How a sheep-farming town became one of WA’s most diverse and harmonious communities

In a sheep-farming town in rural Western Australia lies a long line of flags.

Katanning, 300 kilometres south-east of Perth, challenges the traditional stereotypes often seen in many country settlements and is considered one of the most diverse pockets in the state.

According to the Katanning Shire, the area of about 4,000 people includes 50 language groups.

And about one quarter of the population had both parents born overseas.

Malay, Karen, Burmese, Hazaraghi and Afrikaans are the most common languages spoken at home other than English, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Some of the people who call Katanning home are refugees who have fled war zones.

Others have sought employment opportunities in primary industries and have stayed to raise a family in one of the more affordable locations in WA.

Among the colourful characters in the town is Imam Alep Mydie.

He says the secret to a diverse group of people living in harmony is everyone contributing to the community and respecting one another.

Friendly smile

Alep looks up from his kitchen and greets his customers with a warm smile.

His restaurant sits on the main street of town and has a steady stream of people seeking coffee and curry puffs.

“My cafe is my office, we drink coffee each day, maybe two, three, four, five or six times a day and every time a friend comes in for a chat, another coffee again so I have to go home early, or I’ll put on weight,” Alep joked.

He was born on Christmas Island and moved to the quiet town with his parents in 1974.

“The meatworks needed workers to come here, and the islanders were looking for a job … so it married them together and here we are after 50 years,” he said.

Alep said many of the original workers brought in decades ago had retired and with that came a new wave of migration, with people from places ranging from the Pacific Islands to Afghanistan.

“You have Tongan, Solomon Islands, Fijian, people from Malaysia, Indonesia, people from Singapore, Taiwan, China, Europeans and a few other places,” he said.

He said so many diverse perspectives had brought a positive outlook to Katanning.

“It’s a very tolerant place where people can live happily in the most harmonious way,” he said.

Hesitation at first 

When Alep isn’t in his restaurant, he can be found at the local mosque where he is an imam or Islamic leader.

“When we first arrived here people had a lot of doubt, people were unsure and fearful, it’s a fear of what are these people doing here,” he said.

“But as time and years went by, they understood we’re just another group of people just like the Italians and the Greeks that came before us.”

Alep said multiculturalism was very common in big cities but believed the diverse structure in Katanning was unique for a country town.

He said people in the town were accepting of different religions and nationalities.

“That’s why people are willing to come here,” he said.

Asked what the secret was to living in harmony, Alep said it was simply to respect one another – and joked that barracking for a good football team like the Eagles also helped.

Another resident, Superwan Thomas, said she too loved being part of the Katanning community. 

Superwan moved to WA from Thailand 16 years ago.

She runs a restaurant incorporating “Thai and Aussie” food. 

“I love the people, [it’s why] I’ve lived a long time here,” she said.

Harmony Festival 

As Harmony Week approaches and Katanning gets ready to hold its annual Harmony Festival, Alep had a message to people who may be afraid of diversity and things that are different.

“Come and visit, don’t judge by the cover of the book, come and see for yourself and feel and talk to people,” he said.

“Don’t judge quickly, sense it, feel it, this is Katanning, I love it.”