Executive Magistrate Zarrin Tasnim Tasin was working on complex landholding issues in a remote border region of Bangladesh near Rohingya refugee communities when she applied for an Australia Awards Scholarship. Today, she is studying a Master of Environmental Policy and Management at Adelaide University, supporting her contribution to Bangladesh’s sustainable development and environmental priorities. In the story below, written by Zarrin, she reflects on the journey that brought her to Australia.
Every dream has a beginning.
Mine began on my birthday last year, in a way I never expected.
Among the birthday wishes was an email that became the most special gift of the day.
“Congratulations. You have been shortlisted for an interview.” I couldn’t have asked for anything better. I was one step closer to my Australian dream. …
I couldn’t have been happier. A new country. A new city. A new chapter.
As I write this from Adelaide, I realise the scholarship has given me much more than a university degree. It has given me a second home.
For a woman from Bangladesh, dreaming of Australia was never simple. We often grow up carrying responsibilities alongside of our ambitions, learning to be practical before we are bold. Studying overseas was never just about boarding a plane. It was about believing that I belonged in a place I had only seen in photographs.
I have fallen in love with Adelaide’s gentle rhythm – the calmness of the city, the sunsets that paint the sky in gold and pink, the beaches that seem to stretch forever, and the warmth of people who make strangers feel welcome.
I have watched people hustle through their workdays, only to slow down and savour life over a glass of wine and soft music in warmly lit restaurants on Saturday nights. I have seen friends and families dressed in their finest, sharing laughter that lingers long after the evening ends. I have witnessed the city’s vibrant festivals in summer and its twinkling lights in winter. There is something deeply charming about this city – so full of life, yet so wonderfully composed.
Sometimes I sit beside the River Torrens, watching cotton-candy clouds drift by. Sometimes I spend an afternoon in a cafe, watching people rush to work or share stories over coffee. Sometimes I pause between classes to listen to students chatting in accents from every corner of the world or stop to hear a street musician turn an ordinary afternoon into something magical. Through these simple moments, I watch life unfold around me.
The smiles of strangers on the street or on the bus make me feel as though I’ve always belonged here. The continuous encouragement of university lecturers and staff makes me feel that my voice matters. The open, non-judgemental faces of people have never made me feel like an outsider.
Walking through the thousands of people of every size, shape, colour and language flowing through Rundle Mall makes me realise what true inclusiveness really means.
Now I know that Australia is not defined by one face, one language, or one culture. Every accent, every tradition, and every story adds another colour to the same canvas. For someone who arrived from thousands of kilometres away, that quiet acceptance has been one of the greatest gifts this country has given me.
I know I only have limited time in this beautiful country, and I want to live every day with intention. Sometimes I wonder: how do I repay this country? How do I make the best use of my time here?
I don’t want to miss a single opportunity to grow. Every conversation, every challenge, and every new experience teaches me something. I believe wisdom is the greatest freedom, and Australia has given me the chance to pursue it. So, I say yes. Yes to community volunteering. Yes to leadership programs. Yes to friendships that cross continents. Yes to wandering the city with no destination in mind. Yes to the sharp winter breeze against my face and the crunch of autumn leaves beneath my feet. These moments have become my own way of embracing Australia.
One day, I will board another flight home with my master’s degree. Yet Australia will travel with me – in the values I carry, the friendships I cherish, and the person I have become. As a public servant, I hope to carry those values into the communities I serve, to help build a society a little more compassionate, a little more inclusive, and a little more resilient because of what I learned here.
When I first dreamed of Australia, I imagined a destination. Now I know my Australian dream was never simply about studying abroad or earning a degree.
It is about belonging. It is about discovering parts of myself I never knew existed.
It is about carrying the kindness and hope I found here back home, so that this dream continues long after I leave.
