Bosnian Australians


Bosnian Australians are Australian citizens of Bosnian ancestry or Bosnia and Herzegovina-born people who reside in Australia. According to the 2011 Australian census 39,440 Australians were born in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

History

There have been three major influxes of Bosnians to Australia. The first period occurred in the aftermath of World War II, and the second occurred in the late 1960s/early 1970s following an economic depression and open border policy in the former Yugoslavia.
The most recent wave of migration was during the 1990s when many Bosnians sought refuge from the Bosnian War. This migration was assisted under the refugee scheme of the Red Cross in Australia.
Bosnian migrants who arrived in Australia in the 1960s made important contributions to modern-day Australia through their role in the construction of the Snowy Mountains Scheme in New South Wales.

Religion

The majority of Bosnians that arrived in Australia are Muslim, with a fewer number having Orthodox and Catholic backgrounds.

Communities

Bosnian Australians mainly live in New South Wales and Victoria, especially in the cities of Melbourne and Sydney. In Melbourne they reside mostly in the City of Greater Dandenong and in Sydney mostly in Liverpool, Fairfield and Hurstville.
The Bosnian community in Queensland is centered around Logan Central in Southeast Queensland.
The Bosnian community in Perth are predominantly located the City of Swan and City of Stirling.

Media

Radio

Currently in Sydney and Melbourne SBS Radio broadcasts in the Bosnian language for an hour a day. Other community stations such as 3ZZZ and 4EB also broadcast in Bosnian.

Sport