‘Mr Sheppy’ with his colourful ice cream truck is an unmissable sight at community events in Shepparton – a Victorian country town he has called home for the last eight years. But it’s the local community that gave him this identity in exchange for the saccharine scoops of love he serves.
Dhami Singh, originally from Jalandhar in north India, touched down in Sydney on Christmas day in 2008.
Little did he know at the time, that he’d be spreading Christmas cheer all year along among the young and old in Shepparton, through his ice cream treats that he has been serving with love since 2010.
“I first came to Shepparton some nine years ago to buy an ice cream truck and wanted to take it back to Sydney where I lived at the time.
“But I had just arrived, didn’t know a lot about the interstate rules. So I ended up losing a lot of money on the truck. Eventually, when it was roadworthy, I brought it back to Shepparton where it belonged,” the 35-year-old told SBS Punjabi.
Today, Mr Singh and his colourful ice cream truck, also known as Mr Sheppy, can be spotted everywhere at the city’s festivals, community events and private gatherings.
Recalling his initial days in the picturesque city nestled on the floodplain of the Goulburn River, Mr Singh says Shepparton is home in more ways than one.
“Here in Australia, it is said that it usually takes 40 years for someone to become a local, but it took me just eight to nine years to become one.”
Mr Singh says though the city also eventually accepted him, it wasn’t without its struggles.
“Initially I encountered a lot of issues. Imagine a Punjabi guy wearing a turban selling ice creams almost 10 years ago was not only uncommon but also something that people disliked.
“But eventually, I was not only trusted but also loved and in fact I became the most preferred vendor. Today I feel proud when people identify me as Mr Sheppy.”
Mr Singh says the city’s vast expanse of land and its agrarian community and affectionate people remind him of his native village in Punjab.
“It looks like Punjab even feels like Punjab. The only difference is their language and perhaps the colour of their skin.
“When you interact particularly with the farmers here, you’ll feel them have the same concerns, the same priorities as farmers in Punjab. They remind me of home I left behind and are a testament of the home I have established here.”
But amidst all the life’s sailings, Mr Singh claims Sikhism has remained his anchor.
Today, besides being an active member of the Sikh community, Mr Singh has found his own sweet way to implement teachings of the faith.
Twice in a year, he puts up ice cream langar (free community meals), once on the World Disability Day on December 3 and another on Australia Day on January 26 for all those in need of a dollop of sweetness in their lives.
You can listen to the SBS interview with Dhami Singh
