Cam made up stories about his family, a historical journal revealed the truth

For most of his life, Cam Sojan never knew his family history.He knew his father was born in Geraldton, went to school in Perth and then joined the military in Canberra, but learned little else before his father passed away."Sadly I think my father carried a bit of shame about his origin through his whole life," Mr Sojan said."I'm 55 and up until 54 I had no idea where I came from."I had all sorts of stories I had confected about who I was and where I came from but I didn't really know."In 2025, during a period of soul-searching, Mr Sojan stumbled upon the Irwin District Historical Society, a dedicated group of residents in Dongara helping preserve the Midwest's past.The Victorian man, who now lives in Brisbane, soon realised there was a whole bloodline of Sikh men with his surname who had arrived in Dongara in the 1900s.Several Sikh journals then revealed Mr Sojan's family story.Cam Sojan is a fourth-generation descendant of Sojan Singh (pictured left), who moved to Dongara in the 19th century. (Supplied: Sikh Association of WA)"I am directly related to Sojan Singh who was the Sikh Indian gentleman who arrived in the late 19th century when there was a wave of Sikh and Afghans who arrived at that time," he said."[The historical society] had all of this information about my great-grandfather and a little bit about my grandfather, who I absolutely had never met."That's when I decided: 'I've got to come to Western Australia and discover this for myself.'"Mr Sojan travelled to WA with his wife, Allison, to learn more about his history. (Supplied: Cam Sojan)Travelling for connectionMr Sojan travelled across the country to Perth to meet long-lost relatives, including cousins and an uncle.He said initial nerves at meeting his uncle in Geraldton, 420 kilometres north of Perth, dissolved when he was welcomed into their family home with open arms.The family got together several times during his stay."We met with their son and his family and just sat around and shared stories, the good, bad, the ugly, which is what families are," he said.Cam Sojan (left), his wife Allison and his uncle Roy (right) with his wife Jeanie at Sikh Lane in the Shire of Irwin. (Supplied: Cam Sojan)"My connection to the land and connection to the people couldn't be stronger."Back home, Mr Sojan said his heart finally felt full."I'm centred and grounded by knowing where I come from and what my purpose is.""I'm so proud … it [makes me want] to really fight the fight of multiculturalism and embrace the heritage of multiculturalism in Australia," he said.Cam Sojan (third from the right) with relatives in Geraldton. (Supplied: Cam Sojan)Darker side of historyMr Sojan thinks the secrecy surrounding his family history highlights the darker side of Australia's migration history."The wave of the White Australia policy really took hold of these interracial children who were half-Irish, half-Indian and were subject to the difficulties of growing up in Australia," he said.Mr Sojan said his father, like many immigrants, suffered bullying in childhood."My father was quite elitist but I think that's because he was like, 'you've got to be the best'," he said."He really chose to look forward and suppress the dark shadows of his early childhood."Dongara, 350 kilometres north of Perth, has a rich multicultural history. (ABC Midwest & Wheatbelt: Chris Lewis)The power of objectsIrwin District Historical Society secretary, Trish Parker, said Mr Sojan's story made the work her team did "worth it"."To think that we've been a small part in putting Cam's story together for him; it's an enormous honour," she said."You do a lot of work behind the scenes … conserving objects and cataloguing them."I think it makes you even more determined to keep doing a good job because this work we do in conserving and telling stories, it does make a difference."Trish Parker says it has been an honour to help Mr Sojan learn his family history. (ABC News: Piper Duffy)Ms Parker said working with the society had made her realise the important role objects played in people's histories."Our collection is so big and there are so many stories in there," she said."It's really taught me the importance of looking after those objects because of the stories they tell, not just for their family but for the community as well."