Links between Indonesia and Australia existed before European settlement. From the 1700s, and possibly earlier, to around 1900, seafarers from Macassar traded trepang (edible sea-slugs) with local Indigenous people in northern Australia.
From the 1870s, Indonesians were recruited to work in the pearling and sugar cane industries in the north of Australia, with many being Javanese.
People-to-people links are an important component of the bilateral relationship with Indonesia. Through cultural, sporting and educational engagement and tourism, Australian and Indonesian people and communities enhance their mutual understanding of each other.
In the 2016 Australian Census, 65,886 Australian residents stated their ancestry to be Indonesian and 73,213 stated they were Indonesian-born residents in Australia.
TEAM INDONESIA
Have you ever wanted to pull on your national jumper and represent your country?
Playing Footy 9s gives you an opportunity to do just that! It’s a fun and exciting new sport, with both full contact (tackling) and non-contact (no tackling) options to choose from.
If you are of Indonesian descent and keen to represent Indonesia, please contact us.
