Welsh Australians

Welsh Australians are citizens of Australia whose ancestry originates in Wales.

This article is about Australians of Welsh descent. For Welsh people of Australian descent, see Australians in Britain.
Welsh Australians
Awstraliaid Cymreig
Welsh Australian Flag
Total population
  • 113,242–683,700 (by ancestry)[1]
  • 25,317 (by birth, 2006)[2]
Languages
English, Welsh
Religion
Christianity (mostly Anglicanism and Presbyterianism)
Related ethnic groups
Welsh, Scottish Australians, Irish Australians, Cornish Australians, English Australians, Welsh New Zealanders, Welsh Argentines, Welsh Americans, Welsh Canadians

Number of Welsh Australians
People with Welsh ancestry as a percentage of the population in Australia divided geographically by statistical local area, as of the 2011 census

According to the 2006 Australian census 25,317 Australian residents were born in Wales,[2] while 113,242 (0.44%) claimed Welsh ancestry, either alone or with another ancestry.[1]

The name Jones, which is common Wales although the name first arrived from England in the middle ages, is one of most-common surnames in Australia, accounting for over 1% of Australians, which suggests a higher rate of Welsh ancestry than indicated by self-identification.

A 1996 study gives the total ethnic strength of Welsh Australians as 243,400. This is made up by 44,100 of un-mixed origin and 683,700 of mixed origin.[3] This would make the Welsh the fifth largest Anglo-Celtic group in Australia after the English, Irish, Scottish and Cornish.

Welsh emigration to Australia

It is believed that the eastern coast of Australia reminded Captain James Cook of the coast of South Wales (especially the Vale of Glamorgan coast, which he knew), hence the name he gave to it, "New South Wales". The first European colony in Australia was in New South Wales, beginning with the First Fleet of 1788. Welsh people numbered amongst these first settlers, and continued to arrive in the new colony through the British policy of penal transportation that was implemented for many criminal acts.

Mass emigration from Wales to Australia began in the nineteenth century with New South Wales and Victoria being popular destinations. Nineteenth-century Welsh settlers were mostly farmers, followed later by gold diggers and coal miners.

A gold rush began in Australia in the early 1850s, and the Eureka Stockade rebellion in 1854 was an early expression of nationalist sentiment. Amongst its leaders was the Welsh-born Chartist John Basson Humffray, one of a significant group of immigrants that came over from Wales at this time.

List of notable Welsh Australians
Name Born-Died Notable for Connection with Australia Connection with Wales
Tony Abbott1957–former prime ministerhas lived in Australia since he was three years oldborn in England and maternal grandmother was Welsh
James Atkin, Baron Atkin of Aberdovey (also known as Lord Atkin)1867–1944lawyer and judgeborn in Australiagrew up in Wales from age 4; always thought of himself as Welsh
John Beard1943–artistlives in Australiaborn in Wales
Edgeworth David1858–1934geologist and explorer (discovered the Hunter Valley coalfield)spent most of his life in Australiaborn in Wales
Stella Donnelly1992–MusicianMoved to Australia at age tenborn in Wales
Hughie Edwards1914–1982senior officer in the RAF, former governor of Western Australia, recipient of Victoria Cross, most highly decorated serviceman of WW2Born in AustraliaWelsh parents
Tyson Frizell1991–Rugby League footballerBorn in AustraliaWelsh father
Julia Gillard1961–Former prime ministerMigrated to Australia at age fiveborn in Wales
Samuel Griffith1845–1920former premier of Queensland, chief justice of the High Court; principal author of the Constitution of Australiamigrated to Australia in 1853born in Wales
Rolf Harris1930–2023artist, entertainer and convicted child sex offenderborn in Australia, lived in the United Kingdom since 1953Welsh parents
Billy Hughes1862–1952former prime ministermigrated to Australia 1884Welsh parents
Jean Jenkins1938–former senatormigrated to Australia 1969Welsh parents and upbringing
Joseph Jenkins1818–1898diarist, poet and swagmanresident in Australia 1869-1894born in Wales
Andrew Johns1974–Rugby League footballerborn in Australia, represented New South Wales and AustraliaWelsh grandfather
David Jones (merchant)1793–1873retailer and businessmanset up his business in Australiaborn in Wales
T. Harri Jones1921–1965poet and lecturermigrated to Australiaborn in Wales
John McCarthy1967–Australian rules footballermigrated to Australiaborn in Wales
Dannii Minogue1971–singer and entertainerborn in Australiamother born in Wales
Kylie Minogue1968–singer and actressborn in Australiamother born in Wales
Alf Morgans1850–1933former premier of Western Australiamoved to Australia in 1896born in Wales
Thomas Price (South Australian politician)1852–1909former premier of South Australiamoved to Australia in 1883born in Wales
Naomi Watts1968–actressmoved to Australia when she was 15lived in Wales between the ages of seven and 14; mother's parents Welsh
Rhys Williams1988–professional soccer playerborn in and grew up in Australia; member of the Socceroos in 2009–2010Welsh grandparents on his father's side; played for the Welsh under-21 team[4][5]

See also

References
  1. "20680-Ancestry (full classification list) by Sex - Australia". 2006 census. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original (Microsoft Excel download) on March 10, 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-19.
  2. "20680-Country of Birth of Person (full classification list) by Sex - Australia" (Microsoft Excel download). 2006 census. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
  3. James Jupp (1 October 2001). The Australian People: An Encyclopedia of the Nation, Its People and Their Origins. Cambridge University Press. p. 227. ISBN 978-0-521-80789-0.
  4. "Rhys Williams opts to play for Australia instead of Wales". Herald Sun. 2009-05-12. Retrieved 2009-05-12.
  5. "Introducing Rhys Williams". Middlesbrough F.C. Archived from the original on 2007-09-20. Retrieved 2009-05-31.

Further reading
  • Lloyd, Lewis. (1988) Australians from Wales Caernarfon: Gwynedd Archives. ISBN 0-901337-47-1
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