Bosnian Australian

Bosnian Australian
Total population
39,440 (by birth, 2011)
20,247 (by ancestry, 2011)[1]
Regions with significant populations
Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane
Languages
Australian English · Bosnian
Religion
Predominantly Sunni Islam

Bosnian Australians are Australian citizens of Bosnian ancestry or Bosnia-Herzegovina-born people who reside in Australia. According to the 2011 Australian census 39,440 Australians were born in Bosnia and Herzegovina.[2]

History

The vast majority of Bosnian migrants began arriving in Australia during and after the Bosnian War which took place between April 1992 and December 1995. There were larger waves after World War II and again in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1986 it was estimated that there were about 5,500 Bosnians in Australia.

Bosnian migrants who arrived in Australia in the 1960s made important contributions to modern-day Australia through their role in the construction of the Snowy Mountains Scheme in New South Wales.

The distribution of Bosnian immigrants in Sydney as a percentage of the population

Religion

The majority of Bosnians that arrived in Australia are Muslim, with a fewer number having Orthodox and Catholic backgrounds. Some Bosnians are inter-ethnic with some having interfaith marriages. The recent war in the 1990s created a situation where sensitivity is required in relation to ethnicity for self identification and language spoken.

Communities

Bosnian Australians mainly live in New South Wales and Victoria, especially in the cities of Melbourne and Sydney. In Melbourne they reside largely in the suburbs of Noble Park, St Albans, Springvale, and Dandenong. In Sydney, they are concentrated in Auburn, Blacktown, Bankstown, Fairfield, Liverpool, and Hurstville. In Perth, most live in Mirrabooka, Beechboro, Balcatta, and Morley.

Media

Radio

Currently in Sydney and Melbourne SBS Radio broadcasts in the Bosnian language for an hour a day. Other community stations such as 3ZZZ also broadcast in Bosnian.

Notable Bosnian Australians

Religious

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ "The People of Australia – Statistics from the 2011 Census" (PDF). Australian Government.
  2. ↑ "Migration, Australia, 2011–12 and 2012–13" (XLS). Australian Bureau of Statistics. 18 December 2013. Retrieved 16 May 2013. (table 9.1 of downloadable XL file: "Estimated resident population, Country of birth, State/territory, Age and sex – 30 June 2011")

External links