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Immigration History from Sweden to Victoria

The first major influx of Sweden-born immigrants to Victoria occurred during the gold rush of the 1850s. It has been estimated that 1,500 Swedes lived in Victoria between 1857 and 1859. Based in the goldfields of Ballarat, Bendigo and McIvor, many Sweden-born immigrants eventually sought work on the land. Others settled in Melbourne as craftsmen and builders. The Swedish Club was formed in Melbourne in 1887.

Most Swedes in nineteenth century Victoria were men. In 1871, only 3% were women, and the gender imbalance continued well into the 1960s.

In the first half of the twentieth century the Sweden-born population of Victoria declined from 1,220 people in 1911 to 529 in 1947. This occurred despite the immigration of educated Swedish businesspeople during the 1920s, when trade links between Australia and Sweden were developing.

In 1952 the General Assisted Passage Scheme was applied to Scandinavia, but this had little effect on the ageing Sweden-born population of Victoria. By 1966, the population had increased by only 44 people.

The population rose slowly but steadily in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1996 there were almost as many Sweden-born people in Victoria as there were in 1911, with a total of 1,215 people. The 2011 census recorded 1,755 Sweden-born Victorians, the majority living in the inner bayside area of Melbourne. More than half were professional workers, and 36% were Christians. The Swedish Church in Toorak is a pivotal point for the community, fostering links with other Swedish and Scandinavian associations including the Swedish Department of the University of Melbourne, the Melbourne-Swedish Community School, the Scandinavian Choir and the Swedish Church in Sweden.

Immigration History from Sweden (Swedish) to Victoria

Det första större inflödet av svenskfödda immigranter till Victoria skedde under guldrushen på 1850-talet. Det beräknas att 1 500 svenskar bodde i Victoria mellan 1857 och 1859. Boende på guldfälten i Ballarat, Bendigo och Mc Ivor sökte många svenskfödda immigranter sen arbete inom jordbruket. Andra slog sig ned i Melbourne som hantverkare och byggnadsarbetare. Den svenska klubben bildades i Melbourne 1887.

De flesta svenskar i Victoria på 1800-talet var män. År 1871 var endast 3% kvinnor och den här könskillnaden fortsatte tills långt in på 1960-talet.

Under första halva av 1900-talet minskade den svenskfödda delen av Victorias befolkning från 1 220 personer 1911 till 529 personer 1947. Det här skedde trots en invandring av välutbildade svenska affärsmän under 1920-talet, när handelsutbytet mellan Australien och Sverige började öka.

1952 började General Assisted Passage Scheme (statligt stöd för invandring, övers. anm.) att tillämpas även på Skandinavien, men det här hade liten effekt på Victorias åldrande svenskfödda befolkning. 1966 hade svenskpopulationen bara ökat med 44 personer.

Under 1970- och 1980-talet ökade populationen sakta men säkert. 1996 fanns det nästan lika många svenskfödda personer i Victoria som 1911, totalt 1 215 stycken. Enligt folkräkningen 2011 fanns det 1 755 svenskfödda som bodde i Victoria och majoriteten av dem bodde i Melbourneområdet. Över hälften av dem var yrkesarbetande och 36% var kristna. Den svenska kyrkan i Toorak spelar en viktig roll för svenskkolonin eftersom den skapar och upprätthåller kontakter med andra svenska och skandinaviska organisationer, bland annat den svenska fakulteten på University of Melbourne, den svenska skolan i Melbourne, den skandinaviska kören och den svenska kyrkan i Sverige.