On the BAWAZ bandwagon

"Today in 2013 almost half of the local Zoroastrian population is involved in managing their own business and some families even have second generation members involved in the family business in tourism, local transport, shipping, accounting, immigration, construction, manufacturing, mining, restaurants and telecommunications,” states Firoz Pestonji, president of the Business Association of Western Australian Zoroastrians (BAWAZ) that was launched last year. The main aim of the new association is "collaboration between businessmen and professionals, networking, socializing and training the youngsters by empowering them with projects, etc,” mentions the president giving an overview of the community in Perth in his detailed email responses to Parsiana.

BAWAZ outing to Chittering Valley in June 2013

Since membership opened six months ago, 22 individuals have become members of BAWAZ and participate in monthly meetings where knowledgeable speakers are invited to address current and prospective members on subjects that would interest them. Professionals pay Aus $ 100 (Rs 5,900) for BAWAZ annual membership, and businessmen $ 200 (Rs 11,800).
"Once BAWAZ is in full gear we plan to become members of the World Zarathushti Chamber of Commerce but that may be in the next six months,” clarifies Pestonji. He refers to the days in 2007 when with the assistance of WZCC’s Yezdi Tantra and Ader Gandhi they had started the Perth branch "but sadly the global financial crisis hit us then and things got hectic to survive so we petered off.”
Besides the president, the two other trustees of BAWAZ are vice president Kersi Pedder and Dinyar Marfatia. Whilst building up his firm Aussie Perth Tours and Perth Maxi Charters where he is managing director, not only did Pestonji serve as president of the Zoroastrian Association of Western Australia (ZAWA), he also officiated as president of the Federation of Indian Communities in West Asia and was vice president of the Australian Indian Chamber of Commerce. Pedder runs his own transport business supplying spare parts and Marfatia has an accountancy firm and is a Justice of Peace. Pestonji’s daughter Farzana Khambatta who is the secretary of BAWAZ, holds a double degree in chemical engineering and finance and has worked on prestigious oil and gas projects. Shaneaya Sherdivala, the treasurer, is acting chief financial officer for the Department of Planning and the Western Australian Planning Commission.

BAWAZ organized meet

Referring to the profile of the migrants who have landed in Perth in the last 10 years or so, Pestonji states that most of the new arrivals in their thirties are highly qualified personnel in the information technology and shipping industry. Quite a few from New Zealand have now been convinced by friends to make Perth their new home. Recent migrants include students who have stayed back, married and settled here. Many bring their spouses from India though a few locals have found marriage partners from within and outside the Zoroastrian community in Perth.
The first Zoroastrian believed to have settled in the Perth area in the 1950s was Gij Guzder. In the early days most Zoroastrians were employed with government agencies. They were just able to eke out a living without any frills or luxuries in the absence of job security. They barely knew of each other’s existence and social interaction was almost non-existent. Ingredients like Indian spices, hot chillies, dhansak masala and papadams were not easily available and people had to bring this stuff from their trips to India once in three or five years, whenever affordable.

There was a time when there was no major city within 3,000 km proximity of Perth considered one of the most isolated capital cities in the world. To its east was Adelaide, to its west was South Africa across the Ocean, and nothing north or south. In this isolation not many people were willing to settle for long.
In 1962 when American astronaut John Glenn orbited the earth, Perth was requested by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) to turn on its lights to facilitate his mission. After his successful circumnavigation when Glenn visited the city he mentioned that the lights were clearly visible from space after which Perth became known worldwide as the "City of Lights,” recalled Pestonji. Although Perth had witnessed a gold rush over the last 100 years there was no major Asian influence until the 1970s.
In the 1980s Perth and its sister harbor town Fremantle became prominent destinations on the world map after the famous yachting cup event. Suddenly people realized about this corner of the world and started to drift towards this area which offered "opportunities, safety of isolation, clean atmosphere and scope for development… The quiet, relaxed and peaceful, laidback life” appealed to them. Perth’s proximity to India drew new migrants.

"Growing steadily”
In the 1990s, a new trickle of Zoroastrians started coming in. This included the Pestonjis who within five years of making Perth their home, had an informal meeting at their house in 1997 attended by around 45 people when it was decided to form a Zoroastrian association. Promoting social and religious networking amongst the community in Perth, ZAWA was launched 15 years ago. Among the key workers then were Home Wadia and Farhad Mehta and with the support of many other Zoroastrian members they finalized their constitution and registered their association.
In the early days of ZAWA they would have regular activities like debates and a children’s class on Sundays, humbandagis once a month, celebrations of gahanbars, frequent picnics and social outings. They had also started a monthly newsletter titled The Chronicle which was the joint effort of Behram Cooper, Purveen MeherHomji and Pestonji. "ZAWA did see a lot of upheavals whilst growing steadily,” reports Pestonji who was the founder secretary of this body.
The Zoroastrian population in Perth which includes a large group from Bombay, parts of Gujarat, Dubai and New Zealand currently numbers around 400. ZAWA has 80 families enrolled as members. With a mean age of around 45 years, around 20 seniors, lots of young children and a vibrant group of teenagers, the average family has two or three children although some couples have no children and there are some with five kids, states Pestonji.
Those who have followed family and friends to Perth often choose to live in the same neighborhood within a few minutes of each other. At the last ZAWA function on August 24, 2013 there was a show organized by Absolute Bollywood followed by a Parsi meal catered by Tanaz Ghadialy.

Flag of Australia, Kangaroo is Australia’s unofficial symbol

The current ZAWA team that will remain at the helm until the next elections in October 2013 includes president Mahrukh Bhamgara, vice president Perlin Salaskar, secretary Homiyar Randeria, treasurer Villy Khambatta and committee members Shahpoor Kalantary, Pervez Mistry and Khushnuma Fitter. Membership is open to all Zoroastrians living in Perth and there is also a provision for non-Zoroastrians to become members. The annual fees for ZAWA is $ 50 (Rs 2,950) per family, $ 30 (Rs 1,770) for an individual over 18 years, $ 10 (Rs 590) for a senior citizen and $ 20 (Rs 1,180) for a couple. There are around 20 percent who have chosen not to become members of either ZAWA or BAWAZ, according to Pestonji. Although there are a few Zoroastrians in Kargorlie and up north who are working in that area there are no other Zoroastrian associations in the vicinity.
Most members of the community are moderate in their views and "mind their own business but there are a few strong headed ones who would like the majority to sway their way,” conveys Pestonji. Besides the monthly get-togethers, at religious functions like jashans, gahanbars or muktads held at the residence of Ervad Aspi Madan there are around 45-60 people in attendance, usually the same faces. Most Zoroastrians meet family and friends over weekends and for social outings like picnics avail of the buses/coaches supplied by Perth Maxi Charters. "Both ZAWA and BAWAZ do have a lot of common members and are mainly interested in serving the local Zoroastrian population… The long-term aim is to develop our own community hall and dar-e-meher in Perth,” declares Pestonji.

Tour de force
"There are hardly any other Asians managing the coach and charters business locally,” says Pestonji for whom competition comes largely from European migrants or local Australians. It was over 15 years ago that Pestonji launched his enterprise. At a time when job prospects were poor, he undertook a 10-day taxi training course, hoping it would help him in his retirement years. But being an entrepreneur, he immediately "saw a great potential and capitalized on the same. Within two years we had an established taxi business and then we purchased a bus company, Perth Maxis.” With long hours of work and the full support of the family which included his wife Mahrukh and three young children Farzana, Arzan and Shazan, Pestonji started a tour division in 1999, Aussie Perth Tours, specializing in providing professional service with a personalized touch to clients from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, UK and other European companies.
Over the years "We have been privileged to have offered our services to a lot of high end corporate and VVIP personnel on their visit to Perth, from Bollywood personalities, Indian federal and state politicians, the Vice President of India’s entourage and the Air India crew for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2011, to major events transporting over 600 people at a time. All this was achieved by us due to the blessings of Ahura Mazda and our team of supportive staff and crew,” declares Pestonji who now even dabbles in property investment.

"When Aussie Perth Tours was launched by us at the Singapore Millennium Fair we had almost 18 tour companies in Perth. Sadly today there are only four around,” reports Pestonji mentioning that they were able to survive through the tough times from 9/11 through the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) bird flu period to the Global Financial Crisis and other challenges.
"Thankfully the tough learning in Bombay with Godrej and Boyce and our company Mazda Enterprises had offered us tremendous experience which assisted us in Australia and the global operations we manage now,” acknowledges Pestonji who was born in Bulsar, had studied in Jhansi, joined Godrej as a mechanical engineer and resigned as maintenance engineer of the refrigeration manufacturing plant. He had also ventured into a private business, Mazda Enterprises, specializing in the supply of engineering goods, repair of machinery and revamping of forklift trucks.
When the family decided to relocate to Perth, Pestonji acknowledges, "Life in the early days was rather tough as there was no job availability since Australia was in the midst of a recession then and neither was there proper guidance.” After a period of hardship he joined a local company, Hoffman Engineering as their mechanical project manager and a year later relocated to Newman to work as deputy manager for a mining firm that was involved in the extraction and transportation of iron ore. It was during his three-month break after the last job that he opted for taxi training that requires a good grounding in computer usage.
But more than focusing on his business accomplishments Pestonji takes pride in reporting that he started a website parsisofjhansi.com.au hoping to "provide an impetus to Zoroastrians worldwide to start recording their data… before our traditional history is lost forever.”