November 11 2026
Himachal-born Abhishek Awasthi becomes the first Indian-origin Mayor of Greater Bendigo, Australia
On 9 November 2026, an Indian migrant from a hill town in Himachal Pradesh took the oath as Mayor of one of the largest cities in regional Victoria, Australia. At a ceremony at The Capital Theatre, a historic venue in central Bendigo, Abhishek Awasthi formally took charge of the City of Greater Bendigo for a one-year term, with Andrea Metcalf as his Deputy Mayor.
“I am truly honoured and humbled to have been elected Mayor of the City of Greater Bendigo,” Awasthi told The Tribune after taking office.
The 43-year-old is the first person of Indian origin to hold the city’s top civic office. For Mandi, the town he left in 2008 as a student, it is a moment of shared pride. For Bendigo’s growing Indian community, it is a sign of how far a migrant’s journey can go in a single generation.
View this post on Instagram
Roots in Chhoti Kashi
Awasthi grew up in Lower Samkhetar, a neighbourhood of Mandi town, often called Chhoti Kashi for its many temples. His father retired from the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB). His mother is a homemaker.
Both parents travelled to Australia to watch their son take the oath, along with other relatives. Back home, residents of Mandi have congratulated the family, and the news has been celebrated across the town.
From international student to public servant
Awasthi arrived in Australia in 2008 to study at La Trobe University. He completed studies in biotechnology and went on to earn a master’s degree in bioinformatics, working part-time alongside his course.
Over the following years he built a professional career and held several senior roles in the Victorian state government. He became an Australian citizen in 2015. Today he lives in Greater Bendigo with his wife, Anima, and their daughter, Agni.
He first came to Bendigo to take up a job at La Trobe University. He went on to work with a number of organisations and headed Loddon Campaspe Multicultural Services, which supports migrant communities across the region.
For me, personally, La Trobe is also part of my own Bendigo story. A job with La Trobe University, Bendigo brought me to Bendigo, and ultimately led to me building my life and career in this wonderful community.
Abhishek Awasthi
The city he now leads
Bendigo, under two hours from Melbourne, owes its grand Victorian streetscapes to the gold rush. Gold was discovered in the area in 1851, drawing prospectors from around the world. Today the region is also known for its food. In October 2019 Bendigo was designated Australia’s first UNESCO Creative City and Region of Gastronomy, recognising its local produce, wine and diverse cuisines.
A community builder enters local government
Long before he held elected office, Awasthi was a familiar face in Bendigo’s multicultural life. He founded the Indian Association of Bendigo. His community work stretched well beyond the Indian diaspora. He has been involved with AFL Central Victoria, Rotary and a range of multicultural, health and leadership groups. That work, he told the Bendigo Advertiser, gave him a close view of the pressures locals face, including in food relief and mental health.
In November 2024 he won a seat on the Greater Bendigo City Council from Kennington Ward, one of the city’s nine wards. A local issue anchored his campaign. The Bendigo East Pool, in his ward, had been hit by mechanical breakdowns and doubts over who would run it. “It is too good a local service to lose,” he said as he announced his candidacy in August 2024, calling for a strategic plan that would give residents more say in its future.
Affordable housing was one of my key election commitments and has remained a top priority throughout this Council term. I have consistently advocated for the City of Greater Bendigo to play a stronger role in increasing the supply of affordable housing.
Abhishek Awasthi
He also argued that tourism from India held big opportunities for the city and backed an expanded Bendigo Airport with more flights from other Australian cities. As a first-time councillor, he was chosen as Deputy Mayor for the 2024-25 term, serving alongside then Mayor Andrea Metcalf.
Mayor two years on
Just two years after entering the council, Awasthi was selected as Mayor for 2026-27, replacing Thomas Prince. The Tribune reports that his fellow councillors chose him unanimously.
Speaking to The Tribune, he thanked his fellow councillors for their trust and the community for the chance to serve. He also reached out to well-wishers back home. He told the paper he was deeply grateful to people across India, especially in Himachal Pradesh and Mandi, who had sent their congratulations, and said their love and blessings meant a great deal to him.
In the council’s official announcement, Awasthi said he was ready to serve the community with “kindness and compassion”. At the civic ceremony, he admitted to growing emotional during his address and said every decision in his public life had been made with his children in mind. Living costs, childcare, schools, footpaths and parks, he said, “are not abstract policy questions for us as a family.” He also described local businesses as the lifeblood of Bendigo and named the economy as a priority for his 12-month term.
A bridge between India and Australia
Awasthi has never let distance loosen his ties to Mandi. In January 2025, during a visit home as Deputy Mayor, he was felicitated by the Mandi Municipal Corporation and Mayor Virender Bhatt.
In an interview with The Tribune during that visit, he set out a plan to link his hometown and his adopted city. He proposed student and teacher exchanges between the two places, and suggested promoting Mandi’s natural beauty and heritage in Bendigo to build tourism and economic links.
He also spoke of practical lessons Mandi could borrow from Bendigo. He suggested advanced vocational training to help young people find work, sustainable projects in waste management and renewable energy, and Bendigo’s participatory model of local governance to make civic decisions more transparent.
He spoke of the importance of giving back to his roots. Mayor Bhatt backed his proposal for a sister city partnership between Mandi and Bendigo.
From Samkhetar to Greater Bendigo
18 years after he arrived in Australia as an international student, Awasthi now leads the city he has made his home. The Capital Theatre, where he took his oath, was built in 1873 and is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. It made a fitting stage for a journey that began in a temple town in the Himalayan foothills and led to the mayor’s chair in regional Victoria, a rise that has become a source of inspiration back home.
With close to two decades in Australia, Abhishek Awasthi has thrown himself into local culture, all while keeping his ties to Mandi close. His one-year term will test the promises he has made to Bendigo’s families. It may also bring Mandi and Bendigo closer than ever.
ALSO READ: From Telangana to Sydney: Sandhya Reddy makes history as Indian-origin mayor
Written By: Amrita Priya
From Telangana to Sydney: Sandhya Reddy makes history as Indian-origin mayor
Written By: Amrita Priya