The Croatian diaspora consists of communities of ethnic
Croats
The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic ...
and/or Croatian citizens living outside
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capi ...
.
Estimates on its size are only approximate because of incomplete statistical records and
naturalization
Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the in ...
, but (highest) estimates suggest that the Croatian diaspora numbers between a third and a half
of the total number of Croats.
More than four million Croats live out of Croatia. The largest community outside Croatia are the
Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina (), often referred to as Bosnian Croats () or Herzegovinian Croats () are the third most populous ethnic group in the country after Bosniaks and Serbs, and are one of the constitutive nations of Bosnia and ...
, one of the
constituent nations of that country, amounting to about 750,000. The Croatian diaspora outside Croatia and
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and ...
amounts to close to a million elsewhere in
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
, and to about 1.7 million overseas. The largest overseas community is reported from the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
at 1,200,000,
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...
at 200,000, and Argentina with 250,000 people.
In Western Europe, the largest group is found in Germany. The German census reports 228,000
Croats in Germany , but estimates of the total number of people with direct Croatian ancestry (including
naturalized German citizens) range as high as 450,000. There are also significant numbers of Croats in Australia (over 100,000) and New Zealand (up to 100,000).
Statistics
Europe
;Balkans
* 384,631
* 70,602
* 6,811 (2000)
* 6,786
;Western and Central Europe
* 450,000 (see
Croatian German)
* 150,719
* 35,642 (2002)
* 24,000 (2018)
* 180,000 (2006)
* 100,000 (est)
* 25,730
* 80,000
* 10,000 (
2001 UK Census
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194.
The 2001 UK census was organised by the Office for National ...
)
* 499 (Croatian citizens)
;Northern Europe
* 28,000
* 5,400
* 3,909
* 470 (Croatian citizens)
Overseas
;Africa
* 8,000
;North America
* 1.2M (2021)
[S0201. Selected Population Profile in the United States](_blank)
, Population Group: Croatian (109-110), Data Set: 2007 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Survey: American Community Survey.
* 133,965
;South America
* 250,000
* 5,000
* 45,000 (est)
* 380,000 (est)
* 6,000
* 5,800 (est)
* 5,000 (est)
;Oceania
* 133,264 (2016)
* 2,550 - 100,000(est.)
Communities
United States
According to the 2005 US Community Survey, there are 401,208 Americans of full or partial Croatian descent.
Croatians in Detroit first appeared around 1890, settling usually in the region of Russel. In
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...
the Croatians started concentrating mostly around Chicago. Although it was created a bit later, the Croatian settlement in Chicago became one of the most important ones in the United States. The settlement especially started developing after World War I and Chicago became the center of all Croatian cultural and
political
Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studi ...
activities. It is calculated that there were roughly 50,000 Croats in Chicago in the 1990s, while there were altogether 100,000 Croats living in 54 additional
Croatian settlements in Illinois. There is a significant Croat population also in
Indianapolis
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
that settled during the Yugoslav Wars of the 90's.
Pittsburgh has always had a sizeable
Croatian population. The headquarters of the
Croatian Fraternal Union (CFU) - the oldest and largest Croatian organization in the United States - is located in the eastern suburb of Monroeville, PA, established in the 1880s. The CFU publishes a weekly newspaper, ''The Zajednicar Weekly'', in both English and Croatian. Most of the Croatians in
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
originally settled in the early 1900s on the city's North Side. A neighborhood centered on East Ohio Street along the Allegheny River between Millvale and the North Shore was named Mala Jaska after an area in Croatia (northwest of Zagreb).
Canada
Croatians reportedly immigrated to Canada as early as 1541 when two Croatians from Dalmatia served on the crew of Jacques Cartier's third voyage to Canada. There are approximately 114,880
Canadians
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
of Croatian ethnic origin as reported in the 2011 National Household Survey.
The Croatian community is present in most major Canadian cities (including
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
,
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to:
People
* Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname
** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland
** Lord Hamilto ...
,
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the c ...
,
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. ...
,
Calgary
Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, maki ...
,
Windsor, and
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...
, as well as
Mississauga
Mississauga ( ), historically known as Toronto Township, is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is situated on the shores of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, adjoining the western border of Toronto. With a popu ...
and
Oakville) in the form of designated Croatian churches, parks, and other organizations.
Notable Croatian Canadian organizations include the
Croatian Fraternal Union, the Croatian Canadian Folklore Federation (Vancouver), and the Croatian Canadian Cultural Centre (Calgary). Some of the more popular Croatian Canadian events are the
Croatian-North American Soccer Tournament and the
Canadian-Croatian Folklore Festival. Croatian Canadians have had a notable presence in the form of soccer teams all around Canada, one of the most famous clubs was the now defunct
Toronto Metros-Croatia
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anchor ...
, who are succeeded by
Toronto Croatia
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anchor ...
.
Bolivia
Chile
Croats
The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic ...
are an important ethnic group in
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...
; they are citizens of Chile who were either born in Europe or are Chileans of Croatian descent deriving their
Croatian ethnicity from one or both parents. Chile has one of the largest communities of ethnic
Croats
The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic ...
outside the
Balkans Peninsula and it is one of the most significant communities in the
Croatian diaspora - second only to that which is found in the United States. They are one of the main example of successful assimilation of a non Spanish-speaking European
ethnic
An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people
A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established fo ...
group into Chilean society. Many successful entrepreneurs, scientists, artists and prominent politicians holding the highest offices in the country have been of Croatian descent.
The Croatian community first established itself in two provinces situated in the extreme ends of
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...
:
Antofagasta
Antofagasta () is a port city in northern Chile, about north of Santiago. It is the capital of Antofagasta Province and Antofagasta Region. According to the 2015 census, the city has a population of 402,669.
After the Spanish American wars ...
, in the
Atacama desert of the north and
Punta Arenas
Punta Arenas (; historically Sandy Point in English) is the capital city of Chile's southernmost region, Magallanes and Antarctica Chilena. The city was officially renamed as Magallanes in 1927, but in 1938 it was changed back to "Punta Are ...
in the
Patagonia
Patagonia () refers to a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and g ...
n region in the south. The massive arrival of Croats in Chile began in 1864 and the migration grew steadily until 1956 – reaching a number of more than 60,000.
It is officially accepted that there are up to 380,000
Chileans of Croatian descent (who clearly identify themselves as Chilean-Croats).
Argentina
Argentines of Croatian descent number over 250,000.
The most successful of all the Croats in Argentina was also one of the first to arrive. Nikola Mihanović came to
Montevideo, Uruguay in 1867. Having settled in
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
, by 1909 Mihanović owned 350 vessels of one kind or another, including 82 steamers, owning, in that time, the biggest boat company in Argentina. By 1918, he employed 5,000 people, mostly from his native
Dalmatia
Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see names in other languages) is one of the four historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of the Adriatic Sea, str ...
which was then under
Austro-Hungarian
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1 ...
and Italian rule. Mihanović by himself was thus a major factor in building up a Croatian community which remains primarily Dalmatian to this day, although it contains people from other Croatian regions.
The second wave of Croat immigration was far more numerous, totalling 15,000 by 1939. Mostly peasants, these immigrants fanned out to work the land in
Buenos Aires province
Buenos Aires (), officially the Buenos Aires Province (''Provincia de Buenos Aires'' ), is the largest and most populous Argentine province. It takes its name from the city of Buenos Aires, the capital of the country, which used to be part of th ...
,
Santa Fe,
Chaco and
Patagonia
Patagonia () refers to a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and g ...
. This wave was accompanied by a numerous clergy to attend their spiritual needs, especially
Franciscans
, image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg
, image_size = 200px
, caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans
, abbreviation = OFM
, predecessor =
, ...
.
If the first two waves had been primarily economic, the third wave after the Second World War was eminently political. Some 20,000 Croatian political refugees came to Argentina, and most became construction workers on Peron's public works projects until they started to pick up some Spanish. Today, many descendants of the Croatian immigrants still know Croatian, although different than the modern-day Croatian language.
Colombia
The Croatian community is present in most major Colombian cities, including
Bogota,
Cali
Santiago de Cali (), or Cali, is the capital of the Valle del Cauca department, and the most populous city in southwest Colombia, with 2,227,642 residents according to the 2018 census. The city spans with of urban area, making Cali the second ...
and
Barranquilla
Barranquilla () is the capital district of Atlántico Department in Colombia. It is located near the Caribbean Sea and is the largest city and third port in the Caribbean Coast region; as of 2018 it had a population of 1,206,319, making it Co ...
. There are approximately 5,800
Colombians
Colombians ( es, Colombianos) are people identified with the country of Colombia. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Colombians, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the sourc ...
of Croatian ethnic origin as reported.
Venezuela
Croatian immigration to Venezuela dates back to the late nineteenth century, and was characterized by the individual arrival of merchant seamen. Until
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, only a few Croats settled in Venezuela, nevertheless it was in the period of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
when the Croatian families that escaped from the
government of Tito began to settle in the country. Most of these immigrants came from present-day Croatian territory, particularly from the coastal and inland areas of
Dalmatia
Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see names in other languages) is one of the four historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of the Adriatic Sea, str ...
. Others came from
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and ...
.
The majority of the members of the Croatian community settled in
Caracas
Caracas (, ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas, abbreviated as CCS, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in th ...
and
Valencia
Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...
and, to a lesser extent, in other cities of the interior:
Maracay,
Maracaibo
)
, motto = "''Muy noble y leal''"(English: "Very noble and loyal")
, anthem =
, image_map =
, mapsize =
, map_alt = ...
,
Mérida and in localities of the
Yaracuy state, where some joined the work in the sugar industry.
Also, several forest technicians arrived that later contributed to the establishment of the School of Forestry Engineering at the
University of the Andes. A large percentage of the Croatians were artisans, who later became small entrepreneurs, and many were professionals, especially engineers and technicians, who had outstanding performance in Venezuela.
Australia
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capi ...
has been a significant source of
migrants to Australia, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s. In 2016, 133,264 persons resident in Australia (0.6%) identified themselves as having a
Croatian ancestor. In 2006, there were over 50,000 Croatian-born Australians, with 70% arriving before 1980. This community is quickly ageing and almost half of Croatian-born Australians were over the age of sixty in 2006. However,
Croatian language
Croatian (; ' ) is the standardized variety of the Serbo-Croatian pluricentric language used by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina, and other neighboring countries. It is the offici ...
and culture continues to be embraced amongst younger generations and descendants of post-war immigrants. In 2001, the
Croatian language
Croatian (; ' ) is the standardized variety of the Serbo-Croatian pluricentric language used by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina, and other neighboring countries. It is the offici ...
was spoken by 69,900 people in Australia.
The vast majority of Croatians in Australia are Christians, mostly
Catholics
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
while there are
Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
,
Greek Catholic The term Greek Catholic Church can refer to a number of Eastern Catholic Churches following the Byzantine (Greek) liturgy, considered collectively or individually.
The terms Greek Catholic, Greek Catholic church or Byzantine Catholic, Byzantine C ...
and
Seventh-Day Adventists, as well as a small minority adhering to
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...
. There are Croatian-speaking Catholic congregations in most major cities. In
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...
, there are congregations in
Sunshine West,
Ardeer,
Braeside Braeside, meaning ''hillside'' in the Scots language, may refer to:
* Braeside, Aberdeen, Scotland
* Braeside, Greenock, Scotland
* Braeside, Victoria, Australia
* Braeside, Ontario, Canada
* Braeside Observatory, Flagstaff, Arizona
* Breaside, Chic ...
and
Clifton Hill while in
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...
there are congregations in
Blacktown
Blacktown is a suburb in the City of Blacktown, in Greater Western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Blacktown is located west of the Sydney central business district. It is one of the most multicultural places within Great ...
,
St John's Park,
Summer Hill,
Mona Vale,
Botany
Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...
,
Chatswood West
Chatswood West is a suburb on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Chatswood West is located 11 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government areas of the Ci ...
and
South Hurstville. In
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
, there are Croatian-speaking congregations in
North Adelaide
North Adelaide is a predominantly residential precinct and suburb of the City of Adelaide in South Australia, situated north of the River Torrens and within the Adelaide Park Lands.
History
Surveyor-General Colonel William Light of the colo ...
and
Adelaide CBD
Adelaide city centre (Kaurna: Tarndanya) is the inner city locality of Greater Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. It is known by locals simply as "the City" or "Town" to distinguish it from Greater Adelaide and from the City of Ade ...
and in
Canberra
Canberra ( )
is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
and rural New South Wales there are regular services at
Farrer Farrer may refer to
People
* Alisha Farrer (born 1943), Australian actress and model
* Austin Farrer (1904–1968), English theologian, philosopher, and friend of C. S. Lewis
* Buster Farrer (1936-), South African cricketer
* Claude Farrer (1862� ...
,
Evatt and
Batemans Bay
Batemans Bay is a town on the South Coast region of the state of New South Wales, Australia. Batemans Bay is administered by the Eurobodalla Shire council. The town is situated on the shores of an estuary formed where the Clyde River meets th ...
.
Balcatta and
North Fremantle
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.
Etymology
The word ''north' ...
host Croatian services in
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
. St Nikola Tavelic Church in
Clifton Hill is an important religious and cultural centre for Melbourne's Croatian community. There is a Croatian
Seventh-Day Adventist
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbath, and ...
congregation located in
St Albans
St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major town on the old Roman ...
, in Melbourne's western suburbs as well as one in
Springvale,
while there is also Croatian Adventist congregation in
Dundas Dundas may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Dundas, New South Wales
* Dundas, Queensland, a locality in the Somerset Region
* Dundas, Tasmania
* Dundas, Western Australia
* Fort Dundas, a settlement in the Northern Territory 1824–1828
* Shire ...
- in Sydney's north-west. In addition, Melbourne's local
Croatian Muslim community has established the Croatian Islamic Centre in
Maidstone
Maidstone is the largest town in Kent, England, of which it is the county town. Maidstone is historically important and lies 32 miles (51 km) east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town, linking it wi ...
also in Melbourne's west. These Muslims are descendants of those who converted to Islam after the
Ottoman conquest of the Balkans. Melbourne's 35,000 Croatians were initially concentrated in the inner suburbs though now most live in the Western suburbs particularly in the
City of Brimbank where a Croatian mayor (Brooke Gujinovic) was elected in 1999. There are around 90 Croatian sporting, religious or cultural clubs or organisations operating in Melbourne. In Sydney, there are over 30,000 Croatians, with a large concentration residing in
St John's Park and surrounding suburbs. Furthermore, there is a high concentration of Croatians in
Geelong
Geelong ( ) ( Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the south eastern Australian state of Victoria, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon ...
, where the community has a significant influence, particularly in
Bell Park where over 15% of the population speaks Croatian at home.
It is likely that the first Croat in Sydney was Stefano Posich who was born in
Sicily to Croatian parents and migrated to Australia in 1813. Croats first immigrated to Australia during the
Victorian gold rush
The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. It led to a period of extreme prosperity for the Australian colony, and an influx of population growth and financial capit ...
of the 1850s. During this time, Croats were counted as Austrians because much of Croatia was a part of the
Habsburg Empire. Croatians were not recorded separately (from other
Yugoslavs
Yugoslavs or Yugoslavians ( Bosnian and Croatian: ''Jugoslaveni'', Serbian and Macedonian ''Jugosloveni''/Југословени; sl, Jugoslovani) is an identity that was originally designed to refer to a united South Slavic people. It has b ...
) until the 1996 Census. In 1947, at least 5,000 Croatians were residing in Australia - mainly from the coastal region of
Dalmatia
Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see names in other languages) is one of the four historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of the Adriatic Sea, str ...
. Between 1890 and World War II, at least 250 Croatians settled in Melbourne. Since then, thousands of Croatians have arrived after World War II as displaced persons or economic migrants. Many Croatians found work in manufacturing and construction. a substantial amount of Croats came to Australia during the 1960s and 1970s due to high unemployment, limited economic opportunities and anti-Croatian sentiment in Yugoslavia - many of these immigrants came to Australia under family reunion programs. Many Croatian Australians were born in former Yugoslav states such as Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Croatian people are visible in all parts of Australian society, but they have made a big impact in the sporting arena with many football clubs being formed by immigrants, two of the more famous and most successful being
Melbourne Knights FC
Melbourne Knights Football Club is an Australian professional Association football, soccer club based in the suburb of Sunshine North, Victoria, Sunshine North, Melbourne. The club currently competes in the National Premier Leagues Victoria, t ...
and
Sydney United
Sydney United 58 Football Club is a semi-professional soccer club and current NSW NPL Champions based in Edensor Park, Sydney, New South Wales Australia. The club was formed as Sydney Croatia in 1958, by Croatian Australians in the area, but ...
. Both clubs have played in Australia's top league the
NSL and Melbourne Knights winning the championship back to back in the season 1994/5 and 1995/6.
Sydney United
Sydney United 58 Football Club is a semi-professional soccer club and current NSW NPL Champions based in Edensor Park, Sydney, New South Wales Australia. The club was formed as Sydney Croatia in 1958, by Croatian Australians in the area, but ...
has produced the largest number of full Australian internationals. The Croatian community holds the
Australian-Croatian Soccer Tournament
The Australian-Croatian Soccer Tournament is a tournament run by the Croatian Soccer Federation of Australia and New Zealand, an organisation founded in 1974. The inspiration for the tournament came from the successful Croatian-North American S ...
which has been held annually since 1974. It is the largest 'ethnic' based soccer competition in Australia as well as the oldest national soccer competition in the nation. Some famous Croatian-Australian football players to represent Australia are
Mark Viduka,
Jason Čulina
Jason Culina (born 5 August 1980) is a former Australian soccer player and coach.
Club career
Culina began his career with Sydney United under his father, Branko Culina, before moving to Ajax, where he struggled in the reserves. Only after ...
,
Mark Bresciano
Mark Bresciano ( ; ; born 11 February 1980) is an Australian former professional soccer player who played as a midfielder.
Born in Melbourne, Bresciano played youth football for Bulleen Lions, before moving into the National Soccer League wit ...
,
Zeljko Kalac
Zeljko Kalac (born 16 December 1972) is an Australian former soccer goalkeeper, who is currently the manager of NK Urania Baška Voda, who play in the Croatian third division. Nicknamed "Spider" due to his tall, gangly figure, standing at 2.02& ...
,
Josip Skoko
Josip Skoko (born 10 December 1975) is an Australian former professional footballer who played as a central midfielder for North Geelong Warriors, Hajduk Split, Genk, Gençlerbirliği, Wigan Athletic, Stoke City and Melbourne Heart. Skoko has ...
,
Tony Popovic all who ironically lined up against Croatia in the
2006 World Cup in Germany, playing against Australian-born Croatian international
Josip Šimunić
Josip "Joe" Šimunić (; born 18 February 1978) is a Croatian retired footballer and current manager of the Croatia national under-19 team.
Born in Australia to Bosnian Croat parents, Šimunić started his career at Melbourne Knights then mov ...
. A total of 47 Croatian Australians have gone on to play for the Australian national team, including 7 who captained the national team. Other notable Croatian Australians include actor
Eric Bana, former Archbishop of Adelaide
Matthew Beovich, politician
John Tripovich, rugby league coach and former player
Ivan Cleary, tennis player
Jelena Dokic and television presenter
Sarah Harris amongst others.
Since
Croatian independence in the 1990s, an official embassy has been opened in Canberra while consulates have been established in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.
New Zealand
The first Croat to settle in
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...
is believed to be Pauvo Lupis (Paul) who deserted his Austrian ship in the late 1800s.
Although Croats had contact with New Zealand and a few had settled the proper
migration
Migration, migratory, or migrate may refer to: Human migration
* Human migration, physical movement by humans from one region to another
** International migration, when peoples cross state boundaries and stay in the host state for some minimum le ...
waves began when the
Austro-Hungarian Empire
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
allowed Italian wine and oil into the Empire's territories for a substantially less duty thus rendering peasants and farmers bankrupt, this treaty was the beginning of many events which causes migration mainly from
Dalmatia
Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see names in other languages) is one of the four historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of the Adriatic Sea, str ...
.
5,000 between 1890 and 1914, prior to World War I.
1,600 during the 1920s before the onset of the Great Depression.
600 in the 1930s, prior to World War II.
3,200 between 1945 and 1970.
Arrivals during the 1990s, fleeing the
conflict in former Yugoslavia.
The main destination for settlers was the
Northland gum fields where the young boys were sent to dig
Kauri tree gum from swamps which until the 1950s was used to varnish wooden furniture and the likes. Here on these fields, Croats were treated as outcasts by the British Empire and called 'Austrians' because of the passport they carried. They were looked at with suspicion, mainly because they would share profits and send money back to their villages in
Dalmatia
Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see names in other languages) is one of the four historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of the Adriatic Sea, str ...
. Many British settlers who worked the same fields resented the Dalmatian gum-diggers, whom they nicknamed "Dallies", a term which is still occasionally used. On these fields as outcasts, the
Croatian immigrants were thrown together with the other outcasts, the native
Māori people
The Māori (, ) are the indigenous Polynesian people of mainland New Zealand (). Māori originated with settlers from East Polynesia, who arrived in New Zealand in several waves of canoe voyages between roughly 1320 and 1350. Over severa ...
who having many of the same view points and coming from villages themselves got on extremely well.
Many Croatian men married
Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
women as they came to New Zealand as bachelors before a bride could be sent from their home village. The local
Maori called them ''
Tarara'' because they spoke in
Croatian very fast. Many Māori nowadays refer to themselves as Tarara and carry Croatian family names.
Miss New Zealand 2010
Cody Yerkovich (spelled in Croatian as
Jerković) is an example of the Māori Croatian mix Tarara.
In Modern times Croatian immigrants have continued to arrive, with many starting their own business with the abundance of good soil and land. Many turned to similar work that they did back in
Dalmatia
Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see names in other languages) is one of the four historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of the Adriatic Sea, str ...
such as vineyards, orchards and fishing. Some notable companies in wine are Delegat, Nobilo, Selak, Villa Maria, Montana and Kuemue River Wines, all owned by Croatian families.
In fishing there are two big companies, the first Talley's Seafood founded in 1936, by Ivan Peter Talijancich (spelled Talijančić in Croatian) established Talley's in
Motueka, New Zealand. The second being Simunovich (spelled Šimunović in Croatian) Fisheries Limited which has thrived and become a large company from the deep sea Scampi.
In sport many small clubs and associations have come and gone, but
Central United formerly Central Croatia SC formed in 1962 is still going to this day. The football club, formed by a group of young Croatian immigrants from Dalmatia, played initially in the lower division of the Northern League before rising to become one of New Zealand's top football clubs by the late 1990s.
Central United FC were the New Zealand champions in 1999, 2001 and were runner-up in 1998. Central United FC also won the Chatham Cup in 1997, 1998, 2005 and 2007 and were runners-up in 2000 and 2001. Their home ground is at
Kiwitea Street Stadium, in
Sandringham (
Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about I ...
).
Some notable former players are:
*
Chris Zoricich
Chris Zoricich ( hr, Zoričić, ; born 3 May 1969) is a New Zealand association football player who represented the New Zealand national football team in the 1980s and 1990s. Born to Croat parents, he began playing football in his native Auckla ...
*
Ivan Vicelich - New Zealand's most capped international.
*
Luka Bonačić
Luka Bonačić (; born 21 March 1955) is a Croatian football coach and former professional player.
Early life
He was born in Split, Croatia that was then part of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. He began his football career at the Spl ...
-Ex-
Hajduk Split
Hrvatski nogometni klub Hajduk Split, commonly referred to as Hajduk Split () or simply Hajduk, is a Croatian professional football club based in Split, that competes in the Croatian First League, the top tier in Croatian football. Since 197 ...
player and coach.
Other notable New Zealanders of Croatian descent include singer
Lorde
Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor (born 7 November 1996), known professionally as Lorde ( ), is a New Zealand singer-songwriter. Taking inspiration from aristocracy for her stage name, she is known for her unconventional musical styles and i ...
(real name Ella Yelich-O'Connor), historian
James Belich, golfer
Frank Nobilo, rugby player
Frano Botica, motor racing drivers
Robbie Francevic
Robert James Frančević, (born on 18 September 1941 in Auckland, New Zealand) is a retired racing driver who featured prominently in New Zealand and Australia during the 1970s and 1980s. His biggest wins were the inaugural Wellington 500 street ...
and
Paul Radisich, tennis player
Marina Erakovic, architect
Ivan Mercep
Ivan Mercep (22 February 1930 – 8 April 2014) was a New Zealand architect.
Early life and family
Born in Taumarunui in 1930 to a Croatian family, Mercep was educated at Sacred Heart College, Auckland and Auckland University College, from wh ...
, artist
Milan Mrkusich
Milan Mrkusich (5 April 1925 – 13 June 2018) was a New Zealand artist and designer. He was considered a pioneer of abstract painting in New Zealand. Retrospective exhibitions of his work were organised by the Auckland Art Gallery in 1972 and 19 ...
, and musicians
Peter and
Margaret Urlich.
See also
*
Croatian Heritage Foundation The Croatian Heritage Foundation ( hr, Hrvatska matica iseljenika) is an organization which works with Croatian emigrants. It helps connect diaspora groups back to the country. The foundation organizes several programs within Croatia and around the ...
/ Hrvatska matica iseljenika
References
External links
50 famous people with Croatian heritage''Croatia Week''. Published March 3, 2018. Access date June 30, 2020.
{{Croatian diaspora