Middle East
Fazzledine and his camel
Afghans loading camels
Four men on camel-back
A buggy and camels near Coolgardie
Migration from the Middle East to Australia began in the mid-19th century with the arrival of the cameleers from Afghanistan. They helped open up transport routes through desert regions and were an important international component of the WA gold rush.
More recently people from the Middle East, particularly Iran and Iraq, have become new and emerging communities in WA. Most migrants from these countries have arrived in the past 20 years, although some came in the 20th Century as international students and humanitarian entrants.
Source
Office of Multicultural Interests - Community Profiles
Related Groups
Asians and Afghans in Eucla with camels
Loading camels for the new rush
Packed camel train with Afghan cameleers
