Editors: Kerry
: Shepparton 7.1 Background
Download 18.21 Mb.
|
7: Shepparton7.1 BackgroundShepparton, a regional city of around 27 000 people, is located about 180 km inland from Melbourne. Around 12 per cent of the population as at the 2001 Census were born overseas (ABS Local Area Profile Data, 2001). This figure does not adequately convey the diverse multicultural composition of the community (Shepparton Council Plan, p. 7). Descendants of migrants from Italy represent one of the largest identifiable ethnic groupings in the district, estimated to comprise around 10 000 including second and third generation family members (Emilio Fiorenza, 2005). Shepparton is also home to many descendants from Greece, Macedonia, Turkey, and Albania whose parents and grand parents immigrated to the district in the early twentieth century (Fiorenza 2005). Since that time there have been successive waves of migrants from a variety of countries – including Middele Eastern Counties, the Philippines, India, Germany and New Zealand (Fiorenza 2005). Some of the descendants of these migrants participated in the focus groups. In 2005 and 2006 a number of African families settled into the area sponsored under the regional humanitarian refugee programme. Over the last six years a growing number of humanitarian migrants from Iraq who fled Saddam Hussein’s regime have been drawn to Shepparton to live and work. As a result of this population mix, and the district’s relatively long history of migrant settlement (Fiorenza 2005), Shepparton has earned a reputation nationally for being a harmonious and successful multicultural centre. It is an attribute which many citizens are proud of. As one citizen noted: I’ve lived and worked in the greater Shepparton area for 20 years, and I’ve seen a lot of different groups come in that time, and I think this is just a fine example of multiculturalism…it’s really quite outstanding…like the mosque; no one could have even known there was a mosque until recent world events. They were quietly going about their business, and quietly exercise their religion…It’s a fine example probably to the rest of Australia to take look and see how all the services have worked together and everybody’s educated to the role of everybody else. (1/3) Directory: sites -> default -> files -> documents -> 01 2014 documents -> Ace abi catair customs and Trade Automated Interface Requirements documents -> Mobile audio/video recording systems documents -> The south australian government gazette documents -> All public acts appearing in this gazette are to be considered official, and obeyed as such documents -> Union interparlementaire inter-parliamentary union 01 2014 -> Voices Shaping the 01 2014 -> Muslim Voices – Hopes and aspirations of Muslim Australians Centre for Muslim Minorities & Islam Policy Studies 01 2014 -> Prepared by: Kais Al‐Momani Nour Dados Marion Maddox Amanda Wise C Download 18.21 Mb. Share with your friends:
|