Srima
Srima is small settlement on the Dalmatian coast facing the island of Prvić. To the south is the Šibenik canal and the the town of Šibenik. North is the town of Vodice, although, today, Vodice and Srima have largely merged.
Old Srima consisted of scattered houses across the peninsula of the same name. Remains of a 6th century church can be seen not far from today’s Srima. Many people from Srima worked for the Šibenik nobles on Prvić. When the Turkish attacks became imminent, they settled on the northern side of Prvić in what was to become Šepurina and were joined by others also fleeing the Turkish army.
After several centuries, Šepurina’s population grew and homes became overcrowded resulting in some families moving back to Srima, building permanent houses and raising families on their ancestral land. After several hundred years, family connections and bonds with Šepurina were extremely close. The people of Srima attended church services in Šepurina and buried their dead in the Šepurina cemetery. Church records made little distinctions between those born in Srima or Šepurine.
Similar to Šepurina, the first emigrants from Srima went to the United States. Later, some went to southern Africa or to Western Australia. The first Srima emigrants to arrive in Western Australia were likely to have been Blaž Paškov in 1909, Dume Paškov in 1913 who arrived as a 14 year old and Šime Mijat, also in 1913.
Before World War 1, there were a few migrant workers from Srima who worked in the south-west of Western Australia. Several were interned during World War 1 and deported after the war. Others were lucky enough to not be interned and remained in WA permanently.
More migrants from Srima began arriving in the 1920s. Among the first were Ivan Vlahov in 1924, Šime Mijat’s son, Ante and his sixteen year old daughter, Jerka (Jean) in 1927.
During World War Two, Srima lost a disproportionate amount of its people either killed in action, during bombing raids or summary executions by the occupying forces. The entire population was forcibly moved to Šepurina before their homes were set on fire and incinerated. Most People from Srima living in Western Australia, lost close relatives during World War Two including mothers, sons and brothers.
Approximately 25 people from Srima have settled permanently in Western Australia. Dume Paskov raised a large family in Sandstone. Ivan Vlahov settled in Yuna, others in Spearwood and Osborne Park.
The main surnames of migrants from Srima are Mijat, Paskov, Skroza, and Vlahov and they all have close family ties with the people of Šepurina.