Tonga

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Immigration History from Tonga to Victoria

Tonga as a birth-place is first recorded in the Victorian census under the name ‘The Friendly Islands’, bestowed by Captain James Cook due to the friendly reception he received on his first visit there in 1773. Almost 100 years after that meeting the Victorian census of 1871 records 12 of their ancestors living in Victoria.

This number crept slowly over the next 60 years to 31 Tonga-born Victorians in 1947. Unfortunately census records in Victoria for the next two decades omitted Tonga as a birthplace category. When the category re-appeared in 1971, it was clear the community had been growing, with 80 Tonga-born Victorians recorded.

From this time Tongan immigration increased significantly. By 1981 there were 300 Tongan-born Victorians. This figure again more than doubled over the following decade with 821 Tongan-born Victorians recorded in the 1991 census. Today most Tongan migration is due to the extended family system. This impetus was further strengthened by the establishment of an Australian visa office in Tonga in 1996.

In 2016 there were more than 1694 Victorians born in Tonga. Almost 82% percent of the community today still speak Tongan at home, and the vast majority are Christian, with over 30% belonging to the Uniting Church. Of those in the work force, 16% are engaged in managerial or professional roles, 9% work in the community and personal service sector, and 4% are employed as labourers. Many Tongans come from a strong farming background, and than 10% of the population employed as farm and crop workers.

Large numbers of Tongans have settled in the rural local government areas of Mildura and Swan Hill and in the urban centres of Brimbank, Wyndham and Maribyrnong. Most recently, Tongans have been coming to Victoria under the Pacific Island workers’ scheme, which brings seasonal workers to rural Victoria. The community is serviced by the SBS Tongan Language Program and supported by church organisations.

Immigration History from Tonga (Tongan) to Victoria

Ko e fuofua lēkooti ‘o Tonga ko ha feitu’u fā’ele’i’anga, ‘i he tohi-kakai ‘a Vikatoliá, ko hono ngāue’aki ‘a e hingoa ‘’Otu Motu Anga’ofá’ (The Friendly Islands), na’e foaki ‘e Kapiteni James Cook koe’uhi´ ko hono talitali anga’ofa ia ‘i he’ene fuofua folau ki ai ‘i he 1773. Hili e meimei ta’u ‘e 100 mei he fetaulaki ko iá ne lēkooti ‘i he tohi-kakai ‘a Vikatōliá ‘i he 1871 ‘a e toko 12 ko e hako ‘o honau tupu’angá, na’a nau nofo ‘i Vikatōlia.

Ne tupu māmālie hake ‘a e fika ko’eni´ ‘i he ta’u ‘e 60 hono hokó ki he kau Vikatōlia na’e fa’ele’i ‘i Tonga ‘e toko 32 ‘i he 1947. Me’apangó ne li’aki ‘a Tonga ko ha feitu’u fa’ele’i’anga, ‘i he lēkooti tohi-kakai ‘a Vikatōliá ‘i he ta’u ‘e 20 hono hokó. ‘I he toe ‘asi ‘a e tu’unga ko’eni´ ‘i he 1971, na’e mahino na’e tupu ‘a e komiunitii´ ‘i hono lēkooti ‘a e kau Vikatōlia fā’ele’i ‘i Tonga ‘e toko 80.

Mei he taimi ko’eni´ na’e tupu tokolahi ‘a e hiki mai mei Tongá. ‘I he a’u mai ki he 1981, na’e toko 300 ‘a e kau Vikatōlia na’e fā’ele’i ‘i Tongá. Na’e laka hake ‘i he liunga ua ‘a e fika ko’eni´ ‘i he ta’u ‘e 10 hono hokó ‘i he toko 821 ‘a e kau Vikatolia na’e fā’ele’i ‘i Tonga na’e lēkooti ‘i he tohi-kakai ‘o e 1991. ‘I he ‘aho ni´, ko e tokolahi taha ‘o e kakai Tonga hiki fonua mai´ ‘oku fakatefito ia ‘i he tu’unga ‘o e fāmili fakatokolahi´. Ko e mālohi mo e vave ko’eni´ na’e toe fakamālohi’i’aki ia ‘a e fokotu’u ‘o ha ‘ofisi ma’u’anga visa ‘Aositelēlia ‘i Tonga ‘i he 1996.

‘I he 2011 na’e laka hake ‘i he toko 1446 ‘a e kakai Vikatolia na’e fā’ele’i ‘i Tongá. Ko e meimei pēseti ‘e 82 ‘o e koimiunitii´ ‘i he ‘aho ni ‘oku nau kei lea fakaTonga pē ‘i ‘api pea ko e tokolahi tahá ko e kau Kalisitiane ‘o laka hake ‘i he pēseti ‘e 30 ‘oku nau kau ki he Siasi Fakatahatahá. Ko kinautolu ko ē ‘oku nau kau ‘i he kau ngāué ko e pēseti ‘e 16 ai ‘oku nau kau ‘i he ngāue faka-pulé pe fakapolofesinalé, pēseti ‘e 9 ‘i he ngāue fakakomiunitii´ mo e tafa’aki ‘o e ngāue fakataautahá, pea pēseti ‘e 4 ‘i he ngaahi ngāue fakaleipá. ‘Oku tokolahi ‘a e kakai Tonga ‘oku nau omi mei ha ‘ātakai mālohi ‘i he ngoué, pea ko e pēseti ‘e 10 ‘o e tokolahi ‘o e kakai´ ko e kau ngāue faama mo e kau ngāue ngoue.

‘Oku tokolahi ‘a e kakai Tonga kuo nau nofo ‘i he ngaahi feitu’u pule’anga fakakolo ki ‘uta ‘o Mildura mo Swan Hill mo e ngaai senitā fakakolo ‘o Brimbank, Wyndham mo Maribyrnong. Kimui ni mai tahá, ne ha’u e kau Tonga ki Vikatōlia ‘i he polokalama ngāue mei he ‘Otu Motu Pasifiki´ ‘a ia ‘oku ‘omai ai ‘a e kau ngāue fakafa’ahita’u ki he ngaahi feitu’u ki ‘uta ‘o Vikatōliá. ‘Oku fakahoko ngāue ki he komiunitii´ ‘a e Polokalama Lea FakaTonga ‘a e SBS pea poupou’i ‘e he ngaahi kautaha ‘a e siasi´.