Lebanese Australian

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Lebanese Australians
Notable Lebanese Australians: Steve Bracks, Bachar Houli
Total population
Lebanese 181,751 (by ancestry, 2006) [1] 74,848 (by birth, 2006).[2][3]
Regions with significant populations
Sydney (72.8% of Lebanese born Australian residents), Melbourne, Brisbane
Languages
Australian English, Arabic
Religion
Predominantly Catholic, and Muslim (mainly Shi'a and Sunni), with minorities of Judaism and Atheism
Related ethnic groups
Arab diaspora, Sierra Leonean-Lebanese, Lebanese Americans, Lebanese Canadian, Ecuadorian of Lebanese origin, Lebanese Brazilian, Arab Argentine, Lebanese British, Arab Mexican

Lebanese Australian refers to citizens or residents of Australia of Lebanese origin.

Lebanon has been a source of immigrants to Australia over several decades, with 181,751 Australians claiming a Lebanese ancestry either alone or in combination with one other ancestry.^[1] The 2006 census recorded 74,848 Lebanese-born persons in Australia,^[2] with 72.8% of all Lebanese-born people living in Sydney (where they make up 1.3% the population)^[4]. The Western Sydney suburbs of Bankstown, Lakemba and Punchbowl are associated with the Lebanese population as well as the Northern Melbourne suburbs of Broadmeadows and Coburg, Brunswick Fawkner and Altona.

Community history

As part of a significant emigration from Lebanon in the 1870s Lebanese people migrated in great numbers to many countries. While many migrated to the US, and in particular, New York, some emigrated to Australia, mainly to the eastern states and most to New South Wales.^[5][6] The Lebanese population are thus one of the older established non-English speaking minorities in the country — of similar vintage to the Greeks, Italians and Germans.

In the 1890s there were increasing numbers of Syrian/Lebanese immigrants to Australia, part of mass emigration from the Syria/Lebanon region.^[7]

Lebanese migrants were classified as Asians in the nineteenth century and they came within the scope of the White Australia policy which intentionally restricted non-white immigration to Australia. Lebanese migrants were excluded them from citizenship, the right to vote and employment, and were treated as enemy aliens during World War I and World War II.^[5] In 1897 Lebanese store keepers and businesses were accused of fraud by state border Customs officers during Queensland customs prosecution cases.^[7]

Lebanese migrants to Australia were not habitually distinguished from Turks prior to 1918 because the area of modern Lebanon was a province of the Ottoman Empire until it passed to French colonial rule. Thereafter the Lebanese were not distinguished from Syrians, as Lebanon and Syria were two French colonies in proximity.^[8]

One dot denotes 100 Lebanon born Sydney residents

One dot denotes 100 Lebanon born Melbourne residents

From 1920 people from Lebanon (and Syria) were granted access to Australian citizenship as the Nationality Act 1920 removed the racial disqualification from the naturalisation laws.^[7]

By 1947, there were 1,886 Lebanese-born in Australia,^[9] almost all Christian. The Lebanese born population numbered 24,218 in 1971 and had doubled to 49,617 in 1981.^[9] Followiong the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War in 1975, more than 20,000 civil war refugees arrived in Australia.^[9] These migrants were often poor and over half of them were Muslim.^[9] The influx of migrants changed the character of the Lebanese community in Australia significantly, especially in Sydney where 75 percent of the Lebanese born population were concentrated.^[9]

For the remainder of the 1970s and 1980s, unrest in Lebanon caused a large increase in the number of Lebanese migrating to Australia.

In 1991 there were 68,787 people who were first generation immigrants born in Lebanon and 67,453 second generation people associated with Lebanon as a birthplace.^[10]

All main Lebanese groups - Maronites, Melkites, Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholics, Druze, Shi'a, Sunnis, Armenians and Kurds (amongst others) — are now represented. ^[11]

The Lebanese in Melbourne have opened restaurants and groceries and middle eastern shops and Lebanese bars on Sydney Road which is sometimes called Little Lebanon. ^[12]

Following the trials for a series of gang rape attacks in Sydney in 2000 by Lebanese Muslims, the Lebanese Muslim Australian community came under significant scrutiny by the media in addition to a more general anti-Muslim backlash after the September 11, 2001 attacks.^[13] Community concern and divisiveness continued in the wake of the 2005 Cronulla riots in Sydney.^[14]

Return Migration

Lebanese Australians have a moderate rate of return migration to Lebanon. In December 2001, the Department of Foreign Affairs estimated that there were 25,000 Australian citizens resident in Lebanon. ^[15]

During the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, the Australian Government organised mass evacuations of Australians resident in Lebanon. ^[16]

Religion

While 60% of Lebanese in their homeland are Muslim, the majority of diasporic Lebanese are Christian. In Australia, 60% are Christian and 40% are Muslim, of those born in Lebanon. ^[17]

Notable Lebanese Australians

See also

• Christianity in Australia
• Islam in Australia
• Religion in Australia
• 2005 Cronulla riots

References

External links

• Australian Lebanese Foundation
• Australians for Lebanon
• Australian Lebanese Historical Society
• Australian Lebanese Youth Association
• Lebanese-Australian Embassy
• United Australian Lebanese movement
• United Australian Lebanese Assembly
• World Lebanese Cultural Union (WLCU) Geographic-Regional Council (GRC) for Australia and New Zealand