Welsh Australians: Difference between revisions
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{{dablink|For other Welsh emigrant populations in the Americas, see [[Welsh Argentinians]] and [[:Category:Welsh Canadians]].}} |
{{dablink|For other Welsh emigrant populations in the Americas, see [[Welsh Argentinians]] and [[:Category:Welsh Canadians]].}} |
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{{Infobox Ethnic group |
{{Infobox Ethnic group |
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|group = Welsh-Australian |
|group = Welsh-Australian Awstraliad-Cymreig |
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|image = [[Image:Juliagillard.JPG|95px|Julia Gillard]] [[Image:Lord Atkin of Aberdovey.jpg|75px|Lord Atkin of Aberdovey]] |
|image = [[Image:Juliagillard.JPG|95px|Julia Gillard]] [[Image:Lord Atkin of Aberdovey.jpg|75px|Lord Atkin of Aberdovey]] |
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|caption = <small>Notable Welsh Australians:<br/><br/>[[Julia Gillard]] . [[James Atkin, Baron Atkin|Lord Atkin of Aberdovey]]<br/> {{flagicon|Wales}} {{flagicon|Australia}} |
|caption = <small>Notable Welsh Australians:<br/><br/>[[Julia Gillard]] . [[James Atkin, Baron Atkin|Lord Atkin of Aberdovey]]<br/> {{flagicon|Wales}} {{flagicon|Australia}} |
Revision as of 10:41, 21 August 2008
Languages | |
---|---|
English and Welsh | |
Religion | |
Christianity (mostly Anglicanism and Presbyterianism) | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Welsh, Welsh Argentine, Welsh American, Welsh Canadian |
Welsh Australians are citizens of Australia whose ancestry originates in the northwest European nation of Wales (which is part of the United Kingdom).
Number of Welsh Australians
According to the 2006 Australian census 25,317 Australian residents were born in Wales[2] while 113,242 (0.44%) claimed Welsh ancestry, either alone or with another ancestry.[1]
The name Jones, which is often considered distinctively Welsh, is one of most-common surnames in Australia, accounting for over 1% of Australians, which suggests a higher rate of Welsh ancestry than indicated by self-identification.
Welsh emigration to Australia
It is believed that the eastern coast of Australia reminded Captain James Cook of the coast of South Wales (especially the Vale of Glamorgan coast, which he knew), hence the name he gave to it, "New South Wales". The first European colony in Australia was in New South Wales, beginning with the First Fleet of 1788. Welsh people numbered amongst these first settlers, and continued to arrive in the new colony through the British policy of penal transportation that was implemented for many criminal acts.
A gold rush began in Australia in the early 1850s, and the Eureka Stockade rebellion in 1854 was an early expression of nationalist sentiment. Amongst its leaders was the Welsh-born Chartist John Basson Humffray, one of a significant group of immigrants that came over from Wales at this time.
Mass emigration from Wales to Australia got under way in the early 20th century with New South Wales and Victoria being particularly popular destinations. It is also said that around 20% of the population of New South Wales are at least partly Welsh descented. In the early twentieth-century most of the Welsh settlers were farmers, but later on there was emigration by coal miners to coalfields.
List of notable Welsh-Australians
name | Born - Died | Notable for | Connection with Australia | Connection with Wales |
---|---|---|---|---|
James Atkin, Baron Atkin, known as Lord Atkin of Aberdovey | 1867-1944 | lawyer and judge | born Australia | grew up in Wales from age 4; always thought of himself as Welsh |
John Beard | 1943- | artist | now working in Australia | born Wales |
Julia Gillard | 1961- | politician | arrived Australia at age 5 | born Wales |
Rolf Harris | 1930- | entertainer | born Australia | parents Welsh |
Dannii Minogue | 1971- | singer and entertainer | born Australia | mother born Wales |
Kylie Minogue | 1968- | singer and actress | born Australia | mother born Wales |
Alf Morgans | 1850-1933 | Premier of Western Australia | moved to Western Australia in 1896 | born Wales |
Naomi Watts | 1968- | actress | moved to Australia at age 14; grandmother was Australian | lived Wales age 7-15; mother's parents Welsh |
References
- ^ a b "20680-Ancestry (full classification list) by Sex - Australia" (Microsoft Excel download). 2006 Census. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 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. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
Further reading
- Lloyd, Lewis. (1988) Australians from Wales Caernarfon: Gwynedd Archives. ISBN 0901337471