According to the 2006 Census, over 22 per cent of the Australian population were born overseas; and almost 14 per cent of the population were born in a non-English speaking country. Almost 16 per cent of the population spoke a language other than English at home. About 5 per cent of the population were affiliated with the main four non-Christian religions: Buddhism (over 418,000), Islam (over 340,000), Hinduism (over 148,000) and Judaism (over 88,000).

This paper provides a brief history of Australia's multicultural policy and of ethnic affairs policy in NSW. It surveys the main criticisms of multiculturalism and the counter-arguments of its supporters, looks at the recent debate about multiculturalism, and assesses the evidence on public opinion of multiculturalism.