The vast majority of Jews in Oceania (estimation 120,000) live in Australia, with a population of about 7,000 in New Zealand (6867, according to the 2013 NZ Census). Most are Ashkenazi Jews, with many being survivors of the Holocaust arriving during and after World War II. More recently, a significant number of Jews have arrived from South Africa, Israel, the United Kingdom and Russia. The official number of people who practised Judaism in the 2001 census was only 121,459 but this number is expected to be much higher, as it did not count those overseas (i.e. dual Australian-Israeli nationals) or many non-practicing Jews who prefer not to disclose religion in the census are more common. Since the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, Australia's Jewish population has hovered around 0.5% of the total counted.
The vast majority of Australia's Jews live in inner suburbs of Melbourne and Sydney with smaller populations, in numerical order, in Perth, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Adelaide. Currently, there are also recognised communities in Ballarat, Bendigo/Castlemaine, Canberra, Geelong, Gosford, Hobart, Launceston and Newcastle.
In Melbourne, the Jewish population centre is Caulfield where there are streets with nearly a 100% Jewish population; the main areas of settlement spread out from Caulfield in two arcs: south through St Kilda, Elwood, Elsternwick, Brighton, Moorabbin and right down to Frankston; east through Toorak, Malvern, Hawthorn, Kew, Balwyn to Doncaster. In Sydney the major areas of Jewish settlement are in the east and on the North Shore, in particular the suburbs of Bondi, Dover Heights, Rose Bay, Vaucluse, St Ives and Hunters Hill.
In New Zealand, most Jews live in Auckland and Wellington with smaller populations in Dunedin and Christchurch. Dunedin synagogue has possibly the world's southernmost Jewish congregation.Jews in New Zealand
The following is a list of prominent Oceanian Jews, arranged by country of origin.
Australia
Academic figures Roy Clive Abraham, linguistOxford Dictionary of National Biography Samuel Alexander, philosopher Neal Ashkanasy, psychologist and emotional intelligence academic Phillip Blashki, successful businessman, magistrate, JP Bernard Boas, marriage guidance counsellor, broadcaster, author of biblical treatises Ron Castan, barrister and rights advocate Sir Zelman Cowen, Governor-General (1977–1982), lawyer, university lecturer (including past appointments as Provost, Dean and Vice-Chancellor) Linda Dessau, 29th Governor of Victoria, and former Family Court Judge Marcus Einfeld, former Federal Court judge Alan Finkel, Australia's Chief Scientist Sir Otto Frankel, geneticistInterviews with Australian scientists Bryan Gaensler, astronomer and former Young Australian of the Year Fred Hilmer, academic, lawyer and businessman David Isaacs, architect and structural engineer, musician and composer Phillip Isaacs, architect and structural engineer Joseph Jacobs, historian and folklorist"Joseph Jacobs" Northern State University, Aberdeen, S.D. Stephen Kaye, judge of the Court of Appeal William Kaye, judge of the Supreme Court 1972–1991 Kurt Mahler, mathematician Robert Manne, academic and social critic Sir Matthew Nathan, British soldier and judge, Governor of Queensland 1920–1925, after also serving as Governor of Sierra Leone, Gold Coast, Hong Kong and Natal; the Brisbane suburbs of Nathan and Nathan Heights are named after him, as is Nathan Street, in the Canberra suburb of Deakin Bernhard Neumann, mathematician Gustav Nossal, immunologist (Jewish father) Robert Richter, barrister and human rights advocate Hilary L. Rubinstein, historian William D. Rubinstein, historian Suzanne Rutland, historian Peter Singer, philosopher Julius Stone, distinguished legal theorist, professor of jurisprudence and international law Mark Tedeschi (born 1952), barrister, law professor"From Australia’s Jewish Past: Signora Rosina Tedeschi", J-Wire, 4 February 2025 – via Australian Jewish Historical Society Louis Waller, public teacher of law and law reformer James Wolfensohn, World Bank president Sir Albert Wolff, Chief Justice of Western Australia Ghil'ad Zuckermann, linguist and language revivalist
Business figures
Sir Peter Abeles, former chairman of Ansett Transport Industries Rodney Adler, CEO of HIH Insurance, convicted criminal Peter Alexander, fashion designer Albert Bensimon, Adelaide jeweller and businessman Harold Boas, architect, Perth councillor, Jewish community worker Albert Dadon, businessman John Gandel and Marc Besen, founder/owners of Chadstone Shopping Centre and Sussan fashion chain David Gonski, public figure and businessman, philanthropist Joseph Gutnick, mining magnate and ex-President of Melbourne Football Club Poppy King, cosmetician Frank Lowy, co-founder of the Westfield Group, philanthropist Sidney Myer, founder of Myer department store and philanthropist Leon and Richard Pratt, founder/owners of Visy Rene Rivkin, stockbroker and convicted insider trader Helena Rubinstein, cosmetician (business started in Melbourne), philanthropist, art collector Sheree Rubinstein, entrepreneur Abe Saffron, nightclub owner, underworld figure Joe Saragossi, founder of G.James Glass & Aluminium, glass and window manufacturer John Saunders, co-founder of the Westfield GroupPrime Minister of Australia Harry Seidler, architect Sidney Sinclair, men's fashion label founder Smorgon family, founder/owners of Smorgon Steel and other businesses Harry Triguboff, property developer founder of Meriton
Cultural figures
Oren Ambarchi, musician Louis Abrahams, businessman, artist, and later a patron of the artists of the Heidelberg School Jimmy Barnes, Scottish-born musician, born to a Jewish mother but raised Christian Eric Baume, broadcaster/journalist Arthur Benjamin, composer Danny Ben-Moshe, writer Rachel Berger, comedian John Bluthal, actor Lily Brett, writer Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize–winning writer Saskia Burmeister, actress Judy Cassab, painter Deborah Conway, singer-songwriter Ed Doolan, Australian-born British broadcaster George Dreyfus, composer Jon Faine, radio presenter Alex Fein, community activist, writer, and businesswoman Jack Feldstein, scriptwriter/neon animator FourPlay Electric String Quartet (3/4 Jewish) Louise Fox, television writer-producer Isla Fisher, Omani-born actress Tim Freedman, musician Amelia Frid, former child actress Renée Geyer, soul singer Henry Gilbert, actor Alan Gold, author Libbi Gorr, comedian Yoram Gross, producer Michael Gudinski, record executive Osher Günsberg, television/radio presenter and journalist Alexander Gutman (aka Austen Tayshus), comedian David Helfgott, pianist Elena Kats-Chernin, composer Danny Katz, writer/comedian Inge King, sculptor Steve Kipner, songwriter Barrie Kosky, creative director Ben Lee, singer-songwriter Jack Levi (aka Elliot Goblet), comedian Lior Attar (aka Lior), Israeli-born singer-songwriter Sam Lipski, newspaper writer and editor, radio and TV broadcaster and commentator, CEO of the philanthropic Pratt Foundation Tziporah Malkah (aka Kate Fisher), actress, model David Malouf, writer (Jewish mother) Miriam Margolyes, actress Bill Meyer, artist Margaret Michaelis-Sachs, photographer Isaac Nathan, Australia's first composer Helmut Newton, photographer Olivia Newton-John, singer-songwriter, actress Eva Orner, film-maker Elliot Perlman, writer Linda Phillips, composer Bram Presser, author and singer for Yidcore Ohad Rein, musician Lara Sacher, actress John Safran, comedian/documentarian Hermann Schildberger, choir leader, organist (secular and in synagogues) Michael Schildberger, radio and TV broadcaster and commentator Athol Shmith, photographer Michael Shmith, journalist and music critic Cate Shortland, screenwriter and director (convert) Larry Sitsky, composer Troye Sivan, actor, singer-songwriter Nathan Spielvogel, writer, particularly about Jewish life in early Ballarat; lay communal leader of the Ballarat synagogue Yael Stone, actor Simon Tedeschi, pianist Harry van der Sluys (aka Roy Rene and Mo McCackie), music hall, theatrical and radio comedian Felix Werder, composer Tal Wilkenfeld, musician Wilkenfeld, Tal [@talwilkenfeld] (5 December 2020). "... I spent (too) many hours compiling a Christmas playlist of songs that truly speak to this Aussie Jew's heart" (Tweet) – via Twitter. Retrieved 19 December 2021. Yitzhak Yedid, composer Yidcore's members (Bram, Myki, Tim and Rory), Jewish punk band, from Melbourne, Australia Allan Zavod, musician
Political figures
National figures Julian Leeser, Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives (2016–present) Moss Cass, former Labor cabinet minister Barry Cohen, Labor government minister in the Federal Parliament (1983–1987) Michael Danby, Labor member of the Australian House of Representatives (1998–2019) Mark Dreyfus QC, Attorney-General of Australia 2013–2013 Labor member of the Australian House of Representatives (2007–present) James Edelman, High Court Justice Jason Falinski, Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives (2016–2022) Josh Frydenberg, Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives (2010–2022), Minister for Environment and Energy 2016–2018, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party 2018–present. Stirling Griff, Centre Alliance, senator for South Australia in the Upper House of Parliament (2016–present) Sir Isaac Isaacs, Governor General (1931–1936), prominent solicitor, member of Victorian colonial parliament, one of the drafters of the Australian constitution, member of first Australian parliament, Chief Justice of the High Court Josh Burns, Labor member of the House of Representatives (2019–present) Mark Regev, Israeli Ambassador in Kensington, London, England (2015–2017) Nicola Roxon, Minister for Health and Ageing 2007–2011, Attorney-General of Australia 2011–2013 Labor member of the Australian House of Representatives (1998–2013) Elias Solomon, former member of Federal Parliament Vaiben Louis Solomon, premier of South Australia and member of the House of Representatives for South Australia
Local body politicians Maurice Ashkanasy, Vice-chairman of Victorian Bar Council and member of Australian Labor party Hajnal Ban, politician, author Peter Baume, Liberal cabinet minister, chancellor of the Australian National University Joe Berinson, Member of Federal Parliament, Minister in Whitlam's third Cabinet, State Upper house member, State Labor cabinet minister and Attorney General of Western Australia Ian Cohen, Greens member of the New South Wales Legislative Council (1995–2011) Philip Dalidakis, Labor member of the Victorian Legislative Council Linda Dessau, Governor of Victoria (from 2015) Marcus Einfeld, human rights activist, former Federal Court judge and convicted perjurer Sydney Einfeld, New South Wales Minister for Consumer Affairs (1976–1981) Vida Goldstein, suffragette Jennifer Huppert, Labor member of the Victorian Legislative Council (2009–2010) Martin Indyk, United States ambassador to Israel (1995–1997 and 2000–2001) Walter Jona, Victorian State Minister Dr John Kaye, Greens member of the New South Wales Legislative Council Sir Richard Kingsland, Public Servant, RAAF pilot who rescued two senior British WWII leaders in Morocco in 1940 Paul Landa, solicitor, barrister, N.S.W. Labor politician, and minister in the Wran Government (1976–1984) Henry Jacques Ninio, Lord Mayor of Adelaide, co-founder of Progressive Judaism in Adelaide Martin Pakula, Labor member of the Victorian Legislative Council, Attorney-General 2014-Since Leo Port, Lord Mayor of Sydney (1975–1978) Julius Roe, Fair Work Australia Commissioner, former head of Australian Manufacturing Workers Union Eric Roozendaal, NSW Labor cabinet minister (2008–2011) David Southwick, Liberal Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly James Wolfensohn, World Bank president