Filipino Australians ( Filipino: ''Mga Australyanong Pilipino'') 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 Filipino ancestry. Filipino Australians are one of the largest groups within the global

Filipino diaspora An overseas Filipino () is a person of full or partial Filipino origin who trace their ancestry back to the Philippines but are living and working outside of the country. This term generally applies to both people of Filipino ancestry and cit ...

. At the 2021 census, 408,836 people stated that they had Filipino ancestry (whether alone or in combination with another ancestry), representing 1.6% of the Australian population. In 2021, the

Australian Bureau of Statistics The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is an List of Australian Government entities, Australian Government agency that collects and analyses statistics on economic, population, Natural environment, environmental, and social issues to advi ...

estimated that there were 310,620 Australian residents born in the Philippines.

Population

Australian Census 2011 demographic map - Inner Sydney by POA - BCP field 1744 Philippines Total

Currently Filipinos are the third largest

Asian Australian Asian Australians are Australians of Asian ancestry, including Naturalization, naturalised Australians who are Immigration to Australia, immigrants from various regions in Asia and descendants of such immigrants. At the 2021 Australian census, 2 ...

immigrant group behind

Chinese Australians Chinese Australians () are Australians of Chinese origin. Chinese Australians are one of the largest groups within the global Chinese diaspora, and are the largest Asian Australian community. Per capita, Australia has more people of Chine ...

and

Indian Australians Indian Australians or Indo-Australians are Australians of Indian ancestry. This includes both those who are Australian by birth, and those born in India or elsewhere in the Indian diaspora. Indian Australians are one of the largest groups wit ...

. At the 2021 census, 408,836 people stated that they had Filipino ancestry (whether alone or in combination with another ancestry), representing 1.6% of the Australian population. In 2021, the

estimated that there were 310,620 Australian residents born in the Philippines. At the 2021 census, the states with the largest numbers of people reporting Filipino ancestry were: New South Wales (152,804), Victoria (95,186), Queensland (73,805), Western Australia (46,785) and South Australia (21,257). Females account for 61% while males represent 39% of Filipino Australians born in the Philippines.

History

During the 1800s until the early 20th century, Broome became the pearling capital of the world. Filipinos worked as divers, crew, shell openers, and sorters. Eventually, they married with local women in Broome. Filipinos were excluded from entering Australia under the White Australia policy. As a consequence, their numbers in Australia remained minimal; confined to descendants of those few Filipinos who had migrated to the north west pearling areas of Western Australia and the sugar cane plantations of Queensland prior to 1901; until the abolition of racially selective immigration policies in 1966. The 1901 census had recorded 700 Filipinos in Australia.

Martial law Martial law is the replacement of civilian government by military rule and the suspension of civilian legal processes for military powers. Martial law can continue for a specified amount of time, or indefinitely, and standard civil liberties ...

in the Philippines, declared by former Philippine president

Ferdinand Marcos Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. (September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino lawyer, politician, dictator, and Kleptocracy, kleptocrat who served as the tenth president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled the c ...

in 1972, and the renunciation of the White Australia policy made Australia an attractive destination for Filipino emigrants, particularly skilled workers. Many Filipinos also settled in Australia from the 1970s onward as either migrant workers or the spouses of Australian citizens. Marriages between Filipinos and Australians rose very sharply from 1978, peaked in 1986, and remained high as of 2000, despite a dip in the early 1990s. The 1980s were the period of the greatest Filipino immigration, with 1987-1988 being the peak year.

Media

'' The Philippine Times'' is Victoria's longest-running community paper. The first edition was published in November 1990.

Notable people

Philippine-born

* Aljin Abella, actor from the TV series ''

Power Rangers Jungle Fury ''Power Rangers Jungle Fury'' is the sixteenth season of the American television series '' Power Rangers'', and is an adaptation of '' Juken Sentai Gekiranger'', the thirty-first Japanese ''Super Sentai'' series. The season premiered on Februa ...

'' * Migo Adecer, singer, dancer, model, and actor * Jhoanna Aguila, singer, and The Voice Australia Season 3 contestant * Alyssa Alano, actress and model * Leila Alcasid, singer and songwriter * Joey Mead King, model, VJ, and TV and events host * Shar Mae Amor, singer and former Paradiso Girls member * Hannah Arnold, model and beauty queen, crowned Binibining Pilipinas 2021 * Mig Ayesa, theatre actor and rock vocalist * Merlinda Bobis, writer * Shey Bustamante, reality show contestant * Arianne Caoili, chess player * Israel Cruz, singer * Kathleen de Leon Jones, original Hi-5 member * Felino Dolloso, theatre actor * Ben Gonzales, rugby league player * Sef Gonzales, convicted murderer * Nathalie Hart, actress * Fely Irvine, former Hi-5 member * Jal Joshua, singer, dancer, and

Australia's Got Talent ''Australia's Got Talent'' is an Australian reality television talent show. The show is based on the '' Got Talent'' series format that originated in the United Kingdom with Simon Cowell. The first six seasons aired on the Seven Network, from ...

Season 3 1st runner-up * Alfred Nicdao, actor * Kylie Padilla, actress, singer and model * Yshrael Pascual, singer and The Voice Australia Season 1 contestant * Jim Paredes, singer, songwriter, member of APO Hiking Society trio * Rose Porteous, socialite * RJ Rosales, actor and musical theatre performer * Claire Ruiz, actress, singer, dancer, and model * Jerson Trinidad, singer and The Voice Australia Season 1 contestant * Guillermo Capati, civil and environmental engineer * Yeshaiah Varona, USASA City West Undergraduate Representative.

Filipino ancestry

* Abigail Adriano, singer and The Voice Kids Australia contestant * Chelsea Castillo, singer and

Season 3 finalist * Chris Cayzer, actor and singer *

Kate Ceberano Catherine Yvette Ceberano ( or , born 17 November 1966) is an Australian singer and actress who performs in the rock, soul, jazz and pop genres, as well as in film and musicals such as '' Jesus Christ Superstar''. Her single " Bedroom Eyes" re ...

, singer * Genesis Cerezo, beatboxer and

Season 6 finalist * Sarah Christophers, former actress * Elizabeth Clenci, model and beauty queen, Miss Grand International 2017 2nd runner-up * Jessica Connelly, singer and former reality show contestant *

Anne Curtis Anne Curtis-Smith (; born 17 February 1985) is an Australian-born Filipino actress, television host, entrepreneur and model. Known for her versatile work in film and television productions, she is one of the most successful and highest-paid Fi ...

, actress, model, and singer * Jasmine Curtis-Smith, actress and model * Rod Davies, wing for

Queensland Reds The Queensland Reds is the rugby union team based in Brisbane for the Australian state of Queensland that competes in the Southern Hemisphere's Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996, they were a representative team selected from the rugby union ...

Super Rugby team * Jason Day, golfer * Ashley del Mundo, actress and former reality show contestant * Ezekiel Dimaguila, reality show contestant * Stef Draper, reality show contestant * Kai Espenido, reality show contestant * Alyssa Exala, reality show contestant * Karen Gallman, model and beauty queen crowned Binibining Pilipinas Intercontinental 2018 and Miss Intercontinental 2018 * Ylona Garcia, singer * Kevin Gordon, Gold Coast Titans Rugby League player *

Catriona Gray Catriona Elisa Magnayon Gray ( ; ; born January 6, 1994) is a Filipino beauty queen and media personality best known for winning the title of Miss Universe 2018. The fourth Filipina to win Miss Universe, Gray was previously crowned Miss Worl ...

, singer and model crowned

Miss World Philippines 2016 Miss World Philippines 2016 was the sixth Miss World Philippines pageant, held at the Manila Hotel in Manila, Philippines, on October 2, 2016. Hillarie Parungao crowned Catriona Gray as her successor at the end of the event. Gray represented th ...

, Miss Universe Philippines 2018 and Miss Universe 2018 * Payne Haas, Brisbane Broncos Rugby League player * Sheralyn Hill, singer, The X Factor Australia Season 6 finalist, and former TRILL member * Jessica Jade, singer, The X Factor Australia Season 6 finalist, and former TRILL member *

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, musician *

Clinton Kane Clinton Kane Talabis Concon is a Filipino-American singer-songwriter, signed to Columbia Records. His 2021 singles "Chicken Tendies" and "I Guess I'm in Love" reached numbers 88 and 90, respectively, on the US Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' H ...

, singer * Kelebek, rapper, The X Factor Australia Season 5 finalist, and former Third Degree member * Stephanie Lacerna, singer and Idol Philippines contestant * Philip Lampart, reality show contestant * Michael Letts, rugby player * Vanessa Librea, singer and The Voice Australia Season 11 contestant * Jericho Malabonga, winner of the fourth series of Australian Survivor * Reyanna Maria, singer and rapper *

Janette McBride Janette Heather McBride, known professionally as Janet McBride (born 6 November 1983 in Queensland, Australia), is an Australian former actress and television host. Early life Born in Queensland, Australia, Janette Heather McBride is the daught ...

, former actress * Michael McCoy, reality show contestant * Reef McInnes, Australian rules footballer * Natalie Mendoza, actress ('' Hotel Babylon'') * Rebecca Jackson Mendoza, actress, singer, and dancer * Paul Merciadez, singer, dancer, and member of dance group Justice Crew * Bella Micucci, singer and The Voice Teens Philippines Season 2 contestant * Patrick Miller, Married at First Sight Australia Season 5 star *

Montaigne Michel Eyquem, Seigneur de Montaigne ( ; ; ; 28 February 1533 – 13 September 1592), commonly known as Michel de Montaigne, was one of the most significant philosophers of the French Renaissance. He is known for popularising the essay as ...

, singer * Seann Miley Moore, singer, The X Factor U.K. Season 12 finalist, and The Voice Australia Season 10 contestant *

Kenneth Moraleda Kenneth Moraleda (born 17 April 1973) is an actor. Of Filipino descent, Moraleda was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and has lived in Seattle, the Philippines, Los Angeles and is now based in Sydney, Australia. Moraleda trained at Australian ...

, director & actor * Bobby Morley, actor from ''

Home and Away ''Home and Away'' (''H&A'') is an Australian television soap opera. It was created by Alan Bateman and commenced broadcast on the Seven Network on 17 January 1988. Bateman came up with the concept of the show during a trip to Kangaroo Point, N ...

'' and '' The 100'' TV series *

Charlotte Nicdao Charlotte Nicdao (born 14 August 1991) is an Australian actress. She is known for starring as Jackie Lee in the Nine Network series ''A gURLs wURLd'' (2010–2011) and as Poppy Li in the Apple TV+ comedy '' Mythic Quest'' (2020–2025). Caree ...

, actress * Cyrell Paule, Married at First Sight Australia Season 6 star * John Pearce, singer, dancer, member of Justice Crew, and member of children's music group

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* Lenny Pearce, singer, dancer, and member of Justice Crew * Mick Pennisi, basketball player * Chad Peralta, singer * Marlisa Punzalan, winner of the sixth series of The X Factor Australia * Iain Ramsay, professional

football (soccer) Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

player. Has chosen to represent the

Philippines national football team The Philippines national football team () represents the Philippines in men's international association football, football, governed by the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) and has been playing internationally since 1913. Prior to World W ...

at the international level. * James Reid, actor, singer, and dancer * Lauren Reid, model, actress, events and television host, and blogger * Sheldon Riley, singer, 2022 Australian Eurovision representative, The Voice Australia Season 7 2nd runner-up, The X Factor Australia Season 8 finalist * Nina Robertson, beauty queen crowned Miss Earth Australia 2017 * Marissa Saroca, singer and

The Voice of the Philippines ''The Voice of the Philippines'' is a Television in the Philippines, Philippine television reality singing competition that aired on ABS-CBN, and is based on the Dutch television series ''The Voice of Holland''. The show premiered on June 15, 2 ...

Season 1 contestant * Nicole Schmitz, beauty queen and model crowned Binibining Pilipinas 2012,

Miss International 2012 Miss International 2012, the 52nd Miss International pageant, was held on October 21, 2012, at Okinawa Prefectural Budokan Arena Building in Okinawa, Japan. Fernanda Cornejo from Ecuador crowned her successor Ikumi Yoshimatsu from Japan at t ...

Top 15 finalist * Naomi Sequeira, actress and singer, Hanging with Adam & Naomi, The Evermoor Chronicles * Monique Shippen, model, singer and beauty queen crowned Miss Earth Australia 2018 and Miss International Australia 2019 * Flip Simmons, theatre actor and musician * Starley, singer * Calmell Teagle, singer, The X Factor Australia Season 8 finalist, and former AYA member *

Melanie Vallejo Melanie Vallejo is an Australian actress best known for portraying Madison Rocca, the Blue Mystic Ranger in '' Power Rangers Mystic Force'', and Sophie Wong in the Australian television series '' Winners & Losers''. Early life and education ...

, actress from the TV series '' Power Rangers: Mystic Force'' * Michelle Vergara Moore, actress from the TV series '' The Time of Our Lives'' * Matthew Victor Pastor, film director * Iya Villania, singer, actress and model * Cyrus Villanueva, winner of the seventh series of The X Factor Australia * Craig Wing, Australian Rugby League player (

South Sydney Rabbitohs The South Sydney District Rugby League Football Club, also known as the South Sydney Rabbitohs, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Maroubra, New South Wales, Maroubra that competes in the Nat ...

) * Trinity Young, singer and The Voice Kids Australia contestant *

Gwen Zamora Rafaela Gwenah Zamora Likson-Semerád (born August 10, 1990), known professionally as Gwen Zamora, is a Filipina-French actress, model and former dancer in the Philippines. She was previously under GMA Network for six years until switching manag ...

, actress and model

References

External links

The Philippine Consulate General in Sydney

Embassy of the Philippines in Canberra

Pinoy Australia Information Forum

Bayanihan The Community Newspaper of Australia

Ang Kalatas Newspaper

Filipin-Oz News of Filipino's in Australia and Business Directory

Philtimes.com.au Australia's Filipino newspaper
{{Ancestry of Australians Asian diaspora 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 ...

* Australia–Philippines relations