From her home in Wheelers Hill, Melbourne, Dr Sunila Shrivastava, who was honoured with the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) on January 26, describes the recognition as “a humbling moment.”
“It was a pleasant surprise for me. Two years ago, I was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll for Women. At that time, I was asked if I would mind being recommended for an OAM. Perhaps those individuals put forward the recommendation,” she says modestly.
The honour is well-deserved, as Shrivastava has dedicated her life to community development since arriving in Australia in 1973. Originally an academic at the University of Sagar in Madhya Pradesh, India, she moved to Australia to join her husband, Dr Arvind Shrivastava, who had arrived in 1968.
Her career path took a remarkable turn. A physicist by training, she initially worked at Swinburne University before transitioning to the IT industry, where she worked for companies like Telstra and IBM. Explaining the switch, she says, “There was nothing like fundamental physics here. It was only a subject for engineering.”
The isolation of being among the few Indians in Australia at the time encouraged the Shrivastavas to get involved in community work. By the early 2000s, the Indian community in Victoria had grown significantly. In 2008, the Shrivastavas organised a recitation of the Sunderkand Paath (a chapter of the ancient Indian epic Ramayana) and the Hanuman Chalisa (a devotional hymn). The event attracted about 500 attendees—a large number for that time.
Encouraged by the success, the couple founded the Sankat Mochan Samiti the same year, a not-for-profit organisation that provides spiritual, moral, and physical support to people. Alongside religious activities, they also supported social welfare initiatives, especially for victims of family violence, and worked on prevention programs.
The Shrivastavas have consistently pushed boundaries to serve the community. They organised the first Diwali festival at Sandown Racecourse in 2008 and later started Rang Barse, an annual Holi celebration in collaboration with the City of Monash and Monash University.
In their ongoing efforts, they also initiated Bhakti Tarang (Spiritual Vibrations), a program designed to spread spiritual harmony.
Reflecting on her journey, Shrivastava says, “My bucket list is almost complete. There are two things left. One is to establish a centre specifically for Indian women dealing with domestic violence. Because of cultural differences, they don’t fit well in existing shelters. The second is to set up a nursing home for older people. It’s a big project, but I hope someone can help me make it a reality.”
She is especially proud of her two children—a son who is a lawyer and a daughter who is an IT executive. “When we were not financially well off, providing a good education for our children was one of the reasons I decided to stay here,” she adds.
With the OAM now under her belt, Shrivastava feels the recognition is not just hers. “This honour is for the Indian community. It shows the Australian government recognises the efforts of people from the Indian community. That’s how I feel,” she says.
Incidentally, her husband, Dr Arvind Shrivastava, received his OAM in 2018. They are among the rare couples where both have been awarded this prestigious honour.
“I always tell the younger generation, “Australia is your home. Do as much as you can. I’ve done my part, and now it’s your turn to carry forward the tradition and build the infrastructure for the Indian community,’” Shrivastava says.
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