Community members visit Dongara to explore century-old Sikh stories of Western Australia

Sikh Association of Western Australia, in collaboration with Dongara Museum, organised a 'Sikh History Open Day' on October 1 to share the unique stories of historical Sikh connections and migration journeys of early Sikh settlers in WA.

A group of Sikh community members visited Dongara and its surroundings to see the artifacts and historical sites of the early Sikh settlers in Australia.

Melbourne resident Mandeep Singh Brar was one of the community members who visited this regional town of WA and learned about this part of history.

A regular radio listener, Mr Brar took part in this trip after hearing about it on SBS Radio’s Punjabi program.

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Speaking to SBS Punjabi, he says, "the trip showcased the Australian Sikh heritage and helped us explore the first migrations of our people."

"It was an amazing experience. Dongara council representatives also shared the Sikh history that they know," he says.

Melbourne-based Mandeep Brar with his wife Gaganvir Brar on one of the early Sikh settlers Ruhr Singh's property during their Dongara visit.

The Sikh community's roots in WA go back around 120 years. This rich history is found in the stories of early Sikh settlers, documented in various archival records.

Geraldton and Dongara areas were booming regions for the early Indian settlers of WA, including Sojan Singh, Pola Singh, Ruhr Singh and Anzac Nain Singh Sailani, who all belonged to these regions.

Credit: Supplied.

Mr Brar says that this shared piece of history helped him understand how the Sikh community preserved its economy, culture and religion during its early phase of establishment in Australia.

"During our visit, we saw Ruhr Singh's store, Sojan Singh's grave, holiday home and also the ledgers that show the positive contributions of our community in economy and society for over 100 years," he says.

Sojan Singh's grave site.

"The fact is that this transformative trip for me was totally different than other excursion trips we make, this visit made me know the unknown slice of history about my heritage, and now I will pass this newfound knowledge further in our social circles," he says.

One of the early settlers, Ruhr Singh's heritage-listed century-old store in Dongara. Credit: Supplied by Mr Brar.

Listen to Mr Brar's interview in Punjabi for more details.