Tongan Australians () are

Australians Australians, colloquially known as Aussies, are the citizenship, citizens, nationality, nationals and individuals associated with the country of Australia. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or ethno-cultural. For most Aust ...

who are of ethnic Tongan descent or

Tongans Tongans or Tongan people are a Polynesian ethnic group native to Tonga, a Polynesian archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. Tongans represent more than 98% of the inhabitants of Tonga. The rest are European (the majority are British), mixed Europe ...

who hold Australian citizenship.

Background

According to the 2011 Australian census 10,560 Australians were born in Tonga, while 25,096 claimed Tongan ancestry. (table 9.1 of downloadable XL file: "Estimated resident population, Country of birth, State/territory, Age and sex - 30 June 2011") In 2006, 18,426 claimed Tongan ancestry, either alone or with another ancestry. Total responses: 25,451,383 for total count of persons: 19,855,288.

History

Tongans were historically subject to the White Australia policy. In 1948, Akanesi Carrick – a cousin of Queen Sālote – and her two children were deported from Australia because of their race, despite being married to a British subject, Stewart Carrick. A Tongan man was deported from Australia in January 1975 because he had entered the country by "posing as a Maori". A decade later, another Tongan man sued the Australian Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs for racial discrimination, alleging the department was targeting Pacific Islanders in its administration of immigration law.

Population

Robinvale Tongan Wesleyan Methodist Church

Tongan migrants to Australia have tended to make their homes in the "arrival city" suburbs of Sydney's west. This pattern began in the 1970s, intensified in the 1980s, and continues today. However, Tongans aren't exclusively settling in Western Sydney and actually widespread all over Sydney. There are Tongan communities on the Northshore areas of Sydney, such as the Northern beaches, Hornsby & Ryde area, South Sydney & the Eastern Suburbs. As of 2011, over 60% of Tongan-born Australians live in the state of

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

. The 2006 Australian census recorded that the majority of the Tongan Australians (4920 people) live in

, followed by

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

(with 1190 people) and

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

(1090). Despite there being relatively few Australians of Tongan descent, Tongan Australians have excelled in the football codes of

Rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...

and

Rugby Union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

as evidenced by the list of notable Tongan Australians which include: *

Israel Folau Israel ‘Isileli Folau (; born 3 April 1989) is a professional dual-code rugby player who plays as a fullback for Japan Rugby League One club Urayasu D-Rocks. Born in Australia, he represents Tonga at international level after qualifying ...

, tri-code footballer and dual code international, being a

State of Origin and Australian international Rugby League representative,

AFL AFL may refer to: Education * Angel Foundation for Learning, a Canadian Roman Catholic charity * Ankara Science High School, a high school in Ankara, Turkey, natively referred to as ''Ankara Fen Liesi'' * Assessment for learning Military * ...

convert with GWS, and most recently Rugby Union convert and Australian international Rugby Union representative with the

NSW Waratahs The New South Wales Waratahs ( or ;), often referred to as the Waratahs, are an Australian professional rugby union team based in Sydney that represents the majority of New South Wales in the Super Rugby Pacific competition. The Waratahs play ...

Super Rugby Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It has previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Super Rugby started as the S ...

club. *

Gorden Tallis Gorden James Tallis (born 27 July 1973), also known by the nickname of "Raging Bull" for his on-field aggression, is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He is currently a commentator and ...

, former

Brisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Red Hill, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos compete in the National Rugby League (NRL) and play their home games at ...

captain, and Queensland State of Origin and Australian International representative in Rugby League *

Viliami Ofahengaue Viliami Ofahengaue (born 3 May 1968 in Kolofoou, Tonga), widely known as Willie O, is a former rugby union player who earned 41 caps for the Australian Wallabies from 1990 to 1998, and played in the World Cups of 1991 and 1995 as well as the ...

, affectionately known as ''Willie O'', former

Wallaby A wallaby () is a small or middle-sized Macropodidae, macropod native to Australia and New Guinea, with introduced populations in New Zealand, Hawaii, the United Kingdom and other countries. They belong to the same Taxonomy (biology), taxon ...

number eight and Flanker with 41 caps between 1990 and 1998, including the 1991 and 1995

World Cups A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the name is ...

Notable Tongan Australians

* David Rodan * Rodney Blake * Adam Coleman * Jim Dymock *

Anthony Fainga'a Anthony Fainga'a (born 2 February 1987) is an Australian former professional rugby union footballer. His usual position is centre. Family and early life Anthony Fainga'a was born in Queanbeyan, New South Wales, and started playing rugby lea ...

Saia Fainga'a Saia Fainga'a (born 2 February 1987) is an Australian professional rugby union footballer. Family and early life Saia Fainga'a was born in Queanbeyan, New South Wales, and started playing rugby union at the age of 11 or 12 at the Queanbeyan cl ...

* Andrew Fifita * Mahe Fonua * Tyson Frizell *

Mark Gerrard Mark Gerrard (born 4 September 1982) is a former Australian professional rugby union footballer. He currently is the assistant coach for the Austin Gilgronis in Major League Rugby (MLR) competition in the United States. In 2011, he was one of 1 ...

Solomon Haumono Solomon Haumono (; born 13 October 1975) is a former professional boxer and former rugby league footballer of Tongan descent. Early life He attended Newtown Boys High School, Newtown, New South Wales. He then went on to Christian Brothers' H ...

* John Hopoate * William Hopoate * Michael Jennings * Toutai Kefu *

Brent Kite Brent Kite (born 7 March 1981) is a former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. A Tonga and Australia international, and New South Wales State of Origin representative front-row forward, he played club ...

* Tony Williams * Leilani Latu *

Hau Latukefu Langomi-e-Hau Latukefu, better known as Hau Latukefu, Hauie Beast, MC Hau or simply Hau, is an Australian hip hop musician and radio host. He is best known as half of the duo Koolism (with Danielsan) and as the host of Triple J's hip hop program ...

Uli Latukefu Talia'uli Latukefu is an Australian actor and singer, best known for his roles as Dwayne Johnson in the NBC comedy '' Young Rock'' and Byamba in the American Netflix series ''Marco Polo''. He also played Darren Ngata in the popular Australian d ...

* Soni Luke *

Willie Manu Viliami Makamaile "Willie" Manu (born 20 March 1980) is a former Tonga international rugby league footballer. He played as a second-row forward, he previously played in the National Rugby League for Australian clubs the Wests Tigers, South Syd ...

Willie Mason William Marshall Mason (born 15 April 1980), also nicknamed "Big Willie", is a former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. An Australia and Tonga international and New South Wales State of Origin representa ...

Feleti Mateo Feleti Sosefo Mateo (born 2 June 1984) is a former Tonga international rugby league footballer. He played a variety of positions from and five-eighth. Mateo was also selected to represent NSW City Origin and the NRL All Stars. He last playe ...

Wycliff Palu Wycliff Palu (born 27 July 1982), known as Cliffy Palu, is an Australian former professional rugby union footballer of Tongan descent. He played for the New South Wales Waratahs in Super Rugby and represented in 58 tests. Early life Palu was ...

* Tevita Pangai Junior * Mosese Pangai *

Tatafu Polota-Nau Sione 'Utukiveisini Tatafu Polota-Nau (born 26 July 1985) is an Australian rugby union player who recently played for Parramatta Two Blues in Australia's Shute Shield. He joined the club in December 2017. Family and early life Polota-Nau was b ...

* George Smith *

Scott Sorensen Scott Sorensen (born 16 March 1993) is a New Zealand national rugby league team, New Zealand international rugby league footballer who plays as a forward and for the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League, NRL. He won the 2021 NRL Gra ...

Willie Tonga Villiami Sione "Willie" Tonga (born 8 August 1983), also known by the nickname of ”Willie", is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who last played for the Leigh Centurions in the Super League. An Australia international ...

* Mahe Fonua * Anthony Tupou * Jorge Taufua * Moses Suli * Manase Fainu * Brenko Lee * Tevita Funa * Haumole Olakauatu * Kelepi Tanginoa * Siosaia Vave *

Tony Satini Tony Satini (born 29 August 1993) is a Tonga international rugby league footballer who last played as a for the North Sydney Bears in the NSW Cup. He previously played for the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles and the Mount Pritchard Mounties. Back ...

* Michael Oldfield * David Fifita * John Asiata * Hame Sele * Keaon Koloamatangi * Tevita Tatola * Siosifa Talakai * Robert Jennings * George Jennings * Manase Manuokafoa * John Folau * Vai Toutai * Jim Dymock * Esikeli Tonga * Richard Fa'aoso * Sione Masima * Taniela Lasalo * Pat Politoni * Atelea Vea * Andrew Emelio * Samisoni Langi * Mickey Paea * Danny Fualalo * Asipele Fine * Andrew Tangata-Toa * Jamil Hopoate *

David Hala David Hala (born 25 October 1989) is a Tonga international rugby league footballer who plays for the Redcliffe Dolphins in the Queensland Cup. He previously played for the Brisbane Broncos and the Gold Coast Titans in the NRL. He made his NRL ...

* Andrew Lomu * Tevita Metuisela * Sione Kite * Lelea Paea * Vika Bull * Linda Bull * Mata Hiliau

References

{{Ethnic groups in Australia, state=collapsed Polynesian diaspora in Australia Tongan diaspora

Background

History

Population

Notable Tongan Australians

See also

References