Original Adelaide Croatian Club

The first Croatian Club premises in Adelaide, the former Salvation Army Citadel in Chief Street, Hindmarsh, opened in 1961.

Credits: Photo by Cvetko Milanović from the book by Fabian Lovoković Hrvatske Zajednice u Australiji: nastojanja i postignuća (2010)

The founders

The first meeting of Croats in Adelaide took place on Anzac Day, April 25, 1950, in Heywood park, next to the suburb of Hyde Park. This gathering marked the foundation of The Croatian Club Adelaide - the first of its kind in Australia. An enlargement of the original photograph hangs on the wall of The Croatian Club Adelaide. A mounted photocopy, once owned by Slavko Šiklić, along with confirmation from a family member, verifies that the image was taken using his 1950s-era folding camera, and that he was the only one with a camera on the day. The camera was likely set on a tripod or a stable surface and operated using a timer to include the photographer in the group.

Credits: Photo by Slavko Šiklić. Courtesy of The Croatian Club Adelaide and The Croatian History Room (SA) Archive

The founders

Coloured and extended version