Lebanese Australian
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
   |
| Notable Lebanese Australians: Steve Bracks, David Malouf, Bachar Houli |
| Total population |
|---|
| Lebanese 181,751 (by ancestry, 2006) |
| Regions with significant populations |
| Sydney (72.8% of Lebanese born Australian residents), Melbourne, Brisbane |
| Languages |
| Religion |
|
Predominantly Catholic, and Muslim (mainly Shi'a and Sunni), with minorities of Judaism and Atheism |
| Related ethnic groups |
|
Arab diaspora, Sierra Leonean-Lebanese, Lebanese Americans, Lebanese Canadian, Ecuadorian of Lebanese origin, Lebanese Brazilian, Arab Argentine, Lebanese British, Arab Mexican |
Lebanese Australian refers to Lebanese people who are citizens or residents of Australia.
Lebanon has been a source of immigrants to Australia over several decades, with 181,751 Australians claiming a Lebanese ancestry either alone or in combination with one other ancestry.[1] The 2006 census recorded 74,848 Lebanon-born persons in Australia,[2] with 72.8% of all people with Lebanese ancestry living in Sydney (where they make up 2.3% of the population)[4]. The Western Sydney suburbs of Bankstown, Lakemba and Punchbowl are associated with the Lebanese population as well as the Northern Melbourne suburbs of Broadmeadows and Coburg, Brunswick, Fawkner and Altona.
Contents |
[edit] Community history
As part of a significant emigration from Lebanon in the 1870s Lebanese people migrated in great numbers to many countries. While most migrated to Brazil and other Latin American nations, particularly Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador, and many also went to the US (in particular, New York) some emigrated to Australia, mainly to the eastern states and most to New South Wales.[5][6] The Lebanese population are thus one of the older established non-English speaking minorities in the country — although considerably smaller in number is of a similar vintage to the Greeks, Italians and Germans.
In the 1890s there were increasing numbers of Syrian/Lebanese immigrants to Australia, part of mass emigration from the Syria/Lebanon region.[7]
Lebanese migrants were classified as Asians in the nineteenth century and they came within the scope of the White Australia policy which intentionally restricted non-white immigration to Australia. Lebanese migrants were excluded from citizenship, the right to vote and employment, and were treated as enemy aliens during World War I and World War II.[5] In 1897 Lebanese store keepers and businesses were accused of fraud by state border Customs officers during Queensland customs prosecution cases.[7]
Lebanese migrants to Australia were not habitually distinguished from Turks prior to 1918 because the area of modern Lebanon was a province of the Ottoman Empire until it passed to French colonial rule. Thereafter the Lebanese were not distinguished from Syrians, as Lebanon and Syria were two French colonies in proximity.[8]
From 1920 people from Lebanon (and Syria) were granted access to Australian citizenship as the Nationality Act 1920 removed the racial disqualification from the naturalisation laws.[7]
By 1947, there were 1,886 Lebanese-born in Australia,[9] almost all Christian. The Lebanese born population numbered 24,218 in 1971 and had doubled to 49,617 in 1981.[9] Following the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War in 1975, more than 20,000 civil war refugees arrived in Australia.[9] These migrants were often poor and over half of them were Muslim.[9] The influx of migrants changed the character of the Lebanese community in Australia significantly, especially in Sydney where 75 percent of the Lebanese born population were concentrated.[9]
For the remainder of the 1970s and 1980s, unrest in Lebanon caused a large increase in the number of Lebanese migrating to Australia.
In 1991 there were 68,787 people who were first generation immigrants born in Lebanon and 67,453 second generation people associated with Lebanon as a birthplace.[10]
All main Lebanese groups - Maronites, Melkites, Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholics, Druze, Shi'a, Sunnis and Kurds (amongst others) — are now represented. [11]
The Lebanese in Melbourne have opened restaurants and groceries and middle eastern shops and Lebanese bars on Sydney Road which is sometimes called Little Lebanon. [12]
Following the trials for a series of gang rape attacks in Sydney in 2000 by a group of Lebanese, the Lebanese Muslim Australian community came under significant scrutiny by the media in addition to a more general anti-Muslim backlash after the September 11, 2001 attacks.[13] Community concern and divisiveness continued in the wake of the 2005 Cronulla riots in Sydney.[14]
[edit] Return Migration
Lebanese Australians have a moderate rate of return migration to Lebanon. In December 2001, the Department of Foreign Affairs estimated that there were 25,000 Australian citizens resident in Lebanon. [15]
During the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, the Australian Government organised mass evacuations of Australians resident in Lebanon. [16]
[edit] Religion
While 55% of Lebanese in their homeland are Muslim, the majority of diasporic Lebanese are Christian. In Australia, 65% are Christian and 35% are Muslim, of those born in Lebanon. [17]
[edit] Notable Lebanese Australians
| Name | Born – Died | Notable for | Connection with Australia | Connection with Lebanon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Alexander Alam | 1896–1983 | member of the New South Wales Legislative Council | born Australia | parents born Lebanon |
| Ron Bakir | 1977 | Mobile phone retailer | emigrated to Australia | born in Lebanon |
| Max Basheer | 1927 | Former administrator with the South Australian National Football League | born Australia | parents born Lebanon |
| Marie Bashir | 1930 | Governor of New South Wales | born Australia | parents born in Lebanon |
| Steve Bracks | 1954 | Former Premier of Victoria | born Australia | paternal grandfather born in Lebanon |
| Firass Dirani | 1984 | actor | born Australia | of Lebanese origin[citation needed] |
| Sam Doumany[18] | Former Attorney-General and Minister for Justice in Queensland | |||
| Hazem El Masri | 1976 | Canterbury Bulldogs Rugby league player | migrated to Australia as child | born Lebanon |
| Nazih Elasmar | 1954 | member of the Victorian Legislative Council | migrated to Australia | born Lebanon |
| Benny Elias | 1963 | Former National Rugby League player | migrated to Australia as a child | born Lebanon |
| Ahmad Elrich | 1981 | International Football (soccer) player | born Australia | Lebanese descent |
| Tarek Elrich | 1987 | Newcastle United Jets Football (soccer) player | born Australia | Lebanese descent |
| Robbie Farah | 1984 | Wests Tigers Rugby league player | born Australia | father emigrated from Lebanon c. 1960 |
| Joe Hachem | 1966 | 2005 World Series of Poker champion | migrated to Australia as child | born Lebanon |
| Milham Hanna | former Australian rules footballer with Carlton | grew up in Australia | born Lebanon | |
| Joe Hasham | 1948 | actor | emigrated to Australia as infant | born in Lebanon |
| Bachar Houli | 1988 | Essendon Bombers Australian Rules Football player | born Australia | parents born Lebanon |
| Sabrina Houssami | 1986 | 2006 Australian representative at Miss World | born Australia | Lebanese father |
| Tamara Jaber[19] | 1982 | member of pop band Scandal'us | born Australia | Lebanese father |
| Bob Katter, Sr. | 1918–1990 | member for Federal Division of Kennedy 1966-1990 | born Australia | Lebanese descent |
| Bilal Khazal | Al-Qaeda associate, jihadist, Qantas baggage handler | working Australia | born Lebanon | |
| Tim Mannah | 1988 | Parramatta Eels Rugby League player | born Australia | Lebanese descent |
| David Malouf | 1934 | writer | born Australia | father Lebanese |
| Daryl Melham | 1954 | member of the Australian House of Representatives | born in Australia | father migrated from Lebanon |
| Cesar Melhem | 1965 | Victorian state secretary of Australian Workers' Union | migrated to Australia | born in Lebanon |
| Feiz Mohammad | Fundamentalist cleric | born in Australia | ||
| Tony Mokbel | 1965 | convicted drug trafficker and prison fugitive | emigrated to Australia | Born in Kuwait father originally from Lebanon |
| Fehmi Naji | 1928 | Grand Mufti of Australia | born in Lebanon | |
| Paul Nakad | 1975 | actor and hip hop artist | born Australia | Lebanese descent |
| Jacques Nasser | 1947 | Former CEO of Ford Motors | raised in Australia | born Lebanon |
| Eddie Obeid | 1943 | NSW Member of the Legislative Council, former NSW Minister for Fisheries and Mineral Resources amd key power broker in the NSW Right of the ALP | working in Australia | born Matrit (also spelt Metrit) Bsharri District |
| Barbara Perry | NSW parliamentarian | born Australia | parents born Lebanon | |
| Roger Rasheed | 1969 | international tennis coach and former player | born Australia | father migrated from Lebanon |
| Nicholas Shehadie | 1926 | Lord Mayor of Sydney (1973-1975) | born Australia | of Lebanese descent |
| Bilal Skaf | 1981 | led a series of gang rape attacks in Sydney in 2000 | born Australia | parents born Lebanon and emigrated to Australia |
| John Symond | Founder and Managing Director of Aussie Group | born Australia | parents born Lebanon | |
| Keysar Trad | Muslim community spokesman | migrated to Australia | born in Lebanon | |
| Doris Younane | 1963 | Actress | born in Australia | Parents born Lebanon |
[edit] See also
- Christianity in Australia
- Islam in Australia
- Religion in Australia
- 2005 Cronulla riots
- Sydney gang rapes
[edit] References
- ^ a b "20680-Ancestry (full classification list) by Sex - Australia" (Microsoft Excel download). 2006 Census. Australian Bureau of Statistics. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/ViewData?breadcrumb=POLTD&method=Place%20of%20Usual%20Residence&subaction=-1&issue=2006&producttype=Census%20Tables&documentproductno=0&textversion=false&documenttype=Details&collection=Census&javascript=true&topic=Ancestry&action=404&productlabel=Ancestry%20(full%20classification%20list)%20by%20Sex&order=1&period=2006&tabname=Details&areacode=0&navmapdisplayed=true&. Retrieved 2008-05-19.
- ^ a b "20680-Country of Birth of Person (full classification list) by Sex - Australia" (Microsoft Excel download). 2006 Census. Australian Bureau of Statistics. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/ViewData?action=404&documentproductno=0&documenttype=Details&order=1&tabname=Details&areacode=0&issue=2006&producttype=Census%20Tables&javascript=true&textversion=false&navmapdisplayed=true&breadcrumb=POLTD&&collection=Census&period=2006&productlabel=Country%20of%20Birth%20of%20Person%20(full%20classification%20list)%20by%20Sex&producttype=Census%20Tables&method=Place%20of%20Usual%20Residence&topic=Birthplace&. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
- ^ Australian Bureau of STatistics 2006 Census
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics 2006 Census using table 2006 Census Tables : Sydney (Statistical Division) 20680-Country of Birth of Person (full classification list) by Sex - Sydney 54,502 people living in the Sydney statistical division were born in Lebanon out of a population of 4,119,192.
- ^ a b "El Australie - a history of Lebanese migration to Australia". Hindsight - ABC Radio National. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2008-02-03. http://www.abc.net.au/rn/hindsight/stories/2008/2143183.htm. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ "History of immigration from Lebanon". Origins:Immigrant Communities in Victoria. Museum of Victoria. http://museumvictoria.com.au/origins/history.aspx?pid=37&cat=none&cid=0. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ a b c Monsour, Anne (2005). "Chapter 10. Religion Matters: The experience of Syrian/Lebanese Christians in Australia from the 1880s to 1947". Humanities Research Journal (online version) (Australian National University E Press) Vol. XII No 1, 2005: Bigotry and Religion in Australia, 1865-1950. ISSN 1834-8491. http://epress.anu.edu.au/hrj/2005_01/mobile_devices/ch10.html. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ This was a common enough practice in Australian immigration information — for example, the UK and Ireland were not statistically separated until as late as 1996).[citation needed]
- ^ a b c d e Humphrey, Michael (2004). "Lebanese identities: between cities, nations and trans-nations". Arab Studies Quarterly (ASQ) (Association of Arab-American University Graduates) (Winter): page 8. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2501/is_1_26/ai_n6145318/pg_8. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Jupp, James (1995-01-01). "Ethnic and cultural diversity in Australia". 1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 1995. Australian Bureau of Statistics. http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/94713ad445ff1425ca25682000192af2/49f609c83cf34d69ca2569de0025c182!OpenDocument. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ "Australian Communities: Lebanese Australians". racismnoway.com.au. 2006-01-19. http://www.racismnoway.com.au/classroom/factsheets/55.html. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ "Little Lebanon in Melbourne". reviewstream.com. http://www.reviewstream.com/reviews/?p=9614. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ "... For Being Lebanese". Four Corners (TV program). Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2002-09-16. http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/archives/2002b_Monday16September2002.htm. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ jackson, Liz (2006-03-13). "Riot and Revenge (Program transcript)". Four Corners (TV program). Australian Broadcasting Corporation. http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2006/s1590953.htm. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ "Estimates of Australian Citizens Living Overseas as at December 2001". Southern Cross Group (DFAT data). 2001-02-14. http://www.southern-cross-group.org/archives/Statistics/Numbers_of_Australians_Overseas_in_2001_by_Region_Feb_2002.pdf. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ "Govt to foot Lebanon evacuation bill". ABC News. 2006-07-22. http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200607/s1693950.htm. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ "3416.0 - Perspectives on Migrants, 2007: Birthplace and Religion". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2008-02-25. http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/3416.0Main%20Features22007?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=3416.0&issue=2007&num=&view=. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ "Anthony Alexander Alam - Political Leader". Australian Lebanese Historical Society. 2002. http://www.alhs.org.au/alam.htm. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
- ^ "Tamara Jaber Biography". Take 40. 2008. http://www.take40.com/artists/1085/tamara-jaber/bio. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
[edit] External links
- Australian Lebanese Foundation
- Australians for Lebanon
- Australian Lebanese Historical Society
- Australian Lebanese Youth Association
- Lebanese-Australian Embassy
- United Australian Lebanese movement
- United Australian Lebanese Assembly
- World Lebanese Cultural Union (WLCU) Geographic-Regional Council (GRC) for Australia and New Zealand
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