The Concord – A jewel in the crown of Croatian diaspora clubs
- by croatiaweek
- in News
(Photo credit: Mladen Leko)
By Mladen Leko
Driving into the car park of The Concord Community Club on Sunday, June 9, for the grand opening, my heart swelled with pride as I saw a simply glorious structure appearing before me.
Shining like a beacon and bathed in warm, late-autumn sunshine, the building facade was covered in stone from the eastern side of the mountains near Benkovac.
(Photo: The Concord)
The magnificent covered portico, with the entry stairs and lobby wall adorned with stone from the western side of the mountains around Benkovac, was truly stunning. Enlarged Billich prints from his beautiful ‘Croatian Kaleidoscope’ lined the corridor, while the ‘škure’ lining the walls evoked memories of the Dalmatian coast.
(Photo credit: Mladen Leko)
Inside, the sports lounge featured a grb-like acoustic ceiling, adding to the unique ambiance. The garden memorial sculpture, created by renowned sculptor Mate Turić – Croata, depicted a mother praying over the grave of her fallen son in war, adding a poignant touch to the space.
Although still a work in progress, the Memorial Room already featured a statue of Franjo Tuđman as well as portraits of the Blessed Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac and Ante Starčević.
(Photo credit: Mladen Leko)
(Photo credit: Mladen Leko)
The menu, crafted by hatted chef Tomislav Martinović, promised an exceptional culinary experience.
The subtle details and influences of the Club’s proud Croatian heritage on display at every turn.
(Photo credit: Mladen Leko)
It seems hardly conceivable, but some 70 years after the first-mass migrations of Croatians to Australia, the Croatian community of Sydney opened a brand new Croatian Club, which is a real testament to the spirit, endurance and strength of the Croatian community in Australia.
(Photo credit: Mladen Leko)
The official opening ceremony was held 3 days earlier, on Thursday, 6 June with a short program for invited guests, where Club President, Zvonimir Kurtović, welcomed dignitaries to the opening of The Concord.
(Photo credit: Mladen Leko)
(Photo credit: Mladen Leko)
”We stand today at this historic Concord RSL site, not just to celebrate a new beginning, but the proud continuation of their legacy. The Croatian Club Sydney was established at Surry Hills in 1951, moving later to Marrickville and then to Punchbowl, each contributing a piece to our story, and now, here at Concord, we have found a permanent home – a place for generations to come. The Concord aspires to be more than a Club; it’s a beacon of community.”.
(Photo credit: Mladen Leko)
Fast forward to Sunday, 9 June – the Club had been full to capacity throughout Friday, was packed all day Saturday and hosted a sold-out zabava for 300 people on Saturday night – the grand opening ensued together with the blessing of the venue by Fr. Davor Filko. In his address, Club Vice-President, Mijo Rimac, proudly welcomed the guests to the beautiful, state of the art ‘Dom’:
“This is truly an historic occasion not only for Croatian people of Sydney, but also for Croatians the world over…for our Club’s legacy to continue, we decided to create a unique Community Club that we could all be proud of that tastefully showcases the best of Croatia. We have been overwhelmed by the local community support and look forward to forming new, long-term relationships with our local organisations but also pay homage to our Croatian heritage as we assimilate our Club with the next generation.”.
(Photo credit: Mladen Leko)
With the formalities out of the way, the live entertainment program featured the very best of the Sydney Croatian bands, folkloric groups and DJs, including Prva Liga, Akcija, Plavi, Pajdaši, Dobre Vibracije, Plamen, Kemo & Mirko, Rivers Road, Sto Na Sat, DJ Krešo Terkeš, CFE Vukovar, HFG Domovina, CFE Sydney and HFG Mladi Frankopani.
(Photo credit: Mladen Leko)
(Photo credit: Mladen Leko)
(Photo credit: Mladen Leko)
(Photo credit: Mladen Leko)
(Photo credit: Mladen Leko)
(Photo credit: Mladen Leko)
(Photo credit: Mladen Leko)
(Photo credit: Mladen Leko)
(Photo credit: Mladen Leko)
The festive nature of the grand opening, the smiling faces of 4 generations of proud Croatians; children, parents, grand-parents and great-grandparents; enjoying and celebrating their culture and heritage together, will be forever etched in the memories of those present sheer and thankful for the magnificent achievement of the Board of the Croatian Club Sydney, led by the vision and the sheer determination of Zvonimir Kurtović and Mijo Rimac, together with sponsors and volunteers of the Croatian Community of Sydney, who collectively delivered, what can only be described as, the jewel in the crown of Croatian diaspora clubs. Bog i Hrvati!
(Photo credit: Mladen Leko)
