Facelift for Victoria’s first mosque

By Youssef Saudie

Mar 15, 2022

Shepparton’s Albanian Mosque has unveiled its refurbishments, drawing hundreds of community members to celebrate the renovated place of worship.

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It has been revamped to fit its growing community, with funding from donations and the Victorian Government.

Mosque president Reg Qemal said he was proud to see what had been achieved and delivered for the community.

Pride in mosque: History is embedded in the Albanian mosque of Shepparton. Photo by Youssef Saudie

“I would especially like to thank our members of the local Albanian community as well as the non-Albanian community for their generous donations,” he said.

The Albanian mosque was the first mosque in Victoria, established in 1960, and this is its biggest renovation.

Fond memories: It was a time to recognise and reflect on the strong history of Albanians in Shepparton. Photo by Youssef Saudie

The mosque has been modernised with freshly-painted walls, new carpets, a green garden and upgrades to its community centre, including a kitchenette.

"We’ve been able to redesign a new layout within the existing footprint, which is more suitable for today's community needs,“ Mr Qemal said.

City of Greater Shepparton Mayor Kim O’Keeffe said the development was important for the town’s diverse communities to continue to “grow and flourish”.

Community together: People from across greater Shepparton came to see the unveiling of Albanian mosque Photo by Youssef Saudie

She said the Albanian community was a “really great testament” to what City of Greater Shepparton was all about.

Full of joy: Zinet Hasankolli and Hyrmet Mehmet have been part of the Shepparton Albanian mosque for decades. Photo by Youssef Saudie

“I'm really proud of the Albanian community in the way that they have connected their culture so strongly to our own community and made the community their own,” Cr O’Keeffe said.