Muslims in the Southern Land: An Illustrated History by AbdulShaheed Drew

In-store Location: Shelf 2.15 & 4.13 By AbdulShaheed Drew, DRU MEDIUM publication, magazine styled paperback, 190 pages. www.muslimhistoryaustralia.com Help Preserve a Forgotten Chapter of Australia’s Story For too long, a vital part of Australia’s history has remained hidden—scattered across archives, buried in academic texts, and largely absent from the mainstream narrative. Muslims in the Southern Land: An Illustrated History exists to change that. This book brings to light the Muslim presence in Australia—long before the 1970s, before modern migration debates, and before many of the assumptions that persist today. It does so not through opinion, but through carefully researched evidence, rare images, and voices uncovered through years of dedication, travel, and personal sacrifice. Your support helps transform this work into something tangible and accessible: a book that can be read in schools, shared in workplaces, passed to neighbours, and placed in the hands of future generations. A book that educates without preaching, challenges misconceptions without confrontation, and invites readers to reflect on a shared Australian past. By supporting this unique project, you are not just funding a book. You are helping preserve history. You are supporting education. You are ensuring that an overlooked story is finally given the space it deserves. Summary of the book: The History of Muslims in Australia: From the 1700s to Today Muslims have been part of Australia’s history long before British colonisation in 1788. The first known Muslim visitors were the Makassan seafarers from present-day Indonesia, who travelled to northern Australia to collect trepang (sea cucumbers) for trade with China. These early encounters created strong friendships and trading relationships with Aboriginal communities, encouraging cultural exchange, employment, and the sharing of language and customs. As British settlement expanded, Muslims arrived in Australia as convicts, sailors, and indentured workers. Malay pearl divers and other Muslim labourers contributed to industries such as pearling, sugar cane farming, cotton picking, and agriculture. From the 1860s onwards, Muslim cameleers from regions including Afghanistan, India, and present-day Pakistan played a vital role in transporting goods, supporting explorers, delivering supplies, and connecting remote inland communities. Despite facing discrimination, they made significant contributions to Australia's economic development and helped establish the country's first permanent mosques. Throughout the twentieth century, further waves of Muslim migrants arrived from countries such as Albania, Bosnia, Turkey, and Lebanon, enriching Australia's cultural diversity. Today, Muslims continue to contribute to the nation's professional, economic, educational, and charitable sectors. According to the 2021 Census, Muslims represented more than 3.2% of Australia's population. Overall, the history of Muslims in Australia reflects a long-standing contribution to trade, nation-building, and multiculturalism. Their story highlights the importance of friendship, mutual respect, and understanding between cultures, reflecting the message of Qur’an 49:13, which teaches that people were created as different nations and tribes so they may come to know one another.