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Latvian Australians

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Latvian Australians
Austrālijas latvieši
Total population
Latvian
3,758(by birth,2016 census)[1]
20,509(by ancestry,2016 census)[1]
Regions with significant populations
SydneyandMelbourne
Languages
Australian English,Latvian
Religion
Lutheran,Roman Catholic,Orthodox
Related ethnic groups
Estonian Australians·Lithuanian Australians·Latgalians·Kursenieki·Livonians·Latvians·Latvian Canadians·Latvian Americans

Latvian AustraliansareAustraliancitizens ofLatviandescent, or persons born inLatviawho reside inAustralia.At the2016 Census,20,509 residents in Australia reported to have Latvian ancestry.[2]

Few Latvians arrived in Australia before 1947.[3]

Between 1947 and 1952, 19,700 Latvian refugees arrived in Australia asdisplaced personsunder the supervision of theInternational Refugee Organisation.[4]The first voyage underArthur Calwell's Displaced Persons immigration program, that of theGeneral Stuart Heintzelmanin 1947,[5]was specially chosen to be all from Baltic nations, all single, many blond and blue-eyed, in order to appeal to the Australian public.[6]Of the 843 immigrants on theHeintzelman,264 were Latvian.[7]

Sport[edit]

Soccer[edit]

In 1955, the Melbourne Latvian community established its ownAssociation football (soccer)club that competed in the modern-dayFootball Victoriastate-league system,later folding at the conclusion of the 1959 league season. The club was founded as 'Brunswick' (later renamed as 'Brunswick Latvia'),[8]being named afterthe relevant inner-northern suburbwhere many European immigrants settled in Melbourne following thesecond world war.The club were premiers of the 'Victoria Metropolitan League South', being the southern conference of the modern dayVictorian State League 1,which was the fourth state league tier at the time which was achieved in its inaugural season of 1955.[9]The club's highest ladder achievement in its highest level of competition was in 1958 where the club finished eighth in the 'Victorian Metropolitan League Division One North', being the northern conference of the modern-dayNational Premier Leagues Victoria 2,being the state's second division at the time.[10][11]The club's last season was the following season in 1959,[12]and throughout its existence all of the club's home matches were played on the soccer ovals ofRoyal Parkin the neighboring suburb ofParkville.

Notable Latvian Australians[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^abAustralian Government Census 2016."Latvian Australians".{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^"Latvia country brief".dfat.gov.au.Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.Retrieved6 January2014.
  3. ^"History of Immigration from Latvia".Museum Victoria.Archived fromthe originalon 30 July 2008.Retrieved27 February2017.
  4. ^"Origins: Immigrant Communities in Victoria: History of immigration from Latvia".Museum Victoria Australia.Archived fromthe originalon 30 July 2008.Retrieved17 May2016.
  5. ^"First of the Fifth Fleet".Retrieved22 February2017.
  6. ^J. Franklin,Calwell, Catholicism and the origins of multicultural Australia,Proc. of the Australian Catholic Historical Society 2009 Conference,42-54.
  7. ^"Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild: USAT General Stuart Heintzelman".Retrieved27 February2017.
  8. ^"Victorian Football Club Archive - Balcombe to Burns".
  9. ^"Victoria Metropolitan League South 1955 - Fixtures/Results".
  10. ^"1958 Victorian Metropolitan League Division One North - Final Table".
  11. ^"Victoria Metropolitan League Division One North 1958 - Fixtures/Results".
  12. ^"1959 Victorian Metropolitan League Division One North - Season Results".

External links[edit]

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