Armenian Australian
Total population | |
---|---|
16,723 (by ancestry, 2011)[1] | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Sydney, Ryde, Willoughby, Warringah, Melbourne | |
Languages | |
Armenian, Arabic, Russian and Australian English | |
Religion | |
Majority Armenian Apostolic Church, Armenian Catholic Church, Armenian Evangelical Church and Protestantism | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Armenian groups |
Armenian Australian are Australian citizens of Armenian national background or descent. They have become one of the key Armenian diasporas around the world and amongst the largest in the English-speaking world. While the Armenian community in Australia is amongst the youngest of all diasporas, Australia’s economic prosperity over the past decade has attracted a large number of skilled Armenian migrants. The official relationship between Australia and Armenia started on 26 December 1991, and diplomatic relations were established on 15 January 1992.[2]
Overview
The influx of Armenians into Australia has come from many different Diaspora countries; these countries include Armenia, Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Turkey and India.[2]
Today the Austral-Armenian community includes members born in up to and over 43 different countries. The main concentration of Armenians in Sydney are in the City of Ryde (12,000 - 15,000) followed by City of Willoughby and City of Warringah. Smaller communities exist in Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth. Australians of Armenian heritage are well known in Sydney and now hold an annual festival in the CBD each year which attracts over 25,000 visitors and is the second largest cultural festival behind the Greek festival.
Increasingly Australians of Armenian heritage are being recognized for their success in politics, banking & finance and law
Organizations
All traditional Armenian diaspora parties have established in the country:
- Social Democratic Hunchakian Party[3]
- Armenian Democratic Liberal Party
- Armenian Revolutionary Federation
There are also many associated political groupings like:
- Armenian Youth Federation of Australia[4]
- Armenian National Committee of Australia[5]
Other operating social and cultural organisations within the Armenian Australian community:
- Armenian General Benevolent Union
- Hamazkayin Regional Committee breaking down into sub-divisions/committees.[6][7]
- SBS Armenian Radio[8]
- Armenian Chamber of Commerce in Australia[9]
- Homenetmen Australia[10]
- Hye Hoki[11]
- Cultural centers
In Sydney there are several main cultural centers to which Armenians gather, one located in Willoughby, New South Wales named the Armenian Cultural Centre and another located in Bonnyrigg, New South Wales[12] named the Armenian Cultural Panoyan Centre, and smaller Cultural Centres in Neutral Bay, City of Ryde, Frenchs Forest (Ararat Reserve) and Naremburn, Sydney. Melbourne also has several cultural centres.
Education
Armenian is an accepted language in the NSW HSC also known as Armenian Continuers the course is taught at Saturday schools or as a subject at full-time Armenian schools.
Armenian Schooling has become stronger throughout the Australian community with two full-time schools operating in Sydney, these are:
Alongside which a number of Saturday schools operate as listed below:
- Toumanian Armenian Saturday School[7]
- AGBU Alex Manoogian Saturday School[15]
- Tarkmanchatch Armenian Saturday School
- Serop Papazian Armenian Saturday School
- Looyce Armenian Catholic School
Religion
The oldest and largest Armenian church in Australia and throughout the world[16] is the Armenian Apostolic Church, which in Australia is led by Archbishop Haigazoun Najarian who is the Primate of the Australian and New Zealand Armenian Apostolic churches and replaced Archbishop Aghan Baliozian. The Armenian Catholic community is led by Father Parsegh (Basil) Sousanian. there is also a presence of the Armenian Evangelical Church in Sydney and Melbourne in addition to the Holy Trinity Armenian Brotherhood Church and the Armenian Evangelical Brethren Church, both in Sydney.[17]
- The Armenian Apostolic Church is located in Chatswood, New South Wales.[18]
- The Armenian Catholic Church is located in Lidcombe, New South Wales.[19]
- The Armenian Evangelical Church can located in Willoughby, New South Wales.
- The Armenian Brotherhood Holy Trinity Church is located in Ryde, New South Wales.[20]
- The Armenian Evangelical Brethren Church is located in Northbridge, New South Wales.[21]
Notable Armenian Australians
The Australian Armenian community has produced many notable figures who have become key members who shape the identity of Armenians in Australia. Below are a few of these members.
- Gladys Berejiklian - Member of NSW Parliament, Minister for Transport, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party.[22]
- Alex Haddad - Armenian original surname Demirjian. Actor and tv, media personality
- Vic Darchinyan - Three-division world champion boxer.
- George Donikian - Network Ten news presenter.
- Brian Goorjian - Regarded as Australia's most successful basketball coach.
- Slava Grigoryan - classical guitarist, two time ARIA winner.
- Jano Toussounian - Australian/Armenian actor.
- Joe Hockey (Armenian father's surname was "Hokeidonian" before he arrived in Australia) - Member of Federal Parliament - Treasurer.
- Yurik Sarkisian - Olympic Silver medalist and two time World Champion weightlifter, set 17 world records during his career.
References
- ↑ "The People of Australia – Statistics from the 2011 Census" (PDF). Australian Government.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Armenia Country Brief
- ↑ Social Democrat Hunchakian Party
- ↑ http://ayfaustralia.org
- ↑ http://www.anc.org.au
- ↑ Hamazkaine Arshak & Sophie Galstaun School
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Hamazkaine Nairi Chapter & Homenetmen Ararat Branch - Home
- ↑ SBS Radio - Armenian
- ↑ Armenian Chamber of Commerce in Australia Website
- ↑ Homenetmen Australia Regional Website
- ↑ Hye Hoki
- ↑ Armenian Info & Portal Web Site
- ↑
- ↑ "Calendar". Alexander Primary School. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
- ↑ "Alex Manoogian Armenian Language School". Retrieved 1 September 2013.
- ↑ Armenians#Religion
- ↑ 1266.0 - Australian Standard Classification of Religious Groups (ASCRG), 1996
- ↑ CNEWA – The Armenian Apostolic Church
- ↑ Our Lady of the Assumption - Armenian Catholic Church - Sydney Australia
- ↑ This page contains addresses of all Armenian Brotherhood Churches Around the World
- ↑ http://www.armenianbrethren.org/
- ↑ Ms Gladys BEREJIKLIAN, BA, DIntS, MCom MP - NSW Parliament
External links
- http://www.agbu.org.au
- http://www.armenianchamber.com.au
- http://www.armenian.org.au/
- http://www.homenetmen.com.au/
- http://www.ararat.org.au/
- http://www.nareg.com.au/stg
- http://armenianchurchsydney.org.au
- http://www.anc.org.au
- http://www.ayfaustralia.org
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