How a 100-year-old Muslim community helped shape this rural Australian town

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Key points

Mareba, a city west of Cairns in the north of Queensland, is home to a very united Muslim community.
The area was once a center for tobacco agriculture, which led many migrants to call him home.
Today, the locals say that shared values and mutual respect are key to Mareba’s multicultural harmony.

The time of the Murat family in Mareba dates back to 1929 when Jack Murat, an Albanian migrant, came to work on a local tobacco farm.

Mareba, a small regional city in the north of Queensland, about 1,483 km from Brisbane and an hour by Cairns car, today has a population of around 23,000 according to the 2021 census.

In 1929, Jack Murat, 16, arrived in Mareba to work on a tobacco farm. Credit: SBS URDU

Benyamin Murat, Jack’s youngest son and a casual magnet in the Mareba Mosque, estimates that around 300 Muslims live there now.

“When my father settled and married here, the city was much smaller and mainly known for tobacco agriculture,” Urdu told SBS.

The museum exhibits the dedication and perseverance required in tobacco cultivation, from planting to harvest ... JPG

An exhibition at the Mareba Heritage Museum highlights the hard work required for tobacco cultivation, from planting to harvest. Credit: SBS URDU

Valuable contribution of migrants

Sandrine Gloton, 84, founder and manager of the Mareba Heritage Museum, reflected on the tobacco industry that once was Booming of the city, which closed in the mid -2000s.

“The Australian tobacco industry was the most subsidized agricultural sector, but deregulation in the 1990s led to its collapse,” he said.

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Sandrine Gloton, founder and manager of the Mareba Heritage Museum. Credit: SBS URDU

The museum claims to be the home of the exhibition of the largest tobacco industry in Australia, which highlights the long hours of work intensive in tobacco cultivation.

The industry was driven by waves of migrants, whose impacts still feel in the city today, Glton added.

Many young migrant workers, such as Jack, contributed significantly to Mareba’s growth.

Sandrine Gloton

About 20 years ago, the Murat family transition to sugarcane agriculture.

Today, multiple generations of the family continue to live in Mareba, brancing in different fields.

But making a home in Regional Australia has not been exempt from challenges, such as Skender Murat, Benyamin’s older brother, he recalled.

Skender Murat says that his agricultural profession aligns with his faith. Credit: SBS URDU

Skender said that his twin Peter’s conversion to Christianity in the 1980s marked a “painful” period for some in the family.

Despite any initial difference, Peter continues to work on the family’s sugar cane farm until today.

Although my twin brother became a Christian, we continue working together with respect.

Skender Murat

Plum Murat, another of the Murat brothers who now runs a coffee farm that bears his father’s name, shared similar feelings.

“Despite the challenges, our family is still united,” he said.

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Murat Plum on his coffee farm in Mareba. Credit: SBS URDU

Keep culture alive

Benyamin said that, like many migrant families, the Murats faced a great challenge on how to preserve their culture, religion and values, aggravated by their relative isolation.

Murat, the casual image of Masque. Credit: SBS URDU

He said that the opening of the Mareba mosque in 1970 was an important milestone for his community.

However, it was not until the 1980s that regular sentences began.

“The mosque became a central center for the Muslim community and marked a key moment for the Murat family to remain connected with their values and faith,” he said.

The Mareba mosque was built in 1970, and regular sentences began in the 1980s. Credit: SBS URDU

He said the mosque was built through contributions from non -Muslim communities, including Italian and Greek communities.

The mayor of Mareba, Angela Toppin, said that the city had benefited from strong ties in different cultures and religions, remembering that her Italian speech mother was a friend of Mother Albanian from the Murat brothers.

The mayor of Mareba, Angela Toppin, praised the harmony of the city. Credit: SBS URDU

“Even our parents, Italian and Albanian mothers formed lasting friendships, promoting community support despite different religions,” he said.

Skender and Peter Murat with their late sister, Mary Galina. Credit: SBS URDU

The locals agree that mutual respect is essential to maintain harmony in Mareba.

Ross Cardillo, councilor of the Mareba Shire council, highlighted the presence of several Muslim communities, including the Albanian, Birian, Pakistani, Bangladesis and Turkish communities.

“These communities coexist with respect and share multicultural values, which are the basis of Mareba’s harmony,” he said.

Warm welcome

In recent years, Dr. Fawad Ali and Asjad Ali, both Muslims of Pakistani origin, have also made Mareba their home.

Fawad is an agricultural scientist and researcher at the University of Griffith, while Asjad works in a local business.

“I moved to Mareba five years ago. I feel that the regional nature of Mareba is much more appropriate to maintain our culture, religion and values compared to the largest cities,” said Asjad Ali.

Fawad Ali shared a similar perspective.

Contrary to erroneous concepts about regional Australia, I feel that Mareba welcomes immigrants from all religions and cultures.

Dr. Fawad Ali

The future of the community

Skender’s daughter, Sherry Murat, is looking at another milestone from the community.

Together with her husband, Semir Elmazi, she is working to establish an Islamic school in Mareba.

The school, which is expected to be completed in 2026, aims to provide faith based on faith while promoting the community and preserves cultural values, he said.

“We need an Islamic school, similar to the Catholic and other faith -based schools, to nurture values and provide an education focused on faith,” he said.

During a visit to the newly acquired land, about 20 minutes from downtown Mareba, Sherry said the local community had been highly cooperative.

Sherry Murat assured land for Islamic school in Mareba.jpg

Sherry Murat has assured land for an Islamic school in Mareba. Credit: SBS URDU

“The majority of the community participates in multiple activities, such as an Iphtar Multifish,” he said, speaking of an event where the Mosque Hall opens to all for a dinner during the month of fasting of Ramadan.