Language ecology, a term developed by Haugen (2001), describes the relationship between languages and the environment in which they exist; that is, how they grow, change, interact and adapt in a Darwinian-like quest for survival. Of the 6000 or so languages in existence today, some are spoken by vast numbers of people, but others are used by very few. Such endangered languages face the risk of extinction due to natural disasters, cultural assimilation, or genocide. Their loss represents a loss of cultural diversity, and for this reason is a matter of concern. English is the official and dominant language in Australia. Despite this dominance, however, many Australians use a language other than English in their daily activities. Such a "minority language" is one used in fewer settings and by fewer people than English. This article discusses the status and survival of French as a minority and foreign language in Australia. In particular, it describes the domains of usage of French in the Australian environment, and analyses the ecological support systems for the language's survival in this country.