Branko Filipi

Filipi, Branko

Builder, Community Leader. (Šibenik, Croatia, 16 November 1918 – Zagreb, 2011).

Following World War II, he migrated to Australia as a Displaced Person, arriving in Sydney with his wife Stefania and son Miro aboard the "General W. M. Black" on 13 December 1949, having embarked from Naples. Trained as a clerk, he settled in Adelaide in the early 1950s, where he established a successful building company—one of the largest in the city at the time—which employed many fellow Croatians. A prominent local businessman, he soon became actively involved in the Croatian community. He served as President of The Croatian Club Adelaide in 1954 and was later acknowledged as Honorary President in 1961 and 1962—reflecting his foundational role and the enduring respect he held within the community.

In 1954, he travelled to Melbourne to meet a group of 25 teenage Croatian refugees who had escaped Communist Yugoslavia in a stolen dinghy and reached safety in Italy. After arriving in Australia aboard the "Castel Verde", the boys were met by him, and he personally accompanied them by train to Adelaide. Also in 1954, he joined the Adelaide Croatia Soccer Club (now Adelaide Raiders) and was elected president, becoming one of the club's most influential leaders. He holds the record as the longest-serving president, leading the club for 14 consecutive years. Under his stewardship, the club entered the second division in 1958 and narrowly missed promotion. That same year, the club welcomed Charles Perkins, who would later become a leading Aboriginal activist, as its captain and star player. Filipi and Perkins developed a close friendship, and Perkins later recalled the warm, multicultural atmosphere of the club as a formative influence.

Later, he relocated to Melbourne and became deeply involved with Melbourne Croatia Soccer Club (now Melbourne Knights). In recognition of his long and dedicated service, he was named Honorary Life Chairman of the club in the late 1990s. His passing in Zagreb, Croatia, in 2010, was marked with deep respect by Croatians in Australia: prior to a commemorative match, the Melbourne Knights held a minute's silence in his memory. This match was attended by his daughter and grandchildren, and players wore black armbands during the match. He was laid to rest at Mirogoj Cemetery.