Brazil
A profile of Brazil-born South Australians
December 2014
Geography of Brazil
Brazil is the largest nation in South America. It is bordered by the South Atlantic Ocean to the east, and by
French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay to
the northwest and southwest.
Historical backgroundi,ii,
Although Brazilian migration in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries has not been well documented, there
is evidence of early Brazilian interest in Australia. However, concrete evidence of a Brazilian presence in
Australia does not appear until 1901 when 105 Brazilian-born Australians were counted in the national
Census.
After this, the first Brazilian migrants began arriving in Australia in the mid-1970s. Most were attracted to
Australia by an Australian government assistance scheme that sought to fill labour shortages, and migrated for
family and personal reasons. Others came to Australia under refugee and humanitarian programs between
1964 and 1985, when Brazil’s government abandoned its constitution.
Another wave of migration began in the late 1990s and continues today. It is widely attributed to growing
socio-economic power within Brazil since the 1980s and a strong desire among Brazilians to learn English.
There has also been an influx of Brazilian students who have come to attend Australian universities. These
students generally travel on study visas, and return to Brazil after completing their studies.
The Brazilian population in South Australiaiii
At the 2011 Australian Census, 474 people who were born in Brazil were living in South Australia, more than
double the 211 Brazilian South Australians in 2006. In 2011, 419 South Australians reported having Brazilian
ancestry.
As shown in Figure 1, the Brazilian South Australian population is younger than the total South Australian
population, particularly with a greater proportion of people aged in the 30s.
Figure 1: Age distribution (%) of South Australians born in Brazil and the total South Australian population, 2011
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Brazil-born
South
Australians
Total SA
population
0-9 years
10-19
years
20-29
years
30-39
years
40-49
years
50-59
years
60-69
years
70-79
years
80+ years
(Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2011) Census of Population and Housing. Accessible at http://www.abs.gov.au/census)
1 | A profile of Brazil-born South Australians
Year of migrationiii
Figure 2 shows the year in which Brazilian South Australians migrated to Australia. Among those born in Brazil
and living in South Australia in 2011, the vast majority of people migrated in the 21st century.
Figure 2: Year of migration to Australia, among Brazil-born people living in South Australia in 2011
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
1895-1960
1961-1970
1971-1980
1981-1990
1991-2000
2001-2011
(Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2011) Census of Population and Housing. Accessible at http://www.abs.gov.au/census)
Languagesiii
The majority (373 people) of Brazil-born South Australians report speaking Portuguese at home, with small
numbers speaking Italian, Spanish and Arabic. Of South Australians born in Brazil, 15.6% reported that
English was the main language they spoke at home.
Of 399 Brazilian people who reported speaking a language other than English, 91.7% reported that they were
able to speak English ‘well’ or ‘very well’, and 7.0% reported that they spoke English ‘not well’ or ‘not at all’.
Religionsiii
As shown in Table 1, 68.6% of Brazilian South Australians reported being affiliated with Christianity, with
19.2% who reported having no religious affiliation. Among Christians in this population the primary
denomination was Catholicism.
Table 1: Religious affiliations of South Australians born in Brazil, 2011
Religion
Christianity
No religion
Other religions
Not stated
Total
Number
325
91
47
11
474
%
68.6%
19.2%
9.9%
2.3%
100.0%
(Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2011) Census of Population and Housing. Accessible at http://www.abs.gov.au/census)
2 | A profile of Brazil-born South Australians
Employmentiii
At the 2011 Australian Census, 59.4% of Brazilian South Australians aged 15 years and over reported being
employed and 30.5% reported that they were looking for work or not in the labour force.
Of Brazilian South Australians who were employed, the most common industries in which to be employed
were manufacturing (13.1%), accommodation and food services (12.0%) and professional, scientific and
technical services (10.5%). The most common occupations were professionals (29.6%), labourers (16.8%)
and community and personal service workers (12.9%).
Studying in South Australiaiv
In 2012 there were 115 new Brazilian student enrolments at institutions across South Australia and a total of
159 Brazilian student enrolments in South Australia in total (new and continuing enrolments). Enrolments were
spread across English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS), Vocational Education
and Training (VET), higher education, school and non-award study. These figures have remained relatively
stable since 2009.
Place of residenceiii
As shown in Table 2, the majority of Brazilian South Australians live in metropolitan areas, spread across
southern, northern, central and western Adelaide.
Table 2: Areas of residence of Brazilian South Australians, 2011
Adelaide - Central and Hills
Adelaide - North
Adelaide - South
Adelaide - West
Regional South Australia
Total
149
60
128
99
38
474
31.4%
12.7%
27.0%
20.9%
8.0%
100.0%
(Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2011) Census of Population and Housing. Accessible at http://www.abs.gov.au/census)
Areas with 15 or more Brazilian residents include Adelaide, Burnside/Wattle Park and Paradise/Newton in
Adelaide’s central suburbs; Pooraka in Adelaide’s northern suburbs; Brighton and Glenelg in Adelaide’s
southern suburbs; and Naracoorte in South East South Australia.
Special holidays and events
Celebrations of three significant events in history that led to Brazil’s independence show the historical
importance of Brazil’s efforts to become a republic in its own right:
The first is Tiradentes’ Day, celebrated annually on 21 April to mark the 1792 death of Tiradentes, a leading
member of the Brazilian Revolutionary Movement. Tiradentes was considered a national martyr for his efforts
establishing Brazil as an independent republic from Portuguese power. When the plan was discovered, he was
arrested, tried and publicly hanged. Since the 19th century he has been considered a national hero of Brazil.
3 | A profile of Brazil-born South Australians
The second celebration is Independence Day, celebrated on 7 September, marks Brazil’s successful
Declaration of Independence from Portugal in 1822.
The third celebration, Republic Day, is held on 15 November. It celebrates the end of the Empire of Brazil and
the proclamation of the Brazilian Republic on November 15, 1889.
Aside from public holidays, Brazil is known for its festivals, the largest of which is Carnevale. The country
stops completely for almost a week every year, for the intense day and night festivities of this music and
culture festival. Carnivale is an important part of Brazil’s tourism industry, with the Rio de Janeiro carnival
celebrations alone drawing 400,000 visitors. The festival showcases parades, costumes and dancing, often
unique to the local community.
In South Australia, Festa Junina is celebrated in June. Festa Junina celebrations are historically related to
European Midsummer that take place at the beginning of the Brazilian winter. As northeastern Brazil is largely
arid these festivals not only coincide with the end of the rainy seasons but also provide an opportunity to give
thanks to Saint John for the rain. They also celebrate rural life and marriage. The quadrilha, a traditional dance
performed at this festival, features couple formations around a mock wedding. Men dress up as farm boys with
large straw hats and women wear pigtails, freckles, painted gap teeth and red-checkered dresses, all in a
loving tribute to the origins of Brazilian country music.
Community organisations and clubsv
The Brazilian Association of South Australia support new migrants from Brazil to settle into South Australian
life and to maintain South American culture.
References
i
South Australian Migration Museum (2006) From Many Places: The History and Cultural Traditions of South Australian People. (CD-Rom).
Department of Immigration and Citizenship (2012) Community Information Summaries. Accessible at https://www.dss.gov.au/ourresponsibilities/settlement-and-multicultural-affairs/programs-policy/a-multicultural-australia/programs-and-publications/community-informationsummaries
iii
Australian Bureau of Statistics (2011) Census of Population and Housing. Accessible at http://www.abs.gov.au/census
iv
Australian Education International (2013) International Student Data 2012: 2012 Pivot Tables. Accessible at https://aei.gov.au/research/InternationalStudent-Data/Pages/InternationalStudentData2012.aspx#3
v
Details of South Australian community organisations were informed by Multicultural SA’s Contacts Database of cultural organisations and clubs
throughout South Australia.
ii
4 | A profile of Brazil-born South Australians