Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 20 June I attended a reception here at Parliament House, hosted by the member for Werriwa and the member for Corio, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Croatian independence. The reception was attended by Croatians from most parts of Australia. Twenty years ago on 25 June 1991 Croatia asserted its independence from Yugoslavia and 25 June is now recognised as Statehood Day and is an official holiday in Croatia. Independence was declared following a referendum held on 19 May 1991 when 94 per cent of voters opted for the following:

The Republic of Croatia, as a sovereign and independent state, which guarantees cultural autonomy and all civil rights to Serbs and members of other nationalities in Croatia, can form an alliance of sovereign states with other republics.

A similar figure voted against the second option that the Republic of Croatia remain part of Yugoslavia as a unitary state. A moratorium of three months was put in place to allow for the negotiation of the Brioni Agreement. Finally, a complete break with Yugoslavia was made in October.

Since the gold rushes of the 1850s Croatians have played a significant role in Australian history, and at the 2006 census well over 100,000 Australian residents identified themselves as having Croatian ancestry. The biggest wave of Croatians came to Australia between 1965 and 1991. Australians of Croatian heritage have made a significant contribution to all aspects of Australian life—quite noticeably in sport. For example, 45 Croatian Australians have played for the Australian soccer team. Andrew Bogut is currently a strong performer in the American basketball league. The 1984 Los Angeles Olympic gold medallist Dean Lukin is of Croatian decent, as is Collingwood footballer Alan Didak, who originates from my home suburb of Pooraka. Other well-known Australians of Croatian decent include actor Eric Bana and former Democrats leader Senator Natasha Stott-Despoja, the youngest woman elected to this parliament.

There are over 3,500 Croatian-born residents in South Australia, and many more who are of Croatian decent, to make a community of over 12,000 South Australians who share a strong bond with Croatian culture and history. A considerable number of them live in the Makin electorate and I have the privilege of representing them in this place. In fact many are near neighbours and live in my local neighbourhood.

Croatian Australians quickly settled into South Australia and established a range of social facilities to assist them. These include the Croatian Catholic Centre, the Australian Croatian Community Club in Mount Gambier, the Croatian clubs of the Riverland and Coober Pedy, the Croatian Ethnic School in the Croatian Club in Brompton, the Croatian Care for the Aged and a Croatian radio hour. They have also established the Croatian sports and community club which is located in Gepps Cross and within the Makin electorate. It is a wonderful community facility and home to the Raiders Soccer Club, a South Australian Super League side.

For eight years now the South Australian Croatian community has held an annual festa at the community centre. It is a day of festivities filled with Croatian dancing, music and food. I attend this event each year. The event is organised by the Croatian Food and Wine Festival committee, the Croatian Sports Centre of South Australia and volunteers from across the Croatian community. I congratulate all involved on this outstanding community and cultural event.

Croatian South Australians have integrated into all aspects of Australian life but they have been particularly prominent as shipbuilders and fishermen in Adelaide, Whyalla and Port Lincoln. Samarzia-Samar, Fanov-Kali and Glamocak are well-known South Australian names in the boat and shipbuilding industries. Of the 48 South Australian prawn-fishing licence holders more than half are of Croatian decent.

I take this opportunity to congratulate Croatia on the 20th anniversary of its statehood and to thank Australian Croatians for their contribution to Australian life.