Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Communities
Camden Council's Strategic Plan, Camden 2025, has accessibilty strategies in place to ensure language, literacy and cultural diversity are not barriers to accesssing Council Information and Services.
Council is committed to developing and implementing a social, cultural and recreational plan that recognises diverse and changing lifestyles through the Camden Community Plan 2004 - 2009.
Camden's Community Profile
In the most recent ABS 2006 Census of Population and Housing, 7624 persons (15.5%) of Camden's population were born overseas, with 3925 (8%) identified as coming from Non English Speaking Backgrounds. The top 10 Countries of Birth are United Kingdom, New Zealand, Italy, China, Malta, Germany, Philippines, South Africa, Ireland and Lebanon.
In the Camden LGA 4505 people (9.2%) speak a language other than English at home, with the top 10 languages being Italian, Spanish, Arabic, Cantonese, Croation, Maltese, Serbian, Greek, Filipino (Tagalog) and German.
To view Camden's full Community Profile please click here.
For further information, please contact Syd Lee, Community Project Officer on 4645 5020 or email.
This section includes information on:
Harmony Day
Every year on 21 March, Harmony Day is held nationally as part of the Commonwealth Government's ‘Living in Harmony' initiative, providing an opportunity for all Australians to celebrate living in a culturally diverse society, to say no to racism and to re-commit to the values of harmony. This is an ideal opportunity for the Camden community to come together to celebrate and recognise its cultural diversity.
The overarching theme of Harmony Day is You + Me = Us, which emphasises the inclusiveness of Harmony Day and its relevance to all Australians. Orange ribbons are worn on Harmony Day as a symbol of commitment to community harmony.
2008 is the fifth year that Harmony Day celebrations will be held in Camden, and is a celebration of the success of multiculturalism in our local community and a reconfirmation of our commitment to the principles of multiculturalism for the future.
For more information or to be involved in Harmony Day Celebrations in 2008 please contact Syd Lee Community Project Officer on 4645 5020 or email.
Chinese Market Garden Committee
The Chinese Market Garden community is located in a small pocket in rural north of the Camden LGA. It is part of wider Sydney basin market garden community.
The Chinese Market Garden Committee is an on-going project in partnership between Camden Council, Camden Community Connections, Benevolent Society , Macarthur Diversity Services Inc., Mission Australia, Sydney South West Area Health Service and surrounding Primary Schools in the area.
Programs initiated through the Committee include:
- Ongoing English classess
- Field trips
- Women's Health Days
- Open Days
- 'Little Pandas' playgroup
- Training courses for safe use of pesticides
For more information, or to be involved in the Chinese Market Garden Committee, please contact Syd Lee Community Project Officer on 4645 5020 or email.
Carmony (Youth Community Harmony Project)
The Carmony Project is a new initiative in which Council provides support to young people who take the lead in coordinating and implementing projects to increase the community's awareness of young people and the issues which are important to them.
The ‘Carmony' team is all about raising cultural awareness in our local community. Through various exciting events and projects we aim to encourage harmony between all cultures and communities.
Some of the activities already organised by the Carmony Group in 2006/07 include Community Harmony Cultural evenings, Harmony Day celebrations and Multicultural Street Festival.
In 2008, we will be holding Multicultural Afternoons at the Camden Youth Café, in the Narellan Youth Space, Upstairs at the Narellan Library and Community Space, Cnr Queen and Elyard Streets Narellan.
For more information or to be involved in the Carmony Group please contact Syd Lee Community Project Officer on 4645 5020 or email.
Camden's Cultural Map
"Cultural mapping is a way of defining what culture means to the community, identifying the elements of culture that add value (both social and economic), recording, preserving or building on these elements in new and creative ways." (Camden's Cultural Map 2002)
Camden's Cultural Map
The primary aim of the Cultural Map is to communicate what has and what is contributing to the Cultural Fabric of the Local Government Area. This involved a series of qualitative and quantitative research studies of the natural, built and human environments that identified the citizens' places of value; and the livability and perceived corrosive factors that impact upon quality of lifestyle.
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