Danish Australian
Encyclopedia
A Danish-Australian is an inhabitant of Australia
with full or partial Danish ancestry, the majority of these people were part of the Danish diaspora. At the 2006 Census 8,963 Australian residents declared they were born in Denmark
. In addition 50,413 Australian residents claimed Danish ancestry, either singuarly or with another ancestry.
. It was estimated that there were 1,000 Danes on the Victorian goldfields
. Danish immigrants had a significant effect on the Australian dairy industry from the 1880s, in particular establishing and managing butter factories.
There was little emigration from Denmark to Australia in the first half of the twentieth century: in 1901 Australia had a population of 6,281 people who had been born in Denmark; in 1947 that number was 2,759. At both counts, the population was approximately 75% male. Danish men married women of other elasticities in Australia which made it harder for the community to maintain its identity.
Danish citizens were within the scope of Australia's Post war immigration scheme. From a population of 2,954 Danish Australians in 1954, there were 7,911 Danes living in Australia in 1981. Masculinity ratios were healthier with 58% of these being males.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
with full or partial Danish ancestry, the majority of these people were part of the Danish diaspora. At the 2006 Census 8,963 Australian residents declared they were born in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. In addition 50,413 Australian residents claimed Danish ancestry, either singuarly or with another ancestry.
History of immigration from Denmark to Australia
There was some Danish immigration at the time of the Australian gold rushesAustralian gold rushes
The Australian gold rush started in 1851 when prospector Edward Hammond Hargraves claimed the discovery of payable gold near Bathurst, New South Wales, at a site Edward Hargraves called Ophir.Eight months later, gold was found in Victoria...
. It was estimated that there were 1,000 Danes on the Victorian goldfields
Victorian gold rush
The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. In 10 years the Australian population nearly tripled.- Overview :During this era Victoria dominated the world's gold output...
. Danish immigrants had a significant effect on the Australian dairy industry from the 1880s, in particular establishing and managing butter factories.
There was little emigration from Denmark to Australia in the first half of the twentieth century: in 1901 Australia had a population of 6,281 people who had been born in Denmark; in 1947 that number was 2,759. At both counts, the population was approximately 75% male. Danish men married women of other elasticities in Australia which made it harder for the community to maintain its identity.
Danish citizens were within the scope of Australia's Post war immigration scheme. From a population of 2,954 Danish Australians in 1954, there were 7,911 Danes living in Australia in 1981. Masculinity ratios were healthier with 58% of these being males.
Notable Danish Australians
Name | Birth and Death | Occupation | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Joh Bjelke-Petersen Joh Bjelke-Petersen Sir Johannes "Joh" Bjelke-Petersen, KCMG , was an Australian politician. He was the longest-serving and longest-lived Premier of Queensland, holding office from 1968 to 1987, a period that saw considerable economic development in the state... |
1911–2005 | Former Queensland Premier | New Zealand-born of Danish descent |
Carl Adolf Feilberg Carl Adolf Feilberg Carl Adolph Feilberg was a Danish-born Australian journalist, newspaper editor, general political commentator and human rights activist.-Life and achievements:... |
1844–1887 | Journalist, commentator, human rights activist | Danish-born |
Jørgen Jensen | 1891–1922 | Businessman and soldier | Danish-born Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories.... |
Jørgen Jørgensen Jørgen Jørgensen Jørgen Jørgensen was a Danish adventurer during the Age of Revolution. During the Action of 2 March 1808 his ship was captured by the British. In 1809 he sailed to Iceland, declared the country independent from Denmark and pronounced himself its ruler... |
1780–1841 | Sailor and Adventurer | Danish-born |
Charles Rosenthal Charles Rosenthal Major General Sir Charles Rosenthal KCB, CMG, DSO, VD was an Australian Major General of World War I, and later a politician elected as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.- Early life :... |
1875–1954 | A Major General Major General Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general... of the Australian Army |
Danish father, Swedish mother |
Kerryn Phelps Kerryn Phelps Kerryn Lyndel Phelps AM is an Australian medical practitioner and public commentator. She is current President of the Australasian Integrative Medicine Association and Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health at the University of Sydney... |
1957- | Doctor | Of Danish, English, Icelandic and Swedish descent |
Marie Bjelke Petersen Marie Bjelke Petersen Marie Caroline Bjelke Petersen was a Danish-born Australian novelist and physical culture teacher. She wrote nine popular romance novels between 1917 and 1937... |
1874–1969 | Novelist | Danish-born |
Candy Devine Candy Devine Candy Devine is an Australian born broadcaster, singer, and actress. Her real name is Faye McLeod . She is presently a radio broadcaster and singer in Northern Ireland, and lives in Belfast with her husband, Donald McLeod.... |
— | Broadcaster | Of Danish, Spanish, Scottish, Sri Lankan, Filipino, Polynesian and West Indian descent |
Mary Hansen Mary Hansen Mary Hansen was a guitarist and singer with Stereolab.Born in Maryborough north of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia, Hansen moved to London in the late 1980s and became a backing singer with the Essex-based indie band, The Wolfhounds.She met Stereolab founder Tim Gane when the Wolfhounds played... |
1966–2002 | Guitarist and Singer | Of Danish and Norwegian descent |
Don Hany Don Hany Don Hany is an Australian award-winning actor. He is best known for his role in the series White Collar Blue, the film Lucky Miles and in the mini-series East West 101.-Biography:... |
1975- | Actor | Danish-Hungarian mother, Iraqi father |
Dennis Olsen Dennis Olsen Dennis Hans Olsen AM , is an accomplished Australian singer, actor, director and pianist.-Professional career:... |
1938- | Singer and Actor | |
Lawrence Springborg Lawrence Springborg Lawrence James Springborg is an Australian politician and became Deputy Leader of the Opposition in Queensland since 2 April 2009. He was deputy leader of the new Liberal National Party... |
1968- | Politician | Of Danish and German descent |