This was the interesting title I was asked to talk about by the NSW Community Relations Commission. In Parramatta, unofficial capital of Sydney’s sprawling Western Suburbs, home to some 10% of Australia’s population and the heartland of the “new Australians”, I met young leaders from a range of different communities: Iraqi, Afghanistani, Indian, Coptic Christians from Egypt, Chinese, Malay, Jewish, Polish.
In my speech I talked about four things: Australian uniqueness; the strength of modern Anglo-influences; Australia in the world; and immigration and multiculturalism. I noted that you could equally well ask “how Anglo is Britain” nowadays. One in four Australians may have been born outside the country. But so have one in eight Brits. We are both diverse, cosmopolitan societies.
The physical Anglo legacy is obvious, from place-names to statues of Queen Victoria, all juxtaposed with Australia’s extraordinary landscapes. But there is a huge cultural familiarity too. In the 2011 census, a large majority of Australians described their ancestral background as from the British Isles.
Apart from the historic settlement, over a million Brits came to Australia between 1945-70, the famous “ten pound poms”. And they continue to come, with 25,000 settling permanently last year. But in 2012 they were only the third largest group of arrivals, after Chinese and Indians (who topped the list for the first time with 29,000).
The vibrant multicultural nature of modern Australia is evident every time you walk along the streets of major cities. Among the reasons they come is the attractiveness of some of the values codified in its constitution and laws, around democracy, rule of law and personal freedoms. They may have started out as “Anglo” values, but have now become much more universal.
Nowadays Australia has very important economic and political ties with its Asian neighbours, both bilaterally and through emerging institutions like the East Asia Summit, just as Britain is a leading member of the European Union. Indeed it is a highly connected global nation. But not surprisingly, many Australians, whatever their family history, appear to find an ease and familiarity in working together with Anglo countries like the UK, US, Canada and NZ.
It was fascinating talking to the lively group of young people. We covered many topics including: Asylum seekers; the balance between multiculturalism and integration; languages; terrorism; community policing; the influence of ethnic groupings on foreign policy; and national identity. It was good to hear them speaking so positively about what it means to be Australian in 2013.