‘You need to know inside the chapter first’: Refugee shares one in a million stories

A LARGE crowd gathered at the city’s Intercultural Garden on Monday 15 June for a flag raising ceremony to mark Refugee Week 2026.

Nepalese refugee Susan Dahal addressed those gathered.

A childcare worker, Dahal said her children were now with her in Australia.

“I shared so many sad stories all these 14 years,” she said. “And now, this year, my children are with me. So, we’re all together. This year I want to share my happy story.”

Dahal settled in Ballarat in 2012 and had found the community welcoming.

“When I went to the uni, I found so many other multicultural people there, too,” she said.

“It looks like my country here. And people are really kind here.”

Dahal said there was a misjudgement associated with refugees of their motives to come to another country.

However, she said refugees contributed to the community.

“I am doing (work), my husband is doing (work). We are looking after old people and the little people.”

She encouraged others to understand refugees.

“Just sit with them, have a coffee with them, try to say hello and understand why they come here,” she said

“Never judge the book by the cover. You need to know inside the chapter first.”

Suzanne Ryan-Evers, chief executive officer of the Ballarat Regional Multicultural Council, said such understanding was the focus of this year’s Refugee Week with its theme A Million Stories.

“I think once you’ve really sort of taken that time to sort of hear the story, you actually hear the person,” she said. “How special they are and how important it is that we are all very welcoming and we understand that this has been a journey.”

City of Ballarat mayor Cr Tracey Hargreaves said hearing personal stories of what people have gone through to reach Ballarat was privilege.

“I think it gives us perspective on all of the things that we’re so lucky to have here as well,” she said.