| Title: |
Croatian string band, Kalgoorlie |
| Imprint: |
c1914 |
| Notes: |
This item was originally recorded as 'Spearwood string band, c1945', though it also noted that Tony Santich (seated, centre) was a member and that he died in 1933. The updated description better reflects the history of this image. It should be noted that there was a Spearwood String Band active in the 1940s, but this is not a photograph of that band. |
| Restrictions on Use: |
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| Summary: |
Tony Santich (seated centre in white suit) arrived in Western Australia from the Dalmatian coast (modern-day Croatia) in about 1905. Like many other Slav migrants he settled in the Kalgoorlie area and worked on the woodline and in mines for many years. In 1917 he joined the Australian Army and fought in the First World War, returning in 1919 to take up land at Spearwood, where he lived until his death in 1933. Yugoslav or Croatian string bands were a common feature of social dances and events in Western Australia during the 20th century, and Tony was a well-known conductor of the string band in Kalgoorlie in the mid-1910s, and this photograph was probably taken around 1914. |
| Subject: |
Cockburn Region (W.A.) -- CroatiansCockburn Region (W.A.) -- SpearwoodSpearwood -- Clubs and groups |