Introduction

Migration has been a constant feature of human life since the earliest times. In the modern era Australia and the Americas have welcomed millions of migrants, eager to make a better life than the one they left behind. The Croats were part of that world migration after World War 1 and significantly after World War 11.

Croats Left their homeland due to a deep dissatisfaction with its economic and political life. The political position of the Croatis in the Austro-Hungarian Empire as well as in pre and post World War 11 Yugoslavia, and especially their hostility to communisism, meant that many saw no alternative but to leave. The planned economy and its restrictive political system ensured that successive waves of Croatian migrants flowed into Australia.

Migrants are an agent of social change in society and that affects emigrant and immigrant society. The consequences can be seen in economic, social, cultural and political life. Migrants are a very important part of the work force and they have contributed to the stable economic development of Austrlaia. Socially, they often held poorer jobs regardless of their education because they were without social networks. The most visible and recognisible contributions are from the cultural ones, but this too can produce misunderstadings.

Migrants are continually changing themselves while also helping to reshape the new society. The Croatian migrants in South Australia have had a significant effect on this state since they arrived here in great numbers from the 1950's.

Croatian Business

Croatian migrants in the post World War 11 period, worked in government utilities in a variety of labouring jobs. The skilled professionals among them e.g. doctors, engineers, lawyers, found that their professional qualifications were not recognised in Australia. They therefore took up laboring work and, in that manner, rebuilt their lives, raised their families, and contributed to the development of the South Australian economy.

In the mid 1950's, the first Croatian migrant to start his own building company was Branko Filipi. At that time, his family company was building approximately 50 houses per year. Many Croatian tradesman worked for him as sub-contractors.

South Australian Croats established themselves in a variety of occupations throughout the state and became particularly prominent as shipbuilders in Adelaide, Whyalla and Port Lincoln. Boat and shipbuilding are well-established traditions in Croatia. Among the Croatian South Australian companies which have made a significant contribution to the industry in this state are: Samarzia-Samar Boats, which between 1960 and 1985 builts over 250 small craft including crusising and racing yachts, hish-speed pleasure craft and fising boats; Fanov-Kali Shipyard, which built over 90 small ships including tuna boats, trawlers; Glamocak Adelaide Ship Construction International, which since the early 1980's has built a variety of vessels including ferries, prawn and deep-sea trawlers, cray boates and tug boats.

Croatian South Austrlaians have also been prominent in the manufacturing and building industries in the metropolitan area. in steelworks in Whyalla, in the fishing and processing industries of Port Lincoln, in forestry in Mount Gambier, and in fruit growing in the Riverland. Croatian South Australians have also had considerable success as opal miners at Coober Pedy and Andamooka.

In the preiod between 1965 and 1991 the biggest wave of Croatian migrants came to Australia and to South Australia. This is the period during which communist Yugoslavia was operning its borders to varying degrees to enable the departure of what is called "surplus labour."

This next generation of Croatian migrants foudn itself represented in a large number of trades and in semi-skilled occupations. Many worked in manufacturing industries. As they became more financially independent and more adept at English, many started their own businesses. They become strondly represented in the building, construction, manufacturing and service industries.

Croatians establisihed manufacturing firms to supply industrial valves to government agencies, (eg. Promet Valve Co. Pty Ltd.), conveyor tracks to car manufacturers, silo operators and bulk handlers (eg. Kilic Mechnical Engineering Pty Ltd.). Ships, Tugs, and pleasure craft for the local and interstate fishing industry, for port authorities and tourist facility operators were bullt by Croatian ship builders (eg. Adelaide Ship Construction Inernational).

Croatian migrants applied their considerable maritime and fishing skills to help build up and develop South Australia's fishing industry. Although they were involved in the beginning of what is regarded as South Australia's fishing industry (eg. Christopher Dabovich's role as an inspector of oyster beds in Spencer Gulf in the second part of last centuary - 1800's), from the late 1950's Croatian fishig operations were started in Port Lincoln (that started by brothers Mario and Milo Kolega). Mario Kolega was one of the first South Australians to start the prawn industry here.

Croats were also pioneers in Australia's tuna industry e.g. Josip gobin and his son Lovre, and Slavo Lukin sailed their trawler from Sydney equipped with nets, a practice which was not well known then as most of the tuna fishing was done with hooks. Two years later the pioneering Croatian chapter in the Port Lincoln tuna industry was formed. What they did not accomplish in the 1960's, they did in later years. The booming tuna fishing and farming industries provide clear evidence of the industry, skill and perserverance of Croatian fishermen in this state.

In the period between 1991 and 1996 the hostilities in the former Yugoslavia ravaged Croatia and Bosna-Hercegovina creating enormous population of refugees and displaced persons. Australia was among the first to formally recognise Croatia and Bosna-Hercegovina as independent states.
Pursuant to its international obligations, Australia has received a considerable influx of refugees forced to flee their homes in war ravaged areas of Croatia and Bosna-Hercegovina.
Since 1991, Government agencies and the Croatian Community of South Australia have been attempting to attend to the needs of the refugees who have been relocated to South Australia.


Current Position

Today, there are in excess of 12,000 people of Croatian origin in South Australia. Listed in the 1996 Census there were 3,500 people of Croatian birth. Most of them reside in metropolitan Adelaide; others have fostered Croatian centres in Port Lincoln, Whyalla, Coober Pedy, Mount Gambier and the Riverland.

South Australia's profitable prawn industry today brings over $200 million to this State. Today, of the 48 licence holders in prawning, more that half are Croatian or of Croatian descent.

Today, Croatian businessmen and businesswomen are involved in a range of occupations and industries as owners, leaders and workers. Croatian South Australians are represented in ever-increasing numbers in various professional pursuits, e.g. banking, finance, law, academia, medicine, property and investment.

The children of Croatian migrants continued to distinguish themselves at secondary and tertiary educational institutions and are now represented in ever increasing numbers in various professional pursuits. The Croaitan community in this state also counts a Rhodes Scholar, Dr Vesna Drapac among its number.

South Australian senator Natasha Stott-Despoja daughter of a Croatian, Mario Despoja, has excelled in gaining a high profile in Australian politics.

Croats in South Australia are also well represented and involved in South Australia's cultural, sporting, social and religious life.

- Croats have excelled at sport e.g.: the soccer club "Croatia" has been for many decades one of Adelaide's top soccer clubs. Many of its players played for South Australia and for our national teams. In 1984, in Los Angeles, Dean Lukin, the son of a Croatian migrant, won a gold medal for Australia in weight lifting.

- The Croatian dance group "Lenek" entertains at many ethinc festivals and charities.

- Croats are a significant and active force in the South Australian Catholic community and participate in prominent religious celebrations.

- Today ther are over thirty Croatian organisations in South Australia representing the different social, cultural, political and business aspects of Croatian community life. Of these, the largest is the Croatian Club Adelaide, the premises of which were built by Croatian tradesmen and artisans and financed entirely by voluntary contributions from the Croatian community. Among the newest is the Australian Croatian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which was formed to foster a better understanding of Croatia's economy and trade opportunities and a better awareness of South Australia's Croatian owned and operated industries.

- Now the Croatian community is entering a new phase of development with the recent formation of the Croatian Community Council of South Australia, an umbrella organisation designed to relect the breadth of cultural and social development and interests of all the Croatian community organisations in South Australia.

Not much has been written about the Australian chapter of the history of Croatian migration with the consequence that it is little know and little understood. In the not too distant future, we hope that this chapter will have been written for all of us to read and understood.


Cultural Traditions


To be continued.......

Source: 1997/1998 Croatian Community & Business Directory S.A.

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