Finnish Migration to Australia before World War II

Institute of General History University of Turku Finland, Publication nr 4 Studies, Turku 1972.Before World War II only a trickle of Finnish emigration reached remote Australia; this relatively small emigration of Finns, however, shows certain distinctive features. For example, while Finnish emigration in general to a large extent originated from Ostrobothnia, those, who emigrated to Australia, lived previously along the coast, their main concentrations being Turku-Pori, Vaasa, and Ahvenanmaa counties. Secondly, a relatively much greater number of emigrants to Australia came from towns than from rural districts; opposite found by a study on an area of heaviest Finnish emigration. The causes of emigration, however, seem to be similar with all Finnish emigration; the basic reason being economic, although e.g. compulsory Russian military service and other political reasons were a minor cause