Italian migrants began arriving in Australia in the mid-1800s. They were motivated by the need for work, the search for new opportunities, and the deprivations caused by war, poverty, crop failure and natural disaster. The majority of migrants came from rural communities, where seasonal work was a way of life.
A further wave of immigration occurred in the 1950s and 60s, spurred by rural poverty. Many came from the south of Italy where it was hard to make a living from the land, and they longed for the chance to make something better of their lives.
Italian emigration was fueled by dire poverty. Life in Southern Italy, including the islands of Sicily and Sardinia, offered landless peasants little more than hardship, exploitation, and violence. Even the soil was poor, yielding little, while malnutrition and disease were widespread.
The Italian presence in Australia predates the First Fleet. James Matra and Antonio Ponto, both of Italian descent, were aboard the ship 'Endeavour' with Captain James Cook on his voyage of discovery in 1770. Convict Giuseppe Tuzo arrived with the First Fleet, and eventually settled in Sydney.
Between 1945 and 1951 more than 35,000 Italians migrated to Australia and between 1951 and 1972 an estimated 338,624 Italians migrated to Australia. The 1950s was the peak decade of Italian migration to Australia with as many as 193,791 Italians settling in Australia.
From the very beginning, Italian immigrants made an impact on the Australian culture; especially the cuisine. They brought with them all the things we now love – garlic, olive oil, pizza, pasta… They especially played large role in introducing wine, and creating the coffee culture we are now so proud of.
Italians have had a huge influence and contribution to the city's culture. Almost a third of Italian-Australians live in Melbourne - this amounts to over 300,000 people - the largest Italian population in Oceania.
Italian migrants began arriving in Australia in the mid-1800s. They were motivated by the need for work, the search for new opportunities, and the deprivations caused by war, poverty, crop failure and natural disaster.
Historically, most Italians have been Roman Catholics. Also, the majority of Italian immigrants who migrated to Australia have remained Catholics. In Brisbane, in which a large number of Italian migrants migrated in post WWII period, immigrants were actively involved in activities performed around Catholic Parishes.
Patterns of Settlement
Much of the appeal of the North End for immigrant groups was its proximity to work opportunities on the waterfront and in downtown Boston. By 1920, over 50 percent of Italian immigrants in Boston lived in the North End.
Origins. By Italian Government estimates, fully two-fifths of its emigrants to Australia were from the Veneto and another two-fifths were drawn from the Piedmont, Lombardy and Tuscany regions. Only one-fifth were from Sicily and Calabria.
Following Italy's involvement in world war I, many Italians particularly from the southern regions of Calabria and Sicily and descended into both, the south eastern and northern suburbs of Melbourne. Following World War II, Australia saw a huge influx of Italian migrants settling all throughout Melbourne.
Italians also worked as tradesmen and labourers on large construction sites including the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House and the Australia Square Building. Construction companies such as Electric Power Transmission (EPT), Transfield and Pioneer Concrete were established by Italian migrants.
Italian Immigration to Australia
They brought their culture and food, and Australians have been eating it up ever since! These dishes include pasta, pizza, lasagna, and risotto. They also brought along the tradition of gelato (Italian ice cream). These dishes are still popular today.
Sono andato in Australia, ma non ho visto alcun canguro. I went to Australia, but I didn't see any kangaroos. Il mio amico è australiano.
Little Italy in Victoria, Australia (sometimes referred to as the "Italian Precinct" or simply "Lygon Street"), is a "Little Italy" cultural precinct of the Italian community of Melbourne. It is situated along Lygon Street in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Carlton.
The major ethnic group in Italy is the Italians, who account for 95% (above 60 million) of the total population of Italy. The remaining 5% of the population consists of ethnicities like Albanians, Romanians, Ukrainians, and other Europeans (2.5%); Africans (1.5%), and several other minorities (1%).
Most of the early settlers in Griffith were from the Veneto region. During the 1930s the number of Italians from Calabria, Sicily and other regions settled in growing numbers. Their farming success attracted a further wave of Italian migration to Griffith in the postwar period.
Carla Zampatti was born in 1942 in Italy's Lovero, a small town in Lombardy and migrated to Australia in 1950 with her family. In 1965, at the age of 24, she started her fashion label, Carla Zampatti in Sydney, which brought her success and fame.
Italians are known for their sporting ability in both women and men. Throughout WW2 the Italians introduced soccer and tennis. These Italian originated sports have influenced Australian sport heavily. Now we have the grand slam, Australian open and even a soccer team (socceroos).
Today, the state of New York has the largest population of Italian-Americans in the United States, while Rhode Island and Connecticut have the highest overall percentages in relation to their respective populations.
At an estimated 31 million, Brazil is home to the single-largest population of Italian descendants, followed by Argentina, where up to two-thirds of the population have at least one Italian ancestor. A further 17 million Americans self-report as being of Italian origin.
Italian immigration continued at a trickle throughout the middle of the 19th century. Although travelers from the peninsula continued to roam the world, most chose to settle in Argentina and Brazil. Between 1820 and 1870, fewer than 25,000 Italian immigrants came to the U.S., mostly from northern Italy.