page_title: Assyrian Australians
section_title: Culture
hierarchical_section_title: Assyrian Australians / Culture
caption_attribution_description: English: Saiht Hurmizd Cathedral in Greenfield Park.
context_page_description: Assyrian Australians are Australians of Assyrian descent or Assyrians who have Australian citizenship. According to the census, 40,218 persons are Assyrian, 21,166 identified themselves as having Chaldean ancestry. Historically, Assyrian people were indigenous to their ancient ancestral Assyrian homeland that corresponds to modern-day northern Iraq, southeast Turkey northwestern fringes of Iran and, much recently, northeast Syria. The majority of Assyrian Australians have immigrated mainly from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Jordan and the Caucasus.
  Of the 61,418 Assyrians in Australia, 40,218 are members of the Assyrian Church of the East or Ancient Church of the East and 21,172 are members of the Chaldean Catholic Church. The City of Fairfield, in Sydney, has the most Assyrians in Australia, with 75% of Assyrians living in that area. 95% of Fairfield's Iraqi-born population are of Assyrian ancestry. Fairfield LGA also has one of the most predominant Assyrian communities in the diaspora, where one in every ten person would be Assyrian. Moreover, in contrast to other migrants, Assyrians have the highest rate of acquiring the Australian citizenship.
context_section_description: Sydney has seven prominent Assyrian church buildings; St Mary's Church in Smithfield (established in 1975), St Thomas Church in Bossley Park, St Mary's Assumption Churchin Fairfield, St Hurmiz Cathedral in Greenfield Park, St Malkeh Church in Greenacre, and St Zaia Cathedral in Middleton Grange.  
  In Melbourne, the churches are Our Lady Guardian of Plants Chaldean Catholic Church in Campbellfield, Victoria,  St. George’s Church of the East in Reservoir, Victoria , ‘’Holy Spirit Syriac Catholic Church’’ in Dallas and ‘’ St Aphrem Syrian Orthodox Church’’ which also is in Reservoir, Victoria. 
  Assyrians, depending on the village/town they belong to commemorate their specific patron saints and celebrate it usually with their famillies at picnics or halls. For example, the Assyrians from the Batnaya town commemorate Mar Oraha.  The feast of Mar Oraha is partaken in an annual prayer and celebration. Celebrations include traditional Assyrian dancing with Assyrian singers, food and people wearing traditional Assyrian clothing from Batnaya. 
  Assyrians from Alqosh commemorate Mar Mikha, who was one of the holy fathers of Alqosh. Alqoshnaye celebrate the Feast of Mar Mikha, known as 'Shara'd Mar Mikha' around the world. This event is celebrated through picnics or halls, like many other Shereh (Feasts). The 'St. Hirmized' group is an Alqosh association of Sydney which organises events which relate to their town. People from Alqosh, like many other Assyrian towns/villages wear their traditional clothing at these events which commemorate their patron saints and celebrate the history of their towns.
  Some ACOE adherents in Sydney annually commemorate Saint Zaia (Shara 'D Mar Zaia) at Blaxland Crossing Reserve in the suburb of Wallacia on September. Hundreds attend the occasion, including Assyrian singers who perform for the event. Visitors would generally picnic, barbecue or relax in the Australian bush, and they would usually participate in Assyrian folk dance. This is the second largest Assyrian social gathering in Sydney after the New Year celebration in Fairfield Showground.
  Both Nineveh Club and Assyrian Sports and Cultural Club support and showcase local Assyrian talents, such as singers, actors, musicians, painters and sculptors. The clubs contain reception halls and they usually host singer concerts (including lounge singers), festive parties, weddings, theatrical plays and other forms of social entertainment for the Assyrians in Sydney.
    
  The Assyrians in Sydney lavishly celebrate the Assyrian New Year annually on 1 April, in Fairfield Showground in Prairiewood. Thousands attend the New Year festival and it usually features music and theatrical performances, traditional dancers, food stalls and fireworks. Former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott and other politicians such as Chris Bowen, Craig Kelly, Tanya Plibersek, Chris Hayes and former NSW premier Bob Carr have attended the festival and made a speech.
  Fairfield's large Assyrian community has had the media describe the suburb as 'Little Iraq' or 'Little Assyria'. Assyrian businesses have opened in Fairfield, mostly in Ware Street and Smart Street, and in Fairfield Heights in The Boulevarde. These businesses include everything from jewellery shops to restaurants and convenient stores, making the area favourite entertainment and shopping hot spot for the Assyrian community.
caption: Established in 1990, St Hurmiz Cathedral in Sydney is the largest ACOE church in Australia.
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