Ireland has had many reasons for immigration over the past few centuries. Some of these reasons were disease, famines, and religious and political oppression, to name just a few. What holds interest is the diversity of places in which they located. The first place that comes to mind is the large number of Irish settlers in North America. Many reports have been given on this movement, but less well known places of relocation are found in Australia and New Zealand.
Compared to the population from Ireland that migrated to America, those who went to Australia would seem insignificant. However, the comparison does not lie in which place received more immigrants, but in the effect they had on the total population in which they settled. As Fitzpatrick noted, “if Ireland was a minor destination for the Irish, Ireland was a major source for the Australians.”[1] McCarthy expands on this in her book The Irish in Australia and New Zealand.[2] In 1891, for example, the Irish migrants made up seven percent of the total Australian population in contrast to just over one percent of the American population.[3]
This means that a significant portion of the Australian population, and also the New Zealand population have influences of Ireland integrated into modern society. In particular religion and education in Australia today are directly related to the migration of the Irish. Those who came from Ireland brought with them a division that has plagued their nation for centuries.
McCarthy, in her writings, discusses the division between the Protestants and Catholics. This division was so intense that it lead to violence on multiple occasions. In the early 18th century the division became so intense that it lead to a physical separation that divided Ireland and created Northern Ireland.[4] A permanent wall now separates the two sides, with the Catholics primarily residing in Ireland, and the protestants in the North.
Although a large portion of those who had moved to Australia, happened the prior century to this event, the roots of the division is important in their settling of Australasia. As McCarthy found, many of those who moved south still wanted to remain apart from their religious counterparts. McCarthy shared, “New Zealand attracted strong cohorts from Munster and Ulster, during the nineteenth and early twentieth century, many of the latter of a Protestant persuasion…By contrast, Australia received its Irish migrants predominantly from the southern midlands and Ulster border, and Catholics denominated…”[5]
This divide was very much an Irish way for dealing with their differences. They wished to separate themselves from those they had conflict with. This is further shown by the places the Irish settled in. In Ireland most would settle in urban areas, but in Australia they commonly settled away in more rural settings.[6]
The Irish brought with them many different parts of their culture. Religion being the first discussed. It wasn’t until the time the Irish began settling that catholic schools received renewed vigor, even though many catholic schools had been created in Australia as early as the sixteenth century.Many schools and eventually universities, such as the University of Western Australia, began to grow steadily.[7] Today many catholic schools continue to thrive as it is common for many young students to attend catholic school. At times there have been up to 40 percent of all school age children attending catholic schools.[8]
Another very important factor that seemed to arise from Irish migrants was their sense of care for the environment. Considering their very difficult history with famines and similar events, the Irish had gained a great care for the land.[9] This is reflected in numerous universities in both Australia and New Zealand.
Both the University of Otago and the University of Melbourne hold environment classes each year. While this is not uncommon given the global focus on environment, both colleges were created exactly in the time of large migration from Ireland, (1850-1890).[10] The University of Melbourne, in fact, began to open its doors to environmental classes as early as 1911.[11] The main focus of the first courses was that of forestry. Although there is no direct link to one Irish individual who headed this, there was a whole community that played part in a desire for this type of education.[12]
In perspective, the influences of the Irish diaspora to Australasia is difficult to discover. One problem lies within a large portion of migrants coming from Whales, Scotland, and England during the same time period.[13] While it is not appropriate to say that these people hold the same history as the Irish, it is acceptable to say they shared similar backgrounds and practices. Many of the articles and evidence shown included individuals from these places influencing religious and education practices.
While this may be true, history rarely can focus on one single event or people. Rather it shows the overlapping timelines of many people, in this case the Australians, Irish, English, and Scottish. With all of these groups coming together, for one reason or another, the current societal practices of Australia can be viewed and more easily understood.
-Mitchell Young
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Bibliography
BBC. “Northern Ireland’s violent history explained.” http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/20930976/northern-irelands-violent-history-explained.
Fitzpatrick, D. Oceans of Consolation: personal accounts of Irish migration to Australia (Cork, 1995), 6.5 Ibid., 7.
McCarthy, Angela. “The Irish in Australia and New Zealand.” In Diaspora and Comparison: The Global Irish as a Case Study, edited by Kevin Kenny, Vol. 90. N.p.: Organization of American Historians, 2001. 479-490.
National Catholic Education Commission. “Australian Catholic Schools 2012.” https://www.ncec.catholic.edu.au/resources/research/221-australian-catholic-schools-2012/file. 17.
Rowland, Tracey. “Timeline of The Catholic Church in Australia.” KWL. https://www.kwl.com.au/blog/theology/timeline-of-the-catholic-church-in-australia/.
The University of Melbourne. “160 Years of Melbourne University.” http://our-history.unimelb.edu.au/exhibitions/160-years-of-melbourne-university/.
University of Otago. “History and Governance of the University of Otago.” https://www.otago.ac.nz/about/history/.
[1] D. Fitzpatrick, Oceans of Consolation: personal accounts of Irish migration to Australia (Cork, 1995), 6.5 Ibid., 7.
[2] Angela, McCarthy. “The Irish in Australia and New Zealand.” In Diaspora and Comparison: The Global Irish as a Case Study, edited by Kevin Kenny, Vol. 90. N.p.: Organization of American Historians, 2001. 479.
[3] Angela, McCarthy. “The Irish in Australia and New Zealand.” In Diaspora and Comparison: The Global Irish as a Case Study, edited by Kevin Kenny, Vol. 90. N.p.: Organization of American Historians, 2001.; United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/history/www/through_the_decades/fast_facts/1890_fast_facts.html. 479.
[4] BBC. “Northern Ireland’s violent history explained.” http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/20930976/northern-irelands-violent-history-explained.
[5] Angela, McCarthy. “The Irish in Australia and New Zealand.” In Diaspora and Comparison: The Global Irish as a Case Study, edited by Kevin Kenny, Vol. 90. N.p.: Organization of American Historians, 2001. 480
[6] Angela, McCarthy. “The Irish in Australia and New Zealand.” In Diaspora and Comparison: The Global Irish as a Case Study, edited by Kevin Kenny, Vol. 90. N.p.: Organization of American Historians, 2001. 482
[7] Tracey, Rowland. “Timeline of The Catholic Church in Australia.” KWL. https://www.kwl.com.au/blog/theology/timeline-of-the-catholic-church-in-australia/.
[8] National Catholic Education Commission. “Australian Catholic Schools 2012.” https://www.ncec.catholic.edu.au/resources/research/221-australian-catholic-schools-2012/file. 17.
[9] Angela, McCarthy. “The Irish in Australia and New Zealand.” In Diaspora and Comparison: The Global Irish as a Case Study, edited by Kevin Kenny, Vol. 90. N.p.: Organization of American Historians, 2001. 491.
[10] University of Otago. “History and Governance of the University of Otago.” https://www.otago.ac.nz/about/history/. ;The University of Melbourne. “160 Years of Melbourne University.” http://our-history.unimelb.edu.au/exhibitions/160-years-of-melbourne-university/.
[11] The University of Melbourne. “160 Years of Melbourne University.” http://our-history.unimelb.edu.au/exhibitions/160-years-of-melbourne-university/.
[12] The University of Melbourne. “160 Years of Melbourne University.” http://our-history.unimelb.edu.au/exhibitions/160-years-of-melbourne-university/.
[13] Angela, McCarthy. “The Irish in Australia and New Zealand.” In Diaspora and Comparison: The Global Irish as a Case Study, edited by Kevin Kenny, Vol. 90. N.p.: Organization of American Historians, 2001. 484-490.
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