Nitin Kharod was following the work when he moved to the South Australian city of Port Augusta.
Specifically, he was looking for a job in hospitality, which he had studied at university.
"When I moved to South Australia, that was the year 2005. Not many jobs were going around in Adelaide. So I was working as a car detailer in Adelaide. So I started looking way over. Not in metropolitan."
Back then, he says, there were less than a dozen members of the Sikh community living in Port Augusta.
Today the regional city, which is known for being a gateway to the outback, has a thriving Sikh population.
And it has recently established its own temple, as community spokesperson Sunny Singh explains.
"It's a really important place, because we were trying to get it the last few years, and finally got it last year."
The temple is a modest building located next to an empty lot.
It once housed a gymnasium and a take-away store.
Now it's where the Sikh community meets, prays and holds community events.
This week, when around 60 worshippers arrived for Sunday prayers [Jan 15] -- they found several glass windows and doors had been smashed, and the security camera was stolen.
Nitin Kharod says he was saddened by the damage.
"That really upset me, because it took a long time for us to be here, what we are today. While we are quite open, and we are helping everybody, and we are going out in the community, and they know us, and we are helping them, and they are helping us, since then, it happens, it definitely will break your heart."
Sergeant Stephen Fitzgerald of the Port Augusta police force says there's no suggestion it was a racially motivated attack.
"We don't believe at this stage that it's racially, politically or religiously motivated. At this stage we're treating it as opportunistic damage."
Sunny Singh and other members of his also don't believe it was a racial attack.
In fact, he says the Sikh community stands ready to help the community in any way it -- and that includes the unknown vandals, if they need support.
"That's part of the Sikh culture. Sikh culture teaches us to help everyone. If they are kids, they can come here, we can arrange some support, or equipments for them."
Port Augusta's mayor Sam Johnson says the Sikh community does plenty of altruistic work in the community, including using their small kitchen to cook meals for the homeless.
"They certainly go well out of the their way, I mean they do a lot of work with the homeless people in Port Augusta. A lot of charity work that they do, and the fact that they've turned around and said they hold no personal grudge against the attacker, they want to extend an arm out to the individual should they need to."
Security is now being increased at the temple.
New cameras have been installed and a fence will be built around the perimeter.
But Sunny Singh says the space will still be an open one -- and that all will be welcome within its walls.
"Nothing we do here that we want to hide. Everyone is welcome on Sunday to have the meals. Even if it's after Sunday, after hours, we have got our numbers on the door. People can ring us and tell us that this is what they need. Like, they have ten people, they need food -- we can come here and cook for them."
