Biographies

Geoffery Andrew Ajduk was born in Perth in May 1954. He was the first magistrate of Croatian descent. He graduated from UWA and was admitted as a legal practitioner in May 1979. He worked for the WA Legal Aid Commission,  the Commonwealth Attorney General’s Department, the Wa Ombudsman’s Office and was appointed Resident Magistrate at… Continue reading AJDUK, Geoffery

Nikola Alerić (1887 – 1936) and Marija Alerić nee Vuinac from the West Australian, Perth, Tuesday 1 September 1936, page 9 The late Mr Nicholas Alerich passed away on August 27 1936 at the Wooroloo Sanatorium. Mr Alerich was born in Dalmatia. For some years he resided on the Goldfields and 16 years ago with… Continue reading ALERICH, Nikola

The West Australian, Thursday, July 08, 2010; Section: Classifieds, Page: 52 JOE ANTUNOVICH, LIQUOR STORE OWNER BORN: FREMANTLE, 1941 DIED: MURDOCH, AGED 68 Joe Antunovich was proud of both his Australian birthright and Croatian ancestry and helped document the roles played by men and women from the picturesque Adriatic country in the social landscape of… Continue reading ANTUNOVICH, Joe

Born 8 July 1917 in Vranjica, Dalmatia, Croatia. Arrived in Fremantle 21 December 1926. Teacher at St. Joseph’s Convent, Fremantle, WA.

Brother Nicholas Genesisus Bilich, CFC (6 July 1930 – 21 March 2000) A trochus shell, polished by an Aboriginal man from the One Arm Point Community, a gift from Br. Nick Bilich some years back, is a treasured memento of the years we lived and worked throughout the Kimberley region of West Australia. It symbolises… Continue reading BILICH, Nicholas (brother)

James Bizzaca  (1876-1925) Obituary from the Kalgoorlie Miner Tuesday 17 November 1925, page 3 Mr. James Bizzaca who was accidentally killed by a fall of ground in the Ivanhoe mine on Tuesday, the 3rd Nov 1925, was one of three brothers, who are well known and highly respected on these fields. Born in Dalmatia forty-nine… Continue reading BIZZACA, James

1952 – 2016 George Blazevic was a Northbridge identity. For much of his life, it’s where he lived, wrote, read profusely, and debated issues in politics and history to the beats of his eclectic music collection,  often till the early hours. His quick wit, extraordinary general knowledge and his nuance for language and tone made… Continue reading BLAZEVIC, George “Blaz”

Josip came to Western Australia from the Adriatic coastal town, Crkvencia. Mara was born in Vela Luka on Korčula Island. They met in Western Australia, married in 1939 and made Fremantle their home. The following family album and timeline was created by their granddaughter, Stefanie. Click here to view Brozicevic-Surjan Family Timeline – 1900 to… Continue reading BROZIČEVIĆ Josip and Mare (nee SURJAN)

FROM:  The Record.com By Sr Frances Stibi PBVM Father John Chokolich was born on 26 March 1917 in a little village called Sveti Stipan in Dalmatia, Croatia. He was Croatian by birth and Austrian by citizenship as Croatia was under Austro-Hungarian rule. His birth name was Ivan Čokolić  His parents were Luka and Jakica. John… Continue reading CHOKOLICH, John (Father)

My name is Vance Thowless and on behalf of my Herceg – Erceg family, I would like to share our Dida and Buba’s journey from Hrvatska to Western Australia. DIDA: Marijan “Michael” Herceg was born in the year 1885 and grew up in the area known as Babic Village Podgora, Markarska Dalmatia. His parents are… Continue reading ERCEG, Marijan and Milka (nee BULIĆ)

From the Bruce Rock Post and Corrigin and Narembeen Guardian  Thursday 27 August 1936, page 5 Obituary for the late Mr George Jakovich It was with surprise and deep regret that the wide circle of friends of the late Mr Jakovich learnt of his sudden death, which took place at his home at Erikin on… Continue reading JAKOVICH, George

Inaugural speech to WA parliament – Click here to open PDF.

Ivan (Jack) Kuničić (1895 – 1941) from the Kalgoorlie Miner Wednesday 10 September 1941, page 4 FATALLY GORED BY BULL  – OWNER OF SANTA ROSA VINEYARDS Perth, Sept; 9.— While trying to drive a bull from the road into a paddock at Byford yesterday. Ivan Kunicich (46), single, received fatal injuries when the bull gored… Continue reading KUNICICH, Ivan

Joseph Slavko Marian (1911-1979) JOSEPH SLAVKO MARIAN: an Autobiography   My parents came to Australia from the Adriatic Island of Hvar in Dalmatia, a part of Croatia, now in the Federative People’s Republic of Yugoslavia, and which was formerly in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy until 1 December 1918, when the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was… Continue reading MARIAN, Joseph Slavko

Tony Martin’s surname was originally Martinovich (Martinović). He was a foundation president and life member of the Trigg Island Surf Life Saving Club. Tony was also a Police Officer and recruited many of Trigg’s cadets from the youth who had committed minor offences. (1) Tony also organised dance competitions for the teenagers at “The Snake… Continue reading MARTIN, Tony

My Baba and Dida were born in Zaton, near Šibenik,Croatia. Dida left behind two sisters,  Zdenka, Anka and a brother, Gabro and came to Perth with other Croatian immigrants by ship in 1960. His wife, my baba Andjelka Mrsa and two children, Branka and Mladen came about three years later. A few years later Dida’s… Continue reading MRŠA, Marko and Anđa

Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY – Wednesday, 8 March 2006] p110b-113a Mr Alan Carpenter; Mr Matt Birney; Mr Paul Omodei; Mr Terry Waldron; Ms Dianne Guise; Mr Rob Johnson; Mrs Judy Hughes Condolence Motion MR A.J. CARPENTER (Willagee – Premier) [12.03 pm] – without notice: I move – That this house records its sincere regret at… Continue reading NANOVICH, Mick (from WA Parliamentary Hansard)

The Late Mr. M. Parentich (1889-1940) Obituary The funeral of the late Mr Martin Parentich of 687 Launceston-street, Boulder, took place last Thursday afternoon. A service was held in St.Patrlck’s Church, Adelaide-street, Fremantle at which the Rev. Father J. Weldon O.M.I., officiated. The cortege then proceeded to the Karrakatta cemetery, where the remains were interred… Continue reading PARENTICH, Martin and Mare

Margarita Richmond nee Plenkovich (1898 – 1983) Margarita Plenković was born in 1898 in Svirče, a village in the centre of Hvar Island, Croatia. She was the daughter of Ivan Plenković and Ana Dobrošić.  When Margarita was born with a defective leg, her family had the foresight to realise that village life and working the… Continue reading PLENKOVICH, Margarita

(29 March 1976 – 17 March 2012) Jaye Radisich Foundation Chairperson: Ian Radisich https://www.jayeradisichfoundation.org.au/ Inaugural speech to WA parliament – Click here to open PDF. Women in the WA parliament – Click here to open PDF.

Wally Radojkovich and Jadran wines Statement of Significance Jadran Wines and the Radojkovich family have a long association with the Orange Grove area. The vineyard and winery business was established in the late 1920s, and with no interruptions, continues to operate today. Physical Description Jadran Winery is situated in the foothills of the Orange Grove… Continue reading RADOJKOVICH, Vladimir (Wally)

Inaugural speech to WA parliament – Click here to open PDF.

Anton Serventi Anton Serventi born 30 September 1867 in the village of Bol on the island of Brač. He arrived in Sydney, NSW on 29 June 1892 on the vessel “Hoh Staufen”. He went from Sydney to Auckland and stayed in New Zealand for 4 years and 7 months.  Followed by several years in Boulder,… Continue reading SERVENTI, Anton

Dominic Serventy Dominic Louis Serventy (1904-1988), ornithologist and conservationist, was born on 28 March 1904 at Brown Hill, near Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, eldest of eight children of Dalmatian-born parents Vincent (Victor) Serventy and his wife Antica (Annie), née Gabelich.  Dom was educated at state primary schools at Armadale and Gosnells and at Perth Boys’ and… Continue reading SERVENTY, Dominic Louis

Vincent Serventy, 1916-2007 The original spelling of the family’s name was, Serventi. For further information about Vincent Serventy go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Serventy Below is an article from the Sydney Morning Herald published 12 September 2007 Vincent Serventy was green before greenery became fashionable. He did not wear shoes until he was 11, “running wild through the… Continue reading SERVENTY, Vincent

Leslie Tomislav (Thomas) Starcevich (1918-1989), soldier, was born on 5 September 1918 at Subiaco, Western Australia, third of ten children of Croatian-born Joseph Starcevich, miner, and his English-born wife Gertrude May, née Waters.  In the 1920s the family moved to Grass Patch, near Esperance, where Tom was educated at a local school.  After working in… Continue reading STARCEVICH, Leslie Tomislav (Thomas), VC

Brothers Filip and Petar Vlahov arrived in Australia in 1914 from Šepurina on the island of Prvić in central Dalmatia. They were both interned and deported and returned to Australia in the mid 1920s.  Click here to get the PDF version.

WA wine veteran a rare vintage Kent Acott The West Australian – Wed, 12 November 2014 8:08AM WA wine industry veteran Joe Zekulich. Credit: The West Australian WA has lost one of its oldest citizens with the death this week of Swan Valley vigneron Joe Zekulich, aged 107. Mr Zekulich arrived in Fremantle in 1924 as a… Continue reading ZEKULICH, Joe

MEDAL (OAM) OF THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA IN THE GENERAL DIVISION Mr Michael John ZEKULICH. South Perth WA 6151 For service to print journalism, and as an author. Publications Author. An Eye for a Story – Michael Zekulich’s autobiography, self-published, 2017. Author. Spirit of the Swan – 180 Years of Winemaking in the Swan Valley.… Continue reading ZEKULICH, Michael

MORTIMER (Mort) ZILKO EULOGY Mort Zilko was born in Boulder, WA on 26 April 1918. He was he youngest of three sons born to Maria (nee Kuzmanich) and Peter Paul Zilko. The father Petar and Maria had come from the Vis. Petar arrived in 1905. Vis was part of the Austrian Hungarian Empire, so they… Continue reading ZILKO, Mortimer