Australian Americans

Not to be confused with American Australians.
Australian Americans
Total population
(60,965 2000 United States Census data)
Regions with significant populations
California, Hawaii, New York State, South Florida
Related ethnic groups
British Americans · Cornish Americans · Canadian Americans · English Americans · Scottish Americans · Scots-Irish Americans · Welsh Americans · Irish Americans

Australian Americans are Americans who have an Australian ancestry.

History

The history of the Australian American population almost follows the story of both British Americans and Irish Americans, as Australia was a British political territory at the time when they first emigrated and most of the settlers were English or Irish. The first wave of emigration from Australia to the United States came in the 1850s California Gold Rush when mostly Irish migrants who had escaped the Great Irish Famine had previously worked on the Australian goldfields. In San Francisco, the "Sydney Ducks" as they were known came into violent conflict with nativist locals. Transpacific immigration then dried up while the American Civil War raged. It picked up during the period of Reconstruction, but faltered again when Australia was hit by a depression in the late 1890s. Immigration to the United States peaked in the years following World War II, due to America's increased economic activity, and the exodus of 15,000 Australian war brides who married U.S. servicemen. From 1971 to 1990, more than 86,400 Australians and New Zealanders immigrated to the United States.[1] At the 2000 U.S. Census, 60,965 Australian born people were enumerated in the United States, of which 15,315 were citizens. Around 40% of Australian Americans had entered the United States before 1980.[2]

Notable Australian Americans

Business

Name Born – diedNotable forConnection with AustraliaConnection with the United States
Rupert Murdoch1931–CEO of News Corporationborn in Australiabecame naturalized U.S. citizen in 1985
Jacques Nasser1947–former CEO of Ford Motorsborn in Lebanon but raised in Australiaresides in the U.S.

Public service

Name Born – diedNotable forConnection with AustraliaConnection with the United States
Richard W. Fisher1949–Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas PresidentAustralian-American fatherU.S. citizen at birth
John Henderson blind activistborn in Australiaemigrated to the U.S. with parents as a child
Martin Indyk1951–former U.S. Ambassador to IsraelBritish born, Australian raised U.S. diplomat
James Wolfensohn1933–former President of the World Bankborn in Australianaturalized as U.S. citizen in 1980

Politics

Name Born – diedNotable forConnection with AustraliaConnection with America
Harry Bridges 1901–1990International Longshore and Warehouse Union leaderborn in Australiabecame naturalized U.S. citizen in 1945

Authors

Name Born – diedNotable forConnection with AustraliaConnection with America
Jill Ker Conway1934– authorborn in Australiaworks in the U.S.
Sumner Locke Elliott1917–1991 author of Careful, He Might Hear Youborn in Australiamoved to the U.S. in 1948 and became naturalised U.S. citizen in 1955

Scientists

Name Born – diedNotable forConnection with AustraliaConnection with America
Philip K. Chapman1935–astronautborn in Australiaemigrated to the U.S.
Terence James Elkins1936–physicist, 1st ascent of Mount Elkins, 1979 Harold Brown Award recipientborn in Australiaemigrated to the U.S. in 1963; naturalized U.S. citizen in 1971
Paul D. Scully-Power1944– oceanographer and astronautborn in Australianaturalized U.S. citizen in 1982
Andy Thomas1951–astronautborn in Australianaturalized U.S. citizen in 1986
Elizabeth Blackburn1948–winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicineborn in Australianaturalized U.S. citizen

Artists

Name Born – diedNotable forConnection with AustraliaConnection with America
Pat Oliphant1935–New York Times cartoonistborn in Australiaemigrated to U.S. in 1964

Sport

Name Born – diedNotable forConnection with AustraliaConnection with America
Darren Bennett 1965– Australian rules football and American footballborn in Australia, played AFLplayed NFL
Taj Burrow 1978– surfingborn in Australiaparents are U.S. citizens
Taylor Dent 1981– tennis father is Australian Phil Dentmother is American Betty Ann Grubb Stuart and born in the U.S.
Jamie Dundee 1971– professional wrestlingborn in Australiamoved to U.S. as a child
Kyrie Irving 1992– basketballborn in Melbourneparents are U.S. citizens
Ben Simmons 1996- basketball born in Australia
Robert Machado 1973– surfingborn in Sydneygrew up in and lives in California
James Spithill 1979– sailingborn in Sydneymarried to an American and skippered Oracle Team USA yacht to two victories

Music

Name Born – diedNotable forConnection with AustraliaConnection with America
John Butler1975–lead singer for the John Butler Trio family moved to Australia at age 11born in the U.S.; mother is U.S. citizen
Flea1962–bassist for Red Hot Chili Peppersborn in Melbournelived in the U.S. since age 5
MC Lars 1982–rapperfather is Australian born in the U.S.
Helen Reddy1941–actress, singerborn in Australianaturalized U.S. citizen
Cody Simpson1997–pop singerborn in Gold Coast, Queenslandmoved to the U.S. in 2010
Rebecca St. James1977–Christian pop rock singer-songwriterborn in Sydneyfamily moved to the U.S. at age 14; married Cubbie Fink in 2011
Rick Springfield 1949–singer and actorborn in Sydney lives in the U.S.
Mark Stoermer1977–bassist for The Killers father is Australianborn in the U.S.
Iggy Azalea 1990–rapper born in Sydney moved to the U.S. at age 16
Ashton Irwin1994-drummer for 5 Seconds of Summerborn in Hornsby father is American
Brody Dalle1979–singer-songwriter and guitaristborn in Melbourne lives in the U.S.; married Josh Homme in 2007

Actors/Actresses

Name Born – diedNotable forConnection with AustraliaConnection with America
Simon Baker1969– actorborn in Launceston, Tasmaniamoved to the U.S. in the 1990s; has been a dual U.S. and Australian citizen since 2010
Jacinda Barrett1972– actressborn in Brisbanemoved to the U.S. in the 1990s; married to U.S. citizen Gabriel Macht and became naturalized U.S. citizen in 2009
Sean Murray1977– actorborn in America to an American father and Australian mother; spent some of his childhood in AustraliaU.S. citizen
Mia Farrow 1945–actressfather is Australianborn in the U.S. with dual citizenship
Errol Flynn1909–1959 actorborn in Hobartbecame naturalized U.S. citizen in 1942
Sean Flynn1989– actorgrandfather is Australian Errol Flynnborn in the U.S.
Melissa George1976– actressborn in Australiamoved to U.S. in the 1990s; became naturalized U.S. citizen in 2008[3]
Nicholas Hammond1950– actor and directormoved to Australia in the mid-1980sborn in the U.S.
Nicole Kidman1967–actressboth parents are Australians; raised in Australiaborn in the U.S. with dual citizenship
Poppy Montgomery1975– Without a Trace actorborn in Australialives and works in the U.S.; dual U.S. and Australian citizen
Nathan Parsons1988–actorborn in Australianaturalized U.S. citizen
Ann Richards1917–2006 actressborn in Australiamoved to the U.S. in 1942; father was a U.S. citizen
Tristan Rogers1946– General Hospital actorborn in Australianaturalized U.S. citizen
Portia de Rossi1973- Ally McBeal actressborn in Australianaturalized U.S. citizen
Kristen Stewart1990–actressmother is Australianborn in the U.S.

Other

Name Born – diedNotable forConnection with AustraliaConnection with America
Valda Cooper1915–2008 journalist, one of the first female reporters for the Associated Pressborn in Melbourne, Australia immigrated to the U.S. as an infant
Bindi Irwin1998– child television/film personalityfather is Australian Steve Irwin mother Terri Irwin is from Oregon
Laura James1990– fashion model, America's Next Top Model winnermother is Australianfather is Dynasty actor John James; born in the U.S.
Thelma Keane1926–2008 negotiated copyrights for The Family Circus, inspiration for the comic's "Mommy" characterborn and raised in Queenslandimmigrated to the U.S. with her husband, Bil Keane
Brianna Keilar1980– television journalist for CNNborn in Australiagrew up in Orange County, California
Soledad O'Brien1966– television journalist for CNNfather is Australian born in the U.S.
Terry Tao1975– mathematician, 2006 Fields medalistborn in Australia won a Fulbright Scholarship in 1992; attained Ph.D. at Princeton in 1996; married an American
Marsha Waggoner1940– champion poker playerborn in Australialived in the U.S. since 1977
Christopher Wilder 1945–1984serial killerborn in Australiaemigrated to the U.S. in 1969; father is a U.S. citizen

See also

References

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