American Australian
Encyclopedia
American Australians are Australians who are either born in, or descended from migrants from the United States
and its territories. This can include people of European
, African American
, American Indian
, Latin American, Asian
, or Pacific Islander
backgrounds.
ancestry, 1,798 declared an African American
ancestry, 3,936 declared a native North American Indian ancestry and 224 declared Puerto Rican
ancestry.
, 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."
The North American colonies — including both contemporary Canada and the United States — had been used by Britain for penal transportation
. With the independence of the United States in the 1770s, the British Government sought new lands to exile convicts, and Australia became the pre-eminent prison colony of the British Empire.
From the 1770s to the 1840s, North Americans settled in Australia primarily as demobilised British soldiers and sailors, as convicts — a number of United States citizens were arrested at sea for maritime offences, tried, and transported — 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 .
In the 1850s, large numbers of United States citizens arrived, most usually after periods in gold rush California
. These migrants settled predominantly in rural Victoria, where the discovery of gold had encouraged a large colony of prospectors and speculators. A number of United States-born played eminent roles in the Eureka Stockade
, particularly in regard to paramilitary formations organised for self-defence by the miners. The colonial authorities suspected the United States-born — amongst others, such as the Irish
— of disseminating republicanism
.
At the time of Federation in 1901, there were 7,448 United States-born in Australia. Around this time, these American-Australians were notable in the labour movement — including the formation of trade unions and the Australian Labor Party
(hence Labor being spelt in the North American fashion instead of Australian Labour). Despite North American socio-cultural influences, Australian public opinion was wary of the United States itself: the visit of the "Great White Fleet" of the United States Navy to Sydney and Melbourne in 1908 was greeted with fanfare, 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.
During the Second World War, over a million United States soldiers were at some point stationed in Australia at the request of the Australian Government following the surrender of the British garrison in Singapore
to the Japan
ese 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 between the United States, Australia, and New Zealand was signed in 1957, locking the three countries into a mutual defence pact. This increased social and political ties between Australia and the United States and led to Australia and New Zealand committing troops to the Vietnam War
in the 1960s and 1970s — these connections and increased worldwide travel encouraged greater numbers of United States citizens to migrate permanently and in 1971 there were 39,035 United States-born residents in Australia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and its territories. This can include people of European
European American
A European American is a citizen or resident of the United States who has origins in any of the original peoples of Europe...
, African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, American Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, Latin American, Asian
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
, or Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander , is a geographic term to describe the indigenous inhabitants of any of the three major sub-regions of Oceania: Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia.According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, these three regions, together with their islands consist of:Polynesia:...
backgrounds.
Demography
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). Also at the Census residents could nominate up to two ancestries; 56,283 respondents declared they had American ancestry with 3,901 who declared HispanicHispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
ancestry, 1,798 declared an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
ancestry, 3,936 declared a native North American Indian ancestry and 224 declared Puerto Rican
Puerto Ricans in the United States
Stateside Puerto Ricans are American citizens of Puerto Rican origin, including those who migrated from Puerto Rico to the United States and those who were born outside of Puerto Rico in the United States...
ancestry.
Community history
The first North Americans to make landfall in Australia were British crewmen from the Endeavour under Captain CookJames Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
, who sojourned at Botany Bay
Botany Bay
Botany Bay is a bay in Sydney, New South Wales, a few kilometres south of the Sydney central business district. The Cooks River and the Georges River are the two major tributaries that flow into the bay...
in 1770. Once a permanent colony was established in New South Wales, "trade links were developed almost exclusively with North America."
The North American colonies — including both contemporary Canada and the United States — had been used by Britain for penal transportation
Penal transportation
Transportation or penal transportation is the deporting of convicted criminals to a penal colony. Examples include transportation by France to Devil's Island and by the UK to its colonies in the Americas, from the 1610s through the American Revolution in the 1770s, and then to Australia between...
. With the independence of the United States in the 1770s, the British Government sought new lands to exile convicts, and Australia became the pre-eminent prison colony of the British Empire.
From the 1770s to the 1840s, North Americans settled in Australia primarily as demobilised British soldiers and sailors, as convicts — a number of United States citizens were arrested at sea for maritime offences, tried, and transported — and as whalers, sealers or itinerants. Many of these settlers moved on to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
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 .
In the 1850s, large numbers of United States citizens arrived, most usually after periods in gold rush California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. These migrants settled predominantly in rural Victoria, where the discovery of gold had encouraged a large colony of prospectors and speculators. A number of United States-born played eminent roles in the Eureka Stockade
Eureka Stockade
The Eureka Rebellion of 1854 was an organised rebellion by gold miners which occurred at Eureka Lead in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The Battle of Eureka Stockade was fought on 3 December 1854 and named for the stockade structure erected by miners during the conflict...
, particularly in regard to paramilitary formations organised for self-defence by the miners. The colonial authorities suspected the United States-born — amongst others, such as the Irish
Irish Australian
Irish Australians have played a long and enduring part in Australia's history. Many came to Australia in the eighteenth century as settlers or as convicts, and contributed to Australia's development in many different areas....
— of disseminating republicanism
Republicanism
Republicanism is the ideology of governing a nation as a republic, where the head of state is appointed by means other than heredity, often elections. The exact meaning of republicanism varies depending on the cultural and historical context...
.
At the time of Federation in 1901, there were 7,448 United States-born in Australia. Around this time, these American-Australians were notable in the labour movement — including the formation of trade unions and the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
(hence Labor being spelt in the North American fashion instead of Australian Labour). Despite North American socio-cultural influences, Australian public opinion was wary of the United States itself: the visit of the "Great White Fleet" of the United States Navy to Sydney and Melbourne in 1908 was greeted with fanfare, 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.
During the Second World War, over a million United States soldiers were at some point stationed in Australia at the request of the Australian Government following the surrender of the British garrison in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
to the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese 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
ANZUS
The Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty is the military alliance which binds Australia and New Zealand and, separately, Australia and the United States to cooperate on defence matters in the Pacific Ocean area, though today the treaty is understood to relate to attacks...
Treaty between the United States, Australia, and New Zealand was signed in 1957, locking the three countries into a mutual defence pact. This increased social and political ties between Australia and the United States and led to Australia and New Zealand committing troops to the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
in the 1960s and 1970s — these connections and increased worldwide travel encouraged greater numbers of United States citizens to migrate permanently and in 1971 there were 39,035 United States-born residents in Australia
Notable American Australians
| Name | Born - Died | Notable for | Connection with Australia | Connection with The United States |
| Janet Andrewartha Janet Andrewartha Janet Andrewartha is an Australian actress. She is famous for playing on-going roles in two popular Australian soap operas: that of Reb Kean in Prisoner and Lyn Scully in Neighbours.-Biography:... |
1952- | actress | works in Australia | born in Camarillo, California Camarillo, California Camarillo is a city in Ventura County, California, United States. The population was 65,201 at the 2010 census, up from 57,084 at the 2000 census. The Ventura Freeway Camarillo is a city in Ventura County, California, United States. The population was 65,201 at the 2010 census, up from 57,084 at... |
| Cal Bruton Cal Bruton Calvin Bruton is a former player and coach in the Australian National Basketball League. Originally an American import, but later becoming a naturalised Australian, Bruton has been an integral part of the league since its inception... |
1954- | basketball player and coach | moved to Australia in 1979; naturalised c. 1985; played for the men's national team Australia national basketball team The Australian national basketball team is the men's basketball side that represents Australia in international competitions. The team is known in Australia as the Boomers, an Australian slang term for Kangaroo. Australia is ranked 9th in the world and finished 7th at the 2008 Beijing Olympic... and named to the NBL 25th Anniversary Team NBL (Australia) 25th Anniversary Team To mark its 25th anniversary during the 2003-2004 season, the National Basketball League announced its 25th Anniversary All-Time team on December 9, 2003... in 2003. |
born in New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... ; played college basketball College basketball College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III.... at Wichita State University Wichita State Shockers men's basketball The Wichita State Shockers basketball team is the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference... |
| John Butler John Butler (musician) John Charles Wiltshire-Butler or John Charles Butler is an Australian musician, songwriter, record label owner and producer... |
1975- | musician, founder John Butler Trio | Australian father; moved to Australia 1986 | born in Torrance, California Torrance, California Torrance is a city incorporated in 1921 and located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Torrance has of shore-front beaches on the Pacific Ocean, quieter and less well-known by tourists than others on the Santa Monica Bay, such as those of neighboring... |
| Cate Blanchett Cate Blanchett Catherine Élise "Cate" Blanchett is an Australian actress. She came to international attention for her role as Elizabeth I of England in the 1998 biopic film Elizabeth, for which she won British Academy of Film and Television Arts and Golden Globe Awards, and earned her first Academy Award... |
1969- | actress | born Australia | father was American |
| Betty Bobbitt Betty Bobbitt Betty Bobbitt, born 7 February 1939, in Philadelphia in the United States, is an Australian-based actor.Bobbitt's entertainment career in Australia began shortly after arrival in the country when she was hired to appear as a regular on a Melbourne television variety show, Daly At Night, in 1962... |
1939- | actress and author | emigrated to Australia in 1962 | Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,... |
| Kate Ceberano Kate Ceberano Kate Ceberano is an Australian singer. She achieved success in the soul, jazz and pop genres as well as in her brief forays into musicals with Jesus Christ Superstar and film... |
1966- | actress and singer | born and raised in Australia | her father Tino Ceberano Tino Ceberano Constantino 'Tino' Ceberano is a karate master who is a key figure in Australian martial arts history. He is a direct student of Gōju Kai karate founder Gōgen Yamaguchi... is American of Filipino Hawaiian descent |
| Mel Gibson Mel Gibson Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in... |
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 Peekskill, New York Peekskill is a city in Westchester County, New York. It is situated on a bay along the east side of the Hudson River, across from Jones Point.This community was known to be an early American industrial center, primarily for its iron plow and stove products... and holds dual US and Irish citizenships |
| Ricky Grace Ricky Grace Ricky Ray Grace is an American/Australian professional basketball player who played in the Australian National Basketball League from 1990 until the 2004/2005 season.- Playing career :... |
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; played college basketball at the University of Oklahoma Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball -1908-1980:The Sooners enjoyed moderate success on the court during this era, posting only 16 losing records in their first 72 seasons. They were coached by 9 different coaches during this period, beginning with Bennie Owen , and ending with Dave Bliss in 1980... |
| John Harkins John Harkins John Joseph "Pa" Harkins was a 19th century Major League Baseball player who pitched for three different teams in his five season career that lasted from to .-Playing career:... |
1960- | jazz pianist and singer | moved to Australia in 1985; founder of the John Harkins Trio; frequent performer at Manly Jazz Festival and others | studied classical piano at NYC's Manhattan School of Music and spent his younger years playing in famous Chicago and NYC jazz clubs. |
| Marcia Hines Marcia Hines Marcia Elaine Hines, AM is a vocalist, actress and TV personality who achieved success in her adopted homeland of Australia. Hines made her debut, at the age of sixteen, in the Australian version of the stage musical Hair and followed with the role of Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar... |
1953- | singer and actress | moved to Australia in 1969; member of the Order of Australia (naturalised 1994) | born in Boston |
| Deni Hines Deni Hines Dohnyale "Deni" Sharon Hines is a solo R&B artist who had chart success in the 1990s in Australia and New Zealand. She is the daughter of Marcia Hines.... |
1970- | singer and actress | born in Australia | Daughter of Marcia Hines; Father is of Somalia Somalia Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory... n/Ethiopia Ethiopia Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2... n descent |
| Terri Irwin Terri Irwin Theresa Penelope "Terri" Irwin, AM is an Australian-based, American-born naturalist, author, the widow of Australian naturalist Steve Irwin and owner of Australia Zoo at Beerwah, Queensland, Australia... |
1964- | Zoologist, naturalist, author and television presenter | Wife of Steve Irwin Steve Irwin Stephen Robert "Steve" Irwin , nicknamed "The Crocodile Hunter", was an Australian television personality, wildlife expert, and conservationist. Irwin achieved worldwide fame from the television series The Crocodile Hunter, an internationally broadcast wildlife documentary series which he co-hosted... . Moved to Australia in 1992; naturalised in 2009 three years after her husband's death |
born in Eugene, Oregon Eugene, Oregon Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S... |
| Bindi Irwin Bindi Irwin Bindi Sue Irwin is the daughter of The Crocodile Hunter star Steve Irwin. Bindi is a child celebrity who has tried her hand at acting, singing, songwriting, dancing, and rapping... |
1998- | Zoologist, naturalist, singer, actress and television personality | born in Australia | Daughter of Terri and Steve Irwin |
| Kristina Keneally Kristina Keneally Kristina Kerscher Keneally MP, is an Australian politician and was the 42nd Premier of New South Wales. She was elected leader of the Australian Labor Party in New South Wales and thus Premier in 2009, but went on to lose government to the Liberal/National Coalition at the March 2011 state election... |
1968- | Premier of New South Wales | emigrated to Australia in 1994; naturalised Australian in 2000 | born Kristina Marie Kerscher in Las Vegas Las Vegas metropolitan area The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ... , Nevada Nevada Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its... to American father and Australian mother |
| Nicole Kidman Nicole Kidman Nicole Mary Kidman, AC is an American-born Australian actress, singer, film producer, spokesmodel, and humanitarian. After starring in a number of small Australian films and TV shows, Kidman's breakthrough was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm... |
1967- | actress | dual citizen by descent (Australian parents) | dual citizen by birth (born in Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu County, Hawaii The City and County of Honolulu is a consolidated city–county located in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The municipality and county includes both the urban district of Honolulu and the rest of the island of Oahu, as well as several minor outlying islands, including all of the Northwestern Hawaiian... ) |
| Don Lane Don Lane Don Lane , born Morton Donald Isaacson, was an American-born talk show host and singer. Don Lane is best known for hosting The Don Lane Show, which was aired on The Nine Network in Australia from 1975 to 1983.... |
1933–2009 | TV presenter, cabaret performer | moved to Australia 1965 | born Morton Donald Isaacson in New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... |
| Leroy Loggins Leroy Loggins Leroy Loggins is a former professional basketball player who played in the Australian National Basketball League from 1981 to the 2000-01 season... |
1957- | basketball | as an Australian citizen competed in the 1992 Olympic Games | born New Brunswick, New Jersey New Brunswick, New Jersey New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of... |
| Bob Meyer Bob Meyer Robert Bernard Meyer is an American former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He was signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1960. Meyer pitched for the Yankees , Los Angeles Angels , Kansas City Athletics , Seattle Pilots , and Milwaukee Brewers... |
1932–2009 | logician | moved to Australia 1974 | born in US |
| King O'Malley King O'Malley King O'Malley was an Australian politician. He was a member in the South Australian House of Assembly from 1896 to 1899, and the Australian House of Representatives from 1901 to 1917. O'Malley was also Minister for Home Affairs in the second and third Fisher Labor ministry... |
1858–1953 | Australian politician | lived in Australia from 1888 | claimed to have been born in Canada, more likely that he was born in US |
| Don Pyke Don Pyke Donald Lachlan Pyke is a former Australian rules football player, administrator and coach. He played for in the West Australian Football League and in the Australian Football League , and later served as senior coach at Claremont and assistant coach at... |
1968- | Australian rules footballer | father is Australian | born in US |
| Penny Sackett Penny Sackett Penny Diane Sackett is an American-born Australian astronomer and former director of the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Australian National University... |
1956- | scientist | emigrated to Australia 2002(?) | born Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln, Nebraska The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379.... |
| Sanford Wheeler Sanford Wheeler Sanford Wheeler is a former Australian rules football player for the Sydney Swans.... |
1970- | Australian rules footballer | migrated to Australia in 1975 | born in US to Australian father and African-American mother |