Croatian Catholic Centre
Cardinal Stepinac
Sv. Luka

Rev. Nikica Zlatunic OFM
frnikzla@powerup.com.au

St. Lukes Church
37 Taylor Street
Buranda
QLD 4102
Australia

Tel : (07) 3391 6006
Fax : (07) 3391 3562

Croatian Community Centres In QLD

In Brisbane today there are two major Croatian community organizations, which are the focal points for most Croatian Community activities. These are the Croatian Catholic Centre “CARDINAL STEPINAC and the Croatian Community Centre.

The Croatian Catholic Centre was formally established in 1973. Mass in Croatian was available sporadically and in different locations since the late 1960’s, but towards the end of 1973 sufficient numbers and enthusiasm was evident to enable the purchase of an old cinema hall in Salisbury for religious and social activities. A permanent priest provided by the Church in Croatia has been attached to the community since the early 1970s. Over the years the Croatian Catholic Center has provided religious and social activities in a variety of locations, unsuccessfully attempting to move the community to more appropriate premises to meet the differing congregational needs. The Croatian Catholic Centre currently operates from St Luke’s Church in Buranda, premises provided to the community by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane. The primary activities of the center are weekly religious services and traditional marriage, funeral, christening and other ceremonies. Additionally the center has over the years been the focal point for community social, cultural, educational, humanitarian and welfare activities.

Masses

Sundays:	8:15 AM Guardian Angels' 99 Scarborough St Southport QLD 4215
	11:00 AM St. Luke's Church
Tuesday & Wednesday	7:30 PM St. Luke's Church in English

Christenings & Weddings to be arranged before hand.

Povijest Misije

Od godine 1961 do 1971 hrvatsko pastvu u Državi Queensland vodi vlč Marko Đokmarković, svećenik barske nadbiskupije. U njegovo vrijeme kupljeno je zemljište koje je poslije dobro unovčeno. Od godine 1972 do 1975 tu je dušobrižbnik Vinko Kanižaj, svećenik zagrebačke nadbiskupije. U to vrijem kupljeno je zemljište sa zgradom koja je trebala poslužiti svim vjerskim, kulturnim i zabavnim potrebama Hrvata u Brisbaneu. Od bivše kono dvorane stvorena je velika kapela koja služi i kao društvena dvorana i škola. U godini 1975 i 1976 pastvu oko pola godine vodi zagrebački svećenik Ivan Jurak. U siječnju godine 1979 dolazi stalni dušobrižnik u osobi Drage Prgometa, člana Franjevačke Provincije Bosne Srebrne, koji je do tada bio u Canberri. U međuvremenu je dulje ili kraće razdovlje, kad nije bilo stalnog hrvatskog misionara, misu na hratskom jeziku služio mađarski svećenik Ištvan Mikloš koji je dobro govorio hrvatski, a crkveni je odbor uspješno vodio sve druge poslove. 1979 sjedište Misije premješta se iz Salisburya u Inalu ali se mise služe i dalje na obadva mjesta. Danas Hrvatska katolička misija Brisbane Gold Coast ima svoje sjedište u nadbuskupijskoj crkvi sv. Luke u Burandi. Od 1979 do donas Hrvatsku katoličku misiju Brisbanea i Gold Coasta vodi član Franjevačke provincije Bosne Srebrene Fr Nikica Zlatuić OFM.

U Brisbaneu naši ljudi imaju svake nedjelje dvije mise, jednu u Brisbaneu a drugu na Gold Coastu. Gold Coast je mjesto, udaljeno 70 km od Brisbane gdje živi priličan broj Hrvata. Oni svake nedjelje i blagdanima imaju sv. misu crvki Guardian Angels’ u Southportu. Nekoliko puta godišnje svećenik ide na daleki sjever u Cairns, Mareebu i Dimbulah gdje također ima Hrvata.

U državi Queensland ima do 4 000 Hrvata koji žive uglavnom u Brisbaneu i ti su došli sa svih strana naše domovine, te na sjeveru oko Cainsa, a to su uglanovm Hercegovici i Dalmatinici, koji uzgajaju duvan i šećernu trsku

The Croatian Community Centre was established in 1984 on land purchased in the 1970’s by and for the Croatian Soccer Club. The Centre is based on some 50 acres of land in the suburb of Rocklea and features a two-story clubhouse and two full size soccer fields. The center is the focus point for community social, sporting, political and cultural activities and currently from the center’s premises operate the Rocklea United Soccer Club, a pensioners group, a youth group and the Croatian ethnic school. The motives underlying the formation of the center were to centralize the various community activities under one central organizational body, and at one site. The center was the major focal point for community activities during the 1991-96 wars in Croatia and Bosna and Hercegovina hosting many Croatian parliamentarians, diplomats and entertainers.

Brisbane also has regular Croatian Radio Programs on Radio Station 4EB, a community newsletter (Cro-News), a community business guide, branches of various Croatian political organizations and government funded community support workers servicing refugees, the elderly and those with a mental illness. The community also has premises at Carina which are owned by the Croatian Australian Association.

To a smaller extent, Croats make up approximately 75% of the membership at the Eight Mile Plains Seventh Day Adventist Church. The church was established in 1990 and organizes weekly religious services, social functions, humanitarian activities, support for new arriving refugees and a program on Brisbane’s community television.

Gold Coast

The Croatian Sports Centre at Carrara is the major Croatian organization at the Gold Coast. The center was established in 1983 on approximately six acres of land and features a modern-club house and two full size soccer fields. The center is the focal point for all community social, sporting, cultural, educational, political, welfare and humanitarian activities. Currently from the centre’s premises operate the Carrara Crows Soccer Club, the Velebit Women’s group, a dancing group, a pensioners group and various branches of Croatian political organizations. The center organizes regular community functions and activities for the maintenance of Croatian culture, language and traditions. The Croatian Folkloric Group “Velebit” is currently the only Croatian dancing group in Queensland still operating, while prior to 1992 there were four.

The Croatian priest from Brisbane provides religious services to the Gold Coast community on a weekly basis. The community utilizes the Guardian Angels’ Church at Southport, for weekly mass and other religious ceremonies. The community also operates a local Croatian language radio program.

Cairns

After an unsuccessful attempt to join and re-orientate the well-established Plavi Jadran (Blue Adriatic) Soccer Club, whose membership is predominantly from the Island of Korcula, Croats in Cairns in 1993 establish a Croatian Club in the midst of all the tragedy and devastation unfolding in their country of origin. The club organizes regular social functions and bocce competitions for members and associates, it is the focal point for community activities in the region and it was the venue where humanitarian and financial assistance was collected to assist the many thousands of refugees in Croatia and Bosna and Hercegovina.

Sunshine Coast

Croatian community activities at the Sunshine Coast were formulized in 1992 with the establishment of a local branch of the Croatian Democratic Union. The primary aim of this development was to collect humanitarian and financial aid for relatives and friends in war ravaged Croatia and Bosna and Hercegovina. Even though the Croatian population on the Sunshine Coast is relatively small, members have continued to meet and regularly organize social activities. With the increase in the number of retirees in the region, Croatian community activities currently center on a pensioners group.

Stanthorpe

Stanthorpe has a relatively small number of Croats who are engaged primarily in fruit farming. The Roma Catholic section of the community participates in religious services at the St. Joseph’s Church and most of their religious and social needs are met through this mainstream parish. They have no separate organizations or premises for their activities but the Croatian priest from Brisbane does visit the region annually. Members attached to the Seven Day Adventist Church in The Summit have their own church premises and meeting facilities for religious and social functions. Croats are the largest group in this church, even though membership includes others from southeast Europe.

Dimbulah

Croats from Mareeba, Dimbulah, Innisfail and the Tablelands purchased land and built a Croatian Club in Dimbulah in 1984. The club organizes regular social functions, bocce competitions and hosts the local branch of the Croatian Democratic Union. The club is a meeting point for Croats from the region who live considerable distances from each other. Occasionally, Croatian entertainers and the priest from Brisbane visit the region to maintain links with this small rural community and to meet their religious and cultural needs.

Croatian Catholic Centre Cardinal Stepinac Sv. Luka