Ivo Andrović

Andrović, Ivo

Automotive industry worker. (Ponikve, Croatia, 16 March 1924 - Adelaide, 27 March 2018).

Primary school, four years of secondary school in Croatia. Raised in Ponikve, Pelješac Peninsula, Dubrovnik County. Conscripted into the Croatian regular army in 1943 serving in Western Bosnia in the 2^nd battalion of the 1^st Hunter Regiment. Captured by the Partisan 6th Army on 3 May 1945 he survived the forced ‘death marches’ to the ‘Dubovac’ concentration camp, where he was released after five months of imprisonment. After Tito’s amnesty he was required to serve three years in the Yugoslav People’s Army. In 1951 he was sentenced to serve two years in the Lepoglava political prison as an ‘enemy of the state’ for attempting to emigrate illegally, among other ‘undesirable’ political activities. He escaped from the notorious Raša forced-labour coal mine and crossed the Free Territory of Trieste border at Bassovizza, arriving at Campo Opicina as a refugee on 27 January 1952.

Six months later he emigrated by ship (SS Cyrenia) to Australia, arriving at the Bonegilla immigration facility in Albury-Wodonga, Victoria. After six months in Bonegilla, he was assigned employment on the Tasmanian hydroelectric scheme, Boyer Paper Mills, worked as a house builder, and eventually in the automotive industry in South Australia. He was a founding member of the Croatian Club in Glenorchy, Hobart in Tasmania (1954 - 1967) and President of the Croatian soccer club in Glenorchy during 1956. In 1961 he edited Glas Hrvata, the first Croatian community publication in Hobart.

Relocating to Adelaide for family and health reasons in 1967, he became a member of The Croatian Club Adelaide in Hindmarsh and then a foundation member of the new Croatian Club Adelaide in Brompton. He was also a member of the Australian branch of Hrvatski Domobrani  (Croatian Veterans’ Association) in 1991. Served for fifteen years (1986–2001) as a member of the Supervisory Board of The Croatian Club Adelaide. He was also active in the Adelaide branch of the Hrvatsko Narodno Viječe (Croatian National Council) in the 1980s - early 1990s) and Hrvatska Demokratska Zajednica (Croatian Democratic Union) from 1990. Provided volunteer services during the Croatian Homeland War (1991-1995). Served on the board of St Anna’s Residential Aged Care Facility, predominantly for Croatian, Ukrainian and White Russian residents (2017).