Australian American

Not to be confused with American Australian.

Australian American

Errol Flynn · Rupert Murdoch · Mel Gibson · Flea · Mark Stoermer
Total population
60,965 (2000 United States Census data)
Regions with significant populations
California, Hawaii, New York
Related ethnic groups
British Americans · Britons · Cornish Americans · Canadian American · English Americans · Scottish Americans · Scots-Irish Americans · Welsh Americans · Irish Americans

An Australian American is a citizen of the United States who identifies with an Australian national background.

History

The history of the Australian American population almost follows the story of both British Americans and Irish Americans, as Australia was a British political territory at the time when they first emigrated and most of the settlers were Irish. The first wave of emigration from Australia to the United States came in the 1850s California Gold Rush when mostly Irish migrants who had escaped the Great Irish Famine had previously worked on the Australian goldfields. In San Francisco, the "Sydney Ducks" as they were known, were in violent conflict with nativist locals. Transpacific immigration then dried up while the American Civil War waged. It picked up during the period of Reconstruction, but faltered again when Australia was hit by a depression in the late 1890s. Immigration to the United States peaked in the years following World War II, due to America's increased economic activity, and the exodus of 15,000 Australian war brides who married U.S. servicemen. From 1971 to 1990, more than 86,400 Australians and New Zealanders immigrated to the United States.

Demographics

At the 2000 U.S. Census, 60,965 Australian born people were enumerated in the United States, of which 15,315 were citizens. Around 40% of Australian Americans had entered the United States before 1980. Australians speak more than 260 languages and identify with over 270 ancestries. Following World War II, the first waves of migrants and refugees to Australia came mostly from Europe, diversifying what was then a mostly Anglo-Celtic nation. Later waves have come from the Asia–Pacific region, the Middle East and Africa, contributing to the diverse population that exists today. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain a further source of Australia's varied backgrounds.

Notable Australian Americans

Business

Name	Born – Died	Notable for	Connection with Australia	Connection with America
Rupert Murdoch	1931–	CEO of News Corporation	born in Australia	became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1985
Jacques Nasser	1947–	former CEO of Ford Motors	born in Lebanon but raised in Australia	resided in the U.S.

Public Service

Name	Born – Died	Notable for	Connection with Australia	Connection with America
Richard W. Fisher	1949–	Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President	Australian-American father	U.S. citizen at birth
John Henderson		blind activist	born in Australia	emigrated to the U.S. with parents as a child
Martin Indyk	1951–	former US Ambassador to Israel	British born, Australian raised	U.S. diplomat
James Wolfensohn	1933–	former president of the World Bank	born in Australia	naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 1980

Politics

Name	Born – Died	Notable for	Connection with Australia	Connection with America
Harry Bridges	1901–1990	International Longshore and Warehouse Union leader	born in Australia	became naturalized U.S. citizen in 1945

Writers

Name	Born – Died	Notable for	Connection with Australia	Connection with America
Jill Ker Conway	1934–	writer	born Australia	works in the U.S.
Sumner Locke Elliott	1917–1991	writer of Careful, he might hear you	born in Australia	moved to the U.S. in 1948 and became naturalized citizen in 1955

Scientists

Name	Born – Died	Notable for	Connection with Australia	Connection with America
Philip K. Chapman	born 5 March 1935	Astronaut	Born in Australia	emigrated to the U.S.
Terence James Elkins	1936–	physicist, 1st ascent of Mount Elkins, 1979 Harold Brown Award recipient	born in Australia	emigrated to the U.S. in 1963; naturalized U.S. citizen in 1971
Paul D. Scully-Power	1944–	oceanographer and astronaut	born in Australia	naturalized U.S. citizen in 1982
Andy Thomas	18 December 1951	Astronaut	Born in Australia	emigrated to the U.S., naturalized in 1986
Elizabeth Blackburn	born 26 November 1948	Winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine	Born in Australia	naturalized U.S. citizen

Artists

Name	Born – Died	Notable for	Connection with Australia	Connection with America
Pat Oliphant	1935–	New York Times cartoonist	born in Australia	emigrated to U.S. in 1964

Sport

Name	Born – Died	Notable for	Connection with Australia	Connection with America
Darren Bennett	1965–	Australian rules and American football	born, played in AFL	played in NFL
Taj Burrow	1978–	surfing	born in Australia	parents are U.S. citizens
Taylor Dent	1981–	tennis	father is Australian	born in the U.S.
Jamie Dundee	1971–	professional wrestling	born in Australia	moved to U.S. as a child
Kyrie Irving	1992–	basketball	born in Melbourne	parents are U.S. citizens
Robert Machado	1973–	surfing	born in Sydney	grew up and lives in California

Music

Name	Born – Died	Notable for	Connection with Australia	Connection with America
John Butler	1962–	lead singer for the John Butler Trio	family moved to Australia at age 11	born in the U.S.; mother is U.S. citizen
Flea	1948–	bassist for Red Hot Chili Peppers	born in Australia	lived in the U.S. since age 5
MC Lars	1982–	rapper	father is Australian	born in the U.S.
Olivia Newton-John	1948–	pop singer	family moved to Australia at age 6	lives in the U.S.
Rick Springfield	1949–	singer and actor	born in Australia	lives in the U.S.
Mark Stoermer	1977–	bassist for The Killers	father is Australian	born in the U.S.

Actors/Actresses

Name	Born – Died	Notable for	Connection with Australia	Connection with America
Simon Baker	1969–	actor	born in Australia	moved to the U.S. in the 1990s; has been a dual U.S. and Australian citizens since 2010.
Jacinda Barrett	1972–	actress	born in Australia	moved to the U.S. in the 1990s; married to U.S. citizen Gabriel Macht
Cate Blanchett	1969–	actress	born in Australia	father was American
Sean Brosnan	1983 –	actor	mother was Australian	U.S. citizenship
Portia de Rossi	1973–	actress	born in Australia	moved to the U.S. in the 1990s; married Ellen DeGeneres in 2008.
Leon Errol	1881–1951	vaudeville	born in Australia	worked and died in the U.S
Mia Farrow	1945 –	actress	father is Australian	born in the U.S. with dual citizenship
Errol Flynn	1909–1959	actor	born in Australia	He became a naturalized citizen of the U.S. in 1942
Melissa George	1976–	actress	born in Australia	moved to U.S. in the 1990s; became a naturalised U.S. citizen in 2008
Mel Gibson	1956–	actor and director	paternal grandmother was Australian and moved to Australia when he was 12 years old	born in the U.S. and holds dual U.S. and Irish citizenship; Australian resident
Nicholas Hammond	1950–	actor and director	moved to Australia in the mid-1980s	born in the U.S.
Nicole Kidman	1967–	actress	both parents are Australians; raised in Australia	born in the U.S. with dual citizenship
Anthony LaPaglia	1959–	Without a Trace actor	born in Australia	resides and works in the U.S.
George Lazenby	1939–	actor	born in Australia	resided in the U.S.
Heath Ledger	1979–2008	actor	born in Australia	died in the U.S.
Poppy Montgomery	1975–	Without a Trace actor	born in Australia	lives and works in the U.S.
Keir O'Donnell	1978–	actor	born in Australia	lives and works in the U.S.
Nathalia Ramos	1992–	actress	born in Spain, mother is Australian	lives and works in the U.S.
Helen Reddy	1941–	actress, singer	born in Australia	naturalized U.S.citizen
Ann Richards	1917–2006	actress	born in Australia	moved to the U.S. in 1942; father was U.S. citizen
Tristan Rogers	1946–	General Hospital actor	born in Australia	naturalized U.S. citizen
Kristen Stewart	1990–	actress	mother is Australian	born in the U.S.
Rod Taylor	1930–	actor	born in Australia	moved to the U.S. in 1951

Other

Name	Born – Died	Notable for	Connection with Australia	Connection with America
Bindi Irwin	1996–	child television/film personality	father is Australian Steve Irwin	mother Terri Irwin is from Oregon
Brianna Keilar	1980–	television journalist for CNN	born in Australia	grew up in Orange County, California
Soledad O'Brien	1966–	television journalist for CNN	father is Australian	born in the U.S.
Terry Tao	1975–	mathematician, 2006 Fields medalist	born in Australia	In 1992 he won a Fulbright Scholarship and by 1996 attained his Ph.D. at Princeton; has married an American
Marsha Waggoner	1940–	champion poker player	born in Australia	lived in the U.S. since 1977
Christopher Wilder	1945–1984	serial killer	born in Australia	emigrated to the U.S. in 1969; father is U.S. citizen

See also

• American Australian