The relationship between the people of Ireland and Australia stretches back to the earliest days of European settlement. We are proud of the contribution made by men and women of Irish birth and Irish descent in building Australia.

There is a great range of social, cultural, professional and contacts between the two countries. There are many organisations in Australia which promote contacts between our countries. Groups which promote the welfare of Irish people around Australia are listed here, as are Business Groups and organisations promoting Irish culture.

There are approximately 60,000 Irish-born people permanently resident in Australia with up to a further 15,000 young Irish people travelling to Australia each year as participants in the reciprocal Working Holiday scheme.

Many Australians can claim some degree of Irish ancestry. If you are interested in researching your family’s Irish origins and genealogy, we have some links  to get you started. In the Australian census of 2006, more than 1.8 million Australians declared themselves of Irish background and of these more than 450,000 indicated that at least one of their parents was born in Ireland.