Together we are Knox
People from all over the world come to live, work and play in Knox.
Cultural Diversity Week from 17-23 March is a time to celebrate the power, influence and stories of Knox's ethnically, culturally and religiously diverse community.
In Knox, we value all cultures and backgrounds.
- Our community is made up of people from over 130 different countries.
- 33.1 per cent of our residents were born overseas
- 28.7 per cent of our residents speak a language other than English at home, with the top 10 languages being Mandarin, Cantonese, Sinhalese, Greek, Hindi, Tamil, Italian, Vietnamese, Arabic and Persian.
- Knox has more residents than Greater Melbourne who were born in Sri Lanka, China and Malaysia.
- The top 10 countries of birth are China, United Kingdom, India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Philippines, Vietnam and Italy.
Rich cultural diversity is part of why Knox is such a great place to live. It makes us who we are.
Cultural Diversity Week includes the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on 21 March. Council also supports the national anti-racism campaign: Racism. It Stops With Me.
Meet Shoua Liu
Rowville resident Shoua Liu is among one of the fastest growing groups of Knox residents born overseas.
“I was born in Sri Lanka to a Chinese father and a Sri Lankan mother so my identity becomes a bit of a puzzle when I go back home because they don’t recognise me as Sri Lankan — they always mistake me for a tourist or Malaysian,” he says.
In Knox, the percentage of residents born overseas has increased from 30.1% in 2016 to 33.1% in 2021. We originate from nearly 160 different countries and speak more than 130 languages.
Shoua, an international banker, has decades of experience working with and alongside a diverse multicultural workforce.
After semi-retiring, he started volunteering with Council’s Meals on Wheels service, which inspired him to become more involved with Council.
He joined Knox Council’s Multicultural Advisory Committee to give back to the community, help promote peace and inclusion, and learn from different cultures locally.
“Racism, discrimination … it’s still out there, which is one of the reasons I want to work as a group to help reduce the likelihood of cultural conflicts,” Shoua says.
“Multiculturalism can help people be more open minded and dispel negative stereotypes.
“We’re helping the local community understand different cultures, various traditions, beliefs, religious festivals and practices sacred in the multicultural world, for example, Chinese New Year and Diwali.
“It's a journey in Australia. We have to do more to get the local participation — celebrating festivities and conducting multicultural roadshows help to promote, within the community, that there are other unique cultural traditions, languages, art and behaviours that people should appreciate, respect and celebrate. At the end of the day, we are just all human beings who must learn to coexist peacefully in a society.”
Bridging Generations: A cultural celebration event
Join us for a free Knox community event to celebrate culture for Cultural Diversity Week.
Enjoy activities for all ages and backgrounds:
- Multicultural workshops
- First Nations cultural education
- Cultural crafts & arts
- Storytime
- Cooking classes
- Recreational activities and more!
Light refreshments provided.
Family-friendly event. Come learn, share, and connect across generations and cultures.
When: Saturday 5 April 2025, 10am – 1pm
Where: The Basin Community House, 21 Liverpool Road, The Basin
What's happening
