German Australians facts for kids

German Australians (German: Deutsch-Australier) are Australian citizens who have German ancestry. This group is one of the largest ethnic communities in Australia. In 2016, about 982,266 people, or 3.8% of Australians, said they had German roots. It is the fifth most common European background in Australia.

Who are German Australians?

This map shows where people with German ancestry live in Australia. The darker areas have a higher percentage of people with German roots, based on the 2016 census.

In 2016, the census showed that 108,000 Australian residents were born in Germany. However, many more people, about 982,266, said they had German ancestry. This number includes people who chose German ancestry alone or with another background. It does not include those who simply said "Australian" as their ancestry.

Most German-born people in Australia live in South Australia and Victoria. They are also more likely to live in country areas than in big cities. Their children, who are German Australians, probably live in similar places.

In terms of religion, German Australians follow different faiths. In 2004, about 21.7% were Catholic, 16.5% were Anglican, and 32.8% were other Christians. About 24.8% said they had no religion.

In 2001, about 76,400 people in Australia spoke German at home. German is the eighth most spoken language in the country. It comes after English, Chinese, Italian, Greek, Arabic, Vietnamese, Spanish, and Tagalog.

A Look at German Immigration to Australia

Germans have been part of Australia's story since 1788. This was when Europeans first settled the continent. At least 73 Germans arrived in Australia as convicts.

German Settlers in the 1800s

Klemzig, the first German settlement in Australia (now a suburb of Adelaide), painted by George French Angas in 1846.

Alexander Schramm's A Scene in South Australia (1850) shows German settlers with Aboriginal people.

Until the 20th century, Germans were the largest group in Australia who did not speak English.

Early German Lutherans

The first big group of Germans arrived in South Australia in 1838. This was soon after the British started their colony there. These "Old Lutherans" came from a part of Prussia called Brandenburg. They wanted to keep their traditional faith. They got help to move from George Fife Angas. Not all Germans who came later had the same religious reasons. But the Lutheran Church was very important to German settlers for a long time.

The Forty-Eighters

The "Forty-Eighters" were people who took part in or supported the European Revolutions of 1848. Many of them moved away because of these revolutions. After the "March Revolution" failed in Germany, many Germans came to Australia.

German Australians in the 1900s

By 1900, Germans were the fourth largest European group in Australia. They were behind the English, Irish, and Scots. By 1914, there were about 100,000 German Australians. This number included people born in Germany and their children and grandchildren born in Australia.

During both World Wars, Germans in Australia were sometimes seen as an "enemy within." Some were sent to special camps or sent out of the country. German schools were closed, and the German language was banned in government schools. Many German place names were changed. To avoid problems, many German Australians changed their names to sound more English or French.

After the Second World War, many German displaced persons came to Australia. They were a big part of Australia's new immigrants after the war. In the 1950s and 1960s, more Germans came to Australia. The Australian Government helped them move here. By July 2000, Germany was the fifth most common birthplace for new settlers in Australia.

World War I and Internment Camps

Plaque remembering the internment camp on Torrens Island.

A group of interned Germans playing music at the Berrima camp around 1916.

Trial Bay Gaol, which was used as an internment camp.

During World War I, the Australian Army ran special camps called internment camps. Old prisons like those in Berrima and Trial Bay Gaol were used first.

The biggest camp was the Holsworthy Internment Camp near Sydney. There were also camps in other states like Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia, and South Australia. About 7,000 people were held in these camps during World War I. This included about 4,500 Germans and British people of German background. Many of these people had lived in Australia for a long time. About 4.5% of all German Australians were held in these camps.

One large camp was at Trial Bay Gaol. It held German naval officers and soldiers. It also held German and Austrian business people and wealthy residents. These people were thought to be supporting the enemy. The camp opened in August 1915 and held up to 580 men. Prisoners could swim, fish, sunbathe, and play tennis. They even had their own orchestra and newspaper. They built a monument for four Germans who died there.

Some Australians thought the prisoners were treated too well. But the prisoners were always watched, and their mail was checked. They could not contact people outside the camp or in other camps.

After the war, the camps closed. Most of the people held there were sent back to Germany. German immigration to Australia was allowed again in 1925.

World War II and Internment

Georg Auer, a Jewish man from Austria, came to Australia on the HMT Dunera. He was held in a camp until 1942 and later joined the Australian Army.

In World War I, most people in the camps were of German heritage. But in World War II, many Italians and Japanese people were also held. People from over 30 different countries were interned, including women and children. Some were Australian residents, and others were captured overseas and brought to Australia.

The internment camps in World War II had three main purposes:

• To stop residents from helping Australia's enemies.
• To calm public fears.
• To house people captured overseas.

All Japanese people were immediately interned. Germans and Italians were sent to camps after war crimes by Nazi Germany and Italy were known. This was especially true for those living in northern Australia, where an enemy invasion was feared. More than 20% of Italians in Australia were held in camps. In total, about 7,000 people with enemy connections were interned. In 1942, the camps were at their busiest, holding 12,000 people.

Tourism and Education

Australia has always been a popular place for German tourists and students to visit.

There are also German international schools in Australia:

• German International School Sydney
• Deutsche Schule Melbourne

German Australian Culture

The Australian wine industry was started by German settlers in the 1800s.

The Goethe-Institut is a German cultural organization. It has branches in Melbourne and Sydney. They help share German culture and language in Australia.

German Missionaries

Many German missionaries came to Australia. They set up mission stations and worked with Aboriginal Australians. In some cases, they helped to save Aboriginal languages and culture.

• 1838: Rev. Clamor Wilhelm Schürmann and Christian Gottlob Teichelmann ran the Pirltawardli Native Location in Adelaide. They learned the local Kaurna language and taught the Kaurna people in their own language. Their work helped bring the language back in the 21st century.
• 1892: Carl Strehlow was an anthropologist and linguist. He worked at two Lutheran missions: Killalpaninna Mission in South Australia and Hermannsburg, Northern Territory. His wife, Frieda Strehlow, also worked with him.
• 1901: German Pallotine missionaries took over the Beagle Bay Mission in Western Australia.
• La Grange Mission at Bidyadanga (1955/6–1985) was run by Thomas Bachmair. This mission focused on respecting local customs.

Missions Started by Germans

• Killalpaninna Mission (1866 – 1915): Started by Johann Friedrich Gößling and Ernst Homann.
• Hermannsburg, Northern Territory (1877 – 1982?): Started by A. Hermann Kemp and Wilhelm F. Schwarz.
• Aurukun Mission (1904 – 1913): Originally Archer River Mission Station, Queensland. Started by Moravians Rev. Arthur Richter and his wife Elisabeth.
• Bathurst Island Mission (1911 – 1978): Started by Francis Xavier Gsell.
• La Grange Mission at Bidyadanga (1955/6–1985).

Famous Australians with German Roots