Croatian New Zealanders

Croatian New Zealanders refers to New Zealand citizens of Croatian descent. It is estimated that over 100,000 New Zealanders have Croatian ancestry. There are 2,550 people who declared their nationality as Croats in the 2006 New Zealand census. The majority of these are located primarily in and around Auckland and Northland with small numbers in and around Canterbury and Southland.

The (generally neutral but sometimes mildly derogatory) term Dally or Dallie (short for Dalmatian) is often used in New Zealand to refer to people of Croatian descent. The term has been wholeheartedly adopted by Croatian New Zealanders, among them the Auckland-based Dalmatian Cultural Society. Founded in 1930, it is New Zealand's longest-surviving Croatian cultural organisation. A further neutral term, Tarara (literally, "fast talkers"), is used to refer to people of mixed Croatian–Māori heritage.

History
The earliest Croatian settlers in New Zealand date from the 1860s, largely arriving as sailors and pioneers, and as gold miners and prospectors during the Otago Gold Rush. The first person born in New Zealand of Croatian descent was Leander Thomas Pavletich in 1864. After the gold rush many moved to Northland attracted by kauri gum-digging, then a major source of income for Northland Māori and settlers. These early Dalmatian settlers were also responsible in large part for establishing the New Zealand wine industry. Forced off the kauri gumfields many moved into viticulture and winemaking instead, mainly in West Auckland around Kumeu, and in the Hawke's Bay region. Croatian family names such as Selak, Nobilo, Šoljan, Babich and Delegat still feature amongst the names of New Zealand's notable wineries, and two of the largest in New Zealand, Montana Wines (now Brancott Estate) and Villa Maria Estates, were established in the mid-20th century respectively by Croatian New Zealanders Ivan Yukich and Sir George Fistonich.

Croatian settlers have arrived in five main waves:


 * 5,000 between 1890 and 1914, prior to World War I.
 * 1,600 during the 1920s before the onset of the Great Depression.
 * 600 in the 1930s, prior to World War II.
 * 3,200 between 1945 and 1970.
 * Arrivals during the 1990s, fleeing the conflict in former Yugoslavia.

In July 2008, 800 people attended a celebration of 150 years of Croatian settlement in New Zealand hosted by Prime Minister Helen Clark and Ethnic Affairs Minister Chris Carter.

Academics

 * Jadranka Travaš-Sejdić
 * James Belich - Historian

Actors

 * Jessie Lawrence

Architecture

 * Stephen Jelicich - Founder of Jasmax/ JASMaD
 * Ivan Mercep - Founder of Jasmax/ JASMaD

Artists

 * Billy Apple
 * Milan Mrkusich

Comedians

 * Rose Matafeo
 * Nick Rado

Literature

 * Amelia Batistich - Author
 * Sonja Yelich - Poet

Musicians

 * Nick Afoa
 * Kevin Borich
 * Milan Borich (Pluto (New Zealand band))
 * Tina Cross
 * Maria Dallas
 * Brad Devcich (Fast Crew)
 * Lorde (Ella Yelich-O’Connor)
 * Peter Posa
 * Mike Perjanik
 * Desna Sisarich
 * Peter Urlich
 * Margaret Urlich

Business

 * Richard Chandler (businessman) and Christopher Chandler (businessman) - Investment companies. Croatian mother Ana Tzarev
 * Jim and Rosemari Delegat - Delegat Group Ltd - Delegat and Oyster Bay wine labels
 * Michael Erceg - Founder of Independent Liquor, now known as Asahi Beverages (NZ) Ltd.
 * Sir George Fistonich - Founder of Villa Maria Estates, Čuvar Winery and Obliix label.
 * Huljich family - Food manufacturing, property, new business startups, finance and movie-making.
 * Steve Jurkovich - Kiwibank CEO
 * Nobilo family - Nikola Nobilo the founder of Nobilo wines.
 * Talley family, owners of the Talley's Group.
 * Peter Vela Vela family, owners of Vela fishing and Pencarrow stud (thoroughbred racehorse breeding).
 * Dr. Kevin Glucina (founder Matakana Super Foods)

Fashion

 * Deanna Didovich - Designer
 * Jessica Grubisa - Designer
 * Tony And Margie Milich - Sabatini clothing label
 * Peter Nola - Founder of clothing label "Peppertree Fashions". Prominent in the 1960s to 1980s.
 * Valentin Ozich - Founder of clothing label "I Love Ugly"
 * Adrienne Winkelmann - Designer/ Fashion label

Journalism

 * Tony Ciprian - radio and television presenter
 * Simon Mercep - radio and television presenter
 * Goran Paladin - radio and television presenter

Law

 * Brian Dickey - Crown Solicitor Auckland
 * Dame Helen Winkelmann - Chief Justice of New Zealand

Politics

 * Sir James Belich - Former Mayor of Wellington
 * Camilla Belich - Member of Parliament
 * Frana Cardno - Former Mayor of Southland District
 * Fred Gerbic - Former Member of Parliament
 * Shane Jones - Member of Parliament and cabinet minister
 * Jules Radich - Mayor of Dunedin
 * Clem Simich – Former Member of Parliament
 * Millie Srhoj - First Mayor of the Far North District
 * Dame Mira Szaszy - Maori Leader
 * Tanya Unkovich – New Zealand First  politician
 * Dame Rangimarie Naida Glavish - Maori Leader

Religion

 * Denis Devcich - Director of the Mother of God Brothers
 * Antony Sumich (born 1964) – priest of Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter; rugby union and cricket international (for Croatia)

Cricket

 * Anton Devcich - BLACKCAPS representative
 * Joseph Yovich
 * Ben Lister
 * Dusan Hakaraia - also Croatia rugby representative
 * Quinn Sunde
 * Daniel Marsic - Croatia cricket representative
 * John Vujnovich - Croatia cricket representative
 * Anthony Govorko - Croatia cricket representative
 * Anton Vujcich - Croatia cricket representative
 * Paul Vujnovich - Croatia cricket representative

Football

 * Abby Erceg – NZ Football Ferns football player
 * Tony Laus - All Whites football player
 * Stefan Marinovic - All Whites football player
 * Paul Urlovic - All Whites football player
 * Ivan Vicelich - All Whites football player
 * Chris Zoricich – All Whites football player
 * Ivan Vuksich - Football Administrator

Motor sport

 * Robbie Francevic - motor racing driver
 * Paul Radisich – world touring car champion

Rugby

 * Anthony Boric – All Blacks player
 * Kevin Boroevich – All Blacks player
 * Frano Botica – All Blacks / NZ rugby league/ Croatia Rugby
 * Mark Carter – All Blacks player
 * Matt Cooper – All Blacks / Croatia Rugby
 * Percy Erceg – All Blacks player
 * Sean Fitzpatrick - All Blacks player
 * Wayne Pivac - Rugby Union coach
 * Ron Urlich – All Blacks player
 * Ivan Vodanovich – All Blacks player / coach

Rugby League

 * Frano Botica – All Black/ NZ rugby league/ Croatian Rugby
 * Tony Kriletich - NZ rugby league

Tennis

 * Marina Erakovic
 * Onny Parun

Other

 * John Garea - Professional wrestler
 * Frank Nobilo - golf player
 * John Radovonich – NZ hockey player
 * Anna Simcic - swimmer
 * Nick Unkovich - lawn bowls player
 * Michaela Sokolich-Beatson - netball player for the Northern Mystics and Silver Ferns
 * Greg Yelavich - shooter

Winemakers

 * Babich
 * Brajkovich - Kumeu River Wines
 * Delegat
 * Fistonich - Founder of Villa Maria Wines, Čuvar Winery and Obliix label
 * Mazuran
 * Nobilo
 * Selak
 * Soljan
 * Vuletic - Providence Wines
 * Yukich - founder of Montana Wines now known as Brancott Estate

Fictional Croatian New Zealanders

 * Fisher Brankovic — Filthy Rich (television)
 * Darijo Doslic — Westside (television)
 * Draska Doslic — Outrageous Fortune (television)
 * Mila Jizovich - bro'Town (television)
 * Johnny Marinovich — Shortland Street (television)
 * Nina — Broken English (film)

Literature

 * Trupinić, Damir. (2009) New Zealand Croatian Immigrant Press 1899-1916, LAP Lambert Academic Publishing, ISBN 978-3-8383-0743-5.
 * Božić-Vrbančić, Senka. (2008) Tarara: Croats and Maori in New Zealand : memory, belonging, identity, Otago University Press, ISBN 978-1-877372-09-4.