The Emergence of Religious Plurality in Australia: A Multicultural Society

Abstract

As a result of post-war migration has become a religiously plural, multicultural soci ety. Following a careful examination of recent changes in the religious demography of Australia, a comparison of with Canada and New Zealand, and a discussion of the nature of religiously plural, multicultural societies, sixfactors (three demographic and three social stzctural) are identified as key in reducing the likelihzd of religious intergroup conflict in Australia: The relatively small size of the minority groups vis a vis the dominant but nearly equal Catholics and Anglicans, the lack of overlap between ethnic and religious difference, the klck of ghettoization, the fact that religious difference is not politicized, a long history of sorting out intergroup conflict through legislation and courts, and the existence of effective organizations promoting positive intergroup relations. has become over the past 25 years one of the world's most plural and multicultural societies. What had been an ethnically very British and very colonial society for over 100 years was radically changed by post-war migration.1 In the of 1947 it was normal to be a member of the Church of England, of British background, to eat meat pies, and to fear the Yellow Peril. During the immediate postSwar period, welcomed large numbers of European migrants, many British, and a large number of Greeks and Italians. These immigrants were expected to fit in} to blend into Australian institutions, churches, and organizations, to adopt Australian cuisine, and tO play Australian sport.2 In the 1960s Australia's previous White Australia immigration policy limiting access to Europeans was dropped. Following that decision migrants from many Middle Eastern and Asian countries were also welcomed. As a result of this very large migration, in 1993 24.5 percent of Australian residents had been