Thread by @NafeesRehmanDr

Camels were vital to the Australian economy from 1860s to 1930s but Australia has not been kind to them. Even the very first camel imported to Australia was shot in 1846!

By the way, Camels also represent a historical connection of Afghans & Islam with Australia.

—Thread.

https://twitter.com/Independent/status/1214502883149918208

The Europeans -mainly British- settlers and explorers were trying to explore the inland of Australia but they couldn't carry out any successful expeditions with their horses in the difficult and unfriendly terrain.

It was in late 1850s/early 1860s that the Royal Society of Victoria decided to import camels from India & Afghanistan for an expedition to cross the continent overland from south to north. Some 24 camels & three Afghans were brought in to Melbourne from Karachi in June 1860.

The three Afghans were hired as skilled workers on a one year contract. Here are their contracts they signed both English and Dari language. They were contracted to go with the Burke and Wills Expedition.

Source:cv.vic.gov.au/stories/land-a…

"The Burke and Wills expedition set off from Royal Park, Victoria, on 20 August 1860 with great pomp and excitement. Fifteen thousand people gathered to watch the expedition depart. The camels and their exotic handlers were one of the main attractions."

cv.vic.gov.au/stories/land-a…

The party intended for the north was successful. It took them three months to reach at the other end. But their return journey was disastrous.

However, camels had proven their worth for inland long journeys.

The next import happened in 1866 when 31 Afghans, 124 Camels and other cattle were brought in to Australia from India and Afghanistan.

The animal handlers were not all Afghans; there were Punjabis, Egyptians, Turks etc. but they all were invariably called Afghans, later Ghans.

Many such import followed tapping the potentials of Camels and their handlers to explore and develop Australia.

“Unloading camels at Port Augusta. One camel is being winched over the side of the ship [...] while a number of Afghans watch on.” C. 1893.

collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/B+689…

However, the 'romance' of the settlers with the Afghans was very short lived. These Afghans weren't really welcome. The press and 'white' politician soon turned on them and began to demonize them - and other non-white immigrants - for one or another made up charges.

The 'whites' couldn't keep up with the competitive Afghans and other immigrants in the hawking, mining etc., businesses that they explicitly passed a law in 1895 to forbid Afghans from gold mining. Then they passed immigration act in 1901 based on implicit racial discrimination.

There are literally hundreds of stories of discrimination and injustice towards the Afghans in the 'white' Australia. I'll just mention two of them to make my point.

One of the three first Afghans who came for the Burke & Wills expedition in 1860 was Dost Mohammad.

In 1862, Dost Mohammed was injured in a camel incident, which resulted in him losing the use of his arm.

"He was effectively disabled for life at the age of twenty-three. Despite his appeals to the Victorian Government he was awarded only 200 pounds compensation and was never

to see his home again. In the aftermath of the expedition when accounts were being settled in Melbourne, Dost Mahomet presented a claim to be paid the same as his European colleagues as had originally been promised. This claim was unsuccessful. He returned to Menindee and

worked for some time for William Ah Chung in the bakery. Upon his death in 1881, he was buried outside the town on the spot where he prayed every day."
monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/people/…

The second story is of Jehan Mohammad, his brother Noor Mohammed who were shot by a white Knowles in 1894.

Jehan M. was washing his feet in preparation to offer Muslim prayers when Knowles appears on the scene with a pistol & throws insult at Jehan. Jehan initially ignores him.

This angers Knowles more and he pushes him into the water. Jehan comes out and grabs Knowles. Knowles realizes that he can't fight Jehan so he fires at him killing on the spot. Then he fires at his brother fatally injuring him. Other Afghans rush to the scene and overpower

Knowles and his travel mate Hatfields. They could've kill him on the spot but they tie them up. On a written gurantee of other whites, Knowles is handed over to them along the pistol. The promise was that Knowles would be handed over to police. However, that didn't happen instead

Knowles becomes the 'complainant' against the two dead Afghan brothers. Investigation ignores evidence and eye-witnesses and the all-white jury acquits the murderer within months much to disappointments of the Afghan community.

The Afghans have to their credit the introduction of Islam in Australia and also the building of the first mosques in Australia.

The first mud Mosque at Hergott Springs was built in 1861 by the Afghans. The town was once called Little Afghanistan.

collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/B+153…

However, the first permanent mosque was built in Adelaide 1888-89. It used to be first called the "Afghan Chappel". The Afghan community contributed about £3,000

Afghans & their camels were vital to laying the overland Telegraph line, railway line to the gold mines and the construction of trans-continental railway line.

There is a passenger train service called The Ghan (from The Afghan Express) b/w Adelaide & Darwin (54 H, 3000~ KM)

Many Afghans returned to their native countries due to prevalent opposition & discrimination in Australia. But many also stayed back. Since they weren't allowed to bring in their wives/kids, some married the Aboriginals. Very rare marriage b/w Afghan & whites though.

However, it was the motor transport in 1930s that brought an end to the use of camels for transportation. Australian police shot the majority of the camels. While some were released into the wild to save them from a such a fate. The camel population would multiply to millions.

Thread to continue...

The launch of the Afghan cameleer's commemorative plaque in Port Augusta 2010.

Correction: It took the white jury just ONE HOUR and not months to acquit the white murderer.

https://twitter.com/NafeesRehmanDr/status/1216343930855477248?s=20