Tamil Australians

Last updated

Tamil Australians
Total population
150,000 (2023)
Regions with significant populations
State / Territory
Flag of New South Wales.svg  New South Wales 21,527
Flag of Victoria (Australia).svg  Victoria 17,452
Flag of Western Australia.svg  Western Australia 4,078
Flag of Queensland.svg  Queensland 3,475
Flag of South Australia.svg  South Australia 1,703
Flag of the Australian Capital Territory.svg  Australian Capital Territory 1,416
Flag of the Northern Territory.svg  Northern Territory 280
Flag of Tasmania.svg  Tasmania 216
Languages
Religion
Related ethnic groups

Tamil Australians refers to Australians with a Tamil background. It includes people who speak Tamil, those whose ancestors were Tamil or those who identify with Tamil culture. Most Tamil Australians are of Indian, Sri Lankan, Singaporean or Malaysian descent. [1]

Contents

Demographics

Murugan Temple, Sydney Sydney murugan koyil.jpg
Murugan Temple, Sydney
Saivaite Temple, Perth Perth sivan koyil.jpg
Saivaite Temple, Perth

The Census 2021 has found 95,404 people speaking Tamil at home. The total number of ethnic Tamils could be around 150,000 people well above the census data considering the possibility of refugee statuses being getting considered as Migrants as per refugee policy reform.[ citation needed ] This is the first time Indian Tamils have taken over as the majority over the Sri Lankan Tamils in a foreign country other than the United States. There are no exact figures for the number of Tamil Australians but according to the 2011 census there were 50,151 Australians, 0.23% of the population, who spoke Tamil at home. [2] Tamil speaking Australians are of Indian, Sri Lankan, Singaporean and Malaysian ancestry. [1] The Census 2016 shows an increase of 50% in Tamil population who speak Tamil at home.

There were 73,161 Tamil speakers according to the 2016 Census, with the largest proportion of people across Australia in the suburb of Westmead (1,425 people, or 3.6% of people in that suburb), followed by Toongabbie (NSW) (1,404 people, or 3.5% of people in that suburb). [3]

Analysis of 2011 census by language and ancestry highlighting Tamil characteristics [1]
AncestryLanguage (first ancestry)Language (second ancestry)
Tamil English Sinhala Not
stated
OtherTotal Tamil English Sinhala Not
stated
OtherTotal
Tamil 11,4071,057855814912,756650257161348984
Indian Tamil406504315478211200−132
Sri Lankan Tamil 4,15370210227415,0256283608159
Sub-total Tamil15,9661,8091918820518,2597333522213551,175
Indian20,92377,033643,204249,641350,86554031,992382177,24640,033
Sri Lankan8,53423,79227,8624421,55162,18130011,5416794738912,956
Australian7484,777,28368424,942118,2754,921,932822,135,198506,45834,7612,176,549
Sinhalese 9422,35116,89811522520,531769011,37213542,416
English8627,062,12080933,676125,9907,223,457713,13681071,82115,079
Malay5026,9731713413,23020,856919,01532563,56812,762
Singaporean1781,93001231,3023,533252,0830134982,619
Not stated856391,451913979,843102,1671,475,23047,98410,434,94145,7101,060,7593,465,64515,055,039
Other6404,164,54975442,9243,202,0087,410,8753133,870,13228117,808300,5574,189,091
Total50,15116,509,29148,1921,085,4913,814,59421,507,71950,15116,509,29148,1921,085,4913,814,59421,507,719

As per the 2011 census, over 39.59% of Tamil speaking Australians were born in Sri Lanka, 34.89% in India and 13.05% in Australia. [1]

CountryPopulation %
Sri Lanka 19,85539.59%
India 17,50034.89%
Australia6,54713.05%
Malaysia 2,7825.55%
Singapore1,6873.36%
Not stated4450.89%
Other1,3352.66%
Total50,151100.00%

They live concentrated in Wentworthville, Pendle Hill, Girraween, Toongabbie and Strathfield in Sydney and in Glen Waverley and Dandenong North in Melbourne. [2]

State
suburb
StateTamils% of
suburb
% of
Tamils
Wentworthville [4] NSW 1,07310.13%2.14%
Glen Waverley [5] VIC 9452.41%1.88%
Dandenong [6] VIC 9353.75%1.86%
Westmead [7] NSW 9086.41%1.81%
Toongabbie [8] NSW 8536.56%1.70%
Pendle Hill [9] NSW 84912.74%1.69%
Strathfield [10] NSW 8153.45%1.63%
Girraween [11] NSW 76016.19%1.52%
Auburn [12] NSW 6591.99%1.31%
Lidcombe [13] NSW 6583.95%1.31%
Seven Hills [14] NSW 6503.45%1.30%
Homebush [15] NSW 5889.49%1.17%
Dandenong North [16] VIC 5312.42%1.06%

More than 80% have completed high school education; the rate is only 50% for the general Australian population. [2] More than 59% own their houses, compared with more than 67% of the general population. [2]

Tamil Australians

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Girraween, New South Wales</span> Suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Girraween is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Girraween is located 30 km west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Cumberland Council and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Municipality of Strathfield</span> Local government area in New South Wales, Australia

The Municipality of Strathfield is a local government area in the West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westmead, New South Wales</span> Suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Westmead is a suburb in Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Westmead is located 26 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Cumberland Council and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northmead, New South Wales</span> Suburb of Greater Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Northmead is a suburb of Greater Western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Northmead is located 26 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Parramatta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City of Canada Bay</span> Local government area in New South Wales, Australia

The City of Canada Bay is a local government area in the Inner West region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The city was formed on 1 December 2000, following the merger of Concord and Drummoyne councils. The city covers an area of 19.82 square kilometres (7.65 sq mi) and as at the 2021 census had a resident population of 89,177. The city is ultimately named after Canada Bay, a bay and suburb along the Parramatta River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toongabbie</span> Suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Toongabbie is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. One of the oldest suburbs in Sydney, Toongabbie is located approximately 30 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region. Toongabbie is split between the local government areas of the City of Parramatta, the City of Blacktown and Cumberland Council. The suburb is often locally referred to as "Toonie", "Toonga Bay" and "Bayside".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Division of Greenway</span> Australian federal electoral division

The Division of Greenway is an Australian electoral division in the state of New South Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wentworthville, New South Wales</span> Suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Wentworthville is a suburb in Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Wentworthville is located 27 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region. Wentworthville is split between the local government areas of the City of Parramatta and the Cumberland Council. Wentworthville is colloquially known as 'Wenty'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toongabbie railway station</span> Railway station in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Toongabbie railway station is located on the Main Western line, serving the Sydney suburb of Toongabbie. It is served by Sydney Trains T1 Western and T5 Cumberland line services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Division of Parramatta</span> Australian federal electoral division

The Division of Parramatta is an Australian electoral division in the state of New South Wales. The division was created in 1900 and was one of the original 65 divisions contested at the first federal election. It is named for the locality of Parramatta. The name Parramatta has been sourced to an Aboriginal word for the area. The Darug people had lived in the area for many generations, and regarded the area as a food bowl, rich in food from the river and forests. They called the area Baramada or Burramatta ("Parramatta") which means "the place where the eels lie down".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City of Parramatta</span> Local government area in New South Wales, Australia

The City of Parramatta, also known as Parramatta Council, is a local government area located to the west and north-west of Sydney CBD in the Greater Western Sydney region. Parramatta Council is situated between the City of Ryde and Cumberland, where the Cumberland Plain meets the Hornsby Plateau, approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of the Sydney central business district, in New South Wales, Australia. The city occupies an area of 84 square kilometres (32 sq mi) spanning across suburbs in Greater Western Sydney including the Hills District, and a small section of Northern Sydney to the far north east of its area. According to the 2016 census, City of Parramatta had an estimated population of 226,149. The city houses the Parramatta central business district which is one of the key suburban employment destinations for the region of Greater Western Sydney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pendle Hill, New South Wales</span> Suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Pendle Hill is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Pendle Hill is located 29 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government areas of Cumberland Council and City of Parramatta and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region.

Sri Lankan Australians are people of Sri Lankan heritage living in Australia; this includes Sri Lankans by birth and by ancestry. Sri Lankan Australians constitute one of the largest groups of Overseas Sri Lankan communities and are the largest diasporic Sri Lankan community in Oceania. Sri Lankan Australians consist of people with Sinhalese, Tamil, Moor, Burgher, Malay and Chinese origins among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Ponds, New South Wales</span> Suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

The Ponds is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Ponds is located approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) west-northwest (WNW) of the Sydney central business district in the Blacktown local government area. At the 2016 census, The Ponds had an estimated resident population of 11,731.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electoral district of Seven Hills</span> State electoral district of New South Wales, Australia

Seven Hills was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Mark Taylor of the Liberal Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constitution Hill, New South Wales</span> Suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Constitution Hill is a suburb of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Constitution Hill is located on a hill 28 kilometres (17 mi) west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Parramatta and is part of the Western Sydney region. Constitution Hill overlooks the city of Parramatta from above and contains views of the inner Sydney city skyline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of Melbourne</span> Demographics of region

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toongabbie Anglican Church</span> Church in New South Wales, Australia

Toongabbie Anglican Church is an evangelical Anglican church in the Sydney Diocese of the Anglican Church of Australia. The church is located in the suburb of Pendle Hill in Sydney's west. Toongabbie Anglican Church is the sole church in the Anglican Parish of Toongabbie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cumberland City Council</span> Local government area in New South Wales, Australia

Cumberland Council, trading as Cumberland City Council, is a local government area located in the western suburbs of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Council was formed on 12 May 2016 from the merger of parts of the Cities of Auburn, Parramatta, and Holroyd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Girraween, Queensland</span> Suburb of Southern Downs Region, Queensland, Australia

Girraween is an undeveloped locality in the Southern Downs Region, Queensland, Australia. It is in the Granite Belt and on the border with New South Wales. In the 2021 census, Girraween had a population of 5 people.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "2011 Census of Population and Housing". Table Builder. Australian Bureau of Statistics.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Census Explorer". Special Broadcasting Service.
  3. "ஆஸ்திரேலியாவின் எந்த suburb-இல் தமிழர்கள் அதிகமாக வாழ்கின்றனர்? | SBS Your Language". www.sbs.com.au. Archived from the original on 9 August 2017.
  4. "Wentworthville Code SSC12459 (SSC)". Quick Stats. Australian Bureau of Statistics.
  5. "Glen Waverley Code SSC20535 (SSC)". Quick Stats. Australian Bureau of Statistics.
  6. "Dandenong Code SSC20366 (SSC)". Quick Stats. Australian Bureau of Statistics.
  7. "Westmead Code SSC12484 (SSC)". Quick Stats. Australian Bureau of Statistics.
  8. "Toongabbie (NSW) Code SSC12293 (SSC)". Quick Stats. Australian Bureau of Statistics.
  9. "Pendle Hill Code SSC11859 (SSC)". Quick Stats. Australian Bureau of Statistics.
  10. "Strathfield (NSW) Code SSC12164 (SSC)". Quick Stats. Australian Bureau of Statistics.
  11. "Girraween (NSW) Code SSC10950 (SSC)". Quick Stats. Australian Bureau of Statistics.
  12. "Auburn (NSW) Code SSC10070 (SSC)". Quick Stats. Australian Bureau of Statistics.
  13. "Lidcombe Code SSC11363 (SSC)". Quick Stats. Australian Bureau of Statistics.
  14. "Seven Hills (NSW) Code SSC12064 (SSC)". Quick Stats. Australian Bureau of Statistics.
  15. "Homebush (NSW) Code SSC11125 (SSC)". Quick Stats. Australian Bureau of Statistics.
  16. "Dandenong North Code SSC20367 (SSC)". Quick Stats. Australian Bureau of Statistics.
  17. "Maha Sinnathamby - Greater Springfield". Greater Springfield. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
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