Sikh history in Australia

[5aaban]

Sikhi is one of the fastest growing religions with 125,000 (2016) adherents in Australia, having grown from 12,000 in 1996, 17,000 in 2001 and 26,500 in 2006. Punjabi is the 13th most common language in Australia. 81% of Punjabi speakers are Sikhs, 13.3% are Hindus and 1.4% are Muslims. 

(Circa 1908. Panjabi Sikh immigrants at Adelaide port, Australia) 

1830s–1901
Sikh men have a longer history in Australia as the women arrived much later. 
The earliest Sikhs arrived in Australia from Panjab province in the late 1830s. There was a demand for manual labour due to slowing convict transportation. Since many Sikhs came from agrarian backgrounds, they worked on farms or as shepherds. In the 1860’s, cameleers (called the Ghans) were brought to Australia to explore & settle the vast arid lands. A minority of the Ghans were made up of Sikhs. They set up camel-breeding stations and rest house outposts (caravanserai) throughout inland Australia. 

(from a film on Ghans with an Aboriginal-Australian man)

Entrepreneurial migrants
Towards the end of the 19th century, Indian Hawkers (many were Sikh) were brought due to Australia’s widespread population. Young men first travelled on foot and later purchased horses and carts. Hawkers required licenses which mostly became restricted to British subjects in the 1890s thus denying Afghans, Assyrians and Chinese from renewing their license, giving Sikhs a monopoly on hawking. This was held till the 1930s until European migrants began to take over the trade. 

(Sikh hawker in Victoria) 

White Australia policy 
From federation in 1901 until the 1973 immigration of non-whites, including Sikhs, into Australia was restricted due to the enactment of the White Australia policy. It also made it impossible for Sikhs who already lived in the country from returning to Panjab as they would be barred re-entry. To counter the threat of Japan’s expansion and the need for soldiers, Indian Australians were given rights greater than that of other Asians. Through a series of steps between 1925 and 1929, Indians in Australia were allowed limited property rights, were given the right to vote and allowed a pension.

Early pioneers in the 1930s began to bring their sons of working age to Australia. Due to shortage of white population due to war, Sikhs were allowed work in agricultural sectors. One of the well-known sectors was the Banana industry in Woolgoolga, later forming a Sikh community which continues to exist today. 

1950s and 60s 
Sikhs started working hard to purchase their own banana farms. With steady income, they brought their wives. In 1961, there were 6 Sikh women in Woolgoolga, creating Sikh households and Sikh children born in Australia. 
 In 1968 the First Australian Gurdwara was established in Woolgoolga. 

(Australia's first Gurdwara in 1968)

Post White Australia policy - 1973- present 
Sikh migration increased dramatically after the Racial Discrimination Act. Many Sikhs also came from  Malaysia, Singapore, Fiji, Kenya, Uganda and the UK to settle in Australia. New immigrants are mainly based around major cities . Melbourne is now home to the largest Sikh population. Since 2000, there has been a great increase in the number of Sikh students settling in Australia. 
39% Sikhs live in Greater Melbourne,  21% in Greater Sydney and 10% in Greater Brisbane. 

Some Gurdwaras

 

[Premi5]

On 2/3/2022 at 7:26 AM, 5aaban said:

Sikhi is one of the fastest growing religions with 125,000 (2016) adherents in Australia, having grown from 12,000 in 1996, 17,000 in 2001 and 26,500 in 2006. Punjabi is the 13th most common language in Australia. 81% of Punjabi speakers are Sikhs, 13.3% are Hindus and 1.4% are Muslims. 

 

More please !