CROATIANS IN AUSTRALIA:
PIONEERS, SETTLERS AND THEIR DESCENDANTS

by

ILIJA ŠUTALO



Hardcover book with dust jacket
Size 275 x 210 mm
154 B&W photographs, 50 colour photographs,
4 maps, 25 B&W newspaper advertisements
340 pp + 34 pp = 374 pages

$80.00 (including postage & handling)

To order a copy send a cheque or money order to:
Dr Ilija Sutalo
GPO Box 670
Melbourne VIC 3001


Croatians in Australia traces the history of Croatian settlement in Australia from the 1800s to the present. The main focus of the book is Croatian pioneers - almost without exception single men on arrival - who settled in Australia by 1890. Dr IIija Šutalo identifies the communities of Croatian pioneers living in Australia in the second half of the nineteenth century and describes their significant contribution to the development of the wine, fishing and mining industries.


The first wave of Croatian migration to Australia was precipitated by the news of the discovery of gold in 1851. Most of the new arrivals became miners, working on the goldfields with varying degrees of success. After spending time on the goldfields some became seamen, labourers, fishermen, publicans, vignerons, farmers and storekeepers. Croatian pioneers worked and held mining claims together, ran businesses together, socialised and lived together. Often very resourceful in the quest to succeed, many Croatian pioneers had more than one occupation.

Between 1891 and 1945 the number of Croatian-born in Australia increased dramatically, especially the number of Croatian-born women. These settlers were better organised and founded many Croatian clubs which supported social and cultural activities.

Large numbers of Croatian settlers arrived after the Second World War. They established Croatian community halls, sporting venues, Catholic parishes, Croatian language schools and folkloric groups. Dr Ilija Šutalo shows that many Croatians and their descendants subsequently made significant contributions to Australian society in sports, arts and politics.

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