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The Polish-Speaking Community in Australia Polish is a Slavic language, one of the Indo-European family. It is spoken by ethnic Poles in Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakstan, Russia and in Polish communities in Western Europe, Israel , USA, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, as well as Australia Arrival and Settlement Poles formed only a small minority in Australia before 1947. Many who had come here in the early days had left a country partitioned for 123 years between Austria, Prussia and Russia. The political divisions however, did not erode Polish pride in their language and culture which was fiercely maintained at home and in the new, migrant communities. Among the first Polish migrants to Australia were those who moved to South Australia in the 1850s. By 1921, there was an estimated 1,780 Poles in Australia. Then after the Second World War, Poland fell under the political influence of the USSR, sparking the biggest wave of Polish migration to Australia. Between 1947 and 1952 about 65,000 Polish Displaced Persons and other refugees arrived. Many were employed on the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme in New South Wales. The second significant phase of Polish migration was the so-called Solidarity wave. In the early 1980s the independent trade union movement, Solidarity, openly demanded political reform and its defiance led the government to declare martial law. As a result of the ensuing upheaval, an estimated 15,000 new Polish migrants arrived during this period. Most Polish-Australians live in Melbourne where the community is estimated at around more than 18,000. There are just over 15,000 living in Sydney and in Adelaide the community is around 8,000 strong. Poles have made significant contributions to many facets of Australian life. One who left a lasting legacy was Sir Paul Edmund Strzelecki, who named Australia's highest mountain, Mount Kosciuszko, after the famous Polish revolutionary Tadeusz Kosciuszko. Some more recent prominent figures include, Emeritus Professor Jerzy George Zubrzycki , CBE, MBE formerly of the Australian National University and the internationally recognised Professor Jerzy J. Smolicz of the University of Adelaide, two men who helped lay the foundations of Australia's policy of multiculturalism. Others include Chief Executive of the Office of Multicultural and International Affairs, Dr Sev Ozdowski in South Australia, actors, Gosia Dobrowolska and Bogdan Koca, swimmer, Michael Klim and musician Paul Grabovsky. Community Contacts There are many Polish-speaking community organisations in Australia. Here is a list of some of them. Federal Council of Polish Associations in Australia Phone 02 6254 2775 Fax 02 6255 2955 Website:www.polish.org.au The Australian Institute of Polish Affairs GPO Box 4646 TT Melbourne VIC 3000 Niezalezna Fundacja Popierania Kultury Polskiej POLCUL Foundation Ltd. PO Box 193, Rose Bay NSW 2029 Polish Ex-servicemen's Association Branch Australia G.P.O. Box 1509 Adelaide SA 5001 The Federation of Polish Women in Australia and New Zealand 127 Rawson Street Guildford NSW 2161 Phone 02 9632 5836 Polish Scouting Association ZHP in Australia 19 Chicago St., Maribyrnong VIC 3032 Phone 03 9318 3404 Polish Education Commission in Australia (KOPA) G.P.O. Box 818 Ashfield NSW 2131 Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia, Chairperson: Randolph Alwis PO Box 344 Curtin, ACT 2605 Phone:02 6282 5755 Fax: 02 6282 5734 Special Events Calendar SBS Radio's Polish Program presents special coverage of these and other community events throughout the year. January 26 Australia Day April 25 ANZAC Day May 3 Polish Constitution Day, 1791 August 15 Polish Soldiers' Day November 11 Polish Independence Day Recommended Websites www.polonia.org Provides contacts for Polish organisations world- wide. www.polish.org.au This site lists Polish organisations in Australia. www.wp.pl Wirtualna Polska or Virtual Poland. www.polonica.org.au/polorgp.html A Polish community site. www.insidepoland.com A comprehensive guide to Poland. www.clover.com.au/kronika/ Polish community bulletin published in Canberra. www.poloniabusiness.com An e-commerce site in English and Polish. www.polishworld.com A general Polish site covering everything from travel to business. www.warsawvoice.com.pl The Warsaw Voice weekly English language newspaper. |
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