Macedonian Australians

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Macedonian Australians (Macedonian: Македонски Австралијанци) are Australian citizens of Macedonian descent. Many arrived in the 1920s and 1930s, although larger numbers came to Australia after World War II and the Greek Civil War. By far the largest wave of immigration was during the 1960s and 1970s. As of the 2021 Australian census, Macedonian is the most spoken Eastern European language in Australia.

In 2001, 81,898 people claimed Macedonian Ancestry, in 2006 this rose to 83,978 in 2006. Macedonian was the 21st most common ancestry group. Of the total number who claimed Macedonian ancestry in 2001, 39,244 or 47.9% were born in Macedonia, 35,805 or 43.7% were born in Australia, 2,919 or 3.6% were born in Greece and roughly 5% were born elsewhere. In the 2021 Census, 41,786 Australian residents are listed as having been born in North Macedonia, and total of 111,352 residents declared their ancestry as Macedonian, either alone or in combination with another ancestry. In 2011 Macedonian was spoken at home by 68,843 residents, reducing slightly to 66,173 over the ten years to the 2021 census. In 2021, Macedonia was the 47th most common birthplace in Australia. Australian cities with the largest Macedonian born communities are Melbourne (17,286, in particular the outer suburbs), Sydney (11,630, in particular in the Southern) and Wollongong (4,279 about 1.6% of the Wollongong population). Most Macedonian Australians are of the Orthodox Christian faith, although there is a small number of Methodists and Muslims. 36,749 Macedonian born Australian residents declared they were Christian, and 2,161 stated they were Muslim. In 2001 there were a total of 53,249 adherents to the Macedonian Orthodox Church. 28,474 or 53.5% of these were born in Macedonia, 21,324 or 40% were born in Australia, 1,340 or 2.5% were born in Greece and roughly 4% were born elsewhere. In 2001, one third of Macedonian speakers were aged over 65, 25.9% were aged from 55 to 64, 31.8% were aged from 25 to 54, 1.2% were aged from 13 to 24 and 7.7% were aged from 0–12. 53.2% or 38,826 speakers were born in Macedonia, 37.6% or 27,051 speakers were born in Australia, 4.4% or 3,152 speakers were born in Greece and a further 1.3% or 908 speakers were born in Yugoslavia. Most Australians born in territory of Macedonia use Macedonian at home (35,070 or 86% out of 40,656 in 2006). Proficiency in English for Australians born in Macedonia was self described by census respondents as very well by 33%, well by 33%, 26% not well (8% didn't state or said not applicable). Sydney 19,980, Wollongong 7,420, Perth 5,772, Newcastle 1,993, Geelong 1,300, Queanbeyan 1,105. Many suburbs have large Macedonian speaking communities, the largest are Port Kembla (20.9%), Thomastown (16.7%), Banksia (16.1%), Coniston (15.9%) and Lalor (14.8%). In 2001, Cringila was titled the "most Macedonian" suburb in all of Australia with 32.8% of its population speaking Macedonian at home.

South Australia is home to a small but compact Macedonian community. The first Macedonians immigrants were scrub clearers in Ceduna and grape harvesters in the Riverland region. Permanent immigrants established market gardens in Fulham Gardens, Flinders Park and later in Virginia. Soon a community of Aegean Macedonians had established themselves in South Australia, most notably in Fulham Gardens. Coffee Shops, were established by Macedonians and they soon became the original meeting place for the Macedonian community. In 1947 a chapter of the Macedonian Australian People's League known as "Alexander the Great" opened in South Australia. In 1947, the group raised over £350 for the Macedonian Hospital Appeal. After the decantralization of the Macedonian Australian People's League the "Macedonian Orthodox Community of South Australia" was founded in 1957. In 1967, the Macedonian Orthodox Community of South Australia constructed the Macedonian Hall which became the centre of Macedonian social activities in Adelaide. While the 1976 census recorded 676 Macedonian speakers in 1976. By 1996 this number had risen to 923 falling to 705 in 2006. In 2006 there were only 400 Macedonian born people living in South Australia while 1,424 people claimed Macedonian Ancestry. In the census of 2011, across South Australia, 727 respondents reported speaking Macedonian at home, the highest concentration of this group (14%) was in the 5024 postal area (Fulham Gardens, Fulham and West Beach).

There has traditionally been a small Macedonian community in Queensland. Relatively few immigrants arrived before the Second World War. In the late 1940s the Brisbane Branch of the Macedonian Australian People's League was founded. After Crabbes Creek was devastated by a cyclone in the 1960s more Macedonians came to Brisbane.

The Aegean Macedonian people have had a long history in Australia. In 19th Century pečalba, working away from home, was a widespread Macedonian custom. The first Aegean Macedonian was Stojan Kenkov who came to Australian in 1914. Pre World War Two migration occurred in two waves: the first, in 1924, when the USA imposed heavy immigration restrictions and the second, after 1936, when the 4 August Regime of General Ioannis Metaxas took power in Greece. 2.5% of adherents to the Macedonian Orthodox Church in Australia were born in Greece Shepparton, Wanneroo and Queanbeyan. The Church of St George and the Florina Community Centre and Day Care centre was built in Shepparton the Aegean Macedonian hall Kotori was built by 32 families from the village Kotori in Richmond. Another Church was established by Aegean Macedonians in Queanbeyan and a hall erected in Manjimup. Other Aegean Macedonians organisations include the "Macedonian Aegean Association of Australia" and the "Richmond Aegean Macedonian Cultural and Sporting Association.