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Preeshita Shah

Preeshita Shah

Storyteller, Journalist, Digital Producer

My Latest Work

The Citizen •

Retirement villages to prime time courts: the rise of Pickleball

It’s 7pm on a Tuesday at The Jar in South Melbourne, and the distinctive whack of plastic paddles hitting perforated balls echoes through the converted warehouse.

Four courts are packed wall-to-wall. A corporate team bonds through rallies alongside an intermediate coaching session, while four friends catch up, one gripping a paddle for the very first time. Music pulses and sponsorship logos from VietJet, Squealing Pig, and Luzz line the walls.
The Parkville Post •

Partisan Media Shapes Fate of Melbourne's Second Injecting Room

Stepping out from the warmth of one of Melbourne’s renowned Italian eateries and onto Bourke Street, a clash of realities becomes apparent. Across the street stands a grand, run-down federation style building with high ceilings and an imperial staircase commanding the entryway. A few steps down the hall lies a large, unadorned space, furnished with basic Ikea plastic chairs and a modest cafe setup, complete with instant black coffee and paper cups.One recent Wednesday evening, had you been dinin...
The Parkville Post •

Heart of Carlton is a local favourite. Why was it repeatedly vandalised?

When people go about committing evil acts, that evil will eventually collapse upon itself. That’s what life has taught Michael Kelly, who runs the Heart of Carlton, a small café in Melbourne’s inner north.His theory played out in real life on a Saturday morning in late March, when he found a man outside his café with severe wounds to his arm and back, likely caused by a machete attack.Michael recognised the man. “I knew that he was the one who was attacking [my] café,” he said.Between February a...
All The Best Radio •

#649 Emergenc(y): Beyond the Needle

The tattoo industry in Melbourne is facing a complex challenge. While the city remains a hub for ink culture, artists are grappling with a growing demand for sustainability in a sector dominated by single-use plastics and strict health regulations. As artists innovate and clients become more conscious of their environmental impact, the industry is at a crossroads. Can tattooing evolve without compromising safety? Preeshita Shah reports.

Produced by Preeshita Shah
ABC News •

After a decade of fasting and fundraising a Jain temple takes shape

At an eye-catching construction site in Melbourne's south-east, ornately carved marble blocks, like the ones used in the Taj Mahal, are being assembled "like a jigsaw puzzle".By the end of next year, it's hoped the pieces will come together, and finally make real the Victorian Jain community's long-awaited dream of having their own temple.Jainism is an ancient Indian religion grounded in non-violence and personal spiritual development.Nitin Doshi, president of Melbourne Shwetambar Jain Sangh (MS...
The Yarn •

Voters' Voices: Election Post-Mortem - The Yarn

It’s been called “a win for the ages”. Anthony Albanese is Australia’s first prime minster to win consecutive terms in more than two decades. His landslide victory has left the Coalition reeling, especially in major cities like Melbourne.

For the final episode of Voters’ Voices, we’re focusing on Melbourne’s swing towards Labor. We’re also revisiting the key themes of this series — marginal electorates, the youth vote, and civic disillusionment.

Featuring reporting by Ashleigh Wyss, Preeshita...
ABC News •

'Feels like a tipping point': India and Pakistan diaspora grapple with Kashmir conflict

When Syed Aijaz heard about air strikes on Tuesday night, he immediately called his family in Kashmir, fearing for their safety.When he spoke to his family, who live in India-controlled Kashmir, they felt trapped and apprehensive, he said."People are stocking up on supplies and staying at home as they have nowhere to go," Mr Aijaz, a Kashmiri man who has lived in Australia for 15 years, said.
The Citizen •

Deal or no deal? Student protesters claim partial victory, vote to pack up. It all swings on an email from uni HQ

Pro-Palestine student protesters at the University of Melbourne have tonight (Wednesday) claimed a partial victory in their months-long campaign demanding that the university disclose and divest links to weapons manufacturers involved in the Israel-Hamas war.

After a week of tense negotiations, threats and a stalemate around the student occupation of the Arts West building, “Unimelb for Palestine” organisers told a crowd of about 40 assembled activists that the university had undertaken to disc
The Citizen •

Pro-Palestine student activists continue to defy uni order to pack up Arts West sit in

At 8am on Monday at the University of Melbourne, pro-Palestine protesters involved in a six day “sit-in” inside Arts West – the showpiece contemporary seven-story building at the heart of the historic Parkville campus – were issued with notices directing them to remove their property from the building and leave campus.

Some students left the building with their equipment and bedding. But by late morning there were still about 35 students still camped inside the building which students have rena
The Yarn •

A Fortnight of Student Protest - The Yarn

Coming up to its third week, the Gaza solidarity camp at the University of Melbourne is growing — It’s almost quadrupled to at least ninety tents.

But the encampment is coming under increasing pressure. Last Thursday, pro-Israel demonstrators marched across campus, culminating in a face off with pro-Palestine students amid a heavy police presence.

And this week, Petter Dutton called for encampments across the country to be forcibly removed. He also proposed new laws to fine Universities who do