Samoan Australians refers to

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal A ...

citizens or residents who are of ethnic Samoan descent or people born in

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...

but grew up in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

. However, there are many New Zealand-born Samoans living in Australia, known as Samoan New Zealand Australians. Most Samoans in

live in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...

and

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...

. Most people of Samoan heritage speak Samoan as their first language.

History

After

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι� ...

missionaries from Australia began visiting

in 1857, Samoan ministers began traveling to Australia for more training and to find work. However, Samoan and other non-European immigration to Australia was halted due to the

White Australia policy The White Australia policy is a term encapsulating a set of historical policies that aimed to forbid people of non-European ethnic origin, especially Asians (primarily Chinese) and Pacific Islanders, from immigrating to Australia, starting i ...

in 1901. The next significant wave of Samoans to move to Australia was in the 1970s, where Samoans participated in educational programs sponsored by the Australian Government.

Demographics

House Of Bread Assembly Of God Church Of Samoa, Thomastown 3

According to the 2006 Australian census, 15,244 Australians were born in Samoa and 193 in American Samoa Total count of persons: 19,855,288. while 39,992 claimed Samoan ancestry, either alone or with another ancestry. Total responses: 25,451,383 for total count of persons: 19,855,288. The 2011 Australian census showed an increase in both categories as Australians who claimed Samoan ancestry was 55,843 and Samoa-born residents were 19,092. According to the 2016 Australian census, there are a total of 75,755 Australians with Samoan ancestry. This number includes the 24,017 Australian residents who were born in the

Samoan Islands The Samoan Islands ( sm, Motu o Sāmoa) are an archipelago covering in the central South Pacific, forming part of Polynesia and of the wider region of Oceania. Administratively, the archipelago comprises all of the Independent State of Samoa an ...

. 41.3 percent of Samoan Australians live in

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, 33.9 percent live in

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

, 21.1 percent live in

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, and just 1.9 percent live in

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to t ...

. Samoan Australians are the second largest Polynesian group behind

Māori Australians Māori Australians ( mi, ngā tangata Māori i Ahitereiria) are Australians of Māori heritage. The Māori presence in Australia dates back to the 19th century when Māori travelled to Sydney to trade, acquire new technology, and learn new idea ...

. In 2016, 49.3% of people claiming Samoan ancestry in New South Wales spoke Samoan at home and 47.0% spoke English at home.

Notable people

* List of Samoans

References

Polynesian Australian Samoan diaspora {{ethno-stub

History

Demographics

Notable people

See also

References