Cook Islands

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Immigration History from Cook Islands to Victoria

Cook Island-born Victorians were first recorded in the 1976 census, when there were nine residents in Victoria.

Although the Cook Islands had been under New Zealand rule since 1901, it was the move to self-rule, whilst remaining under New Zealand control, which gave Cook Islanders free access to New Zealand. From there they were able to re-migrate to Australia under the Trans-Tasman agreement. So, as New Zealand migration to Australia grew in the 1980s, so too did Cook Islander migration. The 1986 census recorded 287 Cook Island-born Victorians.

Over the next decade the Cook Island-born population in Victoria more than doubled, reaching 787 in 1996. This was due to an economic recession in New Zealand which prompted people to seek work in Australia. By 2001 census the Cook Island-born community had reached 1346.

In 2016 there were 1,899 Cook Island-born Victorians counted in the census. The majority, 61%, speak Cook Islands Maori in the home, while 34% speak English and 6% speak New Zealand Maori. Almost 90% of the community is Christian and the three most popular faiths are Presbyterian and Reformed, Uniting and Catholic.

The community is relatively young, with the median age being 41. Of those employed 40% are labourers, 28% are Intermediate Production and Transport Workers; and 8% are employed in Community and Personal Service work. 25% live in the local government area of Casey, 22% in the Greater Dandenong area and substantial numbers also live in the local government area of Kingston.

The community is supported by the Cook Islands Maori language program on SBS radio and the Cook Islands Welfare Association.

Immigration History from Cook Islands (Maori) to Victoria

I roto i te ta-re anga tangata o te mataiti 1976, kua kitea ia mai e, e 9 au tangata e noo ki Vikitoria (Victoria) nei, tei anau ia ki te Kuki Airani.

Kua ngoie ua oki i te au tangata Kuki Airani i te aere ki Nuti Reni ma te tamanamanata kore ia, i te mea e, i te mataiti 1901, tei raro te Kuki Airani i te tamaru akatere a Nuti Reni, e i muri mai, kua neke te Kuki Airani ki te turanga e nana uaorai aia e akatere, ma te noo akapiri katoa rai ra kia Nuti Reni. I reira kua rauka katoa ia ratou te tere tu mai ki Autereria (Australia) nei, i raro ake i te akatika anga a nga basileia Nuti Reni e Autereria tei karangaia e ko te ‘Trans-Tasman agreement’. Kia kitea te tere maata o te tangata Nuti Reni ki Autereria nei i te au mataiti varu ngauru tu-ma (1980’s), koia katoa ia te ta-re tangata Kuki Airani. Kua akakite ia e te ta-re tangata o te mataiti 1986 e, mei te 287 au tangata tei anau ia ki te Kuki Airani e noo nei ki Vikitoria (Victoria).

Mei te ta’i ngauru mataiti i muri mai, kua taeria ki te numero 787 au tangata tei anau ia ki te Kuki Airani e noo ki Vikitoria, tei akakite ia e te ta-re anga tangata (census) o te mataiti 1996. Kua tupu teia no te kino o te turanga moni (economic recession) i Nuti Reni, tei akatupu i te manako ki roto i te tangata kia kimi mai i te ngai angaanga moni mai ki Autereria nei. Kia tae ki te mataiti 2001, kua taeria taua numero o te iti tangata ki te 1346.

I te mataiti 2011, e 1,701 au tangata tei anauia ki te Kuki Airani i roto i te ta-re anga tangata. Ko te maata anga, tei akakite ia e mei te 58 pa-tene (%) e tuatua ana i te reo Kuki Airani Maori i te kainga, e 32 pa-tene tuatua i te reo Engareti (English) e mei te 6 pa-tene e tuatua ana i te reo Maori Nuti Reni. Vaitata i te 90 pa-tene o te iti tangata e irinaki anga Kerisitiano (Christian) to ratou tei akatumu ia ki roto i teia au evangelia - Presbyterian e te Reformed, Uniting e te Katorika (Catholic).

E uki mapu te maataanga o teia au iti-tangata. Ko tetai rima-ngauru-ma-rua patene (52%) tei raro ake to ratou mataiti i te a-ngauru. No runga i te au tangata e angaanga moni nei, ko tetai toru-ngauru patene (30%) e au aronga angaanga raverave tei reira. Ko tetai rua-ngauru patene (20%) e angaanga nei i te maani apinga, me kare e aronga angaanga o te au tu pereo. Ko tetai tai-ngauru-ma-tai patene (11%) e au manitia, e tetai uatu aronga mou taoanga o te kimi puapinga. Ko tetai rua-ngauru-ma-rima patene (25%) e noo ana ratou ki roto i te tapere kavamani o Casey, ma tetai rua-ngauru-ma-rua patene (22%) i roto i te oire maata o Dandenong. Te vai nei katoa tetai tare tangata e noo nei ki roto i te tapere kavamani o Kingston.

Te turuturu ia nei te iti tangata e te porokaramu reo Kuki Airani Maori ki runga i te Ratio SBS e pera te taokotai’anga Cook Islands Welfare Association.