2008 by the Constitution of Bhutan insofar as previous laws are inconsistent; where not inconsistent, the provisions of the 2007 Act, the 1985 Act, and previous Acts relating to immigration continue in effect.
The Belarusian diaspora refers to emigrants from the territory of Belarus as well as to their descendants.
Estonian Australians refers to Australian citizens of Estonian descent or Estonia-born persons who reside in Australia. According to the 2021 Census, there were 11,598 people of Estonian descent in Australia and 2,665 Estonia-born people residing in the country at the moment of the census, having a increase of21 per cent compared to the 2016 Census. The largest Estonia-born community in Australia is in the state of New South Wales, with 4,265 people.
New Australians were non-British migrants to Australia who arrived in the wave of immigration following World War II. The term initially referred to newly arrived immigrants, generally refugees, who were expected to eventually become mainstream Australians. It was coined by Arthur Calwell, Australia's first Minister for Immigration, to promote the assimilation of migrants to Australia from continental Europe. Its use was intended to be positive, and to discourage use of pejorative terms such as "reffo" or "Balt" that were then in frequent use. The term has fallen into disuse since the 1970s.
Nordic Australians are Australian citizens whose origins are found in any of the Nordic countries, or people from any of these countries who live in Australia. Danish immigrants made up the largest group by far.
Latvian Australians are Australian citizens of Latvian descent, or persons born in Latvia who reside in Australia. At the 2016 Census, 20,509 residents in Australia reported to have Latvian ancestry.
Syrian Australians are Australians of Syrian descent or Syria-born people who reside in the Commonwealth of Australia. Australian Syrians make up 0.4 percent of the Australian population, with a gender split of 51.3 percent female, 49.7 percent male. The 2016 Australian census revealed 68.8 percent of Syrian Australian homes have Arabic as the language spoken at home, however of the homes where English is not the first spoken language, 37.7 percent are able to speak English fluently. The majority of Syrian Australians arrived prior to 2007, with a small group immigrating between 2007–2011 then a larger group entering between 2012–2016.
Asian Australian history is the history of Asian ethnic and racial groups in Australia who trace their ancestry to Asia. The term Asian Australian, was first used in the 1950s by European Australians who wanted to strengthen diplomatic and trade ties with Asia for the benefit of the Australian community. The term was not originally used to describe or recognise the experiences of people of Asian descent living in Australia. It was only in the late 1980s and 1990s that the term "Asian Australian" was adopted and used by Asian Australians themselves to discuss issues related to racial vilification and discrimination. Today, the term "Asian Australian" is widely accepted and used to refer to people of Asian descent who are citizens or residents of Australia, though its usage and meaning may vary within the Asian Australian community.
Foreign relations exist between Australia and Latvia. Australia first recognised Latvia on 22 September 1921 and was among the first countries to re-recognise Latvia's independence on 27 August 1991. Both countries re-established diplomatic relations on 21 November 1991. Australia is represented in Latvia through its embassy in Stockholm, Sweden and an honorary consulate in Riga. Latvia has had an embassy in Canberra since October 2021, and also has honorary consulates in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth.
Foreign relations exist between Australia and Lithuania. Australia was among the first countries to re-recognise Lithuania's independence on 27 August 1991. Both countries formally established diplomatic relations on 6 November 1991. Australia is represented in Lithuania through its embassy in Warsaw, Poland. Lithuania has had an embassy in Canberra since 2021.
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