Australian Community in Birmingham

Where they come from

Australia is both a country and a continent, famous for its beaches, the Outback, the Great Barrier Reef and cities such as Sydney and Melbourne. Many Australians have family ties with Britain, and young Australians have long come to live and work here, often on working holiday visas.

The community in numbers

At the 2021 Census, out of a city population of 1,144,919, 667 people living in the city had been born in Australia; and 325 Birmingham residents described their ethnic group as Australian or New Zealander.

Working for Birmingham

Australian doctors, nurses, teachers, engineers and business professionals work across Birmingham, and Australian academics teach at its universities. Many young Australians work in hospitality and sport, and some stay on to build long-term careers.

The city's future rests on the same things as its past: skills, enterprise and people willing to put in the hours. Whether in a hospital, a classroom, a lecture theatre, a van full of tools or a shop on a busy high street, Australian residents are helping to build that future, and to make Birmingham a stronger, fairer and more welcoming city.

Culture and community life

The Ashes, cricket's oldest rivalry, brings Australians and Brummies together at Edgbaston, often for some of the most thrilling Test matches ever played. Anzac Day on 25 April is marked with remembrance, and Australia Day on 26 January with barbecues and gatherings.

Birmingham's strength lies in its variety, and the Australian community is a welcome part of it. As the city continues to grow and change, that contribution will remain part of the story of a place that has always looked forward.