Advertise on podcast: 177 Nations of Tasmania

Belarus is a land-locked nation centred between Russia, Poland, Ukraine and the Baltic states. Despite becoming independent from the former USSR in 1991, It has maintained strong ties with Russia, not only through cultural and political connections, but through personal and family connections between individuals. Similar to its large neighbour, it has been shaped by the trauma of war and hardship following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Tania grew up initially in a small village in eastern Belarus, with family close by, and later moved closer to the city. When she was still at school in 2007, her sister moved to Tasmania, and Tania thought that one day she would move there too, and so her choice of study at university was influenced by this. Her first attempt to migrate was unsuccessful, but she came to visit as a tourist and feel in love with the state and was determined to find another way, and in 2018 she returned with her husband , to study a Masters of Accounting. This time things worked out much better, and her and her husband are now happily settled in Tasmania with an 11-year old son, David.

The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. It's an archipelago of green and mountainous small islands situated in the North Sea, between Scotland, Iceland and Norway and home to just 54,000 inhabitants. Lena spent the first 20 years of her life in the small town of Klaksvik, in the eastern part of the Faroes, surrounded by family in a close-knit community. She grew up also in a time when the world was far less connected than it is today, and TV didn't arrive on the islands until 1981. Therefore her early life was filled mostly with memories of activities in the outdoors. When she was 20, she made the big step to move to England to take up a position as an au pair, and although she did return to the Faroes for time, she never moved back permanently. She would meet her husband in the UK and over 20 years ago they moved to Perth looking for a change, and in 2020 Lena moved to Tasmania to be near her daughter, and felt straight away at home being close to the see and surrounded by natural scenery that reminded her of the Faroes. Although she has spent most of her life outside of the Faroe Islands now, she still retains some small Faroese traditions at Christmas and birthdays and still speaks the Faroese language with family abroad.

Jersey is one of several self-governing islands that make up part of the United Kingdom. Although it it a possession of the UK, it actually lies closer to France, and French culture is evident on Jersey, including in its local, but now little-spoken language, Jersiais. Like other British islands, its an offshore tax haven, meaning that the majority of islanders work in the finance industry or related areas. This wasn't the path that Taye chose though. She was born on Jersey, but her family moved to Australia when she was 3, and then returned when she was 13 on what was originally a short-term stay but ended up lasting 15 years. Rather than following a career in finance, Taye became a beauty and massage therapist, a career which brought her to Tasmania for a 6-month stint working at Cradle Mountain. She later returned to work at the newly-opened Saffire Resort at Coles Bay, met her husband there, and has remained in Tasmania ever since. In this episode we discuss some similarities and differences between the two island communities of Jersey and Tasmania, and how the memories of the German occupation in WW2 impacted both the Jersey community and her family's story. The song that you hear excerpts from in this episode is called "I'ile de Jerri" from Jersey , sung in the Jersiais dialect

Belize is a small and unique country in Central America - it's the only English-speaking nation, has the 2nd largest coral reef, and possesses an unusual and unique racial mix in its population. Willoh was born in a small village by the Caribbean coast of Belize, and was something of a novelty as the only white child in the village at the time. Her hippy parents had ended up in Belize in very unusual circumstances, essentially as a consequence of an adventurous sailing trip across the Gulf of Mexico gone wrong. Needless to say then, Willoh didn't have the most conventional upbringing in Belize, where she lived until 13, when she moved with her mum to South Australia. However, she would return to Belize fairly regularly over the years, and in fact, at the time of our interview had just returned from there. In adulthood, Willoh has forged a career as an artist, and has previously worked at Hobart's Museum of Old and New Art ( MONA). Despite having lived many years in Australia now, she's still maintains many connections with her country of birth.

Guatemala is the largest country in Central America by both population and area. Like many other countries in the region, it has experienced its fair share of conflict and instability over the year and it's a society marked by income inequality and the problems that brings. As a result of this, many Guatemalans look for a better life abroad, and most seek the so-called "American Dream". Very few though end up in Australia. Julio certainly didn't come from poorer side if Guatemalan society, but he also bought into the American dream after going to study economic at college in Utah and spending some time in California. In the meantime he struck up an online friendship with an Australian girl, Paige. At a certain point the relationship got serious and they had the dilemma as to where to settle more permanently. The first choice was a middle ground in the Bay Area in California, but an ugly twist of fate on the Mexico-California border broke this dream. Although they tried living in Guatemala for a while, it wasn't a sustainable option and finally they made the move to Sydney, which Julio immediately fell in love with and thought he would be there for life. But, like many others, Sydney's housing prices proved an insurmountable barrier, and while looking outside Sydney, the idea of moving to Tasmania came up. A visit to the state convinced them and they bought a house and moved to Blackman's Bay in 2025. Guatemala is also a country of great natural beauty, famous for its many volcanoes and Julio recalls fondly family hikes - something that has made Tasmania feel more like home. In this episode, he contrasts the differences between Guatemala and Australia, but also the very different feeling he has had as an outsider in the USA compared with Australia.

Zambia is a largeish country in central southern African, perhaps best known for sharing the iconic landmark of Victoria Falls with it's southern neighbour, Zimbabwe. Although it's not a country that comes up on our radar much in Tasmania, according to the 2021 Census, there were over one hundred Zambians living in Tasmania. Not many perhaps, but also not insignificant. Renella has lived in Tasmania since 2003, and around the same time, much of her close family also moved here, but all have now left for other parts of the country or world. She grew up in small town in the south of Zambia amongst family from her mum's Zambian family, and her Dad's Malaysian Chinese family and inherited traditions from both, including both cuisines. Renella has fond memories of her childhood and the range outdoor activities available, and part of what made her love Tasmania was this similar outdoor lifestyle that she had known in Zambia. Renella moved to Sydney when she was 18 to study Accounting, as she could live with an aunt there. After graduating, at the recommendation of her sister, she moved to Hobart, and later other members of the family came to join her. She had not planned to stay long term, but a chance meeting at a party lead to an important relationship. Although her main job is as an accountant, since being in Tasmania, Renella has also rediscovered her love of food in operating a couple of small food businesses. The song featured in this episode is called "Mao", By Amayenge, a popular music group from Choma in the 1970s. The music style is called calindula, a style distinctive to Zambia

Costa Rica is one of the smaller countries of Central America, both in population and in size. It's also historically been much more stable and secure than many of its neighbours and its efforts to preserve and protect its natural environment has made it a biodiversity hot spot. As a result, Costa Ricans haven't emigrated at the same rate as some other peoples in Latin America. Hence, it is a bit of a surprise to find a Costa Rican living in Burnie, in northwest Tasmania. Natalia grew up near the capital of San Jose, and had always imagined that she would travel. However, the way it happened was totally unexpected. When she was 19, she started learning English from a young Australian man. A connection developed quickly and it was not long before she was on her first ever plane journey to start a new life in Hobart. Her first 18 months in Tasmania were incredibly challenging. An unexpected pregnancy, little English and no driver's license, it was not surprising that she felt isolated and homesick. Discovering a supportive community of Latin Americans in northwest Tasmania, she convinced her husband they should move there, but it was then tragedy struck, with the sudden loss of her husband. At 21 and pregnant with her second child, Natalia had considered returning to Costa Rica, but the support of the community she had found and her personal faith helped her to stay resilient. Almost 20 years later she has managed to build a good life in Burnie, having remarried, raised 4 kids and recently getting what she considers her dream job providing support for children in out of home care.

As of late 2025, the number of New Zealanders living in Australia was estimated to be around 700,000 - a huge number for such a small country, reflecting the close relationship between our two countries. In Tasmania, it's estimated there are about 5000 New Zealanders living here, making them one of the top 5 migrant groups. It's assumed often that New Zealanders are very similar to us and don't have many challenges to settle in here, but the true picture is more complex. One thing that distinguishes New Zealand from Australia is the influence of Maori culture, something which until fairly recently was repressed. Olive grew up in a small farming community near Gisborne, a small city on the east side of the North Island. Her mother and grandmother were strong influences during her younger years and gave her a connection with Maori culture and her grandmother, in particular, practised traditional Maori healing. Losing her mother and grandmother at the age of 16 was a deeply traumatic event for Olive and for a while she fell into some unhealthy coping mechanisms. Most of her family also migrated to Melbourne and, pregnant with her first child, she joined them to be near family support. It was around ten years ago that Olive met a Tasmanian man, who she later married, and was part of the reason that brought her to Tasmania. The other was a slightly more spiritual reason, which you will her about in the podcast. You will also hear how during the COVID pandemic and the lockdown in Melbourne lead to Olive reconnecting with the Maori language and culture through online communities, something she now also shares within her local community in Tasmania.

El Salvador is a small Central American nation that has suffered from a multitude of hardships over many decades, include civil wars, a brutal military dictatorship, crippling poverty and violent crime. This has led to a large exodus of the population escaping, through both legal and illegal channels, to countries like the USA, Canada, Mexico and Australia. In fact Australia is home to the third-largest population of Salvadoreans outside the country itself. Roque came with his family to settle in northern Tasmania in the early 90s as a result of the civil war that lasted from 1981 to 1992. Australia accepted some 10,000 Salvadoreans during this time as a part of its Humanitarian Resettlement program, and Tasmania received several hundred of those. Roque chose Australia over USA or other countries because he wanted to be as far away from El Salvador and its problems as he could, but with no English when he came, settling in near the small city of Devonport was quite a challenge at the beginning. However, as Roque says, he met some angels in Tasmania, almost by chance, who helped him with work and even build a house, and ultimately let him put down roots in Latrobe.

Cuba is a country that really stands out amongst Latin American nations because of the revolution in 1959. Since then they have lived under the rule of a Communist dictatorship and for most of that time also under severe sanctions from the United States, both of which have create severe hardship for the people of Cuba, both in material terms and also in terms of the lack of civic freedoms. This has resulted in large numbers of Cubans leaving the country over the years to seek a better life in countries such as the USA, Canada, Spain or other parts of Latin America. Not a lot come to Australia, because it is very difficult both practically and financially. Alfredo is perhaps then a bit of a pioneer, who arrived in Hobart in July 2025 from Ecuador, where he spent 12 years previously. His first goal was to improve his English, but his main goal is to find a safe place for his family to settle. Like many migrating from South America, safety and security were major considerations. But despite the hardships that drove him away from Cuba, Alfredo remembers his childhood fondly, as he grew up in a place that was safe and security and where there was a strong sense of community around and people helped each other out. It was only later in life that he started to question the ideology that he had drummed into him religiously from a young age, as the reality that he experienced no longer seemed to match the government line. Alfredo is also a writer, having self-published books on dentistry, he's also written books for children and is working on a fantasy novel as well. On top of this, he has started teaching kickboxing in Hobart as well, and that reflects a theme that kept coming up in our interview that Alfredo values service to others.

Trinidad and Tobago is one of the larger nations of what is often known in the West Indies. It's known for its tropical beaches, its coral reefs, its steel drums and the Caribbean's biggest carnival celebration. In Australia, it is also associated with world-class cricketers like Brian Lara. Rodney grew up in a couple of small close-knit communities on the north coast of Trinidad and has great memories of his childhood there. Life took a darker turn for him later in life though, and family circumstances meant that he was better off going to live with his mother in New York at the age of 15. His experiences in Trinidad and seeing the growing influence of the illegal drug trade, influenced Rodney's decision to study a degree in Criminal Justice in New York. However, it was during his degree that he made an online gamer friend from Tasmania, and cutting a long story short, he came to Tasmania to live in 2018. After the stress and tension of life in New York, Tasmania felt like a return to home and the more close-knit of community he had grown up with in Trinidad.

It can be easy to forget that English is not the only indigenous language of Britain, and indeed Welsh, still spoken by around 600,000, has its roots far deeper in the history of ancient Britain. Wales is a land of mythical folk tales, rolling hills, magnificent choral singing traditions, passion for rugby and so much more. Though perhaps clichees, although these contribute to a distinctive Welsh identity, which can still be seen in faraway places like Tasmania, which has long received Welsh migrants ( and convicts). Huw is one of the more recent arrivals from Wales having come to settle in 2021. His partner had arrived in early 2020 to take up a position at the University of Tasmania. Due to a succession of misfortunes and tribulations, such as a global pandemic, Huw couldn't make it until much later. Huw grew up in a very rural area of north-west Wales and was brought up in a Welsh-speaking household, and indeed, English wasn't introduced into his schooling until he was 7 years of age. As we discuss in this episode, language, especially having more than one, can have a big impact on shaping how one sees the world and Welsh is no exception. Growing up on a farm where everyone had to pitch in, meant Huw developed a strong sense of community, something which he has found resonance with in Tasmania also.

Ingrid hails from the tiny island nation of Saint Lucia, a lush Caribbean island known for its volcanic peaks, vibrant Creole culture, and status as the only country named after a woman. With a population of around 180,000, Saint Lucia blends African, French, and British influences, and though its official language is English, many speak Saint Lucian Creole. Ingrid trained as a physician in Cuba on a Saint Lucian government scholarship, worked in pediatrics, and later took on various public health roles across the Caribbean. She made a big move  to study  Master’s degree in Adelaide, where she met herpartner—but it was the appeal of small-city life that drew her to Hobart for her Ph.D. Now based at the Menzies Institute, she’s deep into health economics research and has found a second home in Tasmania—one that, surprisingly, shares much with her island roots.

Lobelia’s story begins in the Solomon Islands, a Pacific nation comprising over a thousand islands scattered southeast of New Guinea. Growing up in a small, remote village on one of the six main islands, she experienced a simple and traditional village lifestyle, with no technology and few of the modern convenience we take for granted now. At the end of her high school, life in the Solomons took a dramatic turn when the country was gripped by significant ethnic conflict and social unrest. This period of instability was so severe that it required intervention from theinternational community, including Australian police forces, to help restore peace and order. For three years Lobelia stayed at home with her family in their village, not quite sure where her life was going to go. Once stability was re-established, Lobelia’s decided join the local police force. She later advanced her career by working in the Maritime Division, where she got to see life on some of the remote islands. She also had the opportunity for further training at Australian Maritime College in Launceston, and it was here she first met Craig, who would become her future husband. After marrying Craig, Lobelia made the big move to Launceston, Tasmania in 2017. Like many migrants to the region, she faced the challenge of starting over professionally and just building a social circle. She decided to do a course in Horticulture at Tafe Tasmania, and now runs her own gardening business.

Laos, a Southeast Asian country of about 7 million people,is known for its Buddhist traditions and vibrant food culture. Outhay grew up in the capital, Vientiane, helping her family run a 24-hour convenience store where everyone pitched in. Memories of both the abundance and scarcity of food shaped her childhood. After studying English at university, Outhay worked in government administration, where she met Roger, a Tasmanian geologist working in Laos. Romance developed gradually, and laws in Laos had significant penalties for Lao women having relationships with foreign men, meaning they had to bite the bullet and they got married in 2005. In 2006, Outhay moved to a farm in Wilmot, north-west Tasmania. She connected with the local community through playgroups with her children and became known for her spring rolls. Later, she retrained by studying cooking at TAFE, worked at a café, and completed a chef’s apprenticeship—earning Tasmania’s Apprentice of the Year in 2016.