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Guide Turkey → Australia · community · checked 1 Nov 2026

The Turkish community in Australia

How many Turkish people live in Australia, where mosques and Turkish schools are, and how to keep a piece of home close.

Photo: Pexels
In numbers

How many Turkish people live in Australia?

In the 2021 Census, 87,164 people in Australia gave Turkish as an ancestry and 38,568 were born in Türkiye. Half of the community lives in Victoria, most of the rest in New South Wales.

87,164of Turkish ancestry
38,568born in Türkiye
64,924speak Turkish at home
43,937in Victoria
1967the migration agreement

2021 Census (Australian Bureau of Statistics); Victoria = Turkish ancestry. 1967: the Australian Embassy in Ankara.

Where people live

Where Turkish people live in Australia

On 5 October 1967 Australia and Turkey signed the agreement that started assisted migration; the first flight from Turkey arrived on 14 October 1968, and around 19,000 people came this way by 1974.

VIC
Victoria43,937 people of Turkish ancestry, 34,864 speak Turkish at home. Hume, in Melbourne's north, has one of the largest Turkish communities: 16,550 people.
NSW
New South Wales32,620 people of Turkish ancestry, 23,842 speak Turkish at home; Sydney has the Consulate General and the Gallipoli Mosque in Auburn.
QLD
Queensland and Western Australia4,901 and 3,188 people of Turkish ancestry, with honorary consulates in Brisbane and Perth.

Hume: the Victorian Government's Turkish community profile, which counts Turkish and Kurdish ancestry.

Community life

A piece of home, close by

Cami
MosquesThe Gallipoli Mosque in Auburn, Sydney, built from 1986 to 1999; in Melbourne, the Broadmeadows Turkish Islamic and Cultural Centre.
Okul
Turkish at schoolTurkish is a VCE subject in Victoria; the Victorian School of Languages (mostly on Saturday mornings) and the NSW Secondary College of Languages teach it, and about 18 community Turkish schools run in NSW.
TC
Embassy and consulatesThe embassy in Canberra; Consulates General in Sydney (NSW, Queensland, the ACT and the NT) and Melbourne (Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania). Passports and ID cards in person, by appointment.
Fest
FestivalsThe Turkish Pazar Festival at Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne (11 and 12 April in 2026) and TurkFest in Parramatta (7 December in 2025).
SBS
SBS TürkçeTurkish-language radio on weekdays except Tuesday, plus the Merhaba Avustralya settlement podcast in Turkish.
TV
Turkish TVThe channels from home, live in Australia.Read the TV guide →
A cosy living room in the evening with a TV and warm shelf lights
Miss home?

The channels you grew up with, here

The news from home, the series, the big matches and Turkish cartoons for the kids. Live in Australia, on your TV.

How to watch Turkish TV in Australia →
Advertisement: Turkish channels live with VOLTIX →
Photo: Pexels
Online

Where Turkish people in Australia meet online

For jobs, flats, advice and events, many people use Facebook groups and city pages.

FB
Your city's groupSearch Facebook groups for “Avustralya'daki Türkler”, “Melbourne Türkleri” or “Sidney Türkleri”.
SBS
SBS TürkçeNews and settlement advice in Turkish.sbs.com.au →
TIS
An interpreter by phoneCall TIS National on 131 450 for a phone interpreter.

Stay safe: groups are great for jobs and flats, but never send money or photos of your ID to someone you only know from a group.

Quick answers

Questions people ask

How many Turkish people live in Australia?

In the 2021 Census, 87,164 people gave Turkish as an ancestry, 38,568 were born in Türkiye and 64,924 spoke Turkish at home.

Where do most Turkish people in Australia live?

In Victoria (43,937 of Turkish ancestry), above all in Melbourne's north around Hume, and in New South Wales (32,620), mostly in Sydney.

When did Turkish migration to Australia start?

With the agreement Australia and Turkey signed on 5 October 1967. The first flight from Turkey arrived on 14 October 1968, and around 19,000 assisted migrants came by 1974.

Where can my children learn Turkish?

At the Victorian School of Languages (mostly on Saturday mornings) or the NSW Secondary College of Languages, in VCE Turkish in Victoria, and in community Turkish schools.

Where do I get a Turkish passport in Australia?

At the Consulate General for your state, in Sydney or Melbourne, in person with an appointment from konsolosluk.gov.tr; the Sydney consulate accepts no postal applications. ID cards also need you there in person from age 15.

Are there Facebook groups for Turkish people in Australia?

Yes. Search Facebook groups for “Avustralya'daki Türkler” or your city's name.

Can I watch Turkish TV in Australia?

Yes. Our Turkish TV in Australia guide shows every option.

More for Turkish people in Australia

Guides for you

Turkish TV in AustraliaThe Turkish channels live, and how the official options compare.The Turkish community in AustraliaHow many, where people live, mosques, Turkish schools and where people meet online.Moving to AustraliaVisa routes, and a plain checklist for before you go and your first weeks.
Sources