| MIGRATION AND SETTLEMENT OF CROATIANS IN AUSTRALIA |
| 1871 :- Croatian migrant and wine-maker, Troyano Darveniza registers his "Excelsior Vineyards". To brand his wines, he designs a label, akin to a Coat of Arms, featuring a kangaroo and an emu. At Federation, in 1901, the Commonwealth adopts the "Croatian Kangaroo and Emu" as the emblem of federated Australia. 1947-1953 :- Highest intake of DP's, mainly from Eastern European - Ukraine, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Croatia .. Northern and later, Southern Europeans follow in the 1950's and 60's. 1949 :- (1) The "Snowy Mountain Hydro-Electric Scheme", a major employer of migrant labour, begins. (2) The "Adult Migrant Education Scheme" is established. 1952 :- The "Displaced Persons Scheme" ends, having brought 170,000 refugees, mainly from Eastern Europe. Multicultural Life Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission |
| Surname 1 Surname 2 Country of Origin Date of Arrival AJDUK Croatia 1938 AJDUK Croatia 1924 AJDUK (YELAVICH) Croatia 1940 ALAGICH Croatia 03/1926 ALAGICH Croatia 26/04/1924 ALAGICH Croatia 15/09/1936 ALAGICH Croatia 06/12/1932 ALAGICH Croatia 06/12/1932 ALAGICH ALAGICH Croatia 06/01/1925 ANTONCIC Croatia 01/03/1959 BABIC Croatia 19/01/1958 BACIC Croatia 27/01/1960 BACIC (VLAIC) Croatia 23/03/1962 BANICEVIC Croatia 30/11/1925 BARBIN Croatia 05/09/1957 BATISTIC (SURKIC) BATISTIC (SURKIC) Croatia BEKAFIGO McALINDEN Croatia 06/1967 BEUK Croatia 02/11/1957 BEUK (MARKOVIC) Croatia 28/07/1960 BILIS (PEKO) BILIS (HRUJA) Croatia 02/05/1928 BLAZINA BLAZINA (BAJ) Croatia 1956 BOSNIC BOSNIC née FUNDAK Croatia 31/12/1962 BOTIC Croatia 16/11/1965 BRADIC (NOVAK) Croatia 1960 BRBOT BRBOT (GAUTA) Croatia 19/01/1958 BUSAN Croatia 03/08/1955 CAREVIC CAREVIC Croatia 08/09/1958 CETINICH-PENSA CETINICH-PENSA Croatia 01/1938 CUBELIC CUBELIC (BARRAVECCHIA) Croatia 10/01/1954 CULJAK CULJAK Croatia 24/06/1965 CVETKO-PUNTAR Croatia 22/05/1957 CVETKO-PUNTAR (KUK) Croatia 14/01/1959 DADICH Croatia 06/1956 DELBIJANKO Croatia 23/10/1949 DERETIC Croatia 15/11/1969 DEZELIC Croatia 02/02/1969 DONJERKOVICH Croatia 1953 DONJERKOVICH (BACICH) Croatia 1956 DOSEN DOSEN (VRATOVIC) Croatia 22/03/1957 DOSEN Croatia 19/06/1969 DRAGANIC DRAGANIC Croatia 12/1960 DUSEVIC DUSEVIC Croatia 03/11/1959 FORKO Croatia 29/11/1960 GAGRO Croatia 18/11/1950 GAVRANIC (REP) Croatia 15/08/1953 GAVRANIC KUJIN Croatia 17/12/1950 GOBIN Croatia 19/01/1964 GRGURINOVICH Croatia 06/01/1925 GRGURINOVICH (ALAGICH) Croatia 1932 GRUBISIC GRUBISIC Croatia 11/1937 GUDAN GUDAN Croatia 03/06/1967 IPSA Croatia 20/02/1963 IPSA Croatia 20/02/1963 IPSA (NEMCIC) Croatia 20/02/1963 IVOSEVIC Croatia 05/11/1956 JERGOVIC Croatia 11/04/1960 KALAJZIC (KALAY) Croatia 22/02/1960 KALINA Croatia 01/01/1933 KARIN Croatia 12/01/1959 KASTELAN Croatia 20/04/1940 KLOBUCAR KLOBUCAR Croatia 11/1958 KNEZEVIC Croatia 10/03/1966 KOCH KOCH Croatia 15/09/1991 KORLJAN Croatia 28/02/1926 KOSOVIC Croatia 31/07/1959 KOVACEVIC Croatia 27/07/1970 KOVACEVIC (JOVIC) Croatia 21/01/1970 KRIZMANIC Croatia 1957 KRSLOVIC Croatia 17/08/1967 KRSLOVIC Croatia 17/08/1967 KRSLOVIC (née BEGONJA) Croatia 17/08/1967 KRSTIC KRSTIC Croatia 24/06/1959 LICUL Croatia 1963 LUKIN LUKIN Croatia 01/03/1959 LULIC Croatia 09/1938 MAGANIC Croatia 06/1962 MALES MALES Croatia 28/10/1966 MANDALINIC Croatia 05/1926 MARCIC Croatia 25/12/1959 MARIJAN Croatia 28/12/1960 MARKOVIC Croatia 28/07/1960 MARKOVINA MARKOVINA (née MILINA) Croatia 08/09/1924 MARUNCIC Croatia 28/01/1958 MATESA Croatia 19/04/1964 MATIN Croatia 21/11/1960 MEDJERAL Croatia 1954 MERLICH (NELL) Croatia 03/11/1961 MESIC Croatia 1959 MIHALJEVIC Croatia 28/07/1957 MILEKOVIC MILEKOVIC Croatia 02/09/1970 MILICIC Croatia 04/1961 MILOBARA Croatia MILOVAC Croatia 01/11/1959 MIOCIC Croatia 1960 MISLOV MISLOV Croatia 29/09/1965 MITROVICH Croatia 29/11/1969 MRAVICIC SEVELJ Croatia 08/12/1959 NIMAC Croatia 21/07/1959 OCASIC Croatia 14/07/1961 ORESKOVIC Croatia 08/01/1959 OSTROMAN OSTROMAN (PANCIROV) Croatia 26/01/1958 PARADZIK Croatia 10/07/1959 PECOTIC Croatia PERKO Croatia 06/01/1925 PERKO Croatia 23/12/1954 PEROVICH Croatia 1961 PLEIC Croatia 12/01/1959 POLICH POLICH (ALEKSIC) Croatia 1924 PONGRAC PONGRAC (LOVRIC) Croatia 07/08/1957 POSA Croatia 1936 PRIMUS Croatia 1958 PRIZMIC Croatia 1927 PUSSWALD JANES Austria 1955 RENDULIC Croatia 15/07/1965 RESETAR RESETAR (CIKOJA) Croatia 1925 ROGLIC Croatia 1924 ROGLIC Croatia 20/12/1954 ROGLICH Croatia 03/1938 ROMANJEK Croatia 17/01/1962 RONCEVIC Croatia 01/11/1959 SIKORA Croatia 01/11/1957 SIMUNOVIC Croatia 04/04/1961 SIZGORIC Croatia 06/03/1958 STANICH Croatia 09/1938 STARICK KIJO Yugoslavia 16/02/1957 STERBIC Croatia 21/01/1961 SUBJAK Croatia 29/06/1970 SUCIC SUCIC (RUBIC) Croatia 29/01/1959 SUHANIC SUHANIC Bosnia 22/06/1960 SUJICA Croatia 24/01/1958 SUKIC Croatia 18/12/1968 SUKIC Croatia 18/12/1968 SUKIC Croatia 18/12/1968 SURJAN SARIC Croatia 03/1959 SUSNJARA SUSNJARA Croatia 19/05/1970 TRLIN Croatia 1920 TUTEK TUTEK Croatia 28/12/1980 TUTEK Croatia 28/12/1980 VILICH VILICH Croatia 24/09/1924 VILICH-NICHOLLS Croatia 07/09/1929 VILICH-SAYER Croatia 07/09/1929 VISKICH Croatia 28/02/1926 VISKICH (nee BANICEVIC) Croatia 14/12/1935 VISKOVICH Croatia 15/08/1962 VISKOVICH Croatia 11/11/1958 VISKOVICH VISKOVICH Croatia 28/05/1961 VUJNOVIC Croatia 01/01/1960 VUKIC VUKIC Croatia 06/09/1961 VUKOVIC Croatia 21/06/1960 WEIN WEIN Croatia 28/10/1956 YELAVICH Croatia 1940 ZANETIC Croatia 28/02/1956 ZANETIC-MIJO Croatia 03/01/1968 |
| CROATIANS LISTED ON THE WALL OF HONOUR AT DARLING HARBOUR WHO ARRIVED IN AUSTRALIA |
| The 1996 Australia Census was the first to seperate data on the Croatian-born in Australia from those of other states of the former Yugoslavia. There have been 3 phases in Croatian Migration to Australia, the first phase lasted from 1854, when the first Croatian migrants are believed to have come to the Ballaret Gold Fields until WWII. Most who came in this phase were from rural Croatia with working class backgrounds. They untook heavy labour in return for good pay, such as could be found in the goldfields and in tree felling in various parts of Australia and in the cane fields in Queensland (Tkalcevic, 1980). The second phase of Croatian migration to Australia lasted from 1947-1960 and consisted mainly of refugees. A majority of those who came in the post WWII period were middle class urban Croatians, often well educated who spent time living in refugee camps in Europe. In responding to Australia's demands for skilled labour many had high hopes of regaining the status they had enjoyed in their own communities. From the late 1940's to the late 1950's the majority of approx. 50,000 Yugoslavs admitted to Australia as displaced Persons were Croatians (Budak, 1988) The third wave of Croatian migration began in1961, when in response to high unemployment, Yugoslavia opened its borders and permitted citizens to seek employment abroad. Between 1961 and 1976 the total number Yugoslavia-born in Australia increased from 49,776 to 143,591 (Birsic, 1988: 343) of whom were substantial proportion Croatians. Of the Croatia-born enumerated in the 1996 Census, 86.2% had arrived before 1981, so they have a relatively old age structure. Most Croatia-born seem to hve eventually adjusted well to life in Australia, largely as a result of their strong sense of family and their willingness to work hard. CROATIA-BORN POPULATION OF AUSTRALIA, 1996 CENSUS YEAR 1996 - CROATIA-BORN 47,061 Research and Statistics Unit -DIMA - portions extracted |
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| EARLY CROATIAN SETTLEMENT IN AUSTRALIA (Extracts from The Australian People by J Jupp) Croatians began migrating as inviduals and in groups to other countries about four centuries ago. The first groups of Croatians to emigrate were people fleeing to the neigbouring countries such as Italy, Austria and Hungary as a result of the Turks invading the region during the sixteenth century. Individuals who migrated came from the coastal regions where life centred on the sea and seafaring traditions. EARLY ARRIVALS Few, if any Croatians arrived to Australia prior to 1850. One, Vinko Gerkovic (Vincent Gercovich) arrived from Dalmatia between 1848 and 1850. While Nikola (Nick) Antikovic and Nikola (Nicholas) Milovic were among the earliest Croatian settlers in New South Wales. Antikovic settled in New South Wales while Milovic moved inland to eventually joined the Ballarat goldrush in 1854. No doubt there were more Croatians in Ballaret and it is possible that Gerkovic and Milovic met some of them around the Goldfield. Nikola Antikovic remained in Sydney and never married. He had various jobs and was always ready to help new settlers. Milovic later returned to Sydney and worked as a wharf labourer, married a Irish woman and bought a block of land to become a pioneer in the fruit and grape growing industry in Nagambre, Victoria. They had 3 daughters and a son, although there are descendants still in Victoria the name itself Milovic has disappeared. Another early settler from Croatia was Trojano Drvenica (later known as Darveniza) who deserted a ship in Melbourne in 1860 and subsequently lived with Aborigines at Mooroopna (north of Melbourne). Two years later he moved to Ballarat to dig for gold. With his savings he purchased 600 acres (240 hectares) of land at Moooroopna which he turned into a Vineyard. Obtaining vine cuttings from South Africa and also from relatives arriving from Dalmatia he developed his Excelsior vineyard and by 1890 his wines were being exhibited in Europe. From 1894 to 1898 Trojano brought out nine members of his extended family, who were followed in 1909 by Trojano's brother Matija, newphew Mato and family. A number of Croatians arrived in New South Wales between 1860 to 1880. One of these were Nikola and brother Mate Jasprica, natives of Dalmatia, arrived in 1860 to search for Gold. After spending six months digging at the Five-mile they moved to the Three-Mile diggings where they started a vegetable garden on a quarter acre block. and then on another 4 acres where they planted vines, peaches and apples. Eventually the bought 300 acres at threepence (6 cents) an acre. They too brought out members of their family one being their brotherinlaw Blado, along with Andrija and Ante Kunic. The Jasprica brothers and the Junics were the prinicpal fruit growers in the district and their orchards became the largest in Australia. A number of Croatians settled around Dubbo, Orange, Bathurst, Berrima and Parkes in New South Wales and and Moorooopna, Shepparton, Ballarat and Mildura in Victoria where they worked as timber-cutters, miners, fruit-pickers, potato diggers and in other seasonal farm occupations. Others settled in Broken Hill, the earliest ones arriving soon after the main mineral lode in the area was discovered by German born engineer Charles Rasp in 1883. The Broken Hill trade union register from 1890 to 1892 shows that about 20 South Slavs worked in the mines. One early Croat was Pavle Vidas born in Hreljin on the Croatian Littoral. He became a sailor at 13 and after travelling to many parts of the world, disembarked in Tasmain in 1889 and on his was to Broken Hill worked as a gold digger, eventually reaching the Silver City in 1892. The increasing dissatisfaction in Croatia with Austro-Hungarian rule meant that many were more inclined to leave home. Those Croatians already in Australia wrote to their relatives and helped many to migrate, thus beginning a chain of migration. Bye 1914 there were groups of Croatians in north Queensland and Broken Hill, and even larger clusters in Western Australia. The largest number came from Dalmatia, Istria and the croatian Littorial, particularly Makarska Riviera, the districts of Crkvenica and Sibenik and the island of Korcula (especially from the village of Blato). |