There have been Indians in Australia continuously since convict days, kinda makes them like one of us, not to forget their military contribution.

‘’AI Overview

During World War I, both Indian soldiers and Indian Australians served alongside Australian forces. Approximately 16,000 British Indian troops, including Gurkhas, Sikhs, Muslims, and Hindus, fought at Gallipoli as part of the British force. Additionally, at least 12 Indian Australians enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). While the British Indian troops played a significant role in the Gallipoli campaign, the Indian Australians primarily served on the Western Front. ‘’
An opinion of the time,
‘’Australians came into regular contact with Indian troops from British forces throughout the First World War, fighting in close proximity to them on Gallipoli and in the Middle East. Indian troops of any unit were highly thought of by the Australians. In 1915, Private Charlie Beherendt said: “I have been fighting side by side with Kitchener’s army, and the Sikhs and Gurkhas. The Indians fight like tigers and are a great unit to the Empire.”

When I traveled to India, on a rail pass, I fell in with a unit of Ghurkas in the Indian Army.  They were traveling to Kashmir for deployment.  They were good fun to be with.  They loved practicing their English skills on me.  Their officer was an Indian.  We talked about Army life and the differences between Australians and Indians.  They were surprised that I loved Indian food and were glad to share their rations with me.   They were fierce looking fellows and we willing to show their Kukris to me.  I had heard many stories about the Ghurkas over the years from my fellow soldiers.  I wouldn't like to go up against them.

Sir Eoin O Fada wrote on Aug 14^th, 2025 at 12:30pm:


Those of any worth have in the main been Sikhs.

There was also the Korean War,

‘’India, which was still recovering from its bitter partition of 1947, stayed neutral when the war broke out. It did, however, offer medical assistance and sent its 60th Parachute Field Ambulance Platoon, a mobile army surgical hospital, to treat wounded soldiers, civilians and prisoners of war.

Led by Lt. Colonel A.G. Rangaraj, Indian troops arrived in Busan on Nov. 20, 1950, with medical supplies for six months. With no transportation available, it was difficult to move. Reluctant to abandon their supplies, the soldiers used an ancient steam locomotive to reach the site to provide high-quality medical care to soldiers amid fierce crossfire, earning the title "Maroon Angels." [from their medical corps maroon berets]

The team included surgeons, anesthesiological specialists and a dentist. The unit of 364 men officially became a medical evacuation unit for the 27th British Commonwealth Brigade on Dec. 14, 1950, and continued its support until returning home in February 1954.’’

and not a few Australian soldiers owed their lives to them.

Gnads wrote on Aug 14^th, 2025 at 6:27pm:

Small but valid point, that no one worries about.

Sir Eoin O Fada wrote on Aug 15^th, 2025 at 1:04pm:


Why? They aren't Indians. Nothing remotely similar in looks or culture.

Gnads wrote on Aug 15^th, 2025 at 6:44pm:

But they are similar, firstly, their language is an Indo-Aryan one, just like,

‘’ Key Characteristics:
Origins:
Indo-Aryan languages originated from Proto-Indo-Aryan, which is a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages, which in turn are a branch of the Indo-European language family.
Geographical Distribution:
Primarily spoken in the northern and eastern parts of the Indian subcontinent, with significant populations in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives.
Modern Languages:
Includes major languages like Hindi (one of the official languages of India), Urdu (official language of Pakistan), Bengali, Marathi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Oriya, and Nepali.
Dialects:
Many Indo-Aryan languages have multiple dialects, and some, like Hindi, have regional variations. ’’

Food is much the same as well.[yummy].