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Fact SheetsView latest | View allAustralian Communities: Italian AustraliansAccording to the 2001 census, over 800,000 (4.3 per cent) Australians claimed Italian descent with 218,718 Australian residents having been born in Italy. Almost 80 per cent of Italy-born residents have taken up Australian citizenship. Italian is Australia's second most widely-spoken language with more than 353,000 speakers. In 2003, over 41 thousand Italians visited Australia and over 71 thousand Australians travelled to Italy. At least 30,000 Australians are estimated to live in Italy. (1)
Geography Brief History The peninsula we now call Italy was first settled in about the 8th century BCE, in the south by Greeks and in the centre and north by Etruscans and Romans. By the 3rd century BCE most of the peninsular and neighbouring islands were unified under the Roman Republic. Between the 1st and 5th centuries CE the Roman Empire dominated most of the Mediterranean world from Britain in the west to Byzantium in the east. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Italy was invaded by various forces. From 800 on, the Holy Roman Emperors, Roman Catholic popes, Normans, and Saracens all vied for control over various parts of the Italian peninsula. In the late Middle Ages numerous city-states, such as Venice and Genoa, whose political and commercial rivalries were intense, and many small principalities flourished. Although Italy remained politically fragmented for centuries, with the Renaissance it became the cultural centre of the Western world from the 13th to the 16th centuries. In the 18th century, Austria and Napoleonic France dominated Italy. Napoleon crowned himself king of Italy in 1805 but after his defeat the Austrians crushed Italian uprisings striving for national unity. The nationalist movement grew and, helped by France and Britain, Italy became a single state in 1861. The city states of the peninsula and Sicily were united under King Victor Emmanuel of Sardinia. The new nation had few natural resources and almost no industry or transportation network. There was extreme poverty and a high rate of illiteracy with profound differences between the more prosperous north and the south, but the cultural influence of Italy on the Western world on literature, painting, sculpture, architecture and music flourished. Although some economic progress had been made by the outbreak of WWI, the Italians were ill-prepared for war when they joined the Allies in 1915. In the post war settlement Italy received less territory than expected and added to the serious loss of men and morale already suffered during the war, this led to the rapid rise of the Fascist Party led by Benito Mussolini. He became Prime Minister in 1922 and within four years, a dictator, destroying civil liberties and outlawing all other political parties. Public works projects, propaganda, militarism, and the appearance of order did however gain Mussolini considerable popularity. In 1936 Mussolini agreed to the Rome-Berlin Axis with Nazi Germany. Italy entered WWII on the side of Germany in 1940. The Allies invaded Sicily in 1943 and Mussolini was dismissed. An armistice was made with the Allies and Italy declared war on Germany. In 1946 a popular election rejected the monarchy in favour of a republic. The government encouraged Italian migration to alleviate the economic problems it faced. Assisted by massive foreign aid Italy made a remarkable economic recovery with rapid industrial expansion and a sharp increase in the standard of living. Italy joined the European economic Community in 1958. Today, Italy is a thriving nation of some 57 million people. The factors which encouraged emigration have been mostly overcome and many of its people are returning. The dominant religion of Italy is Christianity with Roman Catholicism the nominated faith of about 98 per cent of the people. Migration to Australia It is believed the first Italians to sight the Australian continent were sailors, aboard the Spanish expedition led by Magellan in 1520. One, Antonio Pigafetta, kept a log of that journey. The first Italian to land in Australia was possibly Mario Sega, a sailor from Genoa, who arrived aboard the Dutch ship, Eendracht, in 1616. He jumped ship at Shark Bay in Western Australia and eloped with an Aboriginal woman. The next Italian visitors were Giacomo Matra and Antonio Ponto, who were on board the Endeavour with Captain James Cook during his voyage of discovery in 1770. In the early days of colonisation a handful of Italian convicts and settlers arrived, including several Sicilian sailors convicted and transported by the British. In 1843, three Italian priests were brought to Sydney by John Polding, the first Catholic bishop in Australia. They were followed by many more nuns, priests and missionaries who supported the work of the Irish led Catholic church in many parts of Australia. From the Gold Rush in the 1850s the number of Italians in Australia steadily increased. Raffaello Carboni joined the miners, became a protestor and was the author of The Eureka Stockade, the only first-hand account of the miner's revolt. In 1855, a Sardinian vessel, the Goffredo Mameli, brought 84 immigrants. In 1881, 317 Italian migrants were accepted as refugees after a failed attempt to settle an island off New Guinea. They eventually settled near Lismore in what became known as New Italy. By the end of the century there were Italian-born doctors, artists, musicians, priests, engineers, scientists, businessmen and intellectuals in Australia, many of whom made a substantial contribution to colonial life. Among them was Dr Tommaso Fiaschi. He arrived in Sydney in 1875 and established a medical practice in Windsor. He had a significant medical and military career spanning several wars and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty. He was also prominent in the arts and an expert vigneron. Pietro Baracchi became government astronomer and President of the Royal Society of Victoria. Joseph Bosisto was a pharmacist who pioneered eucalyptus oil products and became first Mayor of Richmond and later a Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. Ettore Checchi was a civil engineer with the Public Works Department. Carlo Catani another civil engineer supervised many significant projects in and around Melbourne. There were also numerous musicians including Pietro Cecchi, Nellie Melba's first teacher and composer, Alberto Zelman. By 1891, there were 3912 Italians in Australia, mostly men. In the 1890s more Italian migrants arrived and through chain migration, established close-knit communities. In the early 1900s, Sicilian fishermen established a fishing industry on Australia's eastern seaboard. Italian migration increased greatly after Australian Federation in 1901. This was partly due to the enactment of the Immigration Restriction Act (commonly known as the 'White Australia' policy), which allowed Italian migrants to settle in Australia to replace other lost labour. At the time of the first Commonwealth Census in 1901, the Italian-born population had increased to 5678 and by 1911, to 6719. Following the turmoil of WW1 Italian passenger liners carrying immigrants began to operate on the Australian route. Most of the migrants were men and found agricultural or factory work. The sugar industry attracted many workers to Queensland, construction projects and farm work to Victoria and mining and fishing to Western Australia. When the migrants had saved enough money they would often send for their families. Scattered all over the country were small businesses, chiefly fruit shops and the cafes and coffee bars which would have a significant impact on Australian life. During WWII, Italians living in Australia were considered 'enemy aliens', including those born in Australia of Italian parentage. The first Italians to become prisoners of war were the sailors and passengers of Italian ships berthed in Australian ports or sailing territorial waters. 268 Italian seamen were interned. By 1942, 3631 Italians living in Australia had been interned. Internment ended in 1943 when, following an armistice with the Allies, Italy joined the war against Nazi Germany. Between 1947 and 1976, social, political and economic uncertainty in Italy and encouragement from a government struggling to cope prompted about 360 000 Italians to migrate to Australia where there was a desperate shortage of labour and a belief that substantial population growth was essential for the country's future. Most of the new arrivals settled in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide and there was a corresponding shift from agricultural to factory work. The men found work in the heavy industries, in labouring work, building and construction, and as skilled tradesmen. Many worked on the Snowy Mountains Scheme and the Warragamba Dam. Women worked in light industry or shops, cafes and other small businesses. Many soon established their own small businesses. Although there were limited settlement services provided, much of the migration was 'chain' migration where people joined other family or community members who had already migrated and were assisted by them. People from the same village or region settled near each other and this helped maintain cultural links. The Catholic Church also provided support. Italian Australians still celebrate their cultural heritage in festivals held all over the country. The best known include the Lygon Street festival in Carlton, Melbourne and the Australian Italian Festival - whose motto is Mangiamo, Beviamo and Cantiamo (Eat, Drink and Celebrate) held in Ingham, North Queensland. About 60% of the Ingham community have an Italian heritage. The La Campana festival in Queanbeyan began 48 years ago and is growing each year. As well as social festivals, religious festivals which celebrate the patron saints of Italian towns or regions, are characteristic among most Italian Australian communities. In South Australia about 40 saints are honoured with some 32 of the festivals involving substantial programs of events. Australians of Italian heritage have made a significant contribution to the cultural, social and economic life of Australia. Today Italian Australians are prominent in politics, sport, journalism, the law, and the arts and have had a considerable influence on the growth of Australia's construction, food, wine, fishing and tourism industries. Prominent Australians of Italian ancestry include: (1) Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
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