Summary

Black and white digital image of Janeth Mumtaz Begum Deen, age 14 in Brisbane, 1956.

Janeth is a well-known name in the Queensland Muslim and multicultural communities. She is a descendant of the old Indian Muslim migrant families who settled in Mt Gravatt where the oldest mosque (Holland Park Mosque) was built in Brisbane. She was born in Brisbane; educated in St Mary's Catholic School and Holy Spirit Catholic School as well as Griffith University where she obtained a Graduate Diploma. She worked in administrative jobs as well as teaching business principles, typing, citizenship education and history at Emmanuel College.

Janeth has been an active member of the Muslim community since her childhood, following in the footsteps of her parents and other relatives. As a young girl, she was a member of the Ladies Auxiliary Committee within the Holland Park Muslim community. Janeth is the founder of the Queensland Muslim Welfare Association Inc. She is President of the Queensland Muslim Historical Society Inc, cherishing Muslim cultural heritage in Brisbane and surrounding areas.

Janeth is committed to helping people in need. She also established the first Muslim welfare second-hand shop in Australia which distributes food, clothes and toys and other goods or items donated by Muslim residents in Logan. As a Trustee of the Muslim Charitable Foundation, Janeth collected donations to help the Nursery Road Special School in purchasing a walker for a number of their students.

Description of Content

Portrait of a young woman with necklace.

Physical Description

Black and white digital photograph.

Significance

Statement of Historical Significance:
Muslims in Australia are an under represented cohort in both the museum's collections and Australian history more broadly. As an-ever growing faith in Australia, it is important to trace the migration and settlement of Muslim Australians across time in order to help provide a historical, social and cultural context for Muslim Australians today. This collection is the key outcome for the collaboration between the Museum and Dr Dzavid Haveric, MV research associate, who has published a seminal history of Muslims in Australia. This collection is the result of his research and community interviews.

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