Did you know NSW is home to 124,030 people of Vietnamese ancestry?
From the youngest generation keeping traditions alive, to the elders across NSW, this community spans every age.
👶 26.6% aged 19 and under
💼 39.7% aged 20–44
🌟 33.8% aged 45 and over
And with more women than men, Vietnamese women are very much the backbone of this community. 💪
🍜 Did you grow up eating phở on Sunday mornings? 🏮 Do you still celebrate Tết with your family? 💬 Are you passing your language and culture on to the next generation?
Whether your family came decades ago or more recently we'd love to hear about your family traditions, memories and experiences in the comments. 👇
📢 Calling all NSW community organisations!
Funding of $50,000 to $100,000 per year (for up to two years) is available for projects that bring communities closer together.
Your project could:
✊ Champion youth-led approaches to social cohesion
🤝 Build stronger cross-cultural connections
💙 Foster empathy and healing for victims of hate and extremism
⏰ Applications close 4pm, Friday 29 May 2026
Don't miss out. Apply and find out more here. 👉
https://multicultural.nsw.gov.au/compact-grants/compact-sccr-2026-2028/
🏅 Congratulations to CASS Care, winner of the 2026 Multicultural Health Medal, and this week's It's My Story!
For over 30 years, their Multicultural Seniors Activity Groups have helped thousands of seniors stay active, connected and independent in their own language in their own community.
Today, 55 groups across Greater Sydney and Wollongong bring together more than 3,800 seniors from Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Malaysian, Singaporean and other communities each week.
Because ageing with dignity shouldn't depend on the language you speak.
Read the full story 👉 https://multicultural.nsw.gov.au/cass-care-ltd/
Community organisations across NSW can apply for $50,000–$100,000 per year for up to two years to deliver projects that:
✅ Support youth-led solutions for social cohesion
✅ Strengthen cross-cultural connections
✅Nurture empathy for victims of hate and extremism
This special grant round will support a whole-of-community recovery following the Bondi terrorist attack, building on the goodwill shown by communities across NSW.
🗓️Applications close 4pm Friday 29 May 2026
Find out more and apply 👉 https://multicultural.nsw.gov.au/compact-grants/compact-sccr-2026-2028/
🧐 Did you know NSW is home to 72,499 people of Korean ancestry?
With more women than men, this vibrant community spans every generation:
👶 25% aged 19 and under
💼 42.1% aged 20–44
🌟 32.9% aged 45 and over
Do you have Korean roots? Drop your story in the comments! We'd love to hear about your family traditions, memories and experiences. 👇
🏅Marta Barany BEM OAM is the winner of the 2026 Interpreters and Translators Medal and this week’s It’s My Story.
At 93 years old, Marta is still travelling across New South Wales, helping people through her work as an interpreter and translator.
From arriving in Australia as a child refugee fleeing war-torn Europe to helping build the nation’s interpreting services, Marta has spent more than 50 years bridging languages, cultures and communities, and supporting generations of Hungarian Australians.
At 93 Marta says “I plan to keep going as long as I can.”
Read her story here 👉 https://multicultural.nsw.gov.au/marta-barany/
Did you know?
There are 15,007 people of Swedish ancestry living in NSW, with more women than men in the community
Here’s how the community spans generations:
🧒20% are 19 and under
👩 31.7% are aged 20–44
👨🦳 48.3% are 45 and over
Do you have Swedish roots? We’d love to hear your story! Share your family traditions, memories, or experiences in the comments below 👇
🏅Monica Njoroge-Eaton is the winner of the 2026 Community Languages Teacher Medal and this week’s It’s My Story
What happens when a language begins to fade for you? For Monica Njoroge-Eaton, it became a mission to keep her culture, identity and connection alive.
From teaching her own children to building the first Kiswahili community school in NSW, her journey is inspiring!
Now, dozens of students are learning more than just words, they’re reconnecting with heritage, family and pride.
Read the full story and see how one idea grew into a thriving community 👉 https://multicultural.nsw.gov.au/monica-njoroge-eaton/
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
Lest we forget
Did you know?
🌏 NSW is home to 620,363 people with Scottish ancestry, with more women than men in the community.
Here’s how the community is spread across ages:
👶 15.1% are 19 and under
👨 28.2% are between 20 and 44
👵 56.8% are 45 and over
From ceilidh stories to family recipes passed down through generations, Scottish heritage remains part of the diverse cultural life across NSW.
If you’ve got Scottish roots, we’d love to hear from you. What traditions, memories, or family stories do you still keep alive? Share them in the comments 💬
🏅Congratulations to the 2026 Regional Unity Medal recipient Gargi Ganguly who is this week's It's My Story.
Gargi Ganguly arrived in regional NSW in the 1990s with no local connections and then went on to spend decades helping others feel at home. Through cultural events, support programs and informal gatherings like “Chai and Chat”, she has helped people connect, reduce isolation and build lasting networks.
Her work is grounded in a simple idea: belonging grows when people show up for each other.
Read Gargi’s story here 👉 https://multicultural.nsw.gov.au/gargi-ganguly/https://multicultural.nsw.gov.au/gargi-ganguly/
What does it really mean to ask: “How did we get here?”
A community film project in Warrawong has given young people the chance to explore that question through storytelling and film. The Tides film project celebrates the global backgrounds and lived experiences of local youth, using creativity to share their journeys, cultures and perspectives.
By putting cameras and creative tools in the hands of young storytellers, the initiative is helping amplify new voices and showing the power of film to build understanding and connection.
The project is funded by our COMPACT Program. COMPACT works across communities and sectors to inspire and empower young people to foster social cohesion, stand united against divisive forces and come together in times of need.
Find out more Film Project asks the question: How did we get here? - .au/community/film-project-asks-the-question-how-did-we-get-here/
