Sri Lankan Australians

History

*Included in Indian population Preliminary estimate |1816 | 2 |1876 | ≈500 |1901 | 609 |1911 | 611 |1921 | 637 |1933 | 638 |1947 | * |1954 | 1961 |1961 | 3433 |1966 | 5562 |1971 | 9091 |1976 | 14866 |1981 | 16966 |1986 | 22513 |1991 | 37283 |1996 | 64068 |2001 | 53461 |2006 | 62256 |2011 | 86412 |2016 | 109853 |2021 | 131904 |2024 | 172,800

Early arrivals

Recorded Sri Lankan immigration to Australia started in 1816, with the transportation of Drum Major William O'Dean (a Sri Lankan Malay) and his wife Eve (a Sinhalese). Early immigrants from Sri Lanka (at that time known as Ceylon) were generally (unlike the O'Deans) absorbed into the Aboriginal population. Other early references of Sri Lankan migration date back to the 1870s when authorities in South Australia sought out the possibility of importing labour from Ceylon. The first Sinhalese from Sri Lanka arrived in 1870 to work in sugarcane plantations in Queensland. A community was believed to exist on Thursday Island in 1876. In 1882, a group of 500 left Colombo for Queensland, mostly in Mackay.

20th century

Under the White Australia policy, immigration was negligible. It resumed after the Second World War primarily involving migration of Burghers, who fulfilled the then criteria that they should be of predominantly European ancestry and that their appearance should be European. By 1954 around 2000 Sri Lankans had been accepted. Sinhalese migration began in the 1960s but it was after the mid-1970s that large groups arrived, which also included Christians and Buddhists. During the 1970s intake restrictions loosened and Sri Lankan students undertook courses in Australia as part of the Colombo Plan prior to the formal dismantling of the White Australia policy, and after 1973 and from the early 1980s Sinhalese, Tamil and Moor migration resumed and increased.

Present

In The Australian People, S. Pinnawala writes that "social interaction between the various Sri Lankan migrant groups has often been influenced by factors originating in their home country".

In the 1980s, on a reflection of ethnic unrest in Sri Lanka, tensions between the Sinhalese and Tamil communities grew. However, in Pinnawala's opinion, more recently a Sri Lankan identity has developed among the various religious and ethnic migrants.

This has led to many new community organisations being established to promote Sri Lankan culture and traditions. There have also been strong links formed between Sinhalese Buddhists now living in Australia and their co-religionists from Burma, Thailand and Cambodia. Similar trends can be traced between Christian migrants from Sri Lanka who now live in Australia. The NASA Ambassador Megha Wijewardane is also a Sri Lankan-Australian.

Demographics

Over half (51.6%) of all Sri Lankan Australians live in Victoria, with the vast majority of those living in the state capital of Melbourne, with 78,687 individuals in the city recording Sri Lankan or Sinhalese ancestry at the 2021 Census, particularly within the South-Eastern suburbs. Areas with significant populations include the suburbs of Dandenong, Clyde North, Glen Waverley, Endeavour Hills, and Craigieburn (All aside Craigieburn are located in the South-East of the city).

The number of Sri Lankan Australians counted in 1996, including the second-generation, was 64,068. The 2011 census recorded 86,412 Sri Lankans born in Australia.

The rate of assimilation among Sri Lankan Australians is fairly high: among second-generation immigrants, the 'in-marriage' rate was extremely low – 5.6% for brides and 3.0% for grooms.

Sinhalese Australians have an exceptionally low rate of return migration to Sri Lanka. In December 2001, the Department of Foreign Affairs estimated that there were 800 Australian citizens resident in Sri Lanka. It is unclear whether these were returning Sri Lankan emigrants with Australian citizenship, their Sri Lankan Australian children, or other Australians present on business or for some other reason.

Tamils in Australia numbered 19,426 in the 2011 Census. The majority of Tamils born in Sri Lanka came to Australia after 1983 when Sri Lanka faced ethnic turmoil and unrest (Black July). The Western suburbs of Sydney and the South Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne have a relatively high number of Tamil speaking people. There were 73161 Tamil speakers according to the 2016 Census, with the largest proportion of people across Australia in the Western Sydney suburb of Westmead (1,425 people, or 3.6% of people in that suburb), followed by Toongabbie (1,404 people, or 3.5% of people in that suburb). Numerous Tamil schools and Hindu Temples have been established in all main cities to cater for the growing Sri Lankan Tamil population.

Language

In 2006, there were 29,055 Australians who spoke Sinhalese at home. SBS Radio is available in Sinhalese, and Melbourne television channel Channel 31 runs the Sri Lankan Morning show, which has sections in Sinhalese.

Religion

In 2021, 45.3% of the Sri Lankan born population in Australia identified as Buddhist, 19.4% as Catholic, 16.1% as Hindu, 4.9% as Irreligious, and 3.6% as Anglican.

Most Sinhalese in Australia are Theravada Buddhists, and a small percentage of Sinhalese follow branches of Christianity. Sri Lankans have established many Theravada Buddhist temples across Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia including the Dhamma Sarana Buddhist Temple of Melbourne's eastern suburbs.

The majority of Sri Lankan Tamils are Hindu. The Siva Vishnu Temple in Carrum Downs in the south east of Melbourne is a temple built by Sri Lankan Tamils. The Sunshine Murugan Temple in western Melbourne also caters to the Tamil community. The Sydney Murugan Temple was constructed for the needs of the Tamil population in Western Sydney. Smaller temples have been built in the greater Sydney area. In other cities such as Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, Townsville, Darwin, Canberra, and Hobart, Hindu temples have also been built.

Culture

Popularly celebrated community festivals include Sri Lankan Independence Day (4 February) and Sri Lankan New Year (14 April). Sri Lankan restaurants are becoming a popular feature of shopping strips in Melbourne, Hawthorn, Brunswick, Northcote, Glen Waverley and Dandenong, while Sri Lankan Australian media is also growing with newspapers, television and radio stations broadcasting cultural programs.

Community

Australia

Events

• Lankan Fest – Sri Lankan cultural show in Melbourne

Organizations

• Sri Lanka Association of NSW Inc. https://www.slansw.org.au/
• Global Sri Lankan Forum
• Sri Lanka German Technical Training Institute - Old boys Association Australia Inc.
• Sri Lankan Study Centre for the Advancement of Technology & Social Welfare Inc (SCATS), Australia (1992)
• Australia Sri Lanka Council (1994)
• Committee for Sri Lanka (1993)
• Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Australia Inc.
• Multicultural Human Power Incorporated
• United Sri Lankan Muslim Association (1990)

Canberra

• Sri Lanka Dhamma Vihara Association of Canberra
• Lankans Canberra Foundation
• Sri Lanka High Commissions
• Sinhala Cultural Association of Canberra

New South Wales

Organizations

• Anandians of NSW
• Austra-Lanka Muslims Association (ALMA)
• Sinhala Association of NSW
• Sinhalese Cultural Forum of NSW
• Sri Lankan Australian Malay Association (SLAMA)
• The Sri Lanka Association of NSW
• University of Colombo Alumni Association NSW Inc.

Radio

• SBS Radio 2 (Sydney 97.7 fm)
• SBS Radio 2 (Wollongong 1035 am)

Victoria

Events

• Lankan Fest – Sri Lankan cultural show in Melbourne

Organizations

• Anandians of Victoria
• Association of Sri Lankan Muslims in Australia (ASLAMA)
• Black & Gold of Victoria – D.S. Senanayake College Old Boys Association
• Ceylon Circle
• Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia
• Good Shepherd Convent Colombo Past Pupils' Association
• Katherine Keegel Children's Fund (KKCF)
• Northern Melbourne Sri Lankan Senior's Association Inc.
• Royal College Old Boys Association
• Nalandians In Sydney – Nalanda College Old Boys Association, Sydney, Australia (NIS)
• Nalanda College Old Boys Association, Melbourne, Australia
• Nalanda College Old Boys Association, Queensland, Australia
• Nalanda College Old Boys Association, Perth, Australia
• Sinhalese Cultural and Community Service Foundation
• Society for Peace Unity and Human Rights for Sri Lanka (SPUR)
• Sri Lankan Association of Victoria (formerly the Ceylon Club of Australia)
• Sri Lankan Study Centre for the Advancement of Technology and Social Welfare
• St. Joseph's College Old Boys Union, the biggest alumni association based on a Sri Lankan school in Australia
• ST Peters Old Boys Union Melbourne
• Trinity College Old Boys Association
• United Sri Lankan Muslim Association of Australia (USMAA)
• Maris Stella College OBA Melbourne Branch
• Visakha Vidyalaya Past Pupils Association (VVPPA)
• Kelaniya University Alumni Association Australia
• Anula Vidyalaya Past Pupils Association Victoria (AVPPAV)
• St Benedict's College Old Boys Union

South Australia (Adelaide)

Organizations

• Adelaide Sri Lanka Buddhist Vihara
• Adelaide Sri Lankan Community
• Australia Sri Lanka Association (ASLA) https://www.facebook.com/ASLA13/

Newspapers

• Hiru Kirana (Sinhala)
• Pahana (Sinhala)
• Sannasa (Sinhala)

TV

• One World Sri Lanka (Channel 31)
• Sri Lanka Clip Show (Channel 31)
• Sri Lanka Morning Show (Channel 31)
• Sri Lanka Today (Channel 31)
• TV Sri Lanka (Channel 31)

Radio

• SBS Radio 2 (93.1 fm)

Western Australia

Organizations

• Anandians of Western Australia
• AusLanka Charity Foundation
• Sri Lankan Australian Youth Association
• Sri Lankan Buddhist Vihara Perth Western Australia
• Sri Lankan Cultural Society of Western Australia
• Sri Lankan Muslim Society of Western Australia Inc.

Northern Territory

• The Buddhist Society of the N.T.
• Sri Lanka Australia Friendship Association

Notable Sri Lankan Australians

Main article: List of Sri Lankan Australians

Notes

References

References

1. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/australias-population-country-birth/latest-release
2. "2021 People in Australia who were born in Sri Lanka, Census Country of birth QuickStats | Australian Bureau of Statistics".
3. https://profile.id.com.au/australia/ancestry?BMID=50&WebID=10&EndYear=2016&DataType=UR
4. (March 2017). "People of Sri Lanka". The Ministry of National Coexistence, Dialogue and Official Languages.
5. "People in Australia who were born in Sri Lanka". Australian Bureau of Statistics.
6. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/australias-population-country-birth/latest-release
7. "SBS Radio - Sinhalese".
8. "Sri Lankans". eMelbourne.
9. (2019-09-23). "Megha Wijewardane - Australia's only junior Ambassador to NASA".
10. https://www.microburbs.com.au/Real-Estate/Top-suburbs-for-Sri-Lanka/Melbourne
11. https://www.vic.gov.au/sri-lankan-community-profile
12. "Ancestry – Sri Lankan /Sinhalese/Tamil". Australian Bureau of Statistics.
13. "ஆஸ்திரேலியாவின் எந்த suburb-இல் தமிழர்கள் அதிகமாக வாழ்கின்றனர்? {{!}} SBS Your Language".
14. "2011 Census of Population and Housing". [[Australian Bureau of Statistics]].
15. "2006 Census - Australia - Language".
16. "SBS Schedule".
17. "Channel 31 - Sri Lanka Morning Show".
18. "Sri Lankan - Population Statistics".
19. "2021 People in Australia who were born in Sri Lanka, Census Country of birth QuickStats {{!}} Australian Bureau of Statistics".
20. "Dhamma Sarana Buddhist Temple".
21. "2011 Census QuickStats : Pendle Hill (State Suburb)". Censusdata.abs.gov.au.
22. "2006 Census QuickStats : Homebush (State Suburb)". Censusdata.abs.gov.au.
23. "2006 Census QuickStats : Homebush West (State Suburb)". Censusdata.abs.gov.au.
24. "2006 Census QuickStats : Endeavour Hills (State Suburb)". Censusdata.abs.gov.au.
25. "2006 Census QuickStats : Dandenong (State Suburb)". Censusdata.abs.gov.au.
26. "2006 Census QuickStats : Strathfield South (State Suburb)". Censusdata.abs.gov.au.
27. "2006 Census QuickStats : Lynbrook (State Suburb)". Censusdata.abs.gov.au.
28. "2006 Census QuickStats : Hallam (State Suburb)". Censusdata.abs.gov.au.
29. "2006 Census QuickStats : Lyndhurst (State Suburb)". Censusdata.abs.gov.au.
30. "2006 Census QuickStats : Dandenong North (State Suburb)". Censusdata.abs.gov.au.
31. "2006 Census QuickStats : Hampton Park (State Suburb)". Censusdata.abs.gov.au.
32. "2006 Census QuickStats : Noble Park (State Suburb)". Censusdata.abs.gov.au.
33. "2006 Census QuickStats : Glen Waverley (State Suburb)". Censusdata.abs.gov.au.
34. "2006 Census QuickStats : Clayton South (State Suburb)". Censusdata.abs.gov.au.
35. "2006 Census QuickStats : Clayton (State Suburb)". Censusdata.abs.gov.au.
36. "2006 Census QuickStats : Oakleigh East (State Suburb)". Censusdata.abs.gov.au.
37. "2006 Census QuickStats : Keysborough (State Suburb)". Censusdata.abs.gov.au.
38. "2006 Census QuickStats : Lidcombe (State Suburb)". Censusdata.abs.gov.au.
39. "Lankan Fest - Festival of Sri Lanka".
40. "SCATS: One of the oldest Sri Lankan community organisations in Melbourne, celebrating of its 25th year anniversary".
41. "usmaa.org.au". usmaa.org.au.
42. "The Sri Lanka Dhamma Vihara Association of Canberra(SLDVAC) Inc". Dhammavihara.org.au.
43. "alma.org.au". alma.org.au.
44. "SBS Radio - Sinhalese".
45. "Black & Gold of Victoria - D.S. Senanayake College Old Boys Association".
46. "Good Shepherd Convent Colombo Past Pupils' Association".
47. "Katherine Keegel Children's Fund (KKCF)".
48. "Sri Lankan - Northern Melbourne Sri Lankan Senior's Association Inc. - - - Community Directory - City of Whittlesea".
49. "Royal College Old Boys Association".
50. "Nalandians In Sydney – Old Naladians Association Sydney Australia".
51. "OLD NALANDIANS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA (ONAA, Melbourne".
52. "Nalanda Old Boys Association Queensland Inc".
53. "Old Nalandians Association of Western Australia Inc".
54. "HOME".
55. "usmaa.org.au". usmaa.org.au.
56. "Adelaide Sri Lanka Buddhist Vihara".
57. "Adelaide Sri Lankan Community".
58. "Sri Lankan Australian Youth Association (SLAYA)".
59. "Sri Lanka Buddhist Vihara Perth Western Australia {{!}} The Temple serves the needs of the Sri Lankan Buddhist community living in Perth and the surrounding area.".
60. "Sri Lankan Muslim Society of Western Australia Inc.".
61. "The Buddhist Society of the N.T.".
62. "Sri Lanka Australia Friendship Association".