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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ethnic group
Colombian Australians
👁 Colombia
👁 Australia
Total population
Colombian
35,033 (by birth, 2021 Census)
10,193 (by ancestry, 2011 census)
Regions with significant populations
  • Sydney
  • Melbourne
Languages
Australian English, Spanish, Colombian Spanish
Religion
Predominately Roman Catholic.
Related ethnic groups
Spaniards, Mestizos, Afro-Colombians, Colombian people

Colombian Australians (Spanish: colomboaustralianos) are Australian citizens who trace their nationality or heritage from the South American nation of Colombia.

History

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Immigrants from Colombia to Australia were first recorded in the census of 1911, which counted four people of Colombian origin.[1]

In the 1990s, a number of migrants from Latin American countries began arriving in Australia. These arrivals generally came to Australia on student visas, and were from the middle class.[2][3] The Colombian-born population of Australia increased from 2,113 at the 1991 census to 11,317 by 2011, an increase of more than 500 percent.[4] As of the 2011 census, the Colombian population was the fourth-largest Latin American population in Australia, behind Chile, Brazil, and Argentina.[4] Due to a low understanding of English and work restrictions of student visas, newly-arrived Colombian Australians tend to work in low-skilled jobs until they obtain greater qualifications, working in higher-skilled jobs once their understanding of English has improved, and applying for permanent residency in Australia if they meet the requirements.[2]

In the year 2017, 8,000 Colombian students arrived in the Australian state of Victoria, a majority of whom did so to study English.[5]

Demographics

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As of the 2021 Australian census, 35,033 people in Australia reported being born in Colombia. Of these, a majority said they had arrived in the country between the years 2016 and 2021. About two-thirds were not Australian citizens, most followed the Catholic faith, and 80 percent stated they were bilingual in another language and spoke English well or very well.[6] Within the state of Victoria, the City of Melbourne was the local government area with the highest Colombian-born population as of the 2016 census.[7]

At the 2011 census, 10,193 people answered that they had Colombian ancestry.[8]

Cuisine

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As a result of the increasing Colombian population in Australia, more Colombian restaurants in the country have opened. El Dorado in the central business district of Melbourne was one of the country's first Colombian restaurants, opening in 2004. According to Paula Gomez, owner of the La Colombianita restaurant in South Melbourne, most Colombians in Victoria live in and around the Melbourne suburbs of Southbank and South Melbourne.[9]

The dishes bandeja paisa and ajiaco soup are a staple of Colombian cuisine in Australia, with ingredients such as papas criollas imported frozen from Colombia to Australia.[9]

Notable people

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Fierro Hernandez & Sonn 2019, p. 65.
  2. ^ a b Nieves-Cortés, Kath & Mejía 2022, p. 185.
  3. ^ Urribarri et al. 2016, p. 23.
  4. ^ a b Urribarri et al. 2016, p. 26.
  5. ^ Stoneman, Phil (1 October 2018). "Colombia Connection: Australia – what to didgeridoo?". The Bogotá Post. Archived from the original on 15 June 2026. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
  6. ^ "People in Australia who were born in Colombia". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original on 15 June 2026. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
  7. ^ Victorian State Government 2018, pp. 13.
  8. ^ "The Colombia-born Community". Department of Immigration and Border Protection. 19 November 2013. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
  9. ^ a b Pineda, Maida (19 May 2025). "Is Colombian cuisine finally having its moment in Australia?". SBS. Archived from the original on 15 June 2026. Retrieved 15 June 2026.

Cited works

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