Polish Australian

Infobox Ethnic group
group = Polish Australian


poptime = 163,802 (by ancestry, 2006)
52,254 (by birth, 2006)
popplace = Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide
langs = Australian English, Polish
rels = Predominantly Roman Catholic with Protestant and Jewish minorities.
related = Poland has been a source country of immigrants to Australia, in particular in the post-war period. Immigration from Poland has long tapered off, with Polish Australian population now part of the mainstream Australian community.

Demography

In 2006 52,254 Australian residents declared they were born in Poland. Cities with the largest Polish populations were Melbourne (16,439), Sydney (12,514), Adelaide (5,859) and Perth(5,142). [ [http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/download?format=xls&collection=Census&period=2006&productlabel=Country of Birth of Person (full classification list) by Sex&producttype=Census Tables&method=Place of Usual Residence&areacode=0 ABS Census - Country of Birth, 2006] ]

The Polish-born Australian resident population predominantly were Australian citizens (90.3%), Christian (82.4%) and used Polish at home (70.0%). Around 78% arrived in Australia before 1990 [ [http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/subscriber.nsf/0/5618AB4511347DC2CA257306000D44C2/$File/2914055002_2006%20(Reissue).xls Australian Bureau of Statistics 2006 Census Ethnic Media Package] ] .

In addition, in 2006 163,802 Australian residents declared they had Polish ancestry, either alone or in combination with one other ancestry [ [http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/download?format=xls&collection=Census&period=2006&productlabel=Ancestry%20(full%20classification%20list)%20by%20Sex&producttype=Census%20Tables&method=Place%20of%20Usual%20Residence&areacode=0 ABS Census - ethnicity] ] .

History

The first Pole known to have arrived in Australia was a J. Potowski, who was sent there as a convict from Great Britain. The first settlers from Poland arrived in South Australia in 1856 and settled in the Clare Valley region in a place later called Polish Hill River. The first mass migration happened in the late 1940s when large groups of displaced persons migrated to Australia after World War II, including soldiers from the Polish Independent Carpathian Brigade ("rats of Tobruk"). Between 1947 and 1954, the Poland-born population increased from 6,573 to 56,594 people.

In the early 1980s there was further Polish migration to Australia. The emergence of the Solidarity trade union movement and the declaration of martial law in Poland at the end of 1981 coincided with a further relaxation of Polish emigration laws. During the period 1980-91 Australia granted permanent entry to a large number of Polish migrants, many arriving as refugees.

Notable Polish Australians

Business

* Richard Pratt (CEO, Visy)
* Ziggy Switkowski (former CEO of Telstra)

Entertainers

* Magda Szubanski (comedienne)
* David Helfgott (pianist, as portrayed in the film "Shine"
* Karl Kruszelnicki (scientist/entertainer)
* Marzena Godecki (actress)
* Natalie Gruzlewski (presenter of "Getaway")
* Yvonne Strahovski (actress)
* Matthew Dyktynski (actor)
* Rhys Kosakowski (actor)
* Mia Wasikowska (actress)

Sport

* Alicia Molik (tennis)
* Peter Luczak (tennis)
* Paul Slowinski (kickboxing)
* Jim Krakouer and son Andrew J. Krakouer (AFL)
* David Wojcinski (AFL)
* James Wesolowski (football)
* David Sierakowski (AFL)
* Brian Sierakowski (AFL)
* Clinton Schifcofske (rugby league)
* Jason Krejza (cricket)
* David Tarka (football)
* Stuart Musialik (football)
* Daniel Piorkowski (football)
* Michael Klim (swimming)
* Daniel Kowalski (swimming)

Academia

* Anna Wierzbicka (linguistics)
* Jerzy Zubrzycki (sociologist)
* Jerzy Smolicz (sociologist)
* Henry Millicer (aeronautical engineering)

Other

* Paul Strzelecki (explorer who named Mount Kosciuszko)
* Andrew Ziolkowski (NSW politician)

References

External links

* [http://www.polish.org.au/ Polish Community Council of Australia]

* An article on the use of the Polish language by Polish Australians, specifically those in Melbourne:
** Fitzgerald, M. and Debski, R. (2006). Internet Use of Polish by Polish Melburnians: Implications for Maintenance and Teaching. "Language Learning and Technology", 10(1), 87-109. Retrieved August 10, 2006 from http://llt.msu.edu/vol10num1/fitzdebski/default.html .