Australia Mosque in Lahore marks 100 years of Australia–Pakistan connections

By Wasif Mahmood

LAHORE -- A ceremony was held in Lahore to mark the centenary of the Australia Mosque, a historic place of worship near Lahore Railway Station that was built in 1926 by Khawaja Ghulam Bux, a Lahori who was then living in Australia.

The centenary celebration brought together community leaders, prominent Pakistanis, artists, families and Australian and Australian-Pakistani participants to commemorate a century of faith, migration, heritage and people-to-people connections between Pakistan and Australia.

Addressing the ceremony, Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan Timothy Kane said the 100-year-old mosque was not merely the story of a building but the story of people who travelled between Pakistan and Australia, built families and communities, practised their faith and carried their culture with them.

He said the historical links between the two peoples went back well before Pakistan and Australia established formal diplomatic relations in 1948. A century ago, Muslim caravan leaders and migrants from Balochistan and Sindh travelled to Australia, where they helped settle the Australian outback, contributed to the development of railways and carried their faith and culture with them.

The High Commissioner said the centenary was also a reminder of the continuing contribution of Muslim and Pakistani communities to Australia's multicultural society. More than 145,000 Pakistanis are currently living in Australia, contributing prominently in different fields.

Timothy Kane said that when Australia-Pakistan relations are discussed, the focus often remains on government-to-government engagement, whereas the Australia Mosque highlights that the relationship is ultimately about people and the connections they have built across generations.

Ayesha Bux, a descendant of the family behind the mosque's founding story and founder of SalamFest, said the Australia Mosque was more than a century-old building of bricks and mortar. It was a living story of families, faith and friendship between Australia and Pakistan that should be carried forward to future generations.

Speaking at the ceremony, Akhuwat Foundation Chairman Dr Amjad Saqib, Provincial Secretary Auqaf Ehsan Bhutta and Ayesha Bux said Australia could take pride in the contributions of the Pakistani community and Muslim Australians. They said the centenary celebration was not only an opportunity to remember the past but also a symbol of the living and enduring relationship between the two countries.

They said the future of Australia-Pakistan relations would be shaped by people who carry this shared heritage forward.

Justice (R) Dr Nasira Iqbal, Dr Abdul Bari Khan, educationist Saleema Hashmi and renowned actor Faryal Gohar, among others, also addressed the gathering. They said the friendship between Pakistan and Australia was rooted in enduring people-to-people ties and continued to grow stronger with time.

The centenary programme featured reflections on heritage, service, art and community, as well as stories linking Lahore with Australia and an intergenerational celebration of the mosque's legacy.

The event also featured Australian and Australian-Pakistani participants, including Ayman Islam of the Centre for Muslim Wellbeing, Victoria, and Hellen Kibowen of the Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia (FECCA), further highlighting the continuing connections between the two countries.