Indonesian Australian
Encyclopedia
Indonesian Australians are Australia
n citizens and residents of Indonesia
n origin or descent. The 2006 Australian Census found 50,975 Australian residents who stated their place of birth as Indonesia, and 35,941 who stated their ancestry as Indonesian. These comprise people who trace their roots to a variety of ethnic groups in Indonesia
and elsewhere.
had settled on Australia's northern coast, spending about four months per year there collecting sea cucumbers and taking them back home to trade. By the late 19th century, the pearl hunting
industry was recruiting workers from Kupang
, while sugar plantations had hired migrant labourers from Java to work in Queensland
; Dutch colonial authorities estimated they formed a total population of about 1,000. However, after the federation of Australia
and the enactment of the Immigration Restriction Act 1901
, the first part of a series of laws which collectively formed the White Australia policy
, most of these migrants returned to Indonesia. Beginning in 1942, thousands of Indonesians fled the Japanese occupation of Indonesia
and took refuge in Australia. Exact landing statistics were not kept due to the chaotic nature of their migration, but after the war, 3,768 repatriated to Indonesia on Australian government-provided ships. In the 1950s, roughly 10,000 Indo people (Eurasians
of mixed Indonesian and European descent), who had previously settled in the Netherlands and held Dutch citizenship
, remigrated to Australia, thus bypassing the White Australia policy
. Large numbers of Chinese Indonesian
s began migrating to Australia in the late 1990s, fleeing the political and economic turmoil in the aftermath of the May 1998 riots and the subsequent fall of Suharto.
is the majority religion in Indonesia
, Muslims are the minority among Indonesians in Australia. In the 2006 Australian Census, only 8,656 out of 50,975 Indonesians in Australia, or 17%, identified as Muslim. They lack their own mosques, but instead typically attend mosques established by members of other ethnic groups. In contrast, more than half of the Indonesian population in Australia follows Christianity, split evenly between the Roman Catholic Church
and various Protestant denominations.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n citizens and residents of Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n origin or descent. The 2006 Australian Census found 50,975 Australian residents who stated their place of birth as Indonesia, and 35,941 who stated their ancestry as Indonesian. These comprise people who trace their roots to a variety of ethnic groups in Indonesia
Ethnic groups in Indonesia
There are over 300 ethnic groups in Indonesia. 95% of those are of Native Indonesians ancestry.The largest ethnic group in Indonesia is the Javanese who make up 41% of the total population. The Javanese are concentrated on the island of Java but millions have migrated to other islands throughout...
and elsewhere.
Migration history
As early as 1750, seamen from the Indonesian island of MakassarMakassar
Makassar, is the provincial capital of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, and the largest city on Sulawesi Island. From 1971 to 1999, the city was named Ujung Pandang, after a precolonial fort in the city, and the two names are often used interchangeably...
had settled on Australia's northern coast, spending about four months per year there collecting sea cucumbers and taking them back home to trade. By the late 19th century, the pearl hunting
Pearl hunting
Pearl hunting or pearl diving refers to a largely obsolete method of retrieving pearls from pearl oysters, freshwater pearl mussels and, on rare occasions, other nacre-producing molluscs, such as abalone.-History:...
industry was recruiting workers from Kupang
Kupang
Not to be confused with Tanjung Kupang in JohoreKupang is the provincial capital of East Nusa Tenggara province in southeast Indonesia....
, while sugar plantations had hired migrant labourers from Java to work in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
; Dutch colonial authorities estimated they formed a total population of about 1,000. However, after the federation of Australia
Federation of Australia
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed one nation...
and the enactment of the Immigration Restriction Act 1901
Immigration Restriction Act 1901
The Immigration Restriction Act 1901 was an Act of the Parliament of Australia which limited immigration to Australia and formed the basis of the White Australia policy. It also provided for illegal immigrants to be deported. It granted immigration officers a wide degree of discretion to prevent...
, the first part of a series of laws which collectively formed the White Australia policy
White Australia policy
The White Australia policy comprises various historical policies that intentionally restricted "non-white" immigration to Australia. From origins at Federation in 1901, the polices were progressively dismantled between 1949-1973....
, most of these migrants returned to Indonesia. Beginning in 1942, thousands of Indonesians fled the Japanese occupation of Indonesia
Japanese Occupation of Indonesia
The Japanese Empire occupied Indonesia, known then as the Dutch East Indies, during World War II from March 1942 until after the end of War in 1945...
and took refuge in Australia. Exact landing statistics were not kept due to the chaotic nature of their migration, but after the war, 3,768 repatriated to Indonesia on Australian government-provided ships. In the 1950s, roughly 10,000 Indo people (Eurasians
Eurasian (mixed ancestry)
The word Eurasian refers to people of mixed Asian and European ancestry. It was originally coined in 19th-century British India to refer to Anglo-Indians of mixed British and Indian descent....
of mixed Indonesian and European descent), who had previously settled in the Netherlands and held Dutch citizenship
Dutch nationality law
Dutch nationality law is based primarily on the principle of Jus sanguinis and is governed by the Kingdom act regarding Dutch citizenship . Thus citizenship is conferred primarily by birth to a Dutch parent, irrespective of place of birth...
, remigrated to Australia, thus bypassing the White Australia policy
White Australia policy
The White Australia policy comprises various historical policies that intentionally restricted "non-white" immigration to Australia. From origins at Federation in 1901, the polices were progressively dismantled between 1949-1973....
. Large numbers of Chinese Indonesian
Chinese Indonesian
Chinese Indonesians, also called the Indonesian Chinese, are an overseas Chinese group whose ancestors emigrated from China to Indonesia, formerly a colony of the Netherlands known as the Dutch East Indies...
s began migrating to Australia in the late 1990s, fleeing the political and economic turmoil in the aftermath of the May 1998 riots and the subsequent fall of Suharto.
Religion
Though IslamIslam in Indonesia
Islam is the dominant religion in Indonesia, which also has a larger Muslim population than any other country in the world, with approximately 202.9 million identified as Muslim as of 2009....
is the majority religion in Indonesia
Religion in Indonesia
The first principle of Indonesia's ideology states that Pancasila: "belief in the one and only God". A number of different religions are practiced in the country, and their collective influence on the country's political, economical and cultural life is significant. As of 2011, the population was...
, Muslims are the minority among Indonesians in Australia. In the 2006 Australian Census, only 8,656 out of 50,975 Indonesians in Australia, or 17%, identified as Muslim. They lack their own mosques, but instead typically attend mosques established by members of other ethnic groups. In contrast, more than half of the Indonesian population in Australia follows Christianity, split evenly between the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
and various Protestant denominations.
Notable people
- Nadya HutagalungNadya HutagalungNadya Yuti Hutagalung , has been a model, film actress, was one of the first VJs on MTV Asia , TV host, MediaWorks artiste, painter and jewellery designer. Her father, Ricky , is Indonesian , and her mother, Dianne , is Australian.She married Desmond Koh at the Uma Ubud in Bali on 16 December 2006...
, SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
-born MTV VJ - Jessica MauboyJessica MauboyJessica Hilda Mauboy , is an Indigenous Australian R&B singer-songwriter and actress. In 2006, Mauboy was the runner-up on the fourth season of Australian Idol, she had auditioned for the talent show in Alice Springs to pursue a recording career...
, singer, born to an immigrant father from KefamenanuKefamenanuKefamenanu is a town and capital of the subdistrict kecamatan of Kota Kefamenanu and the North Central Timor Regency in West Timor, Indonesia. A road connects it to Halilulik and Kota Atambua to the northeast....
, West TimorWest TimorWest Timor is the western and Indonesian portion of the island of Timor and part of the province of East Nusa Tenggara, .During the colonial period it was known as "Dutch Timor" and was a centre of Dutch loyalists during the Indonesian National Revolution...
and an indigenous AustralianIndigenous AustraliansIndigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
mother