South Africa

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Immigration History from South Africa to Victoria

There have been strong links between South Africa and Australia since colonisation. The gold rushes of the 1850s attracted South African prospectors to Victoria, and the discovery of gold in the Transvaal in 1886 reversed the trend, with prospectors leaving Victoria for South Africa. Some Victorian soldiers also remained in South Africa after the Boer War of 1899-1902. By 1911, when the Australian census first recorded South Africans, 754 were living in Victoria.

The community increased in size until 1921, when 1,672 people were recorded. The number remained stable for the next forty years, when the policy of racial segregation – known as apartheid – caused increasing social unrest in South Africa. Many people, particularly white South Africans, sought new lives elsewhere and were attracted by Australia’s similar climate and language.

By 1971, 3,075 South Africa-born people were living in Victoria, most of them of European descent. After the 1976 Soweto riots the community more than doubled in size within five years. The increase continued even after the dismantling of apartheid from 1990 and the election of Nelson Mandela in 1994 in the first multi-racial elections in South Africa.

In 2017, 27,182 people of South African birth lived in Victoria – giving Victoria the fourth-largest population of South Africa-born people after Western Australia. One in six were Jewish; 60% were Christian.

Of the South Africa-born immigrants in Victoria today, most are English-speaking. Many in the community are well-educated, and some are academics. Most live in urban areas, focusing on the local government areas of Glen Eira and Manningham. Community life is enriched by organisations such as the South African Australian Association, which holds several community functions each year and runs a youth group.

Immigration History from South Africa (Afrikaans) to Victoria

Sedert die dae van kolonialisasie was daar sterk bande tussen Suid-Afrika en Australië. Die goudstormlope van die 1850’s het Suid-Afrikaanse goudprospekteerders na Victoria aangelok, en die ontdekking van goud in Transvaal in 1866 het die vloei omgekeer, met prospekteerders wat Victoria vir Suid-Afrika verlaat het. Sommige Victoriaanse soldate het ook in Suid-Afrika aan die einde van die Anglo Boereoorlog van 1899-1902 agtergebly. Teen 1911, toe die Australiese sensus vir die eerste keer Suid-Afrikaaners op rekord gestel het, was daar 754 wat in Victoria woonagtig was.

Die gemeenskap het toegeneem tot 1921, toe 1,672 mense op rekord gestel is. Hierdie getal het stabiel gebly vir die volgende veertig jaar, tot die beleid van rasseskeiding – bekend as apartheid – toenemende sosiale onrus in Suid-Afrika veroorsaak het. Baie mense, in besonder blanke Suid-Afrikaners, het ‘n nuwe lewe op ‘n ander plek gesoek en het aangetrokke tot Australië met sy soortgelyke klimaat en taal gevoel.

Teen 1971 het daar 3,075 Suid-Afrikaanse gebore mense in Victoria gewoon, meeste van hulle van Europese afkoms. Na die Soweto onluste van 1976 het die gemeenskap meer as verdubbel in vyf jaar. Hierdie toename het voortgegaan, ten spyte van die afbreking van apartheid deur Nelson Mandela in 1994, toe die eerste veelrassige verkiesings in Suid-Afrika gehou is.

In 2011 het daar 24,447 mense van Suid-Afrikaanse afkoms in Victoria gewoon – wat Victoria die vierde grootste populasie van Suid-Afrikaans gebore mense gegee het na Western Australia. Een in ses was Joods; 605 was Christelik.

Die meerderheid van die Suid-Afrikaans gebore immigrante vandag in Victoria is Engelssprekend. Die meerderheid van die gemeenskap is welopgevoed, met sommige akademici. Die meeste woon in stedelike gebiede, gekonsentreerd in die plaaslike gebiedsowerhede van Glen Eira en Manningham.

Die gemeenskapslewe word verryk met organisasies soos die Suid-Afrikaans Australiese Vereeniging, wie talle gemeenskapsfunksies elke jaar hou en ook ‘n jeuggroep het.