Estonian Australians (Estonian: Eestlased Austraalias) refers to Australian citizens of Estonian descent or Estonia-born persons who reside in Australia. According to the 2021 Census, there were 11,598 people of Estonian descent in Australia and 2,665 Estonia-born people residing in the country at the moment of the census, having a increase of21 per cent compared to the 2016 Census. The largest Estonia-born community in Australia is in the state of New South Wales, with 4,265 people.[1]
Eestlased Austraalias (Estonian) | |
|---|---|
| Total population | |
| 2,665 (by birth, 2021 Census)[1] 11,598 (by ancestry, 2021 Census)[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Estonian Ancestry by state or territory | |
 New South Wales | 4,265[1] |
 Victoria | 2,408[1] |
 Queensland | 1,916[1] |
 Western Australia | 1,374[1] |
| Languages | |
| Australian English · Estonian | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity (Predominantly Lutheranism) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Finnish Australians, Estonian Americans | |
From 1940 to 1944, more than 70,000 Estonians fled to the West due to the Soviet and German occupations. Many settled in Australia.[2] The first voyage under Arthur Calwell's Displaced Persons immigration program, that of the USS General Stuart Heintzelman in 1947,[3] was specially chosen to be all from Baltic nations, all single, many blond and blue-eyed, in order to appeal to the Australian public.[4] Of the 843 immigrants on the Heintzelman, 142 were Estonian.[5]
Notable people of Estonian descent
edit- Alyla Browne, actress
- Aivi Luik, professional footballer
- Armin Öpik, geologist
- Arvi Parbo, chairman of BHP
- Peeter Pedaja, adventurer
- Vicki Viidikas, poet
- Dane Rampe, AFL player for the Sydney Swans
- Erik Paartalu, professional footballer
- Anna Torv, actress
- Selena Uibo, politician and Leader of the Opposition in the Northern Territory
See also
edit
External links
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g "Cultural diversity: Census, 2021 - Australian Bureau of Statistics". 12 January 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ "Our new home: Estonian-Australian stories". migrationheritage.nsw.gov.au. 2007. Archived from the original on 5 September 2007.
- ^ "First of the Fifth Fleet". Retrieved 22 February 2017.
- ^ J. Franklin, Calwell, Catholicism and the origins of multicultural Australia, Proc. of the Australian Catholic Historical Society 2009 Conference, 42-54.
- ^ "Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild: USAT General Stuart Heintzelman". Retrieved 27 February 2017.
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