Fazal Deen

Fazal Deen (19 June 1898 - 29 December 1963) was a Pakistani-Australian man who came to Australia initially as a migrant from British India when a young man. He spent much of his life in the Northern Territory where he worked as a hawker, battery-operator and entrepreneur and, later, moved to Brisbane where he ran and invested in numerous businesses.

In the 1940s, while visiting India, he was caught up in violence following the Partition of India, in which his family lost much of their land and wealth. Following his return to Australia, he became a vocal advocate for Pakistan. Between 1935 and 1936 the plant processed of gold from or ore for a total value of £13,375. At the battery Deen attracted criticism from the people working for him for paying a portion of their wages as credits only for goods at his store. On the same land he also ran over 500 goats as well as smaller numbers of cattle and horses and used Halal butchering practices.

In 1936 four of Deens sons - Jagir, Wazir, Noor and Nasib (Tom), joined him in Tennant Creek and they lived together in a large house where Deen was known for entertaining and cooking for many guests.

He died on 29 December 1963.