When newlywed Devender Singh arrived in Cairns in May 1978, she expected an Australia of skyscrapers and bustling cityscapes. Instead, she found a quiet coastal town with no high-rises, where staying in touch with family in India meant waiting weeks for blue aerograms to arrive. Despite the isolation and challenges of starting life in a new country, Devender had her B.Ed. from Ranchi University recognised in Australia and went on to teach in Queensland primary schools for more than two decades.
Davinder’s extended family legacy in Australia traces back to 1939, when her husband’s sister arrived by ship to work on a massive banana farm in New South Wales long before postwar migration gained momentum.
Click on the audio icon to listen to the full report and interview in Punjabi.
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