Woolgoolga was an early centre of Sikh migration to Australia. As early as the 1890’s, Sikhs had migrated to New South Wales and Queensland where the agriculture was similar to their native Punjab region. Many worked on farms up and down the north coast of New South Wales and in southeastern Queensland.

More Sikhs began to settle in Woolgoolga during World War II when the country opened up to immigration given the war-time labour shortages in the banana industry. Woolgoolga has the largest regional Sikh/Punjabi population in Australia, and they are now said to own 90% of the banana farms.