Finnish Community
Finncare helps you keep connected to the Finnish community in Australia
Finncare is the centre of the Finnish community in Australia. Fostering our unique culture has always been a core of our business. On this page you can see a list of Finnish clubs, churches, media and other community players. Additionally, you can also see their contact details and other handy information.
Don’t see your Finnish organisation listed here and would like to be listed? Please contact us and we can list your organisation. This listing is 100% free for all Finnish organisations.
If you’d like see what’s happening in the Finnish Australian community, please see our News & Events section.
Embassy of Finland, Canberra
The Embassy’s area of responsibility includes the following countries: Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu. More information on the Embassy’s activities and other useful information can be found on the country-specific websites and social media (Facebook – Instagram – Twitter).
Email: sanomat.CAN@formin.fi
Phone number: +61 262 733 800
Address:
Embassy of Finland
12 Darwin Avenue
YARRALUMLA
ACT 2600
AUSTRALIA
SBS Finnish News
SBS Finnish news air on Wednesdays from 6pm to 7pm on the digital radio channel SBS1 and on a television channel SBS1.
You can also listen to the program anytime on the web page of the SBS Finnish program on www.sbs.com.au/finnish. You can also access older programs on the same web page.
Finnish news reporter Karl Mattas
Email: karl.mattas@sbs.com.au
Phone numbers: +61 2 9430 2742 , +61 411 139 961
Please contact Karl Mattas directly for any news or topic ideas.
Finnish Radio, Brisbane 98.1FM
Listen live every Wednesday at 5pm & Saturday at 1pm AEST. On radio 98.1FM in South East Queensland or globally online.
Contact information
Email: suomiradio@4eb.org.au
Phone: +61 7 3240 8600
Address: 140 Main Street Kangaroo Point, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Website: http://www.4eb.org.au/finnish/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suomiradio/
Finnish Program Committee 2020
Kristian Olin – Convenor
Tuomas Laakkonen – Vice Convenor
Sanni Honkanen – Treasurer
Tuula Olin – Secretary
Lotta Oikari-Smith – Member
Suomi Newspaper
Office: 24 Lloyds Ave, Caulfield East VIC 3145
Postal Address: PO Box 303, Malvern VIC 3144
Phone number: +61 3 9572 2543
Email: suomi@hotkey.net.au
Website: www.suominewspaper.com.au
Banking information: CBA 063184 00220502
Business Finland Australia
Business Finland is a partner for Finnish companies in international growth. Business Finland in Sydney support companies planning an entry into Australia or seeking to improve their competitiveness in Australia. We help Finnish companies find suitable experts and external consultants, by providing them with objective, market-specific information.
Phone numbers: +61 451 343 379 (Eero Toivainen), +61 41 7790 800 (Hartti Suomela)
Address:
Business Finland Sydney
Level 22, 44 Market Street, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
Finland Australia Chamber of Commerce (FACC)
FACC is a member based business organisation with a focus on facilitating trade and investment between Australia and Finland.
Finland Australia Chamber of Commerce Inc.
T: +61 41 7790 800
Finnish Community in Queensland
Honorary Consul of Finland in Brisbane
Contact person: Tom Ruonala
Address: 707 Grieve Road, Rochedale, QLD 4123, Australia
Phone: +61 7 3382 0974
Mobile: +61 418 881 865
Email: tom@ruonala.com.au
Website: https://finlandabroad.fi/web/aus/frontpage
Opening hours: by appointment
Brisbane Finnish Club
Brisbane Finnish Club is the oldest Finnish club in Australia. It was founded initially as a sports club in 1927.
Brisbane Finnish Club organises about 7 events per year. There is also a Finnish library and a little Finnish store at the Finnish House.
Contact information
Address: 62 Newnham Road, Mt. Gravatt East, QLD 4122, Australia
Email: brisfinclub2@gmail.com
Finnish Lutheran Church of Brisbane
Pastor Tommi Vuorinen, phone number +61 431 991 250 (in Brisbane)
Pastor Janne Pekkarinen +61 452 397 717 (in Canberra but will visit Queensland 6 times in 2020)
Chairman Matti Hirvelä +61 402 961 300
Secretary Kyllikki Havukainen +61 408 936 612
Finnish services are held at the following locations
- Brisbane, Nazareth Church (12 Hawthorne St, Woolloongabba)
- Sunshine Coast St Lukes Church, Nambour (10 Sydney St)
- Gold Coast Southport Trinity Church (1 Carey Lane)
Additionally, we recommend English services at St Andrew’s church (25 Wickham Tce, Brisbane City) every Sunday at 10am and every first Sunday of the month at 6pm. These services are mostly conducted by our Finnish Pastor Tommi.
If you need a Pastor for a baptism, a wedding or a funeral, please contact Tommi directly.
Connect Christian Fellowship Pentecostal Church, Brisbane
Address: 3 Crewe Street, Mount Gravatt East, QLD 4122
Contact person: Heikki Kivimäki
Phone number: +61 415 752 174
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ConnectChristianFellowship/
Mission statement: In short, we believe our mission is to
Connect people with God
Connect people with people
Connect the Church with the community
Sunshine Coast Finnish Friends Support
Founded 15.5.2011 (not incorporated)
Contact person: Elli Hentunen
Phone number: +61 418 263 530
Email address: ekhentunen@gmail.com
Sunshine Coast Finnish Friends Support (SCFFS) is a volunteer based support group for aging people of Finnish background living on the Sunshine Coast.
We provide culturally and linguistically appropriate support assisting people to live independently longer in their own homes and to enjoy interacting with the wider community thus enhancing their quality of life.
We offer assistance in:
- Obtaining and distributing information regarding aged care and support services available and assisting to initiate personalised support and care.
- Completing and submitting forms and preparing documents such as applications, Life Certificates and Powers of Attorney.
- Making phone calls on behalf of people with limited English language skills and acting as unofficial interpreters.
- Providing transportation to medical appointments, shopping and cultural events.
- Providing companionship by visiting elderly, frail and socially isolated people in their homes, nursing homes and hospitals.
- Organising outings and functions.
My name is Arvo. I am 93 years old and live alone independently in my home with the help of some aged care services. Sunshine Coast Finnish Friends Support helped me to relocate to the Sunshine Coast from a country town after my wife’s death. I felt isolated and lonely after I lost my wife of 62 years. I wanted to move to the Coast for better medical services and closer to many friends. SCFFS made it possible by arranging a Public Housing unit for me. I value the work they do and I am very grateful for the support I continue to receive.
Arvo, 93 years old, a member of the SCFFS.
Gold Coast Finnish Sports Club
Contact details
Chairperson: Allan Ratilainen +61 402 100 351
Secretary: Kristy Nyrhinen +61 402 249 867
Facebook: Gold Coast Finnish Sports Club (GCFSC) https://www.facebook.com/groups/GoldCoastFinnishSportsClub/
Email: gcfsc@outlook.com
History
GCFSC was started on the 22/1/1978. Hundreds of Finnish migrants were living on the Gold Coast due to the building industry. Finns were renowned for their formwork skills. GCFSC started with volleyball in the park every Sunday and Pesapallo began in 1982 when the Club first hosted the Annual Finnish Festival.
Each Sunday was a “kentta” day and every 3 months there would be a dance held with a Finnish band and dancing. The club first participated at the annual Finnish Easter Festival in Mt Isa in 1980 and have had participants at each Easter Festival since. The GCFSC have hosted these Festivals 5 times; 1982, 1996, 2003, 2010, 2019. The Club also hosted the Pesapallo World Cup in 2012, with players travelling from countries such as Finland, Germany and Switzerland.
The current sporting focus of the Club is on Pesapallo and Molkky. On the first Wednesday of each month, there is a picnic at the Botanical Gardens in Benowa. This is to continue the social circle for the older generation, but of course, everyone is welcome.
The GCFSC host an annual Christmas Lunch/Dinner with traditional Finnish Christmas foods prepared entirely by volunteers. Membership benefits of the Club include an annual Club Lunch, as well as financial aid to participants competing at interstate Finnish Easter Games.
Finnish Community in Victoria
Finnish Society of Melbourne
Website: www.fsmelbourne.com.au
Social media
Facebook: facebook.com/fsmelbourne
Twitter: twitter.com/fsmelbourne
Finnish Hall
Address: 119 Pier St, Altona, VIC, 3018
Postal address: PO Box 117, Altona, VIC, 3018
Sauna reservations and shop visits: +61 3 9398 4143
General Information
Event enquiries and communications: info@fsmelbourne.com.au
Membership
Membership enquiries: membership@fsmelbourne.com.au
Secretary
Business enquiries and committee matters: secretary@fsmelbourne.com.au
Finnish Community in New South Wales
Southern Cross Finnish Lutheran Church, Sydney
Southern Cross Finnish Lutheran Church is a Lutheran congregation with Finnish heritage. The congregation operates in Sydney and in surrounding areas organising Sunday Services, Fellowship gatherings, Baptisms, Wedding Ceremonies and Funerals. The Congregation welcomes all.
For more information and to contact us, please visit our website on http://basshill.lutheran.org.au/.
Finnish Club in Gosford
We meet once a month every second Saturday of each month at 4 pm at the Suomi house in Kulnura. The address is 605 George Downes Drive, Kulnura. The library is also open at the same time.
Please contact us for more information
Leena Jokinen Tel. 02 43282917
Jorma Jalonen Tel. 02 43326478
Esko Vahteristo Tel. 02 99827230
Email address: rljokinen@bigpond.com
Finnish Community in South Australia
The Finnish Society of Adelaide
Our Finnish Hall is located at 1-3 Fleet Ave, Hillcrest, South Australia 5086
Contact person: Outi Korpua (Secretary)
Telephone: 0428 898 839
Email: outik78@gmail.com
You can also find us on Facebook by searching for The Finnish Society of Adelaide or Adelaiden Suomi-Seura.
The Finnish Society of Adelaide organises various events a couple of times per year. Additionally, our kids’ club and our handicraft club meet twice a month. Our library is open when we have events or by request.
Finnish Community in Western Australia
Immanuel Finnish Lutheran Church, Perth
Address: 30 Nicol Road, Parkwood, WA, 6147
Website: www.suomikirkkoperth.com
Email: info@suomikirkkoperth.com
Please see more information about our events and the Finnish School on our website.
Finnish Community at the Australian Capital Territory
Canberra Finnish Society Inc.
Finnish migrants in Canberra began organising activities in 1958 and have continued to do so for over 60 years. Some of those include picnics, outings, sports training, parties, library and Finnish baking workshops. These are just some of the events our members enjoy.
We publish a quarterly newsletter Uutukainen to advise members of upcoming events.
Canberra Finnish Society Inc.
President: Melissa (Lissi) Chapelli
Secretary: Mirja Virenius, 0409 830 831, virenius1@gmail.com
Mailing address: 52 Faucett St, Latham ACT 2615
Facebook pages:
Canberra Finnish Society Inc.
Canberra Finnish Social Group
Canberra (FSC) Pesäpallo