Footer
Produced and published by the School of Historical & Philosophical Studies, The University of Melbourne
Published July 2008
Published July 2008
Partners
Greek Orthodox, Latin Orthodox, Greek Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, Maronite, Baptist and Coptic Palestinians who lived in the Holy Land for six centuries before the introduction of Islam are found on a smaller scale in Melbourne. Some of the 35% of Christians and 22% of Muslims who emigrated or were forced outside the country after the 1948 Arab-Israeli war came to Melbourne, most with Jordanian passports, some with Israeli passports and others as offspring of intermarriages with Lebanese, Syrians and Jordanians. During the 1990s Palestinian expatriates arrived from the Gulf States. Although numbers are difficult to discern from the census, estimates put the figure, excluding second-generation Australian Palestinians, at between 8000 and 13 000. There is a concentration of families in the Endeavour Hills-Dandenong area. Palestinians in Melbourne work as academics, in business, schooling, government and para-professional areas, and are involved in smaller clubs, trade unions and family associations such as the Beit Jala-Bethlehem Association, the Red Crescent Association, the Women's Union and community radio.