Assyrians in Australia
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Assyrians in traditional clothes.

The Assyrians and Syriacs in Australia live mainly in the state of New South Wales. According to 2001 census, there are 24,000 Assyrians and Syriacs in Australia and are evenly split religiously between Chaldean Catholic and Church of the East.^[1]

Like many other ethnic groups in Australia, the Assyrians and Syriacs has had many negative incidents and events that has haunted the community. This is unusual when comparing to Assyrian and Syriac communities of other diaspora Assyrians and Syriacs. On 8 September 2003, an Assyrian picnic degenerated into a wild brawl when up to 50 people became involved in a fight at a park in Sydney's Blaxland Crossing Reserve, in Wallacia.^[2]

The Assyrian and Syriac Australian community of Australia, currently numbers close to 60,000 according to new statistics. The community is mainly based around its churches and social clubs, with the largest community in and around Fairfield City district, the city and Mascot, and more Assyrian families choosing to spread north towards Merrylands and Parramatta.

The Assyrian Church of the East is the dominant church in Australia followed by the Ancient Assyrian church and the Assyrian (Chaldean rite) Catholic church. The Assyrian community has two Archbishops one who is the high profile His Grace Mar Meelis Zaia and the newly appointed Archbishop of the Assyrian Catholic church His Grace Mar Gerbrail Kassab who resides in Bossley Park.

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