How we celebrated 20 Years of the Croatian Archive of Australia
The Croatian Archive Association of Australia celebrated 20 years of work at a gala lunch on Sunday, October 12, 2025, at the King Tomislav Croatian Club in southwestern Sydney.
President Vesna Žuro welcomed the attendees, saying: “It is a great honour for me, as the president of the Croatian Archive of Australia, to greet you today on the 20th anniversary of the founding of our society, which has managed to survive and be active for the 20th year in a row, which I believe is a truly great success.”
Archive president Vesna Žuro speaks at the Croatian Archive of Australia 20th anniversary lunch at the King Tomislav Croatian Club on Sunday, October 12, 2025.
Ms Žuro thanked the Republic of Croatia’s Central State Office for Croats Abroad, whose generous financial assistance made the lunch possible, as well as welcoming the Consul-General of the Republic of Croatia in Sydney, Ivica Glasnović, Consul Leon Rašić and his wife Nada Šimara, to the lunch.
Mr Glasnović said: “I thank Vesna Žuro and the committee of the Archive for gathering, digitising and making available historic documents to all those interested in studying the history of our people here in Australia. I also thank them for organising this festive celebration and inviting me to be a part of this important anniversary.”
Long-time member of the Archive board Bruno Milić, left, secretary Bože Žuro, president Vesna Žuro, Consul-General of the Republic of Croatia in Sydney Ivica Glasnović and treasurer Ariana Joos at a luncheon marking the 20th anniversary of the Croatian Archives of Australia.
Mr Rašić congratulated the Archive on 20 years of hard work preserving the Croatian community’s history and wished the association all the best for its future.
Consul of the Republic of Croatia in Sydney Leon Rašić speaks at the lunch.
Ms Žuro also thanked Ivana Hebrang-Grgić, Professor at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Zagreb, who is a long-time supporter of the Archive and who sent a personal message from Croatia.
Professor Hebrang-Grgić said: “I congratulate you from the bottom of my heart on this important anniversary! The Croatian Archive of Australia has been a place where Croatian heritage has been gathered, organised and preserved for 20 years. The numerous documents and publications are cared for by people who are enthusiasts, working voluntarily, in their free time, with the desire to preserve traces of the history of Croatians in Australia.”
Consul-General of the Republic of Croatia in Sydney Ivica Glasnović, left, with attendees at the lunch.
Ms Žuro also welcomed other special guests, saying: “It is my honour to welcome you, the guests of honour, who represent Croatian associations and other institutions that contribute to the preservation of Croatian culture and Croatian identity, including: Croatian Club King Tomislav, Croatian Club Sydney-Concord, Croatian Club Bosna, Croatian Club Braća Radić, Croatian Intergroup Committee, the Central Committee of Croatian Ethnic Schools (SOHEŠ) Sydney, the Croatian Intercommittee Council of NSW and the Croatian Karlovac Association.”
Ms Žuro gave particular thanks and respect to the founders of the Archive who met on July 25, 2005, in the Croatian Club at Punchbowl, to initiate the work of the organisation: Ana Watson, Mirjana Majić, Zlata Radaković, Natalie Žabek-Sinček, Ana Žabek, Janja Blažević, Mirjana Cestar, Mara Potočnjak, Tomislav Beram, Luka Blažević, Drago Parancin, Jozo Stanić, Frane Burazer, Mato Bobošević, Fabijan Lovoković, Ante Glavor i Anto Šola.
“Unfortunately, many of them are no longer in this world, but their hard work and goodwill are still present in the work of the Croatian Archive today,” said Ms Žuro.
Ms Žuro also thanked the generous support of the various Croatian Catholic Centres in Sydney as well as media organisations Boka Cropress and newspapers Domovina and Spremnost Croatian Weekly.
Members of the Archive committee, with Liljana Ademović, left, at the lunch.
In recent years the Archive has begun its long-term project of digitising its holdings and launched its website, croarchive.org.au, in December 2023, which are both being helped financially by the Central Office for Croats Abroad.
“In 2023 the number of hits to the site was 13,000 and in 2024 the number rose about 20 per cent to 16,000 hits. On current estimates, the number of hits by the end of 2025 will be about 20,000 hits with about 6000 unique visitors.” Ms Žuro said.
Secretary Bože Žuro introduces the band Plavi at the lunch.
Ms Žuro emphasised the importance of preserving and making available the historical documents of the Croatian community in Australia. “The Croatian community itself has changed greatly over the last 20 years and many of the hard-fought achievements are being misrepresented or potentially lost, such as the teaching of the Croatian language. All the more reason for the existence of the Archive Association – as we say, a picture says a thousand words, and the importance in preserving historical records that document the facts, are more important today than perhaps ever before, important proof points for our children and future generations,” she said.
“The entire work of the Archive is voluntary and I would like to acknowledge the work and support of today's committee who have diligently prepared and worked on producing materials such as a booklet created in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Archive, which you can find on every table,” she said.
The current committee is comprised of vice-president Šime Dušević, secretary Bože Žuro, treasurer Ariana Joos, and committee members Tomislav Beram, Joan Beram, Katica Ćurić, Božica Feketija-Habush, Tomislav Joos, Ante Peroš, Ina Vukić and Marin Žuro.
Archive member Rosa Perić recites Tin Ujević's poem Svakidašnja jadikovka (Everyday Lament) at the lunch.
The lunch was blessed by Father Ivica Pečnik, the parish priest at the Croatian Catholic Centre in Blacktown, who led those present in prayer.
The attendees were entertained by local band Plavi who played many beloved Croatian songs.
The commemorative booklet celebrating 20 years of the Croatian Archive of Australia.
In a special recitation, Archive member Rosa Perić read a poem by famed Croatian poet Tin Ujević, Svakidašnja jadikovka (Everyday Lament).
To round out the afternoon, a video, compiled by young Archive member Ivana Brkić, celebrating the Archive’s 20 years of operation was presented.