Bhutanese refugee Parsu Sharma-Luital has worked tirelessly with refugees and asylum seekers, but he says his work is not done.
"The signal sends a very positive message, and we can very proudly say, 'Australia we are one more step ahead of multiculturalism'," Parsu says.
Parsu first arrived in Australia in 2002.
He came to study a masters degree and on the advice of University staff, the horticulturalist soon sought asylum to escape the unrest in his native Bhutan, which left many stateless.
"My parents lived 18 years in the camp, my father had gone to prison because he was considered one of the activists."
He became an Australian citizen in 2008, but his community work started long before then.
"When I saw many refugees suffer in the refugee camp in Nepal, and then our own people...and I felt we should do something and when I came here I wanted to carry out this sort of activity."
The father of four now sits on refugee community and rotary club boards and works as multicultural liason officer with Victoria Police.
But Parsu's achievements extend beyond his work within emerging communities. He also established a successful log-grown shiitake mushroom enterprise, teaching the public to cultivate their own produce.
The CEO of the Refugee Council, Paul Power, says nominating Parsu for the award was obvious.
"There are not too many people, that so early on in their settlement in Australia, who've worked as Parsu has in building bridges with new communities. In a broader society, often that takes a lot longer.
"He's worked with farmers, he's worked with refugee communities, he's active in rotaries, involved in the community on so many different levels. In many ways he's a perfect example of people who have come to Australia and taken every opportunity available to them."
The award was introduced by the Australia Day Council Victorian branch to recognise migrants who have been living in Australia for 18 years or less.
"I think it's also to recognise that refugees are not necessarily just here to take advantage of Australia, but they really want to contribute," says Australia Day Council member Wesha Chau.
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