Ukrainian Australian
Encyclopedia
The Ukrainians
are an ethnic minority in Australia, numbering about 20,000 people, hence making up 0.16% of the total population. Currently, the main concentrations of Ukrainians are located in Melbourne
and Sydney
.
in the 1790s and there was a small group of Ukrainians living in Brisbane between World War I
and World War II
, the main body of Ukrainians immigrated to Australia
along with other nationalities in the post-World War II wave of refugees from Europe
. These refugees were called "displaced person
s" and started arriving in 1948 as part of the International Refugee Organization
resettlement agreement or on assisted passages.
In the 1970s a small group of ethnic Ukrainians migrated to Australia from Yugoslavia
, . In 1991 Ukraine gained independence, and over the next five years the Ukraine-born population increased for the first time in many decades, in Victoria from 2,937 in 1991 to 5,370 in 1996. Many of these new post-independence migrants were young professionals in the fields of science, mathematics and computer technology.
When Australia replaced the White Australia policy
with a policy of Multiculturalism
in 1975, Ukrainian language radio broadcasts and funding for Ukrainian culture and education significantly increased. as did official recognition of Ukrainian language in government documents and educational establishments.
s. The Ukrainian Council of NSW represents the Ukrainian hromadas in New South Wales
.
Organised Ukrainian communities exist in:
The Ukrainian community in Australia was very active in the formation of a variety of cultural organisations, including choirs, folk dancing
groups, and arts organisations like the Ukrainian Artists Society of Australia
.
As well, there are Australian versions of Ukrainian youth organisations such as Plast
and the Ukrainian Youth Association.
Religion plays an important part in Ukrainian life. In Australia the largest percentage of the Ukrainian émigré population came from Western Ukraine, primarily from Galicia. As a result, the Ukrainian Catholic Church, which was the predominate church in this region, had considerable support in Australia for people of Ukrainian background. A significant percentage of Ukrainian émigrés came from Volyn and Bukovyna, and these primarily subscribed to the Ukrainian Orthodox church
. Ukrainians who hailed from Central and Eastern Ukraine also tended to support the Ukrainian Orthodox tradition.
Ukrainian Baptist churches also exist in the larger cities as do communities of RUN Vira.
Ukrainian language was included into the government school curriculum as a high school matriculation subject in 1978.
Departments of Ukrainian language were established and maintained on donations from the Ukrainian community at Macquarie University
in Sydney and Monash University
in Melbourne.
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
are an ethnic minority in Australia, numbering about 20,000 people, hence making up 0.16% of the total population. Currently, the main concentrations of Ukrainians are located in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and Sydney
Sydney
Sydney 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...
.
History
Although there are indications that a Ukrainian was aboard one of the transports from EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in the 1790s and there was a small group of Ukrainians living in Brisbane between World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the main body of Ukrainians immigrated to Australia
Immigration to Australia
Immigration to Australia is estimated to have begun around 51,000 years ago when the ancestors of Australian Aborigines arrived on the continent via the islands of the Malay Archipelago and New Guinea. Europeans first landed in the 17th and 18th Centuries, but colonisation only started in 1788. The...
along with other nationalities in the post-World War II wave of refugees from Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. These refugees were called "displaced person
Displaced person
A displaced person is a person who has been forced to leave his or her native place, a phenomenon known as forced migration.- Origin of term :...
s" and started arriving in 1948 as part of the International Refugee Organization
International Refugee Organization
The International Refugee Organization was founded on April 20, 1946 to deal with the massive refugee problem created by World War II. A Preparatory Commission began operations fourteen months previously. It was a United Nations specialized agency and took over many of the functions of the earlier...
resettlement agreement or on assisted passages.
In the 1970s a small group of ethnic Ukrainians migrated to Australia from Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, . In 1991 Ukraine gained independence, and over the next five years the Ukraine-born population increased for the first time in many decades, in Victoria from 2,937 in 1991 to 5,370 in 1996. Many of these new post-independence migrants were young professionals in the fields of science, mathematics and computer technology.
When Australia replaced 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....
with a policy of Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
in 1975, Ukrainian language radio broadcasts and funding for Ukrainian culture and education significantly increased. as did official recognition of Ukrainian language in government documents and educational establishments.
Organisations
The Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations is the umbrella organisation that represents the Ukrainian community in Australia. Each State has a number of Ukrainian community associations, or hromadaHromada
Hromada - association of the people united by mutual interest, position or goal, widely known in Ukraine.In history of Ukraine and Belarus such associations appeared first as peasant communes, which gathered their meetings for discussing and resolving current issues.Hromada means not only social...
s. The Ukrainian Council of NSW represents the Ukrainian hromadas in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
.
Organised Ukrainian communities exist in:
- New South Wales and the A.C.T.Australian Capital TerritoryThe Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
- 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...
- CanberraCanberraCanberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
- Sydney
- VictoriaVictoria (Australia)Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
- MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
- BallaratBallarat, VictoriaBallarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth...
- EssendonEssendon, VictoriaEssendon is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moonee Valley...
- WodongaWodonga, VictoriaWodonga is a small city on the Victorian side of the border with New South Wales, north-east of Melbourne, Australia. Adjacent to Wodonga across the border is the New South Wales city of Albury. Wodonga is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Wodonga LGA...
- Melbourne
- QueenslandQueenslandQueensland 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...
- BrisbaneBrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
- ToowoombaToowoomba, QueenslandToowoomba is a city in Southern Queensland, Australia. It is located west of Queensland's capital city, Brisbane. With an estimated district population of 128,600, Toowoomba is Australia's second largest inland city and its largest non-capital inland city...
- Brisbane
- South AustraliaSouth AustraliaSouth Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
- AdelaideAdelaideAdelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
- Adelaide
- Western AustraliaWestern AustraliaWestern Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
- PerthPerth, Western AustraliaPerth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
- Perth
Cultural organisations
Ukrainian dance in Australia
Ukrainian dance refers to dance as part of Ukrainian culture in Australia. After the first main wave of Ukrainian immigrants came to Australia after World War II, the Ukrainian community in Australia became active in the formation of a variety of cultural organizations, including choirs, folk...
groups, and arts organisations like the Ukrainian Artists Society of Australia
Ukrainian Artists Society of Australia
The Ukrainian Artists Society of Australia was founded in 1967 and was particularly active from the 1960s to the 1970s. As well as the national body, there were a number of other chapters founded in the other Australian states, however, the NSW chapter of the Society, using the acronym СУОМА —...
.
As well, there are Australian versions of Ukrainian youth organisations such as Plast
Plast
The Plast National Scout Organization of Ukraine commonly called Ukrainian Plast or simply Plast is the largest Scouting organization in Ukraine.-First Phase: 1911-1920:...
and the Ukrainian Youth Association.
Religion and Churches
Ukrainian Orthodox Church
Ukrainian Orthodox Church may refer to:*Ukrainian Orthodox Church , established in 1990*Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate, established in 1992*Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, established in 1921...
. Ukrainians who hailed from Central and Eastern Ukraine also tended to support the Ukrainian Orthodox tradition.
Ukrainian Baptist churches also exist in the larger cities as do communities of RUN Vira.
Schools and Education
Ukrainian schools were established in most Ukrainian communities and also in association with the Ukrainian Catholic Church. At their height some 2,300 students were enrolled in one year. The school system established and maintained a Federal Ukrainian school council, published textbooks which were also used in Ukrainian school systems in North America and Europe.Ukrainian language was included into the government school curriculum as a high school matriculation subject in 1978.
Departments of Ukrainian language were established and maintained on donations from the Ukrainian community at Macquarie University
Macquarie University
Macquarie University is an Australian public teaching and research university located in Sydney, with its main campus situated in Macquarie Park. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third university to be established in the metropolitan area of Sydney...
in Sydney and Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
in Melbourne.
Notable Ukrainian Australians
- Rachael FinchRachael FinchRachael Finch is an Australian beauty pageant titleholder. She finished as the 3rd runner-up in Miss Universe 2009 pageant.-Biography:Finch was crowned Miss Universe Australia on 22 April 2009 and subsequently represented Australia at the Miss Universe 2009 pageant held in the Bahamas on 23 August...
- model - Alex JesaulenkoAlex JesaulenkoAlex 'Jezza' Jesaulenko MBE is a former Australian rules footballer and coach. He is regarded as one of the game's greatest-ever players and is an official Legend of the Australian Football Hall of Fame...
(Football — Australian Rules) - Michael KmitMichael KmitMichael Kmit was a Ukrainian painter who spent twenty-five of his most productive years in Australia. He is notable for introducing a neo-Byzantine style of painting to Australia, and winning a number of major Australian art prizes including the Blake Prize and the Sulman Prize...
— painter - Harry MesselHarry MesselHarry Messel is a retired Australian physicist and educator.Messel was born in Canada of Ukrainian parents. He was brought up in Levine Siding in Manitoba and attended Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario. During the Second World War he served as a paratrooper with the Canadian Forces.Messel...
(Educator) - Bohdan NyskohusBugsy NyskohusBohdan "Bugsy" Nyskohus OAM is an Australian former association football player of Ukrainian descent...
(Football — Soccer) - Jared PetrenkoJared PetrenkoJared Petrenko is a professional Australian Rules football player currently playing for the Adelaide Crows in the Australian Football League. He is of both Indigenous Australian and Ukrainian descent, and his Indigenous tribal ancestry can be traced to the Adnyamathanha.Petrenko grew up in Henley...
(Football — Australian Rules) - Nikita RukavytsyaNikita RukavytsyaNikita Vadimovich Rukavytsya is a Ukrainian-Australian professional football player currently playing for Hertha BSC in the German Bundesliga...
(Football - Soccer)
See also
- Ukrainian diasporaUkrainian diasporaThe Ukrainian diaspora is the global community of ethnic Ukrainians, especially those who maintain some kind of connection, even if ephemeral, to the land of their ancestors and maintain their feeling of Ukrainian national identity within their own local community.-1608 To 1880:After the loss...
- Immigration to AustraliaImmigration to AustraliaImmigration to Australia is estimated to have begun around 51,000 years ago when the ancestors of Australian Aborigines arrived on the continent via the islands of the Malay Archipelago and New Guinea. Europeans first landed in the 17th and 18th Centuries, but colonisation only started in 1788. The...
- Ukrainian Artists Society of AustraliaUkrainian Artists Society of AustraliaThe Ukrainian Artists Society of Australia was founded in 1967 and was particularly active from the 1960s to the 1970s. As well as the national body, there were a number of other chapters founded in the other Australian states, however, the NSW chapter of the Society, using the acronym СУОМА —...
- Ukrainian dance in AustraliaUkrainian dance in AustraliaUkrainian dance refers to dance as part of Ukrainian culture in Australia. After the first main wave of Ukrainian immigrants came to Australia after World War II, the Ukrainian community in Australia became active in the formation of a variety of cultural organizations, including choirs, folk...