Croatian Australian
Encyclopedia
Croatia
has been a source of migrants
to Australia
, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s. In 2006, 128,051 persons resident in Australia (0.6%) identified themselves as having Croatian ancestry.
. At this time, Croats were coded as "Austrians" because most of Croatia
was a part of the Habsburg Empire. By Australian federation in 1901, there were many Croats - mainly from Dalmatia
— in Australia, counted with Czechs, Hungarians, Serbs
, Slovaks
and others as "Austro-Hungarians". The establishment of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes from Austria-Hungary
after the First World War — and its replacement Yugoslavia
in 1945 — continued to make it difficult to separate out Croats from other ethnicities in Australia. Croats were not recorded separately until the 1996 Census. The Australian Department of Immigration believes many Croats holding old (and now long out of date) Yugoslav passports still record themselves as Yugoslavs
in Australian censuses, over a decade after the disintegration of Yugoslavia
.
Nevertheless, it is known that Croats formed a large proportion of those Yugoslavs who settled in Australia the 1960s and 1970s under Australian Government migration schemes. The Yugoslavia-born population reached 129,616 by the 1971 Census and 160,479 by the 1991 Census. The greatest number settled in Sydney
and Melbourne
, though Croats are well represented in every Australian city and region.
During the 1960s and 1970s, many Croatians were constantly under ASIO
surveillance for alleged terrorist activities organised by the Yugoslave secret service, several of whom were named in the media. Some of the longest running and most expensive court cases in Australian history involved Croatians charged with terrorist related charges that were proven falsified, including the 'Croatian Six' who were convicted on tainted evidence. Federal Attorney-General Lionel Murphy created a media sensation when he led a raid on ASIO Headquarters looking for files on Croatian terrorist activities and not finding any at all, spurred on by claims of nonsurveillance by ASIO and that ASIO focused too much of its time on student anti-war groups instead of terrorist groups, though there may have been no terrorist activities for ASIO to investigate.
In November 1977, an unofficial Croatian embassy was opened in Canberra
, causing a legal and diplomatic difficulty for both the Australian and Yugoslav governments. The embassy, aimed at raising awareness of Croatia as a nation
and the Croatian people separate from Yugoslavia, remained open for a period of 23 months before closing in 1979. Its ambassador
Mario Dešpoja is the father of former Democrats
Leader Natasha Stott Despoja
.
Since the independence of Croatia in the 1990s, an official embassy has been opened in Canberra and consulates have been opened in Melbourne
, Sydney
and Perth
.
At the 2006 Census 50,993 persons resident in Australia identified themselves as having been born in Croatia
, representing about 0.25% of the Australian population. The Census also noted 118,046 persons identified themselves as having Croatian ancestry, either alone or in combination with another ancestry.
Croatian Australians are more likely to be resident in Victoria than any other state. As at 2006, 35.7% of Croats live in Victoria (where only 25% of the total Australian population reside). A further 36.2% of Croatian Australians reside in New South Wales
(compared with 33% of the total Australian population).
As the level of immigration from Croatia has dropped significantly from the 1980s (70% of Australian residents born in Croatia arrived before 1980
), the Croatian-born population is ageing: 43% of the Croatian-born population was aged sixty years old or older at the time of the 2006 Census.
As at the 2006 census 33,012 Croatian-born Australians (65%) speak Croatian at home; 17% of Croatian-born Australians speak English at home. Proficiency in English was self-described by census respondents as very well by 31%, well by 32%, 17% not well, 2.3% not at all (18% didn't state or said not applicable).
In 2001, the Croatian language was spoken at home by 69,900 persons in Australia. Croatian is the tenth most widely spoken language in the country after English
, the Chinese languages, Italian
, Greek
, Arabic
, Vietnamese
, Spanish
, Tagalog
, German
, and Macedonian
.
Of the Australian residents who were born in Croatia , 48,271 or 95% were Australian citizens at the time of the 2006 census.
According to 2006 census data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics
, 94% of Croatian born Australians recorded their religion as Christian. 2001 census data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics
in 2004, showed denominational affiliation by Croatian Australians was: 85.6% Catholic
, 0.9% Anglican, 4.5% Other Christian, 1.4% claiming other Religions, and 7.6% claiming no religious affiliation.
Croatian Australians have an exceptionally low rate of return migration to Croatia. In December 2001, the Department of Foreign Affairs estimated that there were 1,000 Australian citizens resident in Croatia, mainly in Zagreb.
and Australia
. In the 2006 World Cup
, there were seven Croatian Australians playing for Australia and three playing for Croatia. There have been 45 Croatian Australians that have gone on to play for the Australian national football team, including 6 that captained the national team. The Australian - Croatian Soccer Tournament is the oldest non defunct soccer competition in Australia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
has been a source of migrants
Human migration
Human migration is physical movement by humans from one area to another, sometimes over long distances or in large groups. Historically this movement was nomadic, often causing significant conflict with the indigenous population and their displacement or cultural assimilation. Only a few nomadic...
to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s. In 2006, 128,051 persons resident in Australia (0.6%) identified themselves as having Croatian ancestry.
History
Croats were first noticeable in Australia during the gold rushes of the 1850s in the province of VictoriaVictoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. At this time, Croats were coded as "Austrians" because most of Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
was a part of the Habsburg Empire. By Australian federation in 1901, there were many Croats - mainly from Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
— in Australia, counted with Czechs, Hungarians, Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
, Slovaks
Slovaks
The Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia...
and others as "Austro-Hungarians". The establishment of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes from Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
after the First World War — and its replacement Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
in 1945 — continued to make it difficult to separate out Croats from other ethnicities in Australia. Croats were not recorded separately until the 1996 Census. The Australian Department of Immigration believes many Croats holding old (and now long out of date) Yugoslav passports still record themselves as Yugoslavs
Yugoslavs
Yugoslavs is a national designation used by a minority of South Slavs across the countries of the former Yugoslavia and in the diaspora...
in Australian censuses, over a decade after the disintegration of Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
.
Nevertheless, it is known that Croats formed a large proportion of those Yugoslavs who settled in Australia the 1960s and 1970s under Australian Government migration schemes. The Yugoslavia-born population reached 129,616 by the 1971 Census and 160,479 by the 1991 Census. The greatest number settled in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, though Croats are well represented in every Australian city and region.
During the 1960s and 1970s, many Croatians were constantly under ASIO
Australian Security Intelligence Organisation
The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation is Australia's national security service, which is responsible for the protection of the country and its citizens from espionage, sabotage, acts of foreign interference, politically-motivated violence, attacks on the Australian defence system, and...
surveillance for alleged terrorist activities organised by the Yugoslave secret service, several of whom were named in the media. Some of the longest running and most expensive court cases in Australian history involved Croatians charged with terrorist related charges that were proven falsified, including the 'Croatian Six' who were convicted on tainted evidence. Federal Attorney-General Lionel Murphy created a media sensation when he led a raid on ASIO Headquarters looking for files on Croatian terrorist activities and not finding any at all, spurred on by claims of nonsurveillance by ASIO and that ASIO focused too much of its time on student anti-war groups instead of terrorist groups, though there may have been no terrorist activities for ASIO to investigate.
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, causing a legal and diplomatic difficulty for both the Australian and Yugoslav governments. The embassy, aimed at raising awareness of Croatia as a nation
Nation
A nation may refer to a community of people who share a common language, culture, ethnicity, descent, and/or history. In this definition, a nation has no physical borders. However, it can also refer to people who share a common territory and government irrespective of their ethnic make-up...
and the Croatian people separate from Yugoslavia, remained open for a period of 23 months before closing in 1979. Its ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
Mario Dešpoja is the father of former Democrats
Australian Democrats
The Australian Democrats is an Australian political party espousing a socially liberal ideology. It was formed in 1977, by a merger of the Australia Party and the New LM, after principals of those minor parties secured the commitment of former Liberal minister Don Chipp, as a high profile leader...
Leader Natasha Stott Despoja
Natasha Stott Despoja
Natasha Jessica Stott Despoja AM is an Australian former politician and former leader of the Australian Democrats. She was a Democrats senator for South Australia from 1995 to 2008...
.
Since the independence of Croatia in the 1990s, an official embassy has been opened in Canberra and consulates have been opened in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
.
Demographics
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, representing about 0.25% of the Australian population. The Census also noted 118,046 persons identified themselves as having Croatian ancestry, either alone or in combination with another ancestry.
Croatian Australians are more likely to be resident in Victoria than any other state. As at 2006, 35.7% of Croats live in Victoria (where only 25% of the total Australian population reside). A further 36.2% of Croatian Australians reside in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
(compared with 33% of the total Australian population).
As the level of immigration from Croatia has dropped significantly from the 1980s (70% of Australian residents born in Croatia arrived before 1980
), the Croatian-born population is ageing: 43% of the Croatian-born population was aged sixty years old or older at the time of the 2006 Census.
As at the 2006 census 33,012 Croatian-born Australians (65%) speak Croatian at home; 17% of Croatian-born Australians speak English at home. Proficiency in English was self-described by census respondents as very well by 31%, well by 32%, 17% not well, 2.3% not at all (18% didn't state or said not applicable).
In 2001, the Croatian language was spoken at home by 69,900 persons in Australia. Croatian is the tenth most widely spoken language in the country after English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, the Chinese languages, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
, Vietnamese
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, and Macedonian
Macedonian language
Macedonian is a South Slavic language spoken as a first language by approximately 2–3 million people principally in the region of Macedonia but also in the Macedonian diaspora...
.
Of the Australian residents who were born in Croatia , 48,271 or 95% were Australian citizens at the time of the 2006 census.
According to 2006 census data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics
Australian Bureau of Statistics
The Australian Bureau of Statistics is Australia's national statistical agency. It was created as the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics on 8 December 1905, when the Census and Statistics Act 1905 was given Royal assent. It had its beginnings in section 51 of the Constitution of Australia...
, 94% of Croatian born Australians recorded their religion as Christian. 2001 census data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics
Australian Bureau of Statistics
The Australian Bureau of Statistics is Australia's national statistical agency. It was created as the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics on 8 December 1905, when the Census and Statistics Act 1905 was given Royal assent. It had its beginnings in section 51 of the Constitution of Australia...
in 2004, showed denominational affiliation by Croatian Australians was: 85.6% Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
, 0.9% Anglican, 4.5% Other Christian, 1.4% claiming other Religions, and 7.6% claiming no religious affiliation.
Croatian Australians have an exceptionally low rate of return migration to Croatia. In December 2001, the Department of Foreign Affairs estimated that there were 1,000 Australian citizens resident in Croatia, mainly in Zagreb.
Croatian Australians and Soccer
Croats in Australia and their Croatian Australian offspring are notable for their commitment to association football, with numerous clubs established throughout the country, the most notable and successful being Sydney Croatia and Melbourne Croatia. These clubs nurtured the footballing talents of a large number of Croatian Australians, many of whom now play professionally overseas. Croatian Australians have played for both CroatiaCroatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
and Australia
Australia national football (soccer) team
The Australia national association football team represents Australia in international association football competitions. Its official nickname is the "Socceroos"...
. In the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, there were seven Croatian Australians playing for Australia and three playing for Croatia. There have been 45 Croatian Australians that have gone on to play for the Australian national football team, including 6 that captained the national team. The Australian - Croatian Soccer Tournament is the oldest non defunct soccer competition in Australia
Croatian Australian Socceroos
- Zeljko AdzicŽeljko AdžicŽeljko Adžić is a former Croatian footballer.He played one game internationally for Croatia against Ukraine on June 26, 1993 scoring at Maksimir Stadium. He won the Prva HNL with HAŠK Građanski in 1993. While playing with Melbourne Croatia he won the Johnny Warren Medal.-External links:*...
- Zlatko ArambasicZlatko ArambasicZlatko Arambašić is a former Australian football player.-External links:* *...
- Mark BabicMark BabicMark Babic is a former Australian Association football who played as a defender.-Club career:He played in the NSL between 1989-2003 with clubs St George Saints, Sydney United and Marconi Stallions...
- Zeljko BabicZeljko BabicZeljko Babic, also known as Sean Babic is a former association football player in the now defunct National Soccer League in Australia.He represented Australia in two senior games.-External links:* * at Worldfootball.-References:...
- Yaka Banovic
- Paul Bilokapic
- Mark BosnichMark BosnichMark Bosnich is a retired Australian football player and football pundit. He represented Australia 17 times and played for English Premier League clubs Aston Villa, Manchester United and Chelsea.-Manchester United :...
- Oliver BozanicOliver BozanicOliver John Bozanic is an Australian football player who currently plays for Central Coast Mariners in the Australian A-League...
- Vic BozanicVic BozanicVic Bozanic is an Australian former association footballer. He is the father of Oliver Bozanic.-Club career:Bozanic played for Polonia Adelaide before moving to West Adelaide in the National Soccer League...
- Marco BrescianoMark BrescianoMark "Marco" Bresciano is an Australian football player who is currently playing for UAE Pro-League side Al Nasr SC as a midfielder. He represented Australia at all youth levels, including appearances at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship and 2000 Olympic Games...
- Branko BuljevicBranko BuljevicBranislav "Branko" Buljević is a former Croatian Australian football player. He was a member of the Australian 1974 World Cup squad in West Germany and represented Australia 30 times in total between 1972 and 1975.Throughout his club career, after playing with OFK Belgrade in the Yugoslav First...
- Ante CovicAnte CovicAnte Čović is an Australian football player. He is a goalkeeper who currently plays for Melbourne Victory in the Hyundai A-League...
- Jason CulinaJason CulinaJason Culina is an Australian footballer who plays for the Australia national football team.- Club career :Culina started off with Sydney United under his father, Branko, before moving on to Ajax where he struggled in the reserves. Only after moving to FC Twente did Culina begin to shine at the...
(C) - Eugene GalekovicEugene GalekovicEugen-Josip "Eugene" Galeković is an Australian football player who currently plays as a goalkeeper for Adelaide United in the A-League and internationally for Australia.-Club career:...
- Steve Horvat (C)
- Mile JedinakMile JedinakMichael John "Mile" Jedinak is an Australian professional football player. He is currently contracted to Crystal Palace of the English Championship...
- Ante JuricAnte JuricAnte Jurić is an Australian association football player and was recently the player/coach for Penrith Nepean United in the New South Wales Premier League in Australia...
- Frank JuricFrank JuricFrank Jurić is an Australian football goalkeeper of Croatian descent. He is currently the goalkeeping coach of A-League club Perth Glory.-Club career:...
- Zeljko KalacŽeljko KalacŽeljko Kalac is a retired Australian football goalkeeper. Standing at 2.02m, Kalac is one of the world's tallest professional goalkeepers....
(C) - Steve Kokoska
- Eddie KrncevicEddie KrncevicEdward "Eddie" Krnčević is a retired Australian footballer who played as a striker, and a current manager.The son of Croatian immigrants, he played most of his professional career in Belgium.-Football career:...
(C) - Tony Krslovic
- Andrew MarthAndrew MarthAndrew Marth is a retired Australian football player who represented Australia 21 times.Marth spent all of his club career in Australia and mainly at the Melbourne Knights, where he was involved in their two National Soccer League titles, as well as becoming captain of the club...
- Frank MicicFrank MicicFrank Micic is an Australian former association football player.-Club career:After playing junior football in Zadar, Micic moved to Australia where played for JUST in the Victorian State League. Micic played 18 seasons for JUST between 1959 and 1977 broken only by a season stint with South...
- Ljubo MilicevicLjubo MilicevicLjubo Miličević is an Australian football player who currently plays for Hajduk Split in the Prva HNL.-Early Career and Overseas:...
- Ante MilicicAnte MilicicAnte Milicic is an Australian former football player. He is currently one of the assistant managers of A-League club Melbourne Heart. He is of Croatian Australian origin....
- Branko MilosevicBranko MilosevicBranko Milosevic is a midfielder who made several appearances for the Socceroos. Milosevic was known for his extremely fast bursts of speed, vision, goal scoring ability, positioning, work rate, distribution and skill with the ball.-Europe:...
- Ante MoricAnte MoricAnte Tomislav Moric is an Australian former professional soccer player who played as a midfielder.-Career:Moric played at club level in Australia and Croatia for St. George, AIS, Sydney United, Zadar, Canberra Cosmos, Sydney Olympic, Fraser Park, APIA Leichhardt Tigers and Rockdale City Suns.He...
- Jason PetkovicJason PetkovicJason Petkovic is an Australian football player with Croatian origins and the brother of Michael Petkovic.-Club career:...
- Michael PetkovicMichael PetkovicMichael Petkovic is a former Australian football player.Petkovic last played as a goalkeeper for Melbourne Victory in the Hyundai A-League...
- Tom PondeljakTom PondeljakTomislav Pondeljak is an Australian football player, who is currently playing for A-league club Melbourne Victory.-Club career:...
- Tony PopovicTony PopovicAnthony Popovic is a Croatian Australian former football player. He last played for Sydney FC. He is currently the First Team Coach of Crystal Palace. Popovic grew up in Fairfield, New South Wales.-Early career:...
- Ivo PrskaloIvo PrskaloIvo Prskalo was an Australian international association footballer who played for Marconi Fairfield in the National Soccer League.-Club career:...
- Ivo RudicIvo RudicIvo Rudić was a football defender. He was a member of the Australian 1974 World Cup squad in West Germany. However, he never made an international appearance for Australia. He died in 2009....
- Wally SavorWally SavorWally Savor is an Australian former international soccer player who played professionally as a defender or midfielder for Sydney Croatia.-References:...
- Josip SkokoJosip SkokoJosip Skoko is a former Australian football player who last played as a Central Midfielder for A-League club Melbourne Heart.-Early career:...
(C) - Matthew SpiranovicMatthew SpiranovicMatthew Thomas Špiranović is an Australian football player who currently plays for J. League club Urawa Red Diamonds.-Career:...
- Mark Talajic
- Dario VidosicDario VidosicDario Vidošić is an Australian football player who currently plays for A-League club Adelaide United.- Club career :- Early life :...
- Mark VidukaMark VidukaMark Anthony Viduka is a former Australian soccer player who played as a centre forward. He captained the Australian national team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany to the last 16.-Melbourne Croatia:...
(C) - Billy VojtekBilly VojtekBilly Vojtek is a retired Croatian Australian footballer. He migrated to Australia with his family as a child, he would go on to become one of the leading players in Australia during the 1960s and 70s...
- Robert ZabicaRobert ZabicaRobert Zabica is an Australian former football player of Croatian descent. Zabica played as a goalkeeper...
- Ruben ZadkovichRuben ZadkovichRuben Zadkovich is an Australian football player who attended Woonona High School in Wollongong NSW and currently plays for the Newcastle United Jets in the Hyundai A-League.-Club career:...
- David ZdrilicDavid ZdrilicDavid Allen Zdrilic is a Croatian Australian football player. He is currently playing for Sydney United in the NSW Premier League. He previously played for in the A-League and has also played in Switzerland, Germany, England and Scotland...
- Ned ZelicNed ZelicNedijeljko "Ned" Zelić is a former Australian football player.-Club career:Zelic started his career in the old Australian National Soccer League,where he played with clubs Sydney Croatia and Sydney Olympic...
List of Croatian Australians
- Charles BillichCharles BillichCharles Billich was named Artist of the 1996 Summer Olympics. He is the recipient of the 2000 Sport Artist of the Year Award presented annually by the American Sport Art Museum and Archives....
- artist - Eric BanaEric BanaEric Bana is an Australian film and television actor. He began his career as a comedian in the sketch comedy series Full Frontal before gaining critical recognition in the biopic Chopper...
- actor - Adrian BarichAdrian BarichAdrian "Barra" Barich is a sports presenter for television and radio, and a former Australian rules footballer and rugby league player...
- Australian rules and Rugby League footballer - Mark BosnichMark BosnichMark Bosnich is a retired Australian football player and football pundit. He represented Australia 17 times and played for English Premier League clubs Aston Villa, Manchester United and Chelsea.-Manchester United :...
- football (soccer) player, Australia - Jim BosnjakJim BosnjakJim Bosnjak is an Croatian-Australian businessman who rose to prominence as the chairman of Westbus, Australia's largest privately-owned bus operator...
- Former owner of Westbus, the biggest bus company in Australia - Mark BrescianoMark BrescianoMark "Marco" Bresciano is an Australian football player who is currently playing for UAE Pro-League side Al Nasr SC as a midfielder. He represented Australia at all youth levels, including appearances at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship and 2000 Olympic Games...
- football (soccer) player, PalermoU.S. Città di PalermoUnione Sportiva Città di Palermo is an Italian football club from Palermo, Sicily which currently plays in Serie A, the top level of Italian football. Formed in 1900 as Anglo Panormitan Athletic and Football Club, the club had various names before assuming its final form in 1987 and is currently...
and Australia (Croatian mother) - Andrew BogutAndrew BogutAndrew Michael Bogut is an Australian professional basketball player. He plays for the Milwaukee Bucks of the United States' National Basketball Association....
- basketball player, Milwaukee BucksMilwaukee BucksThe Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center.... - Ivan ClearyIvan ClearyIvan Cleary is an Australian rugby league football coach and former player. He is the current head coach of the Penrith Panthers of the National Rugby League and former head coach of the New Zealand Warriors where he achieved much success...
- Rugby league coach, former player - Ante ČovićAnte CovicAnte Čović is an Australian football player. He is a goalkeeper who currently plays for Melbourne Victory in the Hyundai A-League...
- football (soccer) player, ElfsborgIF ElfsborgIF Elfsborg is a Swedish football club located in Borås. The club has won five national championship titles, the latest in 2006, and two national cup titles. Currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan. Elfsborg is based at Borås Arena...
and Australia - Jason ČulinaJason CulinaJason Culina is an Australian footballer who plays for the Australia national football team.- Club career :Culina started off with Sydney United under his father, Branko, before moving on to Ajax where he struggled in the reserves. Only after moving to FC Twente did Culina begin to shine at the...
- football (soccer) player, Gold Coast United and Australia - Ante DabroAnte DabroAnte Dabro is a Croatian-born Australian artist/sculptor and art teacher who has lived and worked in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory since the late 1960s....
- sculptor - Alan DidakAlan DidakAlan Didak is a professional Australian rules footballer of Croatian descent playing for the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League.- Early life :...
- Australian rules footballer - Jelena DokicJelena DokicJelena Dokić is an Australian female professional tennis player.During the height of her career, she played for Serbia and Montenegro and reached a career-high ranking of World No. 4 on 19 August 2002. After several family-related difficulties , she slowly slipped down the rankings in 2006...
- tennis player (Croatian mother) - John Dorotich - Australian rules footballer
- Charmaine DragunCharmaine DragunCharmaine Dragun was an Australian broadcast journalist and presenter. She was, with Tim Webster, the regular presenter of Ten News Perth's 5pm bulletin, which was broadcast at the time from the TEN-10 Sydney studios at Pyrmont...
- journalist - Laura DundovicLaura DundovicLaura Dundovic was born in 16 September 1987 in Sydney, Australia, of Croatian parents. She is a beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss Australia 2008 and represented Australia in the Miss Universe 2008 competition, in which she placed in the top ten....
- Top 10 finalist of Miss Universe 2008Miss Universe 2008Miss Universe 2008, the 57th Miss Universe pageant, was held at the Crown Convention Center in the Diamond Bay Resort, Nha Trang, Vietnam on July 14, 2008... - Mate DugandzicMate DugandžicMate Dugandžić is an Australian football player, who currently plays for Melbourne Heart FC in the Hyundai A-League. He was the first player ever to make a direct switch between Melbourne Victory and Melbourne Heart....
- football (soccer) player, Melbourne VictoryMelbourne VictoryMelbourne Victory Football Club is an Australian professional football club based in Melbourne, Victoria, that plays in the A-League.... - Ray GabelichRay GabelichRay Gabelich was an Australian rules footballer who played with Collingwood in the Victorian Football League .He came to Collingwood from Western Australia as a centre half-forward in 1954 too late to be listed...
- Australian rules footballer - Darren GasparDarren GasparDarren Gaspar is a former Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League .-Sydney Swans career :...
- Australian rules footballer - Brent GrgićBrent GrgicBrent Grgic is a former Australian rules footballer who played five seasons for Melbourne, before playing two seasons for Geelong in the Australian Football League .-External links:...
- Australian rules footballer - Ivan HenjakIvan HenjakIvan Henjak is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player. He was the former head coach for the Brisbane Broncos of the National Rugby League, having taken over from Wayne Bennett in 2009...
- Rugby league coach, former player - Matt HenjakMatt HenjakMatt Henjak is an Australian rugby union player. His position of choice is scrum-half. Henjak, of Croatian ancestry, is the nephew of former rugby league half-back and Brisbane Broncos head coach Ivan Henjak...
- Rugby union player, ToulonRC ToulonnaisRC Toulonnais is a French professional rugby union club based in Toulon in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
and formerly AustraliaAustralia national rugby union teamThe Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
(nephew of Ivan) - Allen JakovichAllen JakovichAllen Jakovich is an Australian rules football player. Jakovich was a prolific full forward and is notable for kicking 208 goals in his 54 Australian Football League matches, an average of 3.85 per game, for Melbourne and Footscray...
- Australian rules footballer - Glen JakovichGlen JakovichGlen Jakovich is a former Australian rules footballer for the West Coast Eagles.Glen was recruited from South Fremantle in Western Australia and debuted in 1991 and played most of his career at the Centre Half Back position, in the number 27 gernsey...
- Australian rules footballer - Željko KalacŽeljko KalacŽeljko Kalac is a retired Australian football goalkeeper. Standing at 2.02m, Kalac is one of the world's tallest professional goalkeepers....
- football (soccer) player, Kavala and Australia - Simon KatichSimon KatichSimon Matthew Katich is an Australian cricketer. He is the captain of the New South Wales Blues, and also captained, up until the end of the 2007 season, Derbyshire County Cricket Club...
- Australian Cricket representative - Blaž KraljevićBlaž KraljevicBlaž Nikola Kraljević was a Bosnian Croat paramilitary leader during the first few months of the Bosnian War who commanded the Croatian Defence Forces...
- Croatian and Bosnian general - Tony KrsticevicTony KrsticevicAntonio Krsticevic is an Australian politician, and the Liberal member for Carine in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly. He was elected at the 2008 election....
- politician, WA - Robert LuketićRobert LuketicRobert Luketic is an Australian film director. He directed the films Monster-in-Law, Legally Blonde and 21.-Early life:...
- director - Tatjana LukićTatjana LukićTatjana Lukić was a Croatia born Australian poetry editor and poet.- Life :Tatjana Lukić was born in the former Yugoslavia where she spent her first 33 years...
- poetry editor and poet - Dean LukinDean LukinDinko Lukin OAM is a retired weightlifter from Australia, who won the gold medal in the Super Heavyweight category at the 1984 Summer Olympics...
- Olympic weight lifting gold medalist - Ivan MaricIvan MaricIvan Maric is an Australian rules football player of Croatian descent in the Australian Football League and was the number 20 of the Adelaide Crows Football Club. He currently plays for the Richmond Football Club.- Early career :...
- Australian rules footballer - Andrew O'KeefeAndrew O'KeefeAndrew Patrick O'Keefe is an Australian entertainer, best known for being the host of the hit game-show Deal or No Deal. He is also the co-host of Weekend Sunrise....
- entertainer (Croatian mother) - Len PascoeLen PascoeLeonard Stephen Pascoe is a former Australian Test and ODI cricketer. He attended Punchbowl Boys' High School in New South Wales....
- Australian Cricket representative - Mathew Pavlich - Australian rules footballer
- Andrej PejicAndrej PejicAndrej Pejić is an androgynous Australian male model.- Early life :Pejic was born in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He has one older brother. His mother, Jadranka, is Serbian and his father, Vlada, Croatian. His parents divorced shortly after his birth...
- model - Val PerovicVal PerovicVal Perovic is a former Australian rules footballer who played with St Kilda and Carlton in the VFL.Despite starting his career as a wingman, Perovic played mostly as a defender and was a centre half back when he first represented Victoria in 1978. After 77 games with St Kilda during the 1970s he...
- Australian rules footballer - Tony PopovićTony PopovicAnthony Popovic is a Croatian Australian former football player. He last played for Sydney FC. He is currently the First Team Coach of Crystal Palace. Popovic grew up in Fairfield, New South Wales.-Early career:...
- football (soccer) player - Jaye RadisichJaye RadisichJaye Amber Radisich is an Australian politician. She was Australian Labor Party member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 2001 to 2008, representing the electorate of Swan Hills. Radisich was the youngest woman ever to be elected to the Western Australian parliament.Radisich was...
- politician, WA - Ljiljanna RavlichLjiljanna RavlichLjiljanna Ravlich is a Western Australian politician. She is currently an Australian Labor Party member of the Western Australian Legislative Council, and was most notable for being the Minister for Education during the debate over the introduction of outcomes-based education...
- politician, WA - Steven SalopekSteven SalopekSteven Salopek is an Australian rules footballer of Croatian descent. Originally from Narre Warren Football Club in Melbourne's south-east, he played for the Dandenong Stingrays in the 2002 TAC Cup before being drafted to AFL club Port Adelaide.-Port Adelaide career:Salopek wore number 31 for club...
- Australian rules footballer - Tony SanticTony SanticTony Šantić Tony Šantić Tony Šantić (born 17 October 1952, Lastovo, Croatia, is a noted Australian thoroughbred owner and tuna farmer. He came to Australia with his family in 1958, aged six. His parents settled in Geelong, Victoria for the next 8 years before Tony and his mother moved to Port...
- Millionaire tuna fisherman, horsebreeder and owner of Makybe DivaMakybe DivaMakybe Diva is a British-bred, Australian-trained Thoroughbred who became the first racehorse to win the famed Melbourne Cup on three occasions: 2003, 2004, and 2005. In 2005, she also won the Cox Plate. Makybe Diva is the highest stakes-earner in Australasian horse racing history, with winnings... - Ralph SarichRalph SarichRalph Tony Sarich is a Western Australian multi millionaire businessman and qualified engineer of Croatian descent—his parents came to Australia in 1930 from the Šibenik area. He was responsible for developing the Orbital Engine in 1972...
- Inventor of the revolutionary Orbital Engine. - Josip SkokoJosip SkokoJosip Skoko is a former Australian football player who last played as a Central Midfielder for A-League club Melbourne Heart.-Early career:...
- football (soccer) player, Hajduk Split and Australia - Blake Mazic
- Josip ŠimunićJosip ŠimunicJosip Šimunić is a Croatian footballer who plays as a defender for Dinamo Zagreb and the Croatian national team.-Club career:...
- football (soccer) player, Hoffenheim and CroatiaCroatia national football teamThe Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić... - Marisa SiketaMarisa SiketaMarisa Julia Siketa is an Australian actress who played Summer Hoyland on the Australian soap opera Neighbours from 2002 to 2007.-Acting career:...
- actress - Anthony ŠerićAnthony ŠericAnthony Šerić , is a Croatian Australian footballer who currently plays as a defender for Karabükspor.-Club career:Šerić was born to a Croatian family in Sydney, Australia and received a football scholarship to the Australian Institute of Sport...
- football (soccer) player, Hajduk Split and CroatiaCroatia national football teamThe Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić... - Craig StarcevichCraig StarcevichCraig Starcevich is a former Australian rules footballer in the VFL/AFL and currently a fitness trainer.He was recruited from East Perth whom he played 37 games for after he won the 1986 F. D. Book Medal for being judged their best and fairest player...
- Australian rules footballer - Natasha Stott DespojaNatasha Stott DespojaNatasha Jessica Stott Despoja AM is an Australian former politician and former leader of the Australian Democrats. She was a Democrats senator for South Australia from 1995 to 2008...
- federal politician - Peter SumichPeter SumichPeter Lori Sumich is a former Australian rules footballer who played for in the West Australian Football League and the West Coast Eagles in the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League...
- Australian rules footballer - Erik SurjanErik SurjanErik Surjan is an Australian Track and Field athlete, competing in the Decathlon.In his earlier career, Erik was a talented long jumper, winning 4 national junior long jump titles between 1998 and 2001...
- Decathlete - Jacob SurjanJacob SurjanJacob Adam Surjan is an Australian rules footballer of Croatian descent and current player of the Port Adelaide Football Club.-Early career:...
- Australian rules footballer - Bernard TomićBernard TomicBernard Tomic is an Australian professional tennis player. As of 24 October 2011, Tomic is ranked the World No. 41, making him the highest ranked Australian male tennis player and the youngest player in the top 100...
- Tennis Player - Mark VidukaMark VidukaMark Anthony Viduka is a former Australian soccer player who played as a centre forward. He captained the Australian national team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany to the last 16.-Melbourne Croatia:...
- football (soccer) player, Australia; currently a free agent, most recently with Newcastle UnitedNewcastle United F.C.Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger... - David ZdrilićDavid ZdrilicDavid Allen Zdrilic is a Croatian Australian football player. He is currently playing for Sydney United in the NSW Premier League. He previously played for in the A-League and has also played in Switzerland, Germany, England and Scotland...
- football (soccer) player - Ned ZelićNed ZelicNedijeljko "Ned" Zelić is a former Australian football player.-Club career:Zelic started his career in the old Australian National Soccer League,where he played with clubs Sydney Croatia and Sydney Olympic...
- former football (soccer) player for numerous club teams and Australia, now soccer TV analyst
Further reading
- Colic-Peisker, Val.(2000) Croatian and Bosnian migration to Australia in the 1990s. Studies in Western Australian history, No.21, (Being Australian women), p. 117-136.
- Colic-Peisker, Val.(2004) Split lives : Croatian Australian stories North Fremantle, W. Aust. : Fremantle Arts Centre Press. ISBN 1920731083