TRAVEL REPORT The Hon. Michael Atkinson MP Attorney-General ...

SLOVENIANS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIADemographyThe 2001 Census reports that 494 South Australians were born in Slovenia .The community estimates that there are over 5,000 Slovenian backgroundpersons in South Australia . The majority of Slovenian- born live in theAdelaide metropolitan area . 106 live in the northern suburbs, 111 in thewestern , 57 in the eastern and 36 in the southern suburbs .Brief HistoryThe first Slovenians arrived in South Australia in 1946 . They emigrated asDisplaced Persons from camps in Italy, Austria and Germany after MarshalTito established a Communist government in Yugoslavia in 1945 .In exchange for their passage to Australia, D.P.s were employed on two-yearcontracts with the Commonwealth in unskilled occupations . Of theSlovenians who arrived in South Australia, about 20 families worked in theRiverland fruit industry . The men were employed as fruit pickers, while thewomen worked in canneries . Other Slovenians worked for the SouthAustralian Railways in the South-East or in the vicinity of Port Augusta .Slovenians have continued to immigrate to South Australia . The existingSlovenian community has helped them to resettle . Slovenian SouthAustralians organised occasional dances at Thebarton Town Hall and at aGreek hall in Hindley Street .In 1967, the Slovenian Club had about 100 members . In that year,Franc Steflic gave the community a house in Gawler . The Slovenian Clubwas incorporated as an official body on September 22, 1967 . Franc Zokaljwas the first President .Following the sale of the house in Gawler a, the community purchased aproperty in Young Avenue, West Hindmarsh, and built a hall that was openedin 1971, and then a church, the Church of the Holy Family . At the time theclub had about 200 members .In the mid-1980s, the Slovenian Club along side the hall sold its premises inHindmarsh and bought a block of land in La Salle Street, Dudley Park . OnJune 6, 1987 the community opened a spacious centre on the site . Thepremises include a recording studio, where members of the 5EBI radiocommittee pre-record Slovenian programs . One of the members of the club,Tomo Les, painted a large mural of Lake Bled in Slovenia in the main hall .The walls of the bar area adjacent to the hall are adorned with paintings givento the club by visiting interstate Slovenian communities .In April, 1992, the Slovenian Club opened a covered balinanje alley . Balinanjeis a sport better known by its Italian name, bocce . Slovene South Australianshave a library, a ladies auxiliary and a pensioners' group under the auspicesof the club . In 1979, Father Philip, Dr S . Frank, Laura Premrl and Helena RantTravel Report, Hon. Michael Atkinson, MP . and Ms. Vini Ciccarello MP ., August, 2004 1 0