Report: Marija SESAR

Photos: Dan LUKE

(www.danlukephotography.com.au)

SYDNEY - NSW Premier, Morris Iemma, who also holds the portfolio of Minister for Citizenship, dined in the pleasant company of more than 500 Australian Croatians at the western Sydney based Jadran Hajduk club on Tuesday night.

The elegant affair was organised by the Croatian Australian Community Council, the hosting Jadran-Hajduk Club and the Croatian Community of Sydney, to help celebrate the contribution of Australian Croatians towards the development of Australia.

Speeches were held between the scrumptious courses prepared by chef, Denis Valcich, a champion of traditional Croatian cuisine in Australia, while popular local folkloric group 'Vukovar' and band 'Sto Na Sat' provided the live entertainment.

Ned Maruncic, who is an OAM recipient, a NSW Commissioner for Community Relations and President of the Australian Croatian Community Council, opened the night's speeches with some historical tales of early Croatian settlers including that of winemaker, Trojan Darvenica.

Darvenica featured a kangaroo and an emu supporting a shield on his 'Excelsior' wine labels, which he reportedly sold for 2 shillings to the Australian government and it later became the official Australian coat of arms.

Dr. Goroslav Keller, the Consul General of the Republic of Croatia in Sydney, advocated the forging of relationships between our two nations in areas such as business and education, naming the relationship between Charles Sturt University and University of Pula as an example.

The upcoming World Youth Day, Dr Keller anticipates, will see the arrival of close to 2000 pilgrims from Croatia and will be another opportunity to build relations between Australia and Croatia.

Reba Meagher, the NSW Minister for Health and the local member for Cabramatta, applauded the Cardinal Stepinac nursing home, based in nearby St. John's Park for its "first-rate" aged care.

Before introducing the 'fighting and prevailing' premier, Morris Iemma, Meagher also recognized the contributions to business and infrastructure of Australian Croatians, something she has witnessed first hand in her electorate.

Iemma recognized the contribution of migrants to the development of Australia, noting that several Australian Croatians were "at the forefront of those achievements. Not only in areas of business, cuisine, arts and culture but also in sport naming Mark Bosnich, Jason Culina, Simon Katich and Alan Didak as examples.

Iemma also relayed the tale of how the Australian coat of arms came to be and paid respect to the suffering and advancement of the country of Croatia as well as the achievements of Australia as a nation offering the best of diversity "better than any other country in the world."

The two countries, Iemma feels, have a great future together.

No less than 16 distinguished guests of honour attended the evening. These included: Joe Tripodi, the Minister for Small Business, the Minister for Regulatory Reform and Minister for Ports and Waterways, John Aguilina, Parliamentary Secretary, Leader of the House, Laurie Ferguson, Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs and Settlement Services, Nick Lalich, Mayor of Fairfield, David Knoll, President of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, Greg Davies, Mayor of Penrith, Stepan Kerkyasharian, Chairman NSW Community Relations Commission, President of the Anti-Discrimination Board of NSW, Ray King, the superintendent and Commander for Cabramatta, Ninos Khoshaba, MP for Smithfield.

Also in attendance were representatives from several Sydney Croatian organisations including: Slavko Temsek, the President of the Australian Croatian Cultural Education Association, as well as the presidents of Croatian clubs, King Tomislav (Tomislav Lerotic), Dalmacija Sydney (Veljko Bosnic), Punchbowl (Josip Jaksic) and Bosna (Nikola Popovic).