The role of Muslim Afghan cameleers in the development of Perth masjid

Abstract

This thesis documents the evidence in establishing Afghan cameleers’ masjids in Australia and what led the Afghan cameleers to build masjids to establish their success in Australia. Muslim Afghans migrated and settled in several parts of Australia in the early 1860s for transportation work. The most significant contribution these Muslim cameleers brought to Australia was the development of the Masjid. The study of the Afghan cameleers’ masjid in Australia was not documented in previous studies. The old Afghan masjids in Inland Australia had fallen into ruins due to the course of nature. Inadequate documentation on the background history of the Australian Muslim civilisation was identified as the lack of evidence to proof their existence as heritage significance. This research aims at exploring the journey of the Afghan Muslim cameleers by tracing the relics and contributions they had left as they migrated from one place to place within Australia. The study adopted a qualitative method approach with a specific focus on historical qualitative research through on-site observation, historiography study and architectural morphology. The study performed a detailed assessment of the Perth Masjid built by the Muslim Afghan Cameleers. The result of the architectural morphology study from the first Afghan masjid until the Perth Masjid shows that the evolution of the Afghan masjid from a basic structure to an iconic building is very significant. Located in a prominent area in Perth, Perth Masjid is a landmark to be seen and acknowledged. The design characteristics of Perth Masjid is a unique representation of the Afghan culture and values of a religious building. In conclusion, this research has shed light on the significance of the Afghan cameleers in the development of Inland Australia, and Perth Masjid has become the hallmark on the struggles of the Afghan cameleers. The affordance of the Afghan cameleers has evolved from a mere, small, and temporary masjid to an iconic and permanent masjid. The growth of the Afghan community affordance from the effort of the early Afghan cameleers has resulted in a significant landmark and heritage symbol. Other masjids post-Afghan cameleers are established around Australia in a permanent state. Research to justify the theory of affordance to correlate to the choice of location and masjid architecture, duly reinforce the differences found between current Migrant Muslims’ masjid and the Afghan cameleers’ masjid.