Travel
Going Bananas in Woolgoolga
by LAISRAM INDIRA
As you enter Coff's Harbour, tucked between Sydney and Brisbane, it is not hard to guess why the big banana stands as a landmark. The area grows one of the best varieties of bananas in Australia. And the fruit has a dominant Sikh and Punjabi connection.
In the early part of the 19th century when the British still ruled the sub-continent, a few adventurous men from Punjab decided to cash in on the shortage of farm labourers in Australia. Their journey led them first to Queensland, then south to Coff's Harbour, and finally in nearby Woolgoolga, New South Wales.
Familiar with farming, these men slowly acquired small parcels of land and began working hard to make their fortunes. By the 1940s, they had laid the foundation of the first Australian Sikh Community in Australia here at Woolgoolga, 20 km north of Coff's Harbour. Today, these Sikh-Aussies - some of the wealthiest from the subcontinent - reside in Woolgoolga.
Undeterred by the spells of Autumn rain, which otherwise made for a good excuse for a sleep-in at the beach resort we had booked ourselves in, we decided to explore the town known for its great beaches, pristine scenery, nature walks and great fishing.
After a drive around Coff's Harbour, we headed off to Woolgoolga or Woopi as locals call it. A winding road took us to a majestic gurudwara perched on top of the hill. It is, in fact, the second Sikh shrine built in Australia, in 1970. The first gurdwara, constructed in 1968, still stands nearby, a mere shadow to the new one.
Over hot chai and tikkas, head priest Gurmandip Singh said the gurdwara was a meeting place not only for the 1,200 Sikh residents of Woolgoolga but also of the local community.
It was easy to locate Satpal Singh Gill, 38, whose great grandfather travelled to Australia around 1910. "He worked in the Wollombi area and earned enough money to invest in small farms for banana cultivation," Satpal proudly says. "We were the second family to have moved to Australia," he adds.
The traditional life of Sikhs here hasn't changed much. Kirpal Singh, 50, a banana grower, says they've maintained their traditions. "Every farm is in close proximity. Work starts at 7 am and by 4 pm we are at home and have time to socialise and keep our culture alive."
Through the 70s and 80s, many among those born in Coffs Harbour went back to Punjab and got married. With banana cultivation on the decline, many of the original growers have diversified into blueberries and macadamia nut plantations.
Woolgoolga winds in and out of hamlets comprising not more than two Punjabi grocery stores, the two gurdwaras and lovely houses and farms. After a day's tour, we head off to the beach, but that piece of Sikh history in a quiet, serene part of Australia continues to visit the mind and stays with us.
[Courtesy: The Hindustan Times]
June 6, 2010
Conversation about this article
1: Sangat Singh (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), June 07, 2010, 6:17 PM.
Going Bananas - the very best at the most economical price, grown, nurtured and overseen at every step. These are go-getter Sikhs. Put a Sikh anywhere he is born and he is programmed to shine. This is his 'chardi kalaa' - he would be even more lustrous if in 'saabat soorat'. When I was starting in life, the advice I got was: 1) If you ever need help, you will find it at the end of your arms. 2) 'Akna nai, jakhana nai', and 'Thakna nai' - 'Don't get complacent, don't be hesitant and don't get tired!' Put any Punjabi in the wilderness, be it Woolgoolga, or Italy, he is guaranteed to stand out. In Italy, the land of Parmigiano - Reggiano, the finest hand granular cheese that takes some two years to mature is now entirely produced by Sikhs in Italy. They have earned the spurs by sheer dedication and hard work. They are now more Italians than the indigenous Italianos. Their ubquitious 'paneer' has touched dizzy heights from hand-milking the cows to the final master piece, all done by Sikhs. Under Italian law, only this particular cheese produced in the provinces of Parma, Emilia, Modena and Bologna can label 'Paramigiano - Reggianio'. Next time you go to the supermarket, please handle this vintage cheese that took two years to mature respectfully. Wherever there are five Sikhs, you could expect at least two gurdwaras. In the town of Novellara, there is the second largest gurdwara in Europe. Put the go-getter Sikh on the peak of the Alps, he will shine and would probably sell you the snow at the peak as 'kulfi', besides hooking you on to the daal Makhni and tandoori murg fed out of his hand.
2: Irvinder Singh Babra (Brampton, Ontario, Canada), June 07, 2010, 10:18 PM.
S. Sangat Singh of Kuala Lumpur writes so well on the Sikhs, a great learning experience for me. 'Sama sooka saya yo' ... if that's correct, for I love/ respect Malay, taught briefly to me by the Malay badminton coach, Chan Kong Leong. Going bananas! Sikhs are everywhere in the world, the finest crop of people, always ready to help. A little fighting here and there won't do any harm to the basic goodness in all Sikhs. Stay in Chardi Kalaa!
3: Jagjeet Singh (Petaling Jaya, Malaysia), September 11, 2011, 11:02 AM.
I was so impressed with this article that I couldn't help looking at it from the literary point of view, over and above its content. I used it for an essay-writing session during my Creative Writing class as I am an English Language specialist, always hungry for good pieces of writing ... and this is certainly one of high quality, especially as it creates such lucid imagery. I like the opening as it zooms straight to the area where bananas are grown in this region and then it takes us to the origins, amongst other things. The article specifically unfolds the rich culture of the community in question, the Sikhs. The students focus on little details and how the article appeals to our senses as it touches on reality. Next, I get the students to comment on the piece and finally, we look at Sangat Singh's comments which not only reveal his deep maturity and great understanding of the Sikh culture, but give us insights to his thoughts and mental processes when he starts talking of a culture he is so proud of. As I read what Sangat Singh of Malaysia says, to quote, "When I was starting in life, the advice I got was: 1) If you ever need help, you will find it at the end of your arms. 2) 'Akna nai, jakhana nai', and 'Thakna nai' - 'Don't get complacent, don't be hesitant and don't get tired!' I can't help reflecting what my late dad repeatedly told us, about the secrets of life. I reminisce vividly the advice my late father, a senior hospital assistant in the Dunlop rubber estates of Malaysia, the respectable Sucha Singh of Malacca, gave his ten children: "There are no Sikh beggars in Malaysia. Roam and comb the streets of Malaysia, and you will see how the Sikh community holds its head high because we do not believe in begging but working for a living - and slogging hard for what we desire!" True enough, as per his advice, all his ten children who were motherless at a tender age, abided by his words of wisdom, and today we use the 3 Ds - discipline, determination and diligence - as the pillars of our success and strength in life; there's no hurdle in life that can't be overcome! We are grateful to be Sikhs and to be born in a Sikh family and community! Thank you, Satnam Wahewguru! We are forever grateful to you for our blessings and the teachings by our Sikh elders!
4: Nadeem Rabbani (Ranchi, India), January 30, 2014, 5:57 AM.
It's very informative and shows the great determination and hard work to get success in any job by a community as vibrant as the Sikhs.