Introducing 

Prezi AI.

Your new presentation assistant.

Refine, enhance, and tailor your content, source relevant images, and edit visuals quicker than ever before.

Loading…
Transcript

Large scale Muslim immigration began in the 1850s when several thousand camel drivers were invited to Australia to help build the Overland Telegraph and the railway line to Alice Springs. Although known collectively as 'the Ghans', they were not all Afghans. Many came from Pakistan and other West Asian countries.

The Afghans built the first Australian mosque in 1882 at Maree in South Australia.

Despite this, the Immigration Restriction Act ensured that these Muslims did not become citizens.

In 1896 a firm of merchant from Hyderabad in India set up branches in Melbourne. Indians started working as traders and opal polishers.

The White Australia Policy kept the Hindu population low as locals feared 'foreign workers taking their jobs'. By 1947 there was still only 2189 Indians in Australia.

There are no records of public worship in this time. Hindus probably practiced puja at home.

Hinduism

Islam

There was a Muslim presence in Australia before European settlement as Muslim fishermen from Makassar (Indonesia) visited there. Evidence of this is found in graves facing Mecca, as well as Aboriginal cave paintings that include Muslim motifs

Hindu Indians first arrived with British families who had employed them as servants in India. They also came as labourers but after their stint of work most returned home to India.

It is recorded that two Indians from Bengal fought in the Eureka Stockade in 1854.

In Victoria in 1857 the census showed 277 'Hindoos'

Faint outlines of sail boats

from Indonesian

fishermen

Arrival and establishment of Religions in Australia before 1945

Judaism

There were at least 8 Jews on the First Fleet and a few Jews were on almost every subsequent transport ship. The first free settlers arrived in 1809. In 1817 the first Australian Jewish organisation was formed - a burial society. Jewish settlers began arriving in 1820 and held religious services in the home of merchant Philip Cohen by 1828. The Sydney Hebrew congregation was formally established in 1832 with a purpose built synagogue bulit in York St in 1844 and the Great Synagogue in Elizabeth St in 1877.

Buddhism

The Jewish population doubled in the gold rushes of 1850. In the 1880s many Jews fled persecution in Eastern Europe. By 1901 there were synagogues in every major city, with around 150 000 Jews in Australia.

Since the majority of Jews were English speaking, they has little trouble fitting in and inter-marriage was common. Immigration before 1945 continued to increase the number of Jews as they fled pogroms in Russia and Nazis in Germany.

Chinese religions in general arrived in Australia before European settlement but the main influx came during the gold rush in the 1850s. By 1857 some 27000 Buddhists were in Victoria. However, many experienced racism and returned home - the Lambing Flats riots in 1860-61 were the most notable examples.

Most of the Buddhist were Mahayanan.

Theravadan Buddhists arrived as Sri Lankan Buddhists employed as pearl divers and sugar cane workers in Queensland. By the beginning of the 20th century they had built a temple and planted 2 Bodhi trees on Thursday Island. However the White Australia Policy and 'anti-Coolie' racist protests (often violent), meant that many of these Buddhists either went home or converted to Christianity.

Learn more about creating dynamic, engaging presentations with Prezi