Sudhanshu Joshi and wife Chhaya
He said they’d seen stories about the country on the BBC and Discovery Channels and couldn’t believe their luck when they arrived.
“Australia has the best climate in the world and such a wonderful, supportive multicultural community,” he said.
Likewise, Auburn’s Naveed Mohammed – who has lived here for 21 years – was in search of a better life and arrived on an international student visa.
The website designer who has a Masters in Information Systems, has since married and become the father of three.
“I thought Australia looked fascinating on a map and I immediately fell in love with the country,” he said.
“I never considered returning to India; even my father visited for five months and loved it here too.”
The National Library of Australia is calling on Australians with Indian heritage to add their stories and experiences to the national collection – which Sudhanshu and Naveed are both planning to do.
Australians with Indian heritage are Australia’s fastest growing migrant group, comprising over 750,000 people in 2022 – with the first Indian subcontinent traders, labourers and domestic workers arriving in the early 1800s.
The Indian Diaspora in Australia collecting project will capture diverse stories and voices through multiple formats, including interviews, books, newsletters, newspapers, photographs and personal archives.
If you have items to donate or want to tell your story, and be part of the national collection, visit: nla.gov.au
