80-84 Brisbane Road, St Johns Park NSW 2176
Contact details
Phone: 02 9426 1000,
Fax: 02 9823 2522
Email: triglavinfo@mountiesgroup.com.au
Web:
www.mountiesgroup.com.au
Trading Hours
Sunday to Thursday: 10.00am - 12.00am -
Friday & Saturday: 10.00am - 3.30am
Klub Triglav short history
DEAR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS !
At the celebration of the 45th Anniversary of the Club Triglav, I wish to remind you of those long gone by days in 1972 when a small group of our fellow countrymen conceived the idea of Triglav. Their central idea was to establish a club, which would represent a small piece of their home country, a place, where they would be able to meet with their countrymen and continue their tradition of social and cultural life.
Triglav’s idea to open the doors to all regardless of their diversity, was interesting for the Slovenian community, well received and attractive. A number of young families and individuals joined the club at the very beginning, amongst them cultural workers, teachers and national rousers, who soon realized that apart of social gatherings, there needed to be something more.
Soon after the acquisition of the land at St Johns Park, there were sound of hammers and saws and the first temporary rooms became available. This is where the golden years of the Triglav’s creativeness began. Every seed of an idea fell on the fertile soil and from these grew the folkloric groups, the choir, drama group and sport sections: bocce, basketball, shooters group, and others. As a crown of all activities, a supplementary school for Slovenian language began. This was attended by a great number of pupils of the second generation Australian Slovenians, who later continued studies of Slovenian language at the State school at Bankstown and completed courses by attaining a diploma.
It is impossible to list and describe all the work, efforts, contributions and sacrifices, which the volunteer members have put into the Club. At times, it was a long and a thorny path to fulfillment of our dreams. In between, we also had frequent wonderful and enjoyable days, such as: unveiling of the Cankar’s monument; the day the Triglav Club opened its door for the first time; the day when, in the presence of the delegates from all parts of Australia at the Triglav Club, the Australian Slovenian Conference was born, which had greatly contributed and helped in the recognition of the independence of the Republic of Slovenia; the day in Year 2000, when we were hosts of the Slovenian Olympians and Para-Olympians athletes together with the president of the Republic of Slovenia, Milan Kucan, and many members of the diplomatic and other official representatives of Republic of Slovenia; also numerous visits by other sporting groups and the performing groups from Slovenia – singers, music groups, choirs and drama groups. The list can go on and on.
Long term organizational duties, maintenance of the premises and the arrangements of the regular dancing and other entertainment, started to wear out even the most conscious and hardy members, who became aware more and more that the heavy burden was getting beyond our capabilities. As in other organisations, we felt the sharp ageing of the first generation and coming of age of the second generation born in Australia, which did not feel nor experienced the same homesickness or feel the need to associate with other Slovenians. A large number of Australian and other ethnic clubs in the near vicinity brought financial difficulties to our club and the management of the club had to find a new way out. The club’s committee found a way from a difficult situation by the amalgamation of the Club Triglav with the Club Panthers from Penrith. The proposal of the amalgamation was presented to the members of Triglav on December 13, 2000, at an extraordinary meeting. There were lengthy discussions, but the proposal was accepted with a large majority. However after 12 years being amalgamated with Penrith Panthers club , Panthers Group of clubs experienced financial difficulties which brought our Club to face a second amalgamation this time with Mounties Group of clubs. Amalgamation was settled on the morning of 3 April 2013, prior to commencement of trade on that day.
Mounties Group is a widely respected community club with more than a 40 year old tradition of supporting a great variety of Australian and differed ethnic communities in the area, making a special effort to preserve the cultural and historical contributions of different groups.
Apart from the original Mounties Community Club, Mounties Group consists of six acquired clubs; Harbord Diggers, Fairfield Bowling Club, Manly Bowling Club, Club Italia - with originally Italian population, Mekong - with Vietnamese members and our Triglav - originally Slovenian members. The boundaries or ethnic distinction of each club are becoming less distinct, since every club’s door is wide open to welcome the local community member, regardless of their ethnic origin.
The Triglav - Mounties Group began with an agreement to continue with a special effort to preserve cultural and historical heritage of the Slovenian nation and all the components they brought to their new home in Australia, their music, food and also their religion and customs etc. We must not forget the sport - in this case “ bocce “, something that plays a very important role in the life of Slovenian seniors, a passion they share with their Italian and Croatian friends and neighbors.
Those activities will continue as long as Triglav members are willing and able to participate and support it.
Triglav Mounties Group is also supporting needs the wider Slovenian community in Sydney, like the Slovenian magazine Thoughts, Slovenian newsprint and Slovenian archives etc, even if we are very much aware of the fact that with the assimilation of the second and third generation of Australian Slovenians into the wider Australian population, the number of original Slovenians in Australia is slowly diminishing. There are many opportunities and means for continuous support which are available, we just need the Slovenian Community’s support and cooperation to keep cultural and other treasures we are working so hard to preserve, so we can remain like a precious colour in the rich tapestry of nations who now call Australia home.
In our endeavors, we have always co-operated and supported all common associations and activities in the Slovenian Community in NSW, such as: Alliance of the Slovenian Organizations in NSW; Slovenian School Committee; Slovenian Program on Radio 2EA – now SBS; Slovenian Lectureship at the Macquarie University in Sydney; Australian Slovenian Conference; Slovenian Olympic Committee; Historical Archives of Slovenian Australians for NSW – HASA-NSW; Slomsek School; periodical magazine “Misli - Thoughts”; and also our own yearly program “NSW Slovenian of the Year Awards”, when the most deserving Slovenians across NSW are recognized for their efforts and activities and presented with an award.
As we celebrate this 45th Anniversary, I would like to express our deep appreciation and gratitude to all those conscientious and long-standing members, who have in their own ways contributed so much to our organization and our Club with their hard and unselfish contribution.
On behalf of the Club, let me wish you all, especially the long standing members and supporters, all the best for the future, good health and the hope, that we will meet and socialize for a very long time yet and with this keep attesting to our national pride and affiliation.
Peter Krope,
President Triglav Sub Committee
Peter Krope
Martha Magajna