| INDIAN COMMUNITY IN AUSTRALIA: |
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| Useful links for Indians in Australia : |
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| NRIs or Indian Diaspora FAQs: http://www.india.gov.in/overseas/diaspora/faq.php |
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| MOIA : Ministry of Overseas Indians Affairs: www.moia.gov.in |
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| India Investment Centre: http://iic.nic.in |
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| There is a rapidly growing Indian community of about 234,000 in Australia (2006 Census), which is contributing significantly to the Australian economy as teachers, doctors, accountants, engineers and I.T. engineers. India is now the third largest source of immigrants to Australia, after UK and New Zealand. |
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| According to Australian records, a small group of Indians arrived in Australia in the years 1800-1816, sent as convict labourers by British colonial authorities. During the first 60 years of the 19th century, most of the Indians who arrived in Australia were recruited as labourers by the British Government; they later settled down in Australia. In the last four decades of the 19th century, many Indians, particularly Sikhs and Muslims from Punjab, settled on the northern coast of New South Wales as agricultural labourers, hawkers or traders. There were also several Indians from the Punjab and North West Frontier Province who ran the 'camel trains', which were the main means of transport into the interior of Australia before the road and rail networks were developed. They would transport goods and mail by camels over the outback and were collectively known as Afghans, abbreviated by Australians to "Ghans". Indians also took part in the gold rush in the Victorian gold fields. Several Sikhs also came to work on the banana plantations in Southern Queensland and through their hard work and enterprise, came to own their own plantations. |
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| At the beginning of the 20th century, Australian records indicate the presence of around 6500 – 7000 Indians in Australia. This figure continued to remain the same until after the end of World War II. After India's independence in 1947, a large number of Anglo - Indians migrated to Australia. |
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| The next period of immigration from India began after 1966, with the influx of teachers, doctors and other professionals from India. Large numbers of Indian software professionals began arriving in Australia from the eighties. Persons of Indian origin also came here from other countries. |
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| According to the 2006 census in Australia, there were about 234,000 persons of Indian descent, including 147,000 India-born persons in Australia. |
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| India is now the third largest source of immigrants to Australia. India is also the second largest source of students and overseas skilled workers in Australia. |
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| The numbers of Indian immigrants to Australia over the past 5 years is as follows: |
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| 2002-03 |
5783 |
| 2003-04 |
8135 |
| 2004-05 |
9414 |
| 2005-06 |
11286 |
| 2006-07 |
13496 |
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| In all States and major cities, there are associations/organizations of Indians. There are also umbrella federations of Indian associations in the States/Territories. There are also several ethnic publications, Indian language programmes on radio, Indian language schools, and Indian dance schools in all major cities. |
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| The number of Indian students in Australia has been growing exponentially, with about 81,700 students in March 2009 (figures for number of Indian students vary substantially, from approximately 97,000 cited by educational authorities and DFAT to approximately 60,000 cited by Department of Education etc.; the figure used here is that of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship for Indian student visa holders in Australia as of 31.03.2009), compared to about 24,000 the previous year. |
Fact Sheets
