Until the creation of the Australian Federation in 1901, in this country there were very few Serbs. One of the most important reasons for this is probably a great distance, a collection of marine transport to the continent and the scant information about him. History of immigration of Serbs in Australia can be divided into several periods. The first period was immigrating to the First World War, in which very few Serbs came to this country. The earliest immigration of Serbs in Australia starts at the end of the nineteenth century. However, of those first immigrants have very little information. Settled were mostly Serbs from Montenegro, Bay of Kotor, Dalmatia, Herzegovina and Lika. Early on in the second half of the nineteenth century the name Nicholas milovich who was a gold digger in the gold fields in Western Australia. On after leaving the gold fields dealt vocharstvom and viticulture. Milovich was born in the Bay of Kotor. In 1896 among gold miners in Kalgoorlie found themselves and Tomo Marich from Herzegovina, Boza and Milan Stanisich, Dusan Chetkovich and many other Serbs.

 

When in 1901 the world's first exhibition was held in Sydney came and famous Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, which were the two Belgrade musicians - Markovic Branisavljevich. These musicians were on this occasion stayed in Sydney. In 1905, in Western Australia comes Jovo Spajic from Herzegovina, and in 1909 and Nikola Marich, cousin mentioned Tome Maricha. In 1911 he came to Australia Ivan Niketich, a native of Sumadije.

 

According to some data, before the First World War in Australia, there were about four thousand emigrants from the territory of present-day Yugoslavia. These are, mainly, emigrants from our coastal areas. Over 80% of immigrants were Dalmatians Croatian origin (Markovic, 1978). The rest are, in this order, consisted of immigrants from Macedonia, Slovenia, Herzegovina, Bosnia, Vojvodina, Međumurje, Montenegro, and the least of them were from Serbia. The first settlers were things considered by many respects, were sailors who left their b genera and settled in the then little-known continent (Tkalcevich, 1978).

 

During the Balkan Wars and World War I, emigrants South Slavic peoples in Australia founded the Serbian-Montenegrin Committee of the Red Cross and through it provide material aid to the old country, primarily Serbs. It is characteristic, and that in the First World War and sent a company of volunteers, mainly Dalmatians, from Australia and New Zealand to fight on the Salonika front. And when the war is over Serbs have provided strong moral support to the creation of a new state - Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. A number of Serbs fought in the First World War in the units of the Australian Army. It is mentioned several names. Here will be listed only four Jovo Spajic, Nikola Marich, Tom Berich and mayor Gude. Nikola Marich, as a volunteer in the Australian army at the front in France after World War I got a medal and free country, where he later cultivated grapevine. Marich in 1929 became the first Consul General of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in Fremantle near Perth, and he stayed full for fifteen years.

 

The second period of immigration, also a small number of Serbs in Australia covers the period between WWI and end-mesh WWII. The first settlers were mentioned Bracha Pavlovich from Herzegovina and Simo Gledich difference. The most massive immigration followed the twenties, when the United States introduced a quota system for immigrants. In 1924 in Australia comes a group of immigrants from Montenegro, which employ the gold fields as forest workers. They lived in a labor camp Karavang. Max number echi then newly-settled Serbs, except in the mines to the gold fields, also work in the mines at Broken Hill, Iron Knob, pampered and others.

 

As the Great Depression (1929-1933) did not avoid Australia, so the Serbs in that country were faced with numerous teskochama. Many of them wanted to return to his homeland, but were unable to make even the boat ticket. At that time and among the Serbs in Australia been increased number of suicides. It is assumed that between the two world wars in Australia and New Zealand about 30 thousand Yugoslav citizens, again mostly Croats from Dalmatia, so that the ethnic composition in the same proportions as this was the one before the First World War (Markovic, 1978 ).

 

Since the Australian soldiers were being paid based on the experience of the First World War, when the participants after the war received the property free of the state, during the Second World War and Serbs staged in Australian volunteer detachment who fought in the Middle East and the Pacific. In addition, a special body called the Central Committee for aid to Yugoslavia.

 

According to estimates Mata Tkalcevicha, the most important wave of emigration of Serbs in Australia was the one that covers the period between 1948 and 1955. It was composed of a group of people who came from displaced camps in Germany, Austria and Italy. There were former prisoners of war, those who survived various concentration camps and camps for forced laborers, the Serbs who fought under the leadership of General Draza Mihailovic, who had fled to the West, people who were brought to forced labor, but they refused to returned to Yugoslavia. One solution for them was emigration to overseas countries. After the visit of the Minister for Immigration Australia KOLVI Europe, where he met with human resources that are located in camps for refugees, Australia formed the Commission for review and acceptance of immigrants from Europe. Australia has offered the International Refugee Organization (IRO) ten pounds per person for travel expenses for people from the camp (the Serbs in Australia, 1990). The reason was that as Australia were y our young workers to perform physical tasks. Many newcomers Serbs in Australia were forced to hide in order to be admitted to work in this country. In addition, those who were selected were required to sign an agreement that they would accept any job that is offered to them within two years.

 

Unlike the US and Canada, where immigrants are left to fend for themselves and assistance of friends and relatives, these contracts had an upside for newly arrived displaced persons from Europe since they are guaranteed a job and accommodation for a start. At that time, the profession and the qualifications of IDPs have not already watched primarily physical ability to work. The first group of displaced Serbs from European camps, primarily from the camp in Munich, arrived in Perth in February 1948. Landed in Fremantle, to move from there to the camp eu which are, at least in the beginning, were harsh living conditions. Jobs that were grouped were: cutting cane in Queensland secherne, work on the construction of a railroad in central Australia, seca yuppies, vintage Vocha, work in mines, construction of dams in Varagambi and the like. During 1948 and 1949 came another number of Serbs from Europe. In the book Serbs in Australia alleges that on two occasions occurred about 250 Serbs from the camp. Members of the displaced families were allowed to come to Australia just after 1 953 years.

 

A significant number of those displaced Serbs were with higher education. They originate from the middle class, and they had before the Second World War a good position in Yugoslavia (Tkalcevich, 1978). However, just because the thesis could be employed in his occupation, because their qualifications are not recognized. Serbian doctors, for example, they had to study at universities in Australia for another three years in order to be recognized diploma, or to work for five years in a hospital in some remote areas of Australia. I addressed any where an Australian doctor did not want to leave, for example, in Papua, New Guinea, leaving the Serbs.

 

Next, the fourth wave of immigration of Serbs, who Tkalcevich stands as the second major wave occurred in Australia after 1962. It is about economic migration, where the majority of immigrants constituted unskilled and semi-skilled workers, although among them were those with secondary and even tertiary education. The majority of immigrants to Australia from the late sixties and the seventies, he came with a temporary work in Western Europe, especially from the Federal Republic of Germany. The reasons for their doseljavan am in Australia, as sources indicate, economic.

 

At the beginning of the eighties, with the economic recession and the economic crisis that the middle of this decade, becoming more serious in Yugoslavia with a substantial increase in unemployment in Australia is moving an increasing number of Serbs with higher education. At the beginning of the second half of the eighties, Australia, is the largest city in the number of Yugoslav emigration to other countries, even outside the United States and Canada.

 

Census Australia shows that on 30 June 1986 in the country was 288.5 thousand immigrants from the former Yugoslavia and their descendants. It is interesting to emphasize that more than half (150,967) of the total number of emigrants peoples of Yugoslavia in Australia were born in Yugoslavia. It is almost the same as it was in the US in 1980, when he registered the US population. Serbs live in the greatest extent in Melbourne and Sydney. Census results also show that a large number chose a Yugoslav origin and, even, says "Yugoslavian language" of the house (over 70 thousand). Among the Yugoslavs in Australia, most of the bass Serbs. Their number is estimated to be at least 90 thousand, and there could be a maximum of 120 thousand. Therefore, for Serbia and Montenegro, Australia very significant overseas immigration country. Namely, in the period after World War II, Australia has moved about 200 thousand persons born in Yugoslavia and the United States just over 171 thousand. Previously, as is well known, moved in predominantly unskilled workforce forged. Today, when it comes to the active part of immigrants, and moves, as well as in the United States and Canada, a significant number of highly educated and highly skilled personnel. Some of them have achieved a great reputation in social and political life of Australia, for example, Senator Milivoje E. Lajovich.

 

Preservation of ethnic identity in the book Serbs in Australia, among other things, describes: Serbs displaced from European camps immediately upon their arrival in Australia, "began to produce food," and that the delicatessen supplying salami, bacon, pork Masch etc. . "Food that Australians are preparing them seems strange, fat is not swam in the soup (because it is removed before serving), and that the fried eggs on the water not previously seen, Povrchové cooked in water and served no fat and so on." They all seem to lo hardly digestible. So they kept their diet and their customs. Patron was an opportunity for friends to gather together and celebrate in the traditional manner, Slava cake with svechi etc. Although the seasons reversed from those in Serbia, Bozich and celebrate Easter by customs Serbian Orthodox tradition. And the other is kept insignia, especially at weddings, baptisms and other similar occasions. His past expressed through folk games that foster folklore groups, drama performances and the like. Of course, with higher large events take place just within crkvenoskolskih municipalities.

 

As already mentioned, there are few Serbs in Australia until the end of the Second World War. In addition, they were not concentrated in one area of ​​this, in the territory, vast country. In such circumstances, there was no organized church life. Before the Second World War, the Serbs went to the Greek and Russian Orthodox churches, when all religious ceremonies. During this period, in Australia there were no Serbian Orthodox priests.

 

Among the displaced Serbs who came from Western Europe were also clerics. In the period 1948-1953, to Australia arrived five Serbian priests (Svetozar Sekulic, Elijah Bulovan, Milenko Stefanovic, Georgia Djonlich, Budimir Djukic). So, the first Serbian Orthodox priest was Svetozar Sekulic. Father Sekulic arrived by boat in Sydney on September 6, 1948. Otherwise, the Orthodox Church in overseas ignition, after the Second World War, under the jurisdiction of the Serbian Orthodox epis dig a US-Canadian Mr. Dionysius. American-Canadian Diocese had a constitution that was approved by the Holy Synod in 1931. (Serbs in Australia, 1990). Its decree of December 8, 1949, His Grace Bishop Dionysius set for Bishops governor Serbian Orthodox Church in Australia protojereja Bulovana from Sydney.

 

The first church and school communes of Saint Sava, Mona in Vail, in the suburbs of Sydney, established on 27 January 1949. Its first president was Mile Canak, a cashier Milos Laurich. Sava Srzentich, Native, donated a plot of land to build the church and church home. The foundation stone was osvechen 30 December 1951. Management, however, resolved to build a first home. So the first Serbian Orthodox Church built in Flemington (Sydney) voluntary work and contributions of the Serbs, and osvechena at Easter 1954. M Ilenko Stefanovic pastor of this church.

 

Decision of the Holy Synod of Bishops, from June 1952, the church and school district in Australia were placed under the juris diction-Serbian Patriarch in Belgrade. For health reasons arhijerejski governor priest Elijah Bulovan filed Mobley Patriarch German for dismissal. The request was granted, and the Bishops governor comes PERTSK priest priest Peter Rados.

 

Since 1963, the Holy Synod of the American-Canadian Diocese split into three new bishops of the Diocese and suspended Dionysius, in the Serbian Orthodox Church in Australia is a rift. So, church dispute that arose in America in 1963, has spread to Australia and began to destroy what has hitherto been undestroyed - St. Sava church. The Church's school district: St. Nicholas of Blacktown and St. George from Cabramatta have decided to unite with the Free American-Canadian Diocese on whose c is headed by former Bishop Dionysius (SPC Holy Archdeacon Stephen, 1983).

 

The split in the Serbian Orthodox Church has caused incalculable damage to the Serbian people. Serbs who believed in nepodeljenost St. Sava Church and the immutability of the holy Orthodoxy remained no place for prayer in Sydney. In 1965, he created the church parish, St. Archdeacon Stephen, in western Sydney called Liverpool. In 1975 he was made a modest place of worship.

 

Under the jurisdiction of the US-Canadian Diocese received the 14 church-performing school districts (Saint Sava in Hajndmarsu, Sveti Naum in Newcastle, Saint Nicholas in Brisbane, Saint Sava in Flemington, VM St. George in St. Albans, Holy Trinity in Perth, St. George's BM Canberra, Saint Sava in Melbourne, St. Nicholas in Geelong, St Peter and St Paul in Vodonga, St. John the Baptist in Wollongong, Holy Trinity in Jalornu, St. Nicholas in Blacktown and Martyr in Cabramatta).

 

Four church and school district came under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate, namely: St. Sava in Perth, Saint Sava in Adelaide, Sveti Knez Lazar in Alexandria and St.

 

 

 

(EXCERPT FROM Grečić / Lopusina, "all Serbs WORLD")