Coptic 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 ...
of
Coptic descent or persons of Coptic descent residing in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. According to the 2011 census, there were 24,693 Copts in Australia, mostly members of the
Coptic Orthodox Church
The Coptic Orthodox Church (), also known as the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria, is an Oriental Orthodox Christian church based in Egypt. The head of the church and the See of Alexandria is the pope of Alexandria on the Holy Apo ...
.
The Coptic population within Australia is estimated to be between 70,000 and 100,000 people.
Immigration history
Congregations of the
Coptic Orthodox
The Coptic Orthodox Church (), also known as the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria, is an Oriental Orthodox Churches, Oriental Orthodox Christian church based in Egypt. The head of the church and the Apostolic see, See of Alexandria i ...
Church in Australia are served by two Coptic Orthodox Dioceses with over 50 parishes, two Monasteries, two theological Colleges and four schools. The Coptic Church is a member of
National Council of Churches in Australia
The National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA) is an ecumenical organisation bringing together a number of Australia's Christian churches in dialogue and practical cooperation.
The NCCA works in collaboration with state ecumenical council ...
. According to the 2006 Census of Australia, there were a total of 19,928 followers of Coptic Orthodoxy nationally. Currently, the Coptic Orthodox Church has as many 100,000 members in Australia (in
Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
alone it is estimated that there are 70,000
Copt
Copts (; ) are a Christian ethnoreligious group native to Northeast Africa who have primarily inhabited the area of modern Egypt since antiquity. They are, like the broader Egyptian population, descended from the ancient Egyptians. Copts pre ...
s, with numbers in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
in the tens of thousands).
The community is growing.
Around three quarters of Egyptian migrants arrived in Australia before 1976, though many arrived between 1986 and 1991. In the early years of migration to Australia, most Egyptian-born migrants were of
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
or
Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...
(36 percent) as well as
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
or
Maltese
Maltese may refer to:
* Someone or something of, from, or related to Malta
* Maltese alphabet
* Maltese cuisine
* Maltese culture
* Maltese language, the Semitic language spoken by Maltese people
* Maltese people, people from Malta or of Maltese ...
heritage (45 percent).
Egyptian Jews
The history of the Jews in Egypt goes back to ancient times. Egyptian Jews or Jewish Egyptians refer to the Jewish community in Egypt who mainly consisted of Egyptian Arabic-speaking Rabbanites and Karaites. Though Egypt had its own community ...
,
Copts
Copts (; ) are a Christians, Christian ethnoreligious group, ethnoreligious group native to Northeast Africa who have primarily inhabited the area of modern Egypt since antiquity. They are, like the broader Egyptians, Egyptian population, des ...
and
Protestants
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
each made up around 5 percent of arrivals. However, the number of Copts migrating to Australia increased during the 1960s. Many Christian Egyptians left Egypt in response to the
pan-Arabist
Pan-Arabism () is a pan-nationalist ideology that espouses the unification of all Arab people in a single nation-state, consisting of all Arab countries of West Asia and North Africa from the Atlantic Ocean to the Arabian Sea, which is ref ...
and
Islamist policies of president
Gamal Abdel Nasser's leadership. Nowadays, the majority of Egyptian Australians are Christians (84 percent), mostly Copts. On average, Egyptian Australians generally attain higher levels of education when compared to other Australians.
The first Coptic families in Sydney met at the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...
parish in
Artarmon
Artarmon () is a suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, 9 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Willoughby.
History
In ...
on Sydney's lower
North Shore. These early migrants were dependant on other Orthodox churches in the area for the use of churches and halls for services, festivals and activities. In 1967, a letter was sent from Sydney's Coptic community to the Coptic Pope,
Pope Kyrillos VI requesting that a church would be established and a priest would be sent to serve the community. On 10 March 1968, Deacon Edward was ordained in Alexandria and given the name Father Mina. He was sent to Sydney in 1969. He performed his first Coptic wedding on
Australia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet and raising of the Flag of Great Britain, Union Flag of Great Britain by Arthur Phillip at Sydney Cove, a ...
in 1969 in a
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. It is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The organisation reports a worldwide m ...
Hall in
Redfern, in Sydney's inner south. He regularly travelled to Melbourne to conduct services, weddings and bible study for the local Coptic community. Soon, the funds were raised to establish a Coptic church -
St Mary
Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under various titles such as virgin or queen, many of them mentioned in the Litany of Loreto. ...
and
St Mina's - which was formerly a Methodist church in
Sydenham Sydenham may refer to:
Places Australia
* Sydenham, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney
** Sydenham railway station, Sydney
* Sydenham, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne
** Sydenham railway line, the name of the Sunbury railway line, Melbourne un ...
. This church was badly affected by aircraft noise and has since relocated to
Bexley
Bexley is an area of south-eastern Greater London, England and part of the London Borough of Bexley. It is sometimes known as Bexley Village or Old Bexley to differentiate the area from the wider borough. It is located east-southeast of Ch ...
.
Melbourne's first Copts arrived in the late 1960s, and first consisted of around 40 families.
The new community worshipped at the Church of All Nations in Carlton. Already established Copts would wait at
Station Pier Wharf, greeting new arrivals from Egypt and supporting them through accommodation and employment.
The growing congregation rented a hall attached to the Syrian Maronite Church in Victoria Parade, East Melbourne. The first Coptic church in Melbourne was established in
Kensington
Kensington is an area of London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, around west of Central London.
The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensingt ...
, in the inner-west, and dedicated to the
Virgin Mary
Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...
in 1970. The church has since had a school attached. There is now a Coptic Village Hostel for the elderly in
Hallam Hallam may refer to:
Places
* Hallam, Victoria, Australia
** Hallam railway station
UK
* Hallamshire, an area in South Yorkshire, England, UK
** Royal Hallamshire Hospital
** Sheffield Hallam (UK Parliament constituency)
** Sheffield Hallam Univer ...
, in Melbourne's outer eastern suburbs - nearby the Coptic Orthodox Church of
St Mina
Menas of Egypt (also Mina, Minas, Mena, Meena; ; ; 285 – c. 309), a martyr and Thaumaturgy, wonder-worker, is one of the most well-known Coptic saints in the East and the West, due to the many miracles that are attributed to his intercession a ...
and
St Marina. The Coptic community of Perth began in the 1980s with about 25 families. In 1990, Perth's Coptic community purchased its first church,
St Mary
Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under various titles such as virgin or queen, many of them mentioned in the Litany of Loreto. ...
and
Archangel Michael
Michael, also called Saint Michael the Archangel, Archangel Michael and Saint Michael the Taxiarch is an archangel and the warrior of God in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The earliest surviving mentions of his name are in third- and second ...
Church in
East Victoria Park
East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact that eas ...
.
Adelaide's Copts were served by visiting priests until the permanent establishment of
St Mary
Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under various titles such as virgin or queen, many of them mentioned in the Litany of Loreto. ...
and
Anba Bishoy Church.

In 1982, the first Coptic Orthodox
theological college
A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and Christian theology, theology, generally to prepare them for ordinatio ...
outside of Egypt was established in Sydney as the
Pope Shenouda III
Pope Shenouda III (3 August 1923 – 17 March 2012) was the 117th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark. His papacy lasted 40 years, 4 months, and 4 days, from 14 November 1971 until his death.
His official title was Pope of ...
College for Theological Studies. In 1999, Bishop Suriel moved the diocesan headquarters to Donvale, in Melbourne's northeast, where the complex boasts a library. hostel and sporting facilities. The nearby
St Athanasius Coptic Orthodox Church was established in 2001 and renovated in 2007. There are now 16 Coptic churches in
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 ...
, one in the
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory (ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory until 1938, is an internal States and territories of Australia, territory of Australia. Canberra, the capital city of Australia, is situated within the territory, an ...
, two in
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...
, two in
Western Australia
Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...
, two in
Tasmania
Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...
, 33 in
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 ...
, 10 in
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 ...
and one in the
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...
. There are also three monasteries, two theological colleges and four schools. St Mary Coptic Orthodox College was opened in 1991 by
Pope Shenouda III
Pope Shenouda III (3 August 1923 – 17 March 2012) was the 117th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark. His papacy lasted 40 years, 4 months, and 4 days, from 14 November 1971 until his death.
His official title was Pope of ...
in
Clifton Hill. In 1994, it relocated to its present site in
Coolaroo
Coolaroo is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Hume local government area. Coolaroo recorded a population of 3,193 at the 2021 census.
History
Coolaroo is ...
- in Melbourne's north west.
In New South Wales, around half of the Coptic Orthodox population was born in Australia, while 37 percent were born in Australia and almost 10 percent were born in Sudan. Also in New South Wales, the majority of Copts identify as having Egyptian heritage with minorities identifying as Australian, Sudanese or Lebanese. Three quarters of Copts in New South Wales speak Arabic at home while about 10 percent have a low proficiency in English. A higher proportion of New South Wales Coptic Orthodox population work white-collar jobs such as managers or professionals. Furthermore, Coptic Orthodox household sizes were significantly higher than other New South Wales residents. Copts in Sydney are concentrated in the city councils of
Blacktown
Blacktown is a suburb in New South Wales, Australia, west of the Sydney central business district. It is one of the most multicultural places within Sydney, Greater Sydney.
History
Before the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, the area of ...
,
Canterbury Bankstown,
Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
,
Bayside and
Georges River
The Georges River, also known as Tucoerah River, is an intermediate tide-dominated Ria, drowned valley estuary, that is located in Sydney, Australia. The Georges River is located south and south-west from the Sydney central business district, w ...
while Copts in Melbourne largely reside in the north western suburbs, particularly in the city councils of
Hume
Hume most commonly refers to:
* David Hume (1711–1776), Scottish philosopher
Hume may also refer to:
People
* Hume (surname)
* Hume (given name)
* James Hume Nisbet (1849–1923), Scottish-born novelist and artist
In fiction
* Hume, t ...
and
Whittlesea.
There is also a small and recent community of
Coptic Catholics in Australia. In 2019, the Patriarch of the Coptic Catholic Church,
Ibrahim Isaak Sidrak, travelled from Egypt to consecrate the newly built St Mark's Coptic Catholic Church in
Prospect
Prospect may refer to:
General
* Prospect (marketing), a marketing term describing a potential customer
* Prospect (sports), any player whose rights are owned by a professional team, but who has yet to play a game for the team
* Prospect (minin ...
(in Sydney's outer west). Western Sydney's Coptic Catholic community consists of about 200 families.
Notable Coptic Australians
*
Nick Kaldas
Naguib "Nick" Kaldas (born 1958) is a former Australian police officer and former deputy commissioner of the New South Wales Police Force. Though considered to be a possible future Commissioner, in March 2016 Kaldas announced his decision to ...
*
Sam Soliman
Sam Soliman (born 13 November 1973) is an Australian professional boxer, and former kickboxer and mixed martial artist. In boxing, he held the International Boxing Federation (IBF) middleweight title in 2014, becoming the oldest middleweight w ...
*
Anba Suriel
Anba Suriel also called Bishop Suriel (born Nabil Guirgis; 9 May 1963) is a bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Los Angeles, United States. He previously led the Coptic Orthodox Church in Australia, Diocese of Melbourne and affiliated regions ...
*
Joseph Tawadros
Joseph Tawadros (born 6 October 1983) is an Egyptian-born Coptic Australian multi-instrumentalist and oud virtuoso. Tawadros has won the ARIA Award for Best World Music Album seven times: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Biograp ...
*
Peter Khalil
Peter Khalil (born 23 March 1973) is an Australian politician. He is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and has served in the House of Representatives since the 2016 Australian federal election, 2016 federal election, representing the ...
*
Akmal Saleh
Akmal Saleh (, ) is an Egyptian-Australian comedian and actor. He was born in Egypt and arrived in Sydney with his family in 1975 at the age of 10. He has been performing comedy since the early 1990s and his live shows have toured comedy festiv ...
See also
*
Coptic Orthodox Church in Australia
The Coptic Orthodox Church in Australia is organised into two Coptic Orthodox dioceses with over 50 parishes, three monasteries, two theological colleges and four schools. The church is a member of the National Council of Churches in Australia. Ac ...
*
List of Coptic Orthodox churches in Australia
A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...
*
Copts
Copts (; ) are a Christians, Christian ethnoreligious group, ethnoreligious group native to Northeast Africa who have primarily inhabited the area of modern Egypt since antiquity. They are, like the broader Egyptians, Egyptian population, des ...
*
Coptic diaspora
The Coptic diaspora () consists of Copts who live outside of their primary area of residence within parts of present-day Egypt, Libya and Sudan.
The number of Copts outside Egypt has sharply increased since the 1960s. The largest Coptic diaspora ...
*
Coptic Americans
Coptic Americans () are American citizens of Coptic descent or persons of Coptic descent residing in the United States. As of 2018, there were some 500,000 Copts living in the United States.
Immigration history
The immigration of Copts to the ...
*
Coptic Canadians
Copts in Canada are Canadian citizens of Coptic descent or people of Coptic descent residing in Canada.
Population and distribution
According to the 2011 census, there were 3,570 Canadians who reported Coptic ancestry (this figure combines sing ...
*
Copts in Egypt
Copts in Egypt refers to Coptic Christians born in or residing in Egypt.
Demographics
As of 2019, Copts were generally estimated to comprise approximately 10 percent of Egypt's population.Michael Wahid HannaExcluded and Unequal: Copts on the M ...
*
Copts in Sudan
*
Copts in Libya
References
{{Ethnic groups in Australia
Ethnic groups in Australia
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...