Filipino diaspora in Australia: From historical pearl divers to modern growth of skilled migrants

Filipinos have a long history in Australia, from the 19th-century Manilamen in the pearl industry to those who served in World Wars I and II. Today, over 400,000 Filipinos live in Australia, enriching its culture, education, and economy, and shaping modern Australian society.

Filipino Diaspora in Australia: From the first Filipino pearl divers in the 1800s (bottom left) and their descendants (bottom right), to Filipinos who served alongside Australian forces in World Wars I and II, and onward to scholars, students, skilled workers, and recent professional migrants shaping modern Australia. Credit: Getty Images, Elsta Foy and family, Filipino Australian Brisbane Society and Debora Ruiz-Wall

Key Points

• The Philippines and Australia have shared a strong connection since the 19th century, beginning with trade in Australian dairy and Philippine sugarcane and sugar. Their diplomatic relations was formalised in May 22, 1946.
• Historically, the first recorded Filipinos in Australia were the Manilamen, Filipino pearldivers in Queensland and the Northern Territory. In her book Re-imagining Australia: Voices of Indigenous Australians of Filipino Descent, Deborah Ruiz-Wall chronicles their stories, the families they built, and the generations of descendants who continue their legacy.
• From the late 1970s to the early 1980s, the second wave of Filipinos arrived in Australia following the abolition of the White Australia Policy, with a peak influx of students and skilled workers. The Filipino community has continued to grow, now numbering over 400,000, actively contributing to Australia’s culture, education, and economy.

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Filipino diaspora sa Australia: Mula sa kasaysayan hanggang sa patuloy na pag-unlad sa makabagong panahon

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Sydney-based author Deborah Ruiz-Wall and South Australian retired Army Major Paul Rosenzweig have dedicated their research to uncovering the history of early Filipinos in Australia, tracing the descendants of Filipino pearl divers and soldiers who served in the Australian Army in the 1800s.

Filipino-Australian author Dr. Deborah Ruiz Wall (2nd from left) with former Philippine Embassy in Canberra Third Secretary Nicole de Castro, and descendants of the Manilamen Cauline Masuda and Kevin Puertollano. Kevin Puertollano holds a map of Marinduque, the Philippine province where his forefather Thomas Puertollano came from. Credit: Philippine Embassy at Canberra

"They've came from the Philippines at the end of the 19th century. Some of them as early as 1870s and they came to Thursday Island in Far North Queensland as pearl divers and around the turn of the century, most of them came across to Darwin and because they'd been here for certain amount of time, they can apply for citizenship. Many of them got their citizenship in Queensland," shares Retired Army Major Paul Rosenzweig who researched on the Filipino-Australians who served in the Australian Imperial Force during World Wars I and II.

Australian and Filipino soldiers fought together as part of the United Nations Command in the Korean War, most notably at the Battle of Yultong in April 1951. Credit: Australian War Memorial

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