Australiens d'origine française (French) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Total population | |
| French 36,028 (by birth, 2021)[1] 148,922 (by ancestry, 2021)[2] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| France-born people by state or territory | |
| New South Wales | 8,936 |
| Victoria | 5,615 |
| Queensland | 4,980 |
| Western Australia | 2,792 |
| Languages | |
| Religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Part ofa series of articles on the |
| French people |
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Africa Asia Middle East Europe
North America
South America Oceania 1Overseas parts of France properMigration of minorities inFrance (i.e.Basques) can be considered as separate (ethnically) or French migration (by nationality). |
French Australians (French:Australiens d'origine française), are Australian citizens or residents ofFrench ancestry, or French-born people who reside inAustralia. According to the2021 Census, there were 148,922 people of French descent in Australia and 36,028 French-born people residing in the country. The largest French Australian community is in the state ofNew South Wales.
According to the 2006 Australian census, 98,332 Australians (or 0.47% of the population) claim French ancestry, either alone or with another ancestry.[3] Of these, 19,186 were born in France[4] and 12,735 of them had since acquiredAustralian citizenship.[5]
8,281 (or 43%) of the residents born in France had arrived in Australia in 1979 or earlier.[5]
Bruni d'Entrecasteaux,Jean-Michel Huon de Kermadec,Lapérouse,Louis Antoine de Bougainville,Jules Dumont d'Urville,Nicolas Baudin,François Péron andMarc-Joseph Marion du Fresne were some of the early European explorers to reach the continent.Francis Barrallier explored theBlue Mountains.
Many Australians with French ancestry are descended fromHuguenot refugees. Some of the earliest Huguenots to arrive in Australia held prominent positions in English society, notablyJane Franklin andCharles La Trobe.
Others who came later were from poorer Huguenot families. They migrated to Australia from England in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to escape the poverty in theEast End of London, notably in the Huguenot enclaves ofSpitalfields andBethnal Green. Their impoverishment had been brought about by the effect of theIndustrial Revolution, which caused the collapse of the Huguenot-dominated silk-weaving industry.
A number of French orders of priests, nuns and brothers have contributed to theCatholic Church in Australia. They included the teaching orders of theDe La Salle Brothers,[6]Marist Brothers[7] andMarist Sisters. The prominent schoolSt Joseph's College, Hunters Hill was founded by the French Marist Brother Emilian Pontet in 1881. TheMarist Fathers staffed parishes and conducted missionary activities in theSouth Pacific.[8] TheMissionaries of the Sacred Heart, based inKensington, New South Wales, ran missions in remote Australia and New Guinea.[9]
French architectural influence is still visible inHunters Hill, not only in church buildings but also but in private houses built by the unusually large number of French settlers in the suburb.[10]
The largest post-war increase in French migration to Australia came during the 1960s and 1970s; unlike many other European countries, France did not establish a migration scheme in the immediate post-war period due to chronic underemployment, despite Australia seeing the French as some of the most desirable immigrants to obtain during that era.[11]
Since that time, there has only been a small flow of French immigrants to Australia. Many people in the French-Australian community now originate fromFrench overseas territories, especiallyNew Caledonia.
Today, theBrisbane French Festival, held over theBastille Day weekend, is Australia's biggest French festival.[12] Participants include both French-born Australians and Australians of more distant French ancestry.
Alliance Française has an active presence in most Australian cities, teaching the French language, holding cultural events such as Beaujolais Nouveau festivals and sponsoring the nation's annual French film festival.[13]SBS has also done much to increase the popularity of French cinema and culture with Australian audiences, though Hollywood still predominates with mainstream audiences.
Some Australians of FrenchHuguenot descent have completely assimilated into the country's predominantly Anglo-Saxon culture but most still quietly but tenaciously hold on to as many aspects as they can of their French heritage and identify themselves very much as Huguenots, even hundreds of years after being exiled. TheHuguenot Society of Australia does much to encourage Australian Huguenots to embrace their cultural heritage and provides genealogical research services.[14]
French cuisine has influenced the nation with French-inspired cafes, restaurants and boulangeries to be found in most major cities.[15] French immigrant chefs, particularly those who appear on television, have done much to promote French cooking and food philosophy, including a growing understanding of the concept ofterroir.
The French Benevolent Society has an active presence in the nation, providing a support network for elderly and incapacitated French Australians.[16]
Most of the French-born people in Australia are Roman Catholics and theReformed Church of France (Église Réformée de France) is yet to establish a presence in the country, despite the vibrant group of Australians of Huguenot descent. However,Taizé-style services are becoming increasingly popular with both Roman Catholics and Protestants from a variety of denominations. Taizé provides one of the key grassroots ecumenical movements in the nation.
French international schools in Australia include:
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