Celebrating our diverse community

This Multicultural Health Week, we are taking the time to celebrate and recognise the cultural and linguistic diversity that exists across south-eastern Sydney.

SESLHD is home to a vibrant and diverse multicultural community, where close to 40 per cent of residents were born overseas and more than 34 per cent speak a language other than English at home*.

Throughout south-eastern Sydney, you’ll hear many different languages spoken: Mandarin and Cantonese, Greek and Arabic, Spanish and Nepali, which are some of the most commonly spoken languages other than English. You will also hear many more spoken in our diverse SESLHD community such as Indonesian, Hindi and Macedonian. 

The top non-English speaking countries of birth for SESLHD residents includes China, Nepal, Indonesia, the Philippines, India and Greece. 

The Bayside LGA is one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse parts of our District, where more than half (51 per cent) of residents were born overseas. Just over 90,000 people in the LGA (55 per cent) speak a language other than English at home; most commonly Mandarin, Greek and Arabic. 

“Our patients, clients and consumers come from every corner of the globe,” said Joanne Corcoran, Manager of Multicultural Health at SESLHD’s Equity and Prevention Service.  

“With that comes responsibility for us as healthcare professionals to provide care that is accessible, culturally-responsive and in-language.” 

While many of these communities have a long and proud history in our District, there are new and emerging communities who call south-eastern Sydney home. It’s crucial that these groups are empowered and supported, as some may experience language barriers and find it difficult to navigate the health system. 

The Mongolian community is one such new and emerging community in south-eastern Sydney. The Multicultural Health Team has established a Mongolian Health Promotion Officer position to work alongside the community and service providers to support community education programs, particularly in the areas of women’s health, antenatal care, children’s development and mental health.   

“Understanding the diversity within our communities is important to deliver information and services to meet their needs. Ultimately, we want to ensure no one gets left behind,” said Joanne. 

You can read more in SESLHD’s Population Profile. 

*The statistics in this story come from 2021 ABS Census data. 

Pictured: To celebrate Multicultural Health Week 2024 at Sutherland Hospital, the Gymea Community Aid and Information Service’s tai chi group performed a variety of routines in the Atrium of the hospital for staff and visitors to enjoy.