“It’s a great honour,” Tausif Khan OAM says of his Australia Day recognition. “I would like to thank the Australian Government – and the Queensland Government for helping facilitate the activities and endeavours that have got me this award today.”
The gregarious 80-something has been a community builder since his arrival in Brisbane in 1986.
Born in Agra, India, Khan later moved to the UK for higher studies, earning a degree in data electronics at the dawn of the information technology era.
His first job took him to Germany, where he met and married Renate, now his wife of 57 years. The couple eventually moved to Australia to raise their family, while Khan worked in the insurance industry.
By the time India liberalised its economy in 1992, Khan had built a vast network of professionals spanning India, Australia and Europe, positioning him well to engage with the emerging market. Keen to help Queensland develop trade links with India, he was supported by the then Indian High Commissioner to Australia Akbar Khaleeli, as well as the Consulate General of India in Sydney in setting up the India Trade Centre, where he served as Chair from 1992 to 2008.
A natural connector of people, his language skills proved invaluable.
Among his contacts were Chinese businesses and professionals keen to enter the Indian market, leading to his active involvement with the Chinese Club of Queensland and the Chinese Business and Professional Association.
Within the Indian community
Khan’s wide-ranging interests — spanning radio, music, sher-o-shayari and sport — led him to create platforms that brought the growing Indian community together in the late 1990s.
“I was part of an active and passionate team that built the first Indian association here – with funding from the city council as well as from the state department,” Khan describes. “Through the India Australia Society of Queensland and the Indian Cultural Association of Queensland, we presented multicultural festivals, India fairs, India bazaars and musical events.”
While these associations played a vital role in the 1990s and early 2000s, Khan acknowledges that such platforms are less impactful today.
“In the early years, people in the community were incredibly supportive. Any newcomer was welcomed and helped until they were settled,” he reflects. “Now, information is more easily available, and many migrants already have friends or family to assist them. That may be why engagement has declined.”
Tausif Khan OAM is nevertheless pleased with how the Indian community has acclimatised. “In hospitals, industry, universities and government, we are contributing significantly. And when I see international students working extremely hard to support themselves, I feel proud.”
But he also offers a word of advice to newcomers.
“Your mindset matters,” Khan advises. “In Australia, we are all equal – we respect each other and care for one another. New migrants should arrive with an open mind, respecting every religion and every person, regardless of background.”
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