ABSTRACT
This chapter delves into an overview of Sikh history, development, and integration into the New Zealand and Australian societies. The chapter begins by providing context to the arrival of the Sikhs, touching on the movement of lascars and other pioneering Indians. The research then moves on to the first recorded Sikh entries in both countries and the community’s early development. As the community developed, Sikhs became politically active, even more so with the growing immigration restrictions against South Asians across the Anglo-sphere. The chapter then outlines the integration, cultural and religious development, and employment in both the historical and contemporary context. Finally, the chapter concludes by framing the current community showing that the Sikhs are a small but highly integrated and vibrant part of both New Zealand and Australia.
