American Australians
Total population
American
77,010 (by birth, 2011 census)
62,960 (by ancestry, 2011 census)
Regions with significant populations
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra
Languages
Australian English · American English
Related ethnic groups
African Americans · European Americans · Hispanic and Latino Americans · Asian Americans · Native Americans · Pacific Islander Americans

American Australians are Australian citizens who are of American descent, including immigrants and residents who are descended from migrants from the United States of America and its territories. This includes people of European, African American, American Indian, Hispanic or Latin American, Asian, and Pacific Islander backgrounds.

Demography

People born in the United States as a percentage of the population in Australia divided geographically by statistical local area, as of the 2011 census
Number of permanent settlers arriving in Australia from the US since 1991 (monthly)

At the 2006 Australian Census, 71,718 Australian residents declared that they were American-born. Concentrations of American-born residents were in Sydney (16,339), Melbourne (11,130), Brisbane (6,057), Perth (5,558), Adelaide (2,862), and Canberra (1,970).[1] At that census, residents could declare up to two ancestries: of the 56,283 respondents declaring American ancestry, 3,901 also declared Hispanic ancestry; 1,798, African American; 3,936, North American Indian; and 224, Puerto Rican.[2]

Community history

The first North Americans to land in Australia were British crewmen from the Endeavour under Captain Cook, who sojourned at Botany Bay in 1770. Once a permanent colony was established in New South Wales, "trade links were developed almost exclusively with North America."[3]

The North American colonies, including what are now Canada and the United States, had been used by Britain for penal transportation. With the recognition of the independence of the United States in the 1780s, the British Government sought new lands to exile convicts, and Australia became the pre-eminent prison colony of the British Empire.[4]

From the 1770s to the 1840s, North Americans settled in Australia primarily as demobilised British soldiers and sailors; as convicts (some United States citizens were arrested at sea for maritime offences, tried, convicted, and transported);[4] and as whalers, sealers, or itinerants. Many of these settlers moved on to New Zealand for a time, and often returned to New South Wales. African Americans had a noted presence in the earliest British outposts in Australia, usually after a period of service in the British Navy.[5]

In the 1850s, large numbers of United States citizens arrived, most often after spending time in California during its gold rush. These migrants settled predominantly in rural Victoria, where the discovery of gold had encouraged a large colony of prospectors and speculators. Some born in the United States played eminent roles in the Eureka Stockade, particularly in the miners' paramilitary self-defence groups. The colonial authorities suspected the American-born and others, such as the Irish, of promoting republicanism.

At the time of Federation, in 1901, there were 7,448 United States-born persons in Australia.[3] About this time, many of these American-Australians worked in the labour movement, including the formation of trade unions and the Australian Labor Party (hence the spelling of Labor in the American way instead of the more common Labour; both spellings were acceptable in Australian English at the time). Despite North American socio-cultural influences, Australian public opinion was wary of the United States: the visit of the "Great White Fleet" of the United States Navy to Sydney and Melbourne in 1908 was greeted with fanfare,[6] but provoked immediate comment that the (British) Royal Navy should make an even greater show of force to restate in the strongest military terms Australia's position as the south-eastern guarantor of the British Empire.[6]

During the Second World War, more than a million United States soldiers were stationed, not all simultaneously, in Australia at the request of the Australian Government after the surrender of the British garrison in Singapore to the Japanese in 1941. When the war ended, 12,000 Australian women migrated to the United States as war brides, and 10,000 United States citizens settled in Australia—including ex-servicemen as war husbands.

The ANZUS Treaty, binding the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, was signed in 1951, locking the three countries into a mutual defence pact. This increased social and political ties between Australia and the United States and led Australia and New Zealand to commit soldiers to the Vietnam War in the 1960s and 1970s. These connections, along with increased worldwide travel, prompted more Americans to migrate permanently; in 1971 there were 39,035 United States–born residents in Australia.[3]

Education

The American International School of Sydney is defunct.

Notable people

Name Born – died Notable for Connection with Australia Connection with United States
Janet Andrewartha 1952– actress works in Australia born in Camarillo, California
Aaron Baddeley 1981– golf player moved to Australia when 2 years old; raised in Australia born in Lebanon, New Hampshire
Carsten Ball 1987– tennis player raised in Australia born in Newport Beach, California
Duncan Ball 1941– author moved to Australia in 1974; naturalised Australian in 1980 born in Boston, Massachusetts
Cate Blanchett 1969– actress born and raised in Australia father Robert DeWitt Blanchett, Jr was an American from Texas
Betty Bobbitt 1939–2020 actress and author moved to Australia in 1962 born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jonah Bolden 1996– basketball player born and raised in Australia father Bruce Bolden is an African American who played in the NBL and still lives in Australia
Chelsea Brown 1946–2017 comedian and actress moved to Australia in 1977; married to actor Vic Rooney until his death in 2002 born in Chicago, Illinois
Cal Bruton 1954– basketball player and coach moved to Australia in 1979; naturalised 1983; played for the men's national team and named to the NBL 25th Anniversary Team in 2003. born in New York City, New York; played college basketball at Wichita State University
C. J. Bruton 1975– basketball player moved to Australia with his father Cal in 1979; naturalised along with his father; played for the men's national team son of Cal Bruton; born in Wichita, Kansas while his father was playing at Wichita State
John Butler 1975– musician, founder John Butler Trio Australian father; moved to Australia in 1986 born in Torrance, California
Arthur Calwell 1896-1973 Australian politician born in Australia parental grandfather is American
Kate Ceberano 1966– actress and singer born and raised in Australia her father Tino Ceberano is American of Filipino Hawaiian descent
Didier Cohen 1985– artists and repertoire (a&r), media personality, actor, and model raised in Australia born in Los Angeles
Toni Collette 1972– actress, producer, and singer born and raised in Australia her biological paternal grandfather was American
Mason Cox 1991- Football Player (AFL) Moved to Australia to play AFL for Collingwood Born and raised in Texas
Bruce Djite 1987– football (soccer) player moved to Australia when 3 years old; raised in Australia born in Arlington County, Virginia
Aisha Dee 1993– actress, and singer born in Australia; Australian mother father is African American
Joe Dolce 1947– singer/songwriter, poet, and essayist relocated to Melbourne, Australia, in 1978 born in Painesville, Ohio, to Italian-American parents
Dante Exum 1995– basketball player born and raised in Australia father Cecil Exum is an African American who played in the NBL and still lives in Australia
Mel Gibson 1956– actor and director moved to Australia when 12 years old; paternal grandmother was Australian; honorary Officer of the Order of Australia born Peekskill, New York and holds dual US and Irish citizenships
Virginia Giuffre 1983- advocate and campaigner for survivors of sex trafficking moved to Australia at the age of 19 in 2002 with her Australian husband; became a naturalised Australian citizen at an unspecified date born in Sacramento, California, United States to American parents
Ricky Grace 1966– basketball player moved to Australia in 1990; naturalised c. 1996; played for the men's national team and named to the NBL 25th Anniversary Team. born in Dallas, Texas; played college basketball at the University of Oklahoma
Bill Hayden 1933– Australian politician born in Australia father is American
Colleen Hewett 1950– singer and actress born and raised in Australia her family on her maternal side are of African American descent; great-great-grandfather is a native of Guayana
Marcia Hines 1953– singer and actress moved to Australia in 1969; member of the Order of Australia (naturalised 1994) born in Boston, Massachusetts
Deni Hines 1970– singer and actress born in Australia Daughter of Marcia Hines; Father is of Somalian/Ethiopian descent
Kyrie Irving 1992– basketball player born in Australia; family returned to the U.S. when 2 years old parents are American
Terri Irwin 1964– Zoologist, naturalist, author and television presenter wife of Steve Irwin. Moved to Australia in 1992; naturalised in 2009 three years after her husband's death born in Eugene, Oregon
Bindi Irwin 1998– Singer, actress, conservationist and television personality born in Australia daughter of Terri and Steve Irwin
Robert Irwin 2003– Conservationist and television personality born in Australia son of Terri and Steve Irwin
Aku Kadogo choreographer, director, actress, and educator educated and performed in Australia born, and grew up in Detroit, Michigan.[7]
Kristina Keneally 1968– Premier of New South Wales 2009–2011, Senator 2018—2022 moved to Australia in 1994; naturalised Australian in 2000 born Kristina Marie Kerscher in Las Vegas, Nevada to American father and Australian mother
Nicole Kidman 1967– actress dual citizen by descent (Australian parents) dual citizen by birth (born in Honolulu, Hawaii)
Don Lane 1933–2009 TV presenter, cabaret performer moved to Australia 1965 born Morton Donald Isaacson in New York City, New York
Cheltzie Lee 1993– figure skater born in Australia mother is American
Leroy Loggins 1957– basketball player as an Australian citizen competed in the 1992 Olympic Games born New Brunswick, New Jersey
Bob Meyer 1932–2009 logician moved to Australia 1974 born in US
King O'Malley 1858–1953 Australian politician lived in Australia from 1888 claimed to have been born in Canada, more likely that he was born in US
Mike Nahan 1950– Australian politician moved to Australia in 1978; naturalised Australian in 1988 born in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Caleb Patterson-Sewell 1987– football (soccer) player moved to Australia when 2 years old; raised in Australia born in Hendersonville, Tennessee to American father and Australian mother
Don Pyke 1968– Australian rules footballer father is Australian born in Bloomington, Illinois
James Mahmud Rice 1972- sociologist raised in Australia born in Honolulu, Hawaii to American father and Indonesian mother
Peter Ruehl 1947–2011 journalist and television news personality moved to Australia in 1987 born in New York City, New York
Penny Sackett 1956– astronomer moved to Australia in 2002; naturalised Australian in 2008 born Lincoln, Nebraska
Brian Schmidt 1967– astrophysicist moved to Australia 1994, co-winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics 2011 born Missoula, Montana
Jon Hunter Spence 1945–2011 Jane Austen scholar became an Australian citizen in 2011 born Camilla, Georgia
Ben Simmons 1996– basketball player born and raised in Australia his father Dave Simmons is an African American who played in the NBL and still lives in Australia
Archie Smith 1995– football player (AFL) born and raised in Australia his father is Andre Moore is an African American who played in the NBL and still lives in Australia
Irwin Thomas 1971– singer-songwriter and guitarist mother was an Australian-born folk singer and dancer; she returned to Australia in 1980, with her son.[8] born in 1971 in Manhattan, New York City.[9]
Taren Stinebrickner-Kauffman 1981– Noted political activist born in Australia dual citizen
Sanford Wheeler 1970–2020 Australian rules footballer migrated to Australia in 1975 born in US to Australian father and American mother
Lydia Williams 1988– football (soccer) player born in Australia mother is American
Makenzie Vega 1994- actress moved to Australia in 2016 born in Los Angeles, California, sister of Alexa Vega
Bert McCracken 1982- musician moved to Australia in 2004 born in Provo, Utah,
Logan Huffman 1989- actor move in Australia dual U.S. citizen born in

Noblesville, Indiana,

Mark Webber 1980- actor director move in Australia dual U.S.citizen born in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Brent DeBoer 1967- musician move in Australia dual U.S.citizen born in Portland, Oregon
Brooke Harman 1985- actress Mother is Australian Born in Orange County, California
Kenneth Moraleda 1973- actor educated and performed in Australia born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Filipino American parents
Orlando Jordan 1974- actor, stuntman, and semi-retired American professional wrestler move in Australia dual U.S. citizen born in Salem, New Jersey

See also

References

  1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics – Ethnic Media Kit
  2. ^ ibid, Ancestry (full classification list) by Sex – Australia
  3. ^ a b c "Publications: Statistics – Community Information Summaries". Archived from the original on 10 June 2007. Retrieved 12 June 2007.
  4. ^ a b Hughes, Robert. The Fatal Shore. London: Routledge (1986).
  5. ^ The Colony. SBS Television (2002)
  6. ^ a b Macintyre, Stuart. A Concise History of Australia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (2004).
  7. ^ Gabriel, Larry. "Dancing back". Detroit Metro Times. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  8. ^ "Item details for: B44, V1980/48695, Title: Whittridge, Renalda". National Archives of Australia. 31 May 2000. Archived from the original on 10 December 2019. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  9. ^ "Irwin Thomas aka Jack Jones | Australian Music Database". www.australianmusicdatabase.com. Retrieved 24 October 2021.

External links

American diaspora
Ancestry of Australians
Categories