From serenity to settlement: Inside Hobart's growing Punjabi community

Tasmania — Australia’s island state — is quietly emerging as a home for a small but steadily growing Punjabi community. According to the 2021 Census, 6,137 Tasmanian residents were born in India, and 2,556 people reported Punjabi as the language spoken at home. Tasmania is also officially classified as a regional area, which has made it attractive for many migrants, yet local Punjabi community members insist the real draw is the lifestyle.

Punjabi community in Hobart, Tasmania.

Dr Navpreet Kaur, appointed in January 2024 as the first Honorary Consul of India in Tasmania, says the “Tasmanian way of living” mirrors the warmth of small towns and villages in Punjab — close-knit, peaceful, and naturally beautiful.

A group of second-generation Punjabi youth in Hobart have started a self-taught Bhangra troupe called 'Kaafila' to keep their mother tongue and culture alive.

One of the residents, Germanjit Singh Gill, who has lived in Hobart for ten years, says thanks to the peaceful life amid natural beauty on the island, the community’s roots are deepening there.

Hear their stories via this podcast.

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