According to the 2021 Census, the City of Boroondara is home to 436 residents who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. This includes approximately:
- 410 people who identify as Aboriginal
- 17 people who identify as Torres Strait Islander
- 13 people who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.
Note: The Australian Bureau of Statistics adjust published counts to maintain confidentiality of information. This can mean that subtotals do not sum exactly to the associated totals.
This was an increase of 112 residents who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander compared to the 2016 Census (Figure 1). Eleven Boroondara residents reported that an Australian Indigenous language is used at their home.
Figure 1: The number of Boroondara residents who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander has increased each Census since 2006. Data source: for 1991 to 2011, ABS Census Community profile: Boroondara. For 2016 and 2021, 2021 Census All persons QuickStats: Boroondara.
Historically there has been an undercount of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in the Census, so the actual population in Boroondara is likely to be higher. Changes in Census counts of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander can be due to demographic factors (births, deaths and migration) but can also be due to non-demographic factors, including changes in whether people choose to identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
A person’s identification as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander can change throughout their life and can be informed by many personal and external influences (historical and contemporary) (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2023).These changes 'can be in response to shifting social or personal circumstances or as people make decisions about their lives and how they choose to identify in various contexts as they transition through childhood, adolescence and adulthood.'
At the 2021 Census, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents represented 0.3% of the Boroondara population, which is lower than across Greater Melbourne and the Eastern Metropolitan Region (Table 1).
| Local Government Area (LGA) | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island population, 2021 | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island population as percentage of LGA | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island population as percentage of Eastern Metropolitan Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boroondara | 436 | 0.3% | 8.3% |
| Knox | 1022 | 0.6% | 19.5% |
| Manningham | 297 | 0.2% | 5.7% |
| Maroondah | 734 | 0.6% | 14.0% |
| Monash | 522 | 0.3% | 9.9% |
| Whitehorse | 523 | 0.3% | 10.0% |
| Yarra Ranges | 1713 | 1.1% | 32.6% |
| Eastern Metropolitan Region | 5247 | 0.5% | 100.0% |
Data source: 2021 Census All persons QuickStats for each Local Government Area.
More information
- View more data about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Boroondara on the Australian Bureau of Statistics website.
- Explore the Boroondara Reconciliation Strategy 2022–26, which formalises our commitment to reconciliation in Boroondara.