Supporting Each Other: Building Bridges Through Community Visits
Visits between Croatian communities have always been a beautiful opportunity for members of different clubs to get to know each other better, support their organisations, and maintain friendships that sometimes last for years while others are just beginning to form. These gatherings represent the very essence of community spirit that keeps Croatian culture alive and thriving across Australia.
Small Communities, Big Hearts
Some of the more distant Croatian communities, though small in number, manage to keep the Croatian name alive through their gatherings, club maintenance and improvement, regular activities, and dedication to keeping their doors open. The Croatian Club Gippsland in Traralgon is exactly such a community. This small but united Croatian community is renowned for its hospitality and excellent kitchen, where the aroma of traditional Croatian home-cooked food always fills the air. Their warmth in welcoming guests is precisely why they have become a favourite destination for other Croatian clubs who gladly visit them.
A Perfect Example of Community Support
On June 24th, members of the Australian Croatian Senior Citizens Club “Nikola Tavelic” set off by bus on an excursion to Traralgon. Welcomed by their hosts, they enjoyed a beautiful day filled with numerous joys, abundant laughter, song, and dance. The enjoyment alongside a rich buffet of home-cooked food that was diligently prepared was a treat for all palates! Just like the dessert table full of cakes served with traditional coffee.
Ivica and his accordion, known as someone who knows how to create a good atmosphere, once again had everyone dancing to the sounds of his music. Great joy was also brought by the prize raffle for all the lucky winners, as well as those who eagerly awaited the drawing of the raffle tickets.
Gratitude and Community Spirit
“Thank you to our hosts in Gippsland for the warm welcome with a rich feast. Thank you to all members who responded and supported this trip,” expressed the visitors from Clifton Hill with heartfelt gratitude.
The response from Gippsland was equally warm: “Thank you all, our dear guests, for your visit. We hope we will see each other again and that you had a wonderful time. We would also like to thank other Croatians from Melbourne and surrounding areas for your visits. Thanks also to our community and the Board who put in a lot of effort and helped us welcome our dear guests with a beautiful lunch of roast meat, lamb, sarma, Kentucky chicken, salads, and cakes. There were about 80 plus of us today. We would also like to thank the women who brought beautiful cakes for us to enjoy with our coffee,” conveyed Jadranka Mary Bilic, Secretary of the Croatian Club Gippsland.
The Importance of Inter-Community Support
This beautiful example from Gippsland demonstrates why supporting each other’s clubs within the broader Croatian-Australian community is so vital:
Preserving Culture Together: When communities visit and support each other, they collectively work to preserve Croatian traditions, language, and customs. Each visit strengthens the cultural bonds that connect all Croatian-Australians.
Building Lasting Friendships: These gatherings create opportunities for genuine connections between people who share common heritage but might never otherwise meet. Friendships formed at such events often last for generations.
Strengthening Smaller Communities: Visits from larger communities provide moral and practical support to smaller clubs that might struggle with limited membership. The encouragement and solidarity help keep these important cultural centres operating.
Creating Joyful Memories: The combination of traditional food, music, dance, and fellowship creates memorable experiences that participants treasure and share with their families, inspiring the next generation to stay connected to their roots.
Mutual Learning and Inspiration: Communities learn from each other’s successes, sharing ideas for activities, fundraising, and member engagement that benefit the entire network of Croatian clubs.
A Model for All Communities
The relationship between the Croatian Club Gippsland and visiting communities like the Australian Croatian Senior Citizens Club “Nikola Tavelic” serves as a perfect model for how ethnic communities can support each other. The warmth of the welcome, the effort put into preparation, the joy of shared experiences, and the mutual expressions of gratitude all demonstrate what makes these communities so special.
When 80 people gather to share roast lamb, sarma, homemade cakes, and coffee while dancing to accordion music, they’re not just having a good time – they’re actively preserving and celebrating their cultural heritage while building the social bonds that will sustain their communities for future generations.
Looking Forward
As Croatian communities across Australia continue to face the challenges of maintaining their cultural identity in a multicultural society, examples like this Gippsland visit remind us of the power of mutual support. By continuing to visit each other, share resources, celebrate together, and maintain these precious friendships, Croatian-Australians ensure that their rich cultural heritage remains vibrant and alive.
The success of events like this one depends on everyone – from the dedicated organisers and cooks to the accordion players and raffle organisers, from the bus passengers willing to make the journey to the hosts who open their doors with such generosity. Together, they create something beautiful that strengthens not just individual clubs, but the entire Croatian-Australian community.
This is how communities thrive – through support, friendship, shared meals, and the simple joy of being together.
Another small croatian community clubs in WA
Dalmacija club in Carnarvon which is 10 hours north of Perth!!!!
Also the Midland Jedinstvo club in the Swan Valley!