Jasmeet Kaur, Once restricted by White Australia, now celebrated: Punjabi early settler featured in ‘Aussie’ poster series, SBS Punjabi, 2 December 2025
Bella Singh migrated from Punjab to Cairns in the late 1800s with 13 others in search of better opportunities. Over a century on, the man once exempted from the discriminatory dictation test under the White Australia policy is now appearing on streets across Australia as the latest face of Adelaide-based artist Peter Drew’s ‘Aussie’ poster series.
The turbaned Punjabi migrant featured in Australian artist Peter Drew’s viral ‘Aussie’ poster series is Bella Singh, who is also the great-grandfather of NSW Nationals party leader Gurmesh Singh.
This Adelaide-based artist has been creating these posters over the last decade, using photographs of some people who were granted exemption from the discriminatory dictation test under the White Australia Policy.