History

The Croatian Community in Sydney officially was established on the 4th February 1951 in Maroubra, Sydney. The Catholic Church Hall in Maroubra Junction served as an intial meeting point for the emigrants from Croatian. Later as the community expanded, it began to hold meetings in Surry Hills (including both the local church and primary school halls)

The first official meeting of the Croatian Community in Sydney was held in the Church Hall of the Holy Family in Maroubra (pictured above)

On the 7 January 1955, the reformed Australian Croatian Community (Australsko Hrvatsko Drustvo) held its first meeting int he church hall of St Peter's on Devonshire Street Surry Hills. The Croatian House (Hrvatski Dom was later on Buckingham Street, Surry Hills

The Croatian Club Surry Hills - Photo taken in the 1960s

Croatian House (Hrvatski dom) Surry Hills 1960s

Croatian House (Hrvatski Dom) Wait Staff 1960s. From left Slavko Grizelj, Drago Podvorec, Nikola Maricic, Frane Simurina, Josip Matin & Isidor Sajko

Croatian Club (Hrvastko Drustvo) Buckingham Street, Surry Hills

Croatian Club (Hrvastko Drustvo) Buckingham Street, Surry Hills

Celebration of Croatian National Day in the Croatain House in Surry Hills (1961)

The Croatian Community later moved to a rented hall in Marrickville (Illawarra Road) in 1972 as the Community continued to expand. In 1983, The Croatian Club purchased the current site on the corner of Canterbury and Punchbowl Roads, Punchbowl. After a fire, a new club premises was built and officially opend by the Premier Bob Carr in 1998.

Entry to the Croatian Club on Illawarra Road, Marrickville

The Croatian Club in Punchbowl - 1980s

The Croatian Club in Punchbowl - 2000

We would like to thank Fabijan Lovokovic for all the photos which are from his book "Hrvatske Zajednice u Australiji" (The Croatian Community in Australia)