Video
Podcasts
Blogs
Czech
 |
|
|
Czech-speaking community settlement in Australia Recommended Websites Community Contacts Special Events Calendar Arrival of the Czech-speaking community to Australia and the settlement Members of today's Czech community came to Australia in two major movements. The first was after the Second World War in 1948 and the second from 1968, after the Russian and Warsaw Pact invasion of the then Czechoslovakia, a period known as the Prague Spring. However, the Czech connection with Australia goes back to the earliest days of the colony. It's believed the first Czech to step on Australian soil was the renowned botanist and biologist, Tadeas Haenke, who arrived as part of a Spanish expedition in March, 1793. Haenke described and named Australian flora and fauna with the help of a group of convicts given to him to collect specimens. Czechs came to Australia looking for gold along with thousands of other nationalities but if they did get lucky, their source of wealth was not always precious metal. Many made more money entertaining the other diggers than striking gold themselves. Czech migrants have made a significant impact on the Australian arts scene, particularly in the area of dance and the establishment of successful art galleries. Recommended Websites Ceske noviny - news by the Czech News Agency Radio Prague Aktualne.cz - Czech news in English General European news site Community Contacts Organisations that represent the Czech-speaking community: Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia PO Box 344 Curtin, ACT 2605 Phone:02 6282 5755 Fax: 02 6282 5734 New South Wales Sokol Gymnastic Association 16 Grattan Crescent French's Forest NSW 2086 Phone 02 94525 1617 Czechoslovakian Country Club 320 Devonshire Rd. Kemp Creek NSW 2171 Phone 02 9606 0904 Czech-Australian Art Spectrum Association 31 Blackbutt Rd., French's Forest NSW 2086 Phone 02 4367 0265 Fax: 02 4307 2366 Victoria Sokol Melbourne Inc. 497 Queensberry St., North Melbourne VIC 3051 Phone 03 9329 9922 Czechoslovak Ex-Servicemen's League 2/16 Kent Rd., Surrey Hills VIC 3127 Phone 03 9366 3679 Czechoslovak Association in Victoria 8 Cascade Dve., East Kew VIC 3102 Phone 03 9859 5040 Western Australia Czech and Slovak Association, Western Australia PO Box 486 West Perth WA 6802 Phone 08 9370 1205 South Australia Czech Chamber of Commerce Enterprise House Greenhill Rd., Eastwood South Australia 5063 Phone 08 8373 1322 Czechoslovak Club 51 Coglin St., Brompton SA 5077 PO Box 89 Hindmarsh SA 5077 Phone 08 8346 4181 Queensland Czechoslovakian Club of Queensland 25 Upfield Rd., Burbank QLD 4156 Phone: 07 3343 3489 Special Events Calendar SBS Radio's Czech Language Program presents special coverage of the following events throughout the year. February 25 Commemoration of Communist take-over, 1948 May/June Prague Spring, Classical Music Festival, in Prague Zlata Praha Music, Film and Dance Festival, Prague July International Film Festival at Karlovy Vary. August 21 Commemoration of Russian Invasion, 1968 October 28 Czech National Day |
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| About SBS | Feedback © 2002 Special Broadcasting Service Terms and Conditions | Privacy | Disclaimer |