The Migration Museum works towards the preservation, understanding and enjoyment of South Australia’s diverse cultures. It is a place to discover the many identities of the people of South Australia through the stories of individuals and communities.

In 1992 the Migration Museum published From Many Places. It has since undergone revision. The listings here have been compiled from ABS statistics, local community organisations and relevant historical sources. It is an evolving and ongoing project. 

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    Iranians in South Australia

    According to oral history sources Kamran Eshraghian was the first known Iranian to settle in South Australia

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | late twentieth century

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    Irish in South Australia

    Irish immigrants have settled throughout the state of South Australia

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | late nineteenth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

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    Italians in South Australia

    Antonio Giannoni from Rimini was the first Italian to settle in South Australia

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century

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    Japanese in South Australia

    South Australia’s earliest contact with Japan was in 1876, when the South Australian government began negotiations to settle Japanese sugar cane farmers in the Northern Territory. The scheme was never realised.

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

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    Jewish in South Australia

    Jews are descendants of a nomadic people who lived in the Middle East in ancient times, or adherents of the Jewish religion.

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | early twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

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    Jordanians in South Australia

    Most Jordanian South Australians have come to the state since the Second World War. 

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

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    Koreans in South Australia

    Most Korean South Australians are from the Republic of Korea (known as South Korea). They first began arriving in South Australia in the early 1970s. 

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | 1970s, late twentieth century

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    Laotians in South Australia

    The first large scale arrival of Laotians in Australia was in 1976. Only a few made their way to South Australia. The numbers increased steadily until the 1980s, and are only in the hundreds even in the twenty-first century.

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | 1970s, late twentieth century

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    Latvians in South Australia

    In the nineteenth century South Australia was visited by numerous Latvian sailors who worked on Baltic trading ships, carrying mainly softwood timber, known as Baltic pine. 

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | early twentieth century, mid twentieth century

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    Lebanese in South Australia

    Lebanese immigrants began arriving in Australia in the late nineteenth century. They emigrated from what was then the province of Syria in the Ottoman Empire for a variety of reasons. 

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

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    Lithuanians in South Australia

    Lithuanian migrants came to South Australia as early as the 1840s, numbers expanded significantly following the Second World War. 

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | 1840s, 1930s, mid twentieth century

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    Nepalese in South Australia

    The majority of Nepalese-born South Australians are Hindus, with the remainder mainly affiliated with Buddhism. 

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum

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    New Zealanders in South Australia

    New Zealanders of European descent have migrated to Australia since the second half of the nineteenth century

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum

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    Nicaraguans in South Australia

    It is unclear when the first Nicaraguans came to South Australia, but political turmoil has provided Nicaraguans with reason to emigrate.

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum

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    Norwegians in South Australia

    The number of Norwegian South Australians peaked by 1966, when there were 303.

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum

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    Pakistanis in South Australia

    Many of the ‘Afghan’ cameleers who came to South Australia during the nineteenth century were actually from the regions of present-day Pakistan.

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum

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    Palestinians in South Australia

    Much of the migration of Palestinians to Australia has occurred after major conflicts that displaced Palestinian people from their homes. 

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum

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    Papua New Guineans in South Australia

    Melanesian Papua New Guineans first settled in Australia during the nineteenth century

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum

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    Peruvians in South Australia

    In the late 1960s and early 1970s the Australian government actively recruited single Peruvians through that country’s newspapers, and offered assisted immigration to suitable applicants

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum

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    Polish in South Australia

    The first Polish people to settle in South Australia came out with German immigrants in 1838 and 1839

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum

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    Portugese in South Australia

    Portuguese South Australians have settled mainly in the metropolitan area of Adelaide.  

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum

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    Russians in South Australia

    The earliest known Russian emigrants arrived in South Australia in 1910 and 1911

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum

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    Salvadoreans in South Australia

    The first substantial influx of Salvadoran political refugees came to Australia in 1983 under the Australian government’s Special Humanitarian Program

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum

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    Scots in South Australia

    Most of the Scots who immigrated to South Australia during the nineteenth century were from the overcrowded industrial cities of central Scotland or Lowland agricultural areas

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum

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    Serbians in South Australia

    Serbians migrated to South Australia from the 1940s - 1990s to escape various forms of prosecution and have since established a wide community. 

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1990s, early twentieth century, Second World War

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    Singaporeans in South Australia

    Singaporean migration to South Australia has occured from the early nineteenth century, however, when the Restriction Act 1901 was relaxed in 1967 there has been a significant increase of people coming to South Australia. 

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

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    Slovaks in South Australia

    The first known Slovak to arrive in Australia was Brother Jakub Longa, a Jesuit, who was sent to Australia in 1888 to help found an Aboriginal mission at Daly Waters in the Northern Territory

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | 1880s, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

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    Slovenians in South Australia

    The first Slovenians arrived in South Australia in 1946. They emigrated as Displaced Persons from camps in Italy, Austria and Germany after Marshal Tito established a communist government in Yugoslavia in 1945.

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | 1940s, early twenty–first century, mid twentieth century

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    Taiwanese in South Australia

    The indigenous people of Taiwan make up roughly 2 per cent of the population.

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

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    Tanzanians in South Australia

    African and Asian Tanzanians have immigrated to Australia since 1973, when the White Australia Policy, was abolished.

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | early twenty–first century, late twentieth century

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