Diversity City

Ballarat, Australia — An hour and a half away from Victoria’s state capital Melbourne is this charming city of Ballarat. Made famous during the Gold Rush years from 1851 to the late 1860s where much gold was found and riches were made.

Australian Bureau of Statistics census data show that there were 85,197 residents here in 2006. The latest statistics, released in 2016, show that Ballarat’s population is now at 101,686. There are immigrants here from at least 89 different countries and 219 ancestries (Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2016). One of those countries is, of course, the Philippines. The main countries of birth of Ballarat’s residents who completed the 2016 census survey, other than Australia, are England (2,080 residents), India (860), New Zealand (763), China (717), Netherlands (537) and the Philippines (415). The Philippines is followed by Scotland, Germany, USA, South Africa, Malaysia and Italy.

Even more interesting for me are the main countries of birth for people moving to Ballarat since 2011 which includes my family and I. China tops the list with 369, India at 284, the Philippines with 181, followed closely by the United Kingdom at 180 (Census snapshot, Intercultural City Strategic Plan, City of Ballarat, 2018-2021).

Bear in mind that these figures were gathered three years ago. I am positive that the number of Ballarat residents who were born in the Philippines has gone up since then. I only need to recall recent trips to the supermarket or parties and citizenship ceremonies I have recently attended to know that the number of Pinoys choosing to call this home is growing.

The main languages spoken other than English by migrants arriving in Australia between August 2011 and March 2017 and currently residing in Ballarat are Mandarin, Filipino (which includes our various dialects) and Tagalog. Those are my native languages right there coming in at second and third!

In certain rural areas here in the State of Victoria where Ballarat is situated, there is a very real dilemma of declining population. There are some regional centers that “… are struggling to maintain the population ‘critical mass’ needed to sustain services such as schools and health care (The Rural Dilemma, Peter Wilmoth, Royal Auto, February-March 2019).” He ends his cover story by saying, “If communities rally to attract migrants, if governments follow through on plans to improve rail links… rural Victoria could be a good news story.” From where I stand, Ballarat is a continuing good news story.

The local government, its planners and its Cultural Diversity Unit are doing something right to nurture and support that critical mass to sustain essential community services. It is proving to be a welcoming city, myself a witness to the rising number of skilled migrants and professionals from the Philippines. My family and I have friends who are welders, engineers, auto mechanics, accountants, medical professionals, agriculture experts and chefs who have chosen to make Ballarat home in recent years.

Knowing full well that many of my kababayans choose to work and live outside our motherland, it is intercultural and welcoming cities such as Ballarat which I hope embrace them in their second hometowns. It is not easy to uproot one’s self and family from motherland to foreign land. Yet those who successfully make that transition often contribute, in an immense spirit of gratitude, so much back to the communities that initially welcomed them with open arms.

Local governments and communities that recognize the benefits of such diverse talents, creativity, varied contributions and wealth of experience and culture stand to benefit from our ever-shrinking global village. Grateful that Ballarat is one such city of diversity.