The history of Sydney’s Sikh community will be on display thanks to a $750,000 grant from the Rudd Labor Government, announced by Foreign Minister Bob Carr and Labor MP for Greenway Michelle Rowland.
The grant will go towards building a multi-functional cultural centre, which will feature a heritage museum, a place for the newly arrived Punjabi migrants and guided tours and open days for visitors and school students.
The museum will display archives of the Sikh involvement in World War I and II. Place for the newly arrived Punjabi migrants will provide shelter to newcomers and will help students get information about services in their community whereas guided tours and open days of visitors and school students will provide understanding of Punjabi culture and the community’s contribution to Australia’s multiculturalism.
“Indian Australians have made a wonderful contribution to Australia. Now the rich history of the Indian community’s contribution to our nation can be on display for all to appreciate,” said Carr.
“I am particularly pleased that guided cultural tours of the centre will be arranged for school students. This will be a place where Indian culture and history will be proudly on display. It will be the centre of Indian culture in Australia,” Carr added.
The grant was announced at Parklea Sikh Centre in the presence of the members of the Australian Sikh Association. The members of the Sikh Association along with the community members were overwhelmed by the grant and thanked the government for the funds.
The Association members said they will start working in this direction shortly, so that the facilities could be made available to the community people soon.
“This significant investment from the Federal Government was a tribute to the work of local Indian community,” said Ms Rowland.
She thanked the Australian Sikh Association and the wider community for their hard work and said that Labour will deliver the funding needed to make their vision a reality.
This commitment would be delivered through the Government’s Livable Communities Program already in the Budget.
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