The Sydney Irish: a hidden ethnic group

Abstract

The relative position of the Irish immigrant population in Australia has been radically transformed during the present century, from being the largest non-British ethnic group to one of the smallest immigrant minorities. The elimination of race-based barriers from immigration policy has given-rise to increased variation in the ethnic composition of Australian society. Recent Irish immigrants, often from rural parts of Ireland exhibit some degree of ethnicity during the early stages of their adaptation to the cosmopolitan environment of Sydney. Eventually, however, the operation of the housing market plays an effective role in dispersing ethnic friendship patterns.