Assyrian Australians
ܐܬܘܪ̈ܝܐ ܕܐܘܣܛܪܠܝܐ | |
---|---|
Assyrian Canadians |
Assyrian Australians (Syriac: ܐܵܬܘܿܪ̈ܵܝܹܐ ܕܐܘܼܣܛܪܵܠܝܼܵܐ), refers to ethnic Assyrians possessing Australian nationality. They are descended from the Northern Mesopotamian region, specifically the Assyrian homeland. Today, their homeland is a part of North Iraq, Southeast Turkey, Northwest Iran and Northeast Syria.
According to the
Of the 61,400 Assyrians in Australia, 40,218 are members of the
In the 1980s, the
History
Early immigration (1950s–1970s)
The first Assyrian, named Brian Youkhana, arrived in Sydney in 1951, from
Back in 1966, a small meeting was held between the early settlers to decide the future of Assyrians in this country...In 1966, Fairfield's developed area went west up to the
Sydney cityarea, we would have scattered. And so, four or five families purchased fibro houses in Fairfield (including myself), and a few bought blocks of land.
In 1969, after the settlement of Assyrians in the Fairfield area, the Assyrian Australian Association (AAA) was established. The significance of the AAA is based primarily on the fact that it was the first registered Assyrian organisation in Australia. Prior to AAA, there had existed an unofficial club called the Assyrian Australian Club which was established in 1966 and initially based for the Assyrians residing in the Eastern suburbs of Sydney prior to the move to the Fairfield area. The Assyrian Australian Club was replaced with the Assyrian Sports and Cultural Club in 1972, the second official Assyrian secular organisation to be registered in NSW after the AAA. After a brief period of inactivity, the Assyrian Sports and Cultural Club was relocated to the Fairfield area after many Assyrians moved during the housing boom in the late 1970s and the early 1980s, where it has remained active since. In the 1970s, a few soccer clubs were established as the Assyrian community began to have a prominence. An Assyrian language school was formed in 1974, thanks to the AAA.[9]
Community growth (1980s–2000s)
In 1980, the Nineveh Club, a prominent Assyrian club in Edensor Park, Sydney, was established. Built with artificial
As the Assyrian community grew in the late 1980s, the Assyrian Sports and Cultural Club leased its premises from 1990 onwards, in Fairfield Heights, Sydney and acquired liquor and
In 1997, it was reported that, for the Assyrian youth, lack of English skills was the major impediment for gaining employment, school achievement and becoming socially manoeuvrable in the Australian society. For instance, some Fairfield High School Assyrians wanted to go to university but felt hopeless because of their poor English. As such, several Assyrian churches developed a number of youth programs. For Assyrians with a higher education, the problem was also language and unacceptability of overseas qualifications, which prevented them from pursuing their careers.[11]
The opening of St Hurmizd Assyrian Primary School in 2002, in Sydney, was the first school from the ACOE that was established in the international diaspora. In 2006, also in Sydney, St. Narsai Assyrian Christian College was established. It was the first ACOE high school to be built in the western world.
Post-Iraqi war (2010s–present)
In August 2010, a memorial monument for the
In August 2014, more than 6,000 Assyrians marched in
In 2015, the
On 15 April 2024, Assyrians were a
Demographics
Distribution
Sydney
In Sydney, Assyrians are the
In
Sydney's local government areas with the most Assyrians, population and percentage-wise:[18]
Greater Fairfield is home to over 20,000 Assyrians.
- Fairfield City: 13,437 (5.7%)[19]
- Liverpool City: 2,451 (1.3%)
- Bayside Council: 635 (1.22%)
- Blacktown City: 459 (0.15%)
- Canterbury-Bankstown: 202 (0.11%)
Melbourne
In Melbourne, Assyrians tend to be found in the northwest region, in the suburbs of
The population of Assyrians in the suburbs of Melbourne (2016 census):
- Roxburgh Park– 3,281
- Craigieburn – 2,573
- Meadow Heights– 1,334
- Greenvale – 571
- Coolaroo– 337
- Gladstone Park, Victoria – 199
Brisbane
In Brisbane, small Assyrian (and Iraqi Christian)
According to the 2016 census, they are 311 Assyrians living in Brisbane which has almost doubled from the 2011 census.[22] 407 Iraqis according to the 2016 census in Brisbane identified as Christian.
General statistics
In the 1996 census, there were 9571 people who spoke Assyrian in the state of NSW, and 2191 in Victoria. 60% of these Assyrians were born in Iraq, 21% in Australia and 13% in Iran. Also in that time, 54% belong to the
According to the 2001 census, 29% of Assyrian migrants in Fairfield were usually made up of large families with five members or more. 13- to 24-year-olds made up 18% of the migrating population and 25–54 years were at 57%. 25% of them did not speak English well. 43% of the Assyrians in the Fairfield LGA owned their home, and they generally worked in manufacturing (39%), trade, accommodation, hospitality and transport industries (31%).[26]
Whilst the new arrivals are settling in Fairfield CBD and Fairfield Heights, the pre-mid-1990s arrivals have purchased and/or rented houses in the more affluent suburbs of Fairfield City, such as, Bossley Park, Wetherill Park and Greenfield Park, which are around 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) west from Fairfield CBD. Furthermore, some of the recently arrived Assyrian children have had psychological trauma for the experiences in their countries of origin, which encroached their settlement in Australia.[27]
Culture
Sydney has seven prominent Assyrian church buildings; St Mary's Church in Smithfield (established in 1975), St Thomas Church in Bossley Park, St Mary's Assumption Church in Fairfield, St Hurmiz Cathedral in Greenfield Park, St Malkeh Church in Greenacre, and St Zaia Cathedral in Middleton Grange.
In Melbourne, the churches are Our Lady Guardian of Plants Chaldean Catholic Church in Campbellfield, Victoria, St. George's Church of the East in Reservoir, Victoria,[28] Holy Spirit Syriac Catholic Church in Dallas and St Aphrem Syrian Orthodox Church, which also is in Reservoir, Victoria.
Assyrians, depending on the village/town they belong to commemorate their specific patron saints and celebrate it usually with their families at picnics or halls. For example, the Assyrians from Batnaya commemorate Mar Oraha. The feast of Mar Oraha is partaken in an annual prayer and celebration. Celebrations include traditional Assyrian dancing with singers, food and people wearing traditional Assyrian clothing from Batnaya.
Assyrians from the town of Alqosh commemorate Saint Hurmizd, a monk that established his monastery in Alqosh. Alqoshnaye celebrate the Feast of Saint Hurmizd, known as 'Shara'd Rabban Hurmizd' around the world. This event is celebrated through picnics or halls, like many other Shereh (Feasts). People from Alqosh, like many other Assyrian towns/villages wear their traditional clothing at these events which commemorate their patron saints and celebrate the history of their towns.
Some ACOE adherents in Sydney annually commemorate
Fairfield's large Assyrian community has had the media describe the suburb as 'Little Iraq' or 'Little Assyria'. Assyrian businesses have opened in Fairfield, mostly in Ware Street and Smart Street, and in Fairfield Heights in The Boulevarde. These businesses include everything from jewellery shops to restaurants and
Entertainment
Both Nineveh Club and Assyrian Sports and Cultural Club support and showcase local Assyrian talents, such as singers, actors, musicians, painters and sculptors. The clubs contain
The Assyrians in Sydney lavishly celebrate the
Church split controversy
In 1989, there was a major church split in the
Richard Carleton from 60 minutes covered the story in a studio that contained around 200 Assyrians who opposed the bishop. Carleton belligerently faced the few men who were involved in the brawl and asked if they were apologetic about their actions, which the men stated they were merely acting in "self-defense" and "fighting for their rights" (as the court neglected their perspective). The Bishop described the actions of his raucous opponents as "primitive". Author and journalist David Leser criticised the 60 Minutes portrayal of Assyrians in his book The Whites of Their Eyes, saying, "12 minutes of prime-time baiting of a community that had been law-abiding and peaceful prior to and subsequent to that event. There was no one millisecond devoted to explaining the intricacies of the dispute".[36]
Sport
Assyrian Australians, like many other Assyrians from around the world, are mainly fond of soccer, and have established various football clubs in Australia. Fairfield Bulls Soccer Club, based in Sydney, is the most prominent soccer club in the country. It was established in 1971 and it has involved hundreds of children and teenagers in different age teams. Legislated by
In Melbourne, two Assyrian soccer teams exist; Moreland United FC and Upfield FC. Many
Media
Most Assyrian-Australian media is aired on the
Radio
- SBS Radio, which airs in Sydney and Melbourne, broadcasts in the Assyrian language every Saturday and Tuesday evenings from 8 pm to 9 pm.[39]
- Sydney radio station, airs in the Assyrian language every Monday mornings for three hours, on the frequency of 98.5 FM.[40]
Assyrian Australians
- Emil Shimoun Nona – Current bishop of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Australia & New Zealand.
- Sham Khamis – Plays for Canberra United FC in the Australian W-League.[42]
- Ninos Khoshaba – Politician and is a former member of Parliament of New South Wales.
- Cindy Sargon – TV chef and business woman.
- Meelis Zaia – Assyrian Church of the East's metropolitan bishop of Australia, New Zealand and Lebanon.
- Andrew Rohan – A politician, who was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Smithfield for the Liberal Party of Australia from 2011 to 2015.[43]
- Matildas.[44]
- A-League.[45]
- Sue Ismiel – Founder and owner of Nad's.
- Michael Denkha - Actor known for films such as The Combination and popular Australian TV show Here Come the Habibs
- Anwar Khoshaba – Former Mayor of Fairfield.
- Robin Zirwanda – Singer most known from his Assyrian Latin dance band Azadoota
- Ashur Shimon – Australian comedian, TV personality and lead role on Fat Pizza
- Joseph Haweil – Mayor of Hume city Melbourne
- social influencer
See also
- Iraqi Australians
- Mandaean Australians
- Lebanese Australians
- Syrian Australians
- Greek Australians
- Jewish Australians
- Armenian Australians
- Iranian Australians
- Israeli Australians
- Australian Jews
References
- ^ "CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN AUSTRALIA, 2016". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 27 June 2017. Archived from the original on 9 July 2017. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
- Edensor Park.
- ^ Community Relations Commission For a Multicultural NSW 2004, Cultural Harmony. The Next Decade 2002–2012 (White Paper), New South Wales Government, Sydney South.
- ^ "NSW Parliament formally recognises Assyrian genocide as Smithfield MP Andrew Rohan shares tale of parents' survival". The Daily Telegraph. 14 May 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
- ^ "Assyrian Genocide Monument Unveiled in Australia". Assyrian International News Agency. 8 July 2010. Archived from the original on 2 September 2010. Retrieved 31 August 2010.
- ^ Winter, I. 2000, Towards a theorized understanding of family life and social capital, Working paper No. 21, April, Australian Institute of family Studies, Melbourne
- ^ University of Western Sydney. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
- ^ Assyrian Australian Association & Ettinger House 1997, Settlement Issues of the Assyrian Community, AAA, Sydney.
- ISBN 978-0-521-80789-0.
- ^ 2004, Australia's Support for Humanitarian Entrants 2003–04, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra.
- ^ "Fairfield's Assyrian Resource Centre has secured $40,000 to fund its renovations". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
- ^ "Turkey protests Assyrian 'genocide' monument". Today's Zaman. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
- ^ Barker, Anne (3 August 2014). "Australian Iraqi Christians stage protest against religious persecution in their homeland by ISIS". ABC News. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
- ^ Dabbagh, Omar (15 May 2017). "Assyrian Australians plead for second special refugee settlement deal". Retrieved 22 June 2017.
- ^ "Man in custody, four people injured in alleged stabbing incident at Sydney church". ABC News. 15 April 2024. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
- ^ Rubin, M. 2003, 'Are Kurds a pariah minority?', Social Research, vol. 70, no. 1, pp. 295–32
- ^ Deniz, F. 2000, 'Maintenance and Transformation of Ethnic Identity: the Assyrian Case’, The Assyrian Australian Academic Journal
- ^ Greater Sydney – Ancestry
- ^ 2016 Census QuickStats – Fairfield City
- ^ Stone, W. 2001, Measuring Social Capital: Towards a theoretically informed measurement framework for researching social capital in family and community life, Research Paper No. 24, February, Australian Institute of Family Studies, Melbourne.
- ^ "Iraqi Christians living in Brisbane who made a mass exodus from Qaraqosh rejoice at liberation of their region". 26 October 2016.
- ^ "Ancestry | Australia | Community profile".
- ^ Assyrians in Sydney
- ^ Assyrians in Melbourne
- ^ Fairfield City Council 2003, State of the Community Report, Fairfield City Council, Wakeley.
- ^ Department of Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs 2003, Report of the Review of Settlement Services for Migrants and Humanitarian Entrants, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra.
- ^ Newton, K. 1997, 'Social capital and democracy', American Behavioural Scientist, vol. 40, no. 5, pp. 575–86
- ^ —1993, Assyrians in Australia, AAA, Sydney
- ^ Zinda Magazine
- ^ "World on a plate". The Sydney Morning Herald. 13 November 2007.
- ^ Gorgees, P. 2003, 'The Assyrian Community's Continued Needs in the Fairfield LGA', in Checking the Pulse of Fairfield―Conference Report, Fairfield Migrant Resource Centre, Cabramatta.
- ^ Nardin Sarkees (8 May 2020). "Wardeh Deesheh: a Thirty Year Retrospective". Retrieved 30 March 2023.
- ^ Rizk, Rita (29 March 2016). "Thousands to attend Assyrian New Year festivities in Fairfield". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
- ^ McMah, Lauren. "Thousands of people celebrate Assyrian New Year at Fairfield Showground". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
- ^ "CELEBRATING THE ASSYRIAN NEW YEAR FESTIVAL 6766 IN SYDNEY". Assyrian Universal Alliance. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
- ^ The Whites of Their Eyes: Profiles by David Leser, published by Allen & Unwin, 1999
- ^ Stewart Weeks, M. and Richardson, C. 1998, Social Capital Stories, Centre for Independent Studies, Sydney.
- ^ Giorgas, D. 2000, 'Community Formation and Social Capital in Australia', paper delivered to the 7th Australian Institute of Family Studies Conference, Darling Harbour, Sydney, 25 July.
- ^ "Ethnic radio takes to the air". The Sydney Morning Herald. 10 June 1975.
- ^ "The phenomenon known as 2000FM". 2000FM. 2008. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
- ^ "Liverpool Council on 2GLF". Liverpool City Council. 21 June 2006. Archived from the original on 23 July 2008. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
- ^ "Sham Khamis". Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
- ^ Green, Antony (4 April 2011). "Smithfield". NSW Votes 2011. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
- ^ "Leena Khamis". Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
- ^ "Mario Shabow". Archived from the original on 8 December 2015.
External links
- Assyrian Churches in Australia
- Nohadra Radio
- St. Narsai Assyrian College
- St Hurmizd Assyrian Primary School
- AshurSat
- Fairfield Bulls Soccer Club
- Tony Abbott – Prime Minister of Australia speaks at Assyrian New Year 2015
- Assyrian Radio Schedule, 2GLF
- St Thomas The Apostle Chaldean and Assyrian Catholic Diocese of Australia and New Zealand
- St Zaia Cathedral, Sydney