Baloch Australians () or The Baloch of Australia are
Australian citizens
The primary law governing nationality of Australia is the Australian Citizenship Act 2007, which came into force on 1 July 2007 and is applicable in all states and territories of Australia.
All persons born in Australia before 20 August 1986 ...
who are of
Baloch ancestry or who hold Australian citizenship. There are measurable numbers of Baloch in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
.
Background
Many of the so-called early "
Afghan cameleers" in Australia were Baloch men who came from the
Balochistan
Balochistan ( ; , ), also spelled as Baluchistan or Baluchestan, is a historical region in West and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. This arid region o ...
region (parts of present-day
Balochistan province
Balochistan (; ; , ) is a province of Pakistan. Located in the southwestern region of the country, Balochistan is the largest province of Pakistan by land area but is the least populated one. It is bordered by the Pakistani provinces of Khybe ...
in Pakistan,
southern Afghanistan and
eastern Iran
Eastern Iran includes the provinces North Khorasan, Razavi Khorasan, South Khorasan and Sistan and Baluchestan some of which share a border with Afghanistan and Pakistan. Some references also count Kerman Province to this region.
Dominated by des ...
).
Baloch cameleers began arriving in Australia during the late 1800s, primarily to support the inland pastoral industry by transporting goods and supplies using camels. At their peak, there were around 2,000 cameleers and 4,000 camels operating across Australia.
Small groups of cameleers were shipped in and out of Australia at three-year intervals, to service the Australian inland pastoral industry by carting goods and transporting wool bales by camel trains.
and
Dervish Bejah Baloch were Baloch cameleer who worked the
Western Australian Goldfields in the late 1890s.
The Baloch cameleers significantly influenced Australian culture, establishing makeshift mosques known as "bush mosques" during their travels. One of the earliest mosques in Australia was built by Baloch cameleers in Hergot Springs (Maree, South Australia) in 1884.
Current Presence
Today, there is a notable number of Baloch individuals in Australia
pursuing education and employment opportunities. The community continues to celebrate its heritage while integrating into Australian society. Sabah Rind a fourth generation Baloch woman continues to speak Baluchi at home.
Some members of the
Baloch diaspora
The Baloch diaspora () refers to Baloch people, and their descendants, who have immigrated to places outside the Balochistan region of South-West Asia – a region stretching from southwestern Pakistan to southeastern Iran and southern Afghanis ...
in Australia are actively involved in raising awareness about issues affecting Balochistan, including human rights abuses and political struggles.
Notable people
*
Dost Mahomet
*
Dervish Bejah
See also
*
Baloch diaspora
The Baloch diaspora () refers to Baloch people, and their descendants, who have immigrated to places outside the Balochistan region of South-West Asia – a region stretching from southwestern Pakistan to southeastern Iran and southern Afghanis ...
References
Australian people of Baloch descent
Baloch diaspora
People of Baloch descent
Ethnic groups in Australia
Diaspora
A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of birth, place of origin. The word is used in reference to people who identify with a specific geographic location, but currently resi ...
{{Ethnic groups in Australia