SUBJECTS COVERED

THE LIBRARY BOARD OF WE STE RN AUSTRALIA

J S BATTYE LIBRARY OF WEST AUSTRALIAN HISTORY Oral History Unit

synopsis of an interview with

Evarist BUMBAK

His life and family in Yugoslavia and after

his migration to Western Australia

Acc ess : Res ea rch Open

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J 91

Publication - Written permission of Mr Evarist Bumbak required.

Dates of interview: ____ ~1~7~J~u=ly~l~9~9~0~-----

Interviewer: M3.ra Sambrailo ------------------------------

Reference number: g.\ J.~'B~ + s

Duration /no . of tapes : 6 x 60 tapes

Synopsis prepared by: ---------------------M3.ra Sarnbrailo rimlii~iirlijifmiil~l~

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THE FIRST SCHEDULE

do I ~rl,a~ wish to be advised of any request s to publi sh this materi al

.or part thereof during my lifetime

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Interview with Evarist Bumbak of 67 Kookaburra Street, Stirling, Western Australia on 17th July 1990, by Mara Sambrailo.

Evarist Bumbak was born 26th October 1916, on Prvic Island in the Adriatic Sea, near Sibenik, one of the main Yugoslav ports in the middle Dalmatian region.

His father, Simun - came to Western Australia firstly in 1901, as a young man of 26. He returned home in 1905 to marry Matija Lucev. Simum made another two trips to Western Australia before deciding to settle there permanently.

In the early 20's he established a chicken farm on King Edward Road, Osborne Park. By 1926 his wife Matija, five sons and a daughter arrived in Western Australia after selling all their properties on the island to pay their fare. Evarist was the fourth child in the family.

As a young man he moved arrived the South West and the Goldfields looking for work. End of the second World War found him a volunteer in the RAAF station in Lae in New Guinea. After the war Evarist, his wife Milly and five sons cultivated market gardens in Osborne Park and Carnarvon. dntil 1973 when he retired with his wife Milly to Osborne Park.

It could be said that Evarist and Milly Bumbak's story represents a very good example of what many Yugoslav immigrants experienced in Western Australia before and after the second World War.

TAPE 1 SIDE A

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Interview with Evarist Bumbak of 67 Kookaburra Street, Stirling, Western Australia on 17 July 1990 by Mara Sambrailo .

Introduction by Mara Sambrailo.

Evarist Bumbak, of Prvic on 26 March with his his father Simun

Conditions on Harsh economic not developed . population.

born in Yugoslavia on the island October 1916. Arrived in WA on 9

mother and four brothers to join Bumbak.

the island early 20 century . conditions. Fishing, agriculture Not enough produce to support the

Father, Simun Bumbak born 6 October 1875 . Travels, seaman in Trieste heard about new land, Australia. Country where the streets are paved with gold. 1901 fare to WA was £14. Arrived in Fremantle with his brother. Worked on the Kurrawang Woodline, Boulder Power House. After four years Simun returned home.

In Yugoslavia 1905, married Matija Lucev, born in 1884.

House Simun built on Prvic island. Description. First son born in 1906, Jerolim (Jerry).

Large family unit: Living together with grandparents. Grandfather Marko on crutches . Logging injury. Grandmother Kate Zanze. Uncles and aunts in USA some returned and lived on the island. Uncle Bartul Bumbak in WA goldfields, developed silicosis died before the Great War.

Simun Bumbak travels. Returned to WA in 1910 or 1911 became British subject. 1913 back to Yugoslavia. Daughter Simica born 1910. Second son Peter born in June 1914. Great War in Yugoslavia. Three more sons born to Simun and Matija: Evarist in 1916; Cvetko (Victor) in 1919 and Srecko (George) in 1921.

Simun returned to WA in 1921. Seven crossings for Simun. Every time on returning home convinced he would settle there permanently. Four trips to WA. Harsh economic conditions. No income, meagre subsistence. Immigration very frequent for men. Huge immigration to USA,

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Argentina and in area. inhabitants. the island.

Australia. Island 3950 square kms At its high days, over 4000 Now some 300 old settlers left on

Simun joined in WA, on the WA from

in WA permanently. Eldest sone Jerry him in 1924. Mother and children arrived

March 1926. They sold all the properties island to pay their fare. Adult fare to

Marseille was £28.

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TAPE 1 SIDE B

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Children's feelings. Big adventure in going to Australia. Ship in Fremantle. Father's first question to mother, "any money left from the sale of the property ?" the house, vineyards and orchards; price USA $1300. Mother had $100 left.

Trip to WA. Left the island for mainland town Sibenik on 26 January 1926. From Split to Triest by ship. Trieste to Marseille by train. Guide paid to accompany the family on the journey. Lost in Marseille, 42 days on a ship to Fremantle. Excited at meeting father and the eldest brother.

Chicken farm in Os borne Park. Hired truck brought the family to the chicken farm that Simun acquired. Children's surpise to see so many hens. Work was hard. All family helped. Selling eggs by horse and cart.

Mother in the new country. WA was a harsh country for a 42 year old. Change from the close knit community at home to a sparsely populated land. Dry sand and swamp in Osborne Park. Isolation, hard work. Clearing 3 acre property in the swampy area with hand tools only. Mother's health deteriorated. She never complained, but was homesick for her three sisters and four brothers. One brother arrived earlier to WA, Tom Lucev. One brother jumped ship in San Francisco. Was there during the great earthquake. Tom Lucev in the eastern goldfields died of silicosis. Mother insisted that her children speak only Croatian at home. She never learned English.

School in Yugoslavia and WA. Australian school children hard on immigrants. Racist remarks.

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Name calling. Grown ups too used the same tactics. Even in the RAAF during the second World War Evarist faced same problems . Hurtful to be called Dago, Ding, etc . bank manager's comments about front bar people.

Buying a chicken farm. Simun took over Soldier's Settler block, continued repayments. Old weatherboard house with one bedroom, no lining under roof. Blankets - corn or bran sacks .

Climate walking Os borne currency

and school. Scorching hot sand when barefoot to school. St Kiernan•s school, Park. Difficulty with additions and new (pounds, shillings and pence).

Children's duties. Work on extension of farm, introducing incubators. Boys work scraping manure and washing fowl sheds every Saturday . Water supplied from 1000 gallon tank and a well. No laundry or bathroom. Washing in a tub. Later acquisitions, shower (cold).

Marketing eggs during the Depression. Stirling and Roe Streets. Metropolitan Markets, 4d per dozen for eggs 1 shilling a chicken. Father became ill with gallstones, just as the Depression eased. Operation.

TAPE 2 SIDE A

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Introduction

Father Simun dies. Operation was successful, gallstones removed. While in hospital Simun contracted double pneumonia and died 29 April 1933 at 57 years of age. Older brother Jerry and sister Simica married in 1929 (double wedding). Farm left to mother and boys. Evarist was 16 then. 3500 white leghorns and three acres under cultivation.

Evarist left home. Evarist found work in the South-West poisoning rabbits on farming properties. Description of gassing rabbit holes. Earning seven shillings and six pence per day gross. Staple diet, boiled mutton and macaroni soup. Shared accommodation. System of storing food. Two years on the job. Decision to return to Perth.

No where to spend money. Wandering Perth streets not thinking of going home Evarist was enjoying city life. He met with two younger brothers. Decision to use money to erect a tombstone for his father. All his savings one hundred and twenty five pounds.

Manjimup period. Sleeper cutting in Manjimup. Lot of Yugoslavs found employment there as itinerant workers or share farming for tobacco. Evarist bought the tools, tent and utensils. Six months earning to square the account. He left the job in 1936. Tobacco farming was more enjoyable for Evarist. Forest alluring. He was often helping his countrymen in need, writing or conversing in English. Acquiring a typewriter, trained on it in his spare time. Country people more tolerant to immigrants.

Old settlers in Osborne Park. Peter Dropic, Ivan Martinovich, Dane Rodin, Toni Martinovich, Krste Vladich, all Yugoslav immigrants. Father Simun one of the first dozen of Yugoslav immigrants to settle in Osborne Park.

Eastern Goldfields period. Evarist accepted a job of managing wine cellar in Kalgoorlie. Owner was Joe Rodin. Wine arrived from his Osborne Park winery. Evarist was selling wine to miners out of Laverton in 1928, but did not prosper so went gold mining until the war broke out. Mother

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could not manage chicken farm alone and it was deteriorating. Evarist went back home . Mother was by then sick with cance~.

Evarist joined RAAF in 1941. Trained as mechani c on the airfield. Support crew, statione d in Boulder . At the age of 28 on one of his leaves , Evarist met Milly Rokic . They married on 10 June 1944. After 14 days leave Milly went with Evarist to Boulder. Six months later Evarist was transferred to Lae , New Guinea and Milly 3 months pregnant went home to stay with her parents.

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TAPE 2 SIDE B

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Social life in Osborne Park , 1930's. Initially not much social life among Yugoslavs . Same year big meeting on Perth Esplanade. Attempt to organise Yugoslav ethnic community. Swan Settlers Hall was first to be built soon after .

In the mid 1930's a block of land was donated by Georgev brothers on Main Street, Osborne Park . A site for the new club rooms. Hall built by voluntary labour by all Yugoslavs in the area . Name Sloga (Unity - Accord).

Financing the Sloga Club . No money around. Function held to raise money to buy material, carting by trucks and private cars by countrymen. All happily singing while the building was progressing . Full name Yugoslav Cultural and Progessive Club Sloga, opened in 1938 .

Some initial and very active members : Vranican, Lazinbrat, Butorac, Bumbak (Bene), Talijancich, Zaninovich, Milosic, Marinko. Activities , dances, singing, folk dancing, drama, recitations, library, cultural and political meetings.

Club bandi Perth .

Oreski in Perth (see photo). Big string very active. Situated in Aberdeen Street, Evarist a member there .

Eldest brother Jerolim (Jerry). Still living in Osborne Park. Married 60 years ago girl from the same village. (See photo of double wedding) . Wedding feast prepared by the family. No mixing with other ethnic groups.

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Wedding description. Church wedding- St. Mary's Catholic, Leederville, 15 May 1929, Jerry married to Carmela Jareb, his sister Simica married Marko Pucar also Dalmatian.

Market Gardening. All Yugoslav settler market gardeners. No industry or other employment. Carting produce to metropolitan markets by horse and cart. Later few owned a truck. Getting a stamp for goods by agent for earnings of one pound or more. Over three pounds value paid by cheque. Father's reaction to stamps or cheques.

Mother's life. Evarist remembers his mother's loneliness. No going out. Mother's feeling of imprisonment. mattress, a Mother missed

Her pride of owing a kapok thing she never had in Yugoslavia. her church. Too far to walk.

Family self supporting. Growing vegetables, making wine, home made bread. Father did all the shopping.

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Clothing the family. Evarist's father Simun did all the shopping for the family, even women's clothing and underwear. Mother never went shopping while father was alive. Evarist's sister-in-law Carmela did some sewing.

Mother's illness. She needed interpreter for any doctor's visit. Mother became ill with cancer during the war and by 1948 she was rapidly deteriorating. She refused operation on account that her husband died in hospital. 14 February 1948 she passed on 64 years.

Chicken farm deteriorating in the 1940's. After father died, boys were young and mother could not manage the farm. Old house burned down and all mother's possessions were gone. Boys looked for work elsewhere. Mother camped on the land after the fire. Family built a small house for mother but eventually the property was sold and money was divided equally among all the children. Each received 112 pounds. Mother left £250 aside for her funeral.

Brother Peter (born 1914, died 1980). Immediately after the war he wanted to return to Yugoslavia with his family. Found it hard to adjust to the old ways, he returned to WA after two years. In 1950, disillusioned, with no money or land, he left for Melbourne, divorced . He later remarried there, and worked as welder­boiler maker. On retirement he decided to settle in WA. Bought a house in Wanneroo. Died soon after on 4 April 1980.

Sister Simca (born 1910, died early 1960's). Married Marko Pucar. While working in the garden she scratched her leg and Simica died of tetanus poisoning. Young strong woman.

Brother Cvjetko (Victor), (born 1918, died 1978). He joined RAAF same as Evarist. His leg was crushed in Borneo during the war. After the war went to live in Melbourne. He married a Melbourne girl. They had a sane (M. D.) and a daughter. Victor died an invalid in 1978.

Brother Srecko (George, born 1921). He lived with mother until she died. Married in 1945. He has 3 sons and 2 daughters all living in WA. One son is a councillor for the City of Stirling.

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TAPE 3 SIDE B

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Brother Jerry (born 1906) has two sons and a daughter, Mary.

Evarist in RAAF during the war. Proud of his uniform "Blue Orchids". Attractive to girls.

Evarist and Milly, 1943-44. Evarist met Milly late in 1943 on one of his leaves. It was love at first sight. Families knew each other from Yugoslavia. They came from the same island Prvic. Courtship was during the three subsequent leaves. Married on 10 June 1944. Stationed in Boulder WA for 6 months.

Milly 1 s family Rokic. Market gardeners in Osborne Park. Milly the eldest in family of three brothers and a sister. Arrived in WA in 1928. Milly was 5. Milly 1 s father and grandfather were in WA during the Great War. Both interned in Liverpool, NSW. Later deported to Yugoslavia, where Milly 1 S father married Marija Antic (Milly 1 S mother) after his first wife died in childbirth. Daughter from his first was raised by Marija, his second wife. She also immigrated to WA with the family in 1928.

Milly 1 s . and Evarist 1 s wedding. Milly was to organise all the wedding arrangements as Evarist was away in RAAF stationed in Boulder. Reception was held in the Yugoslav Club Sloga, Osborne Park. 250 guests for wedding breakfast.

Honeymoon in Scarborough and Boulder, WA. Evarist had 24 days leave. All friends and relations contributed food ration coupons for the wedding feast. Six months later, Evarist was transferred to Lae, New Guinea, so Milly had to come home and by Christmas she was back in Osborne park with her parents and three months' pregnant.

"You are a father now". The telegram arrived in Lae to announce to Evarist that he had a son Allan. He was born 24.6.1945. In August the same year, Japan capitulated. Waiting for the repatriation, acording to the point system, age, married, children. Baby Allan was six months old when his father returned home on Christmas Day 1945.

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Feeling after the war. Evarist was not demobilised until February 1946. He acquired a small parcel of land with a tin shack during the war years. He had no formal training in any trade so back to the land. Milly had Evarist settled in the tind shack the first day he returned.

First women settlers from Yugoslavia. First three women from Prvic to arrive in WA were Mare Lucev (Evarist's Aunty), Luce Vladic and Tomica Vladic . Last two married to two brothers Vladic. These three women arrived in WA in 1909 to rejoin their husbands working in the Eastern Goldfields. During the Great War some Dalmations were interned in Liverpool. All who declared their country of origin as Austria. Other Dalmatians who were naturalised British subjects still lost jobs. From the Eastern Goldfields they moved to Spearwood and Osborne Park where they acquired 3 to 5 acres of land. Bank loan -repayments.

Four acres of land. This was Evarist's and Milly's beginning. Clearing the land, blowing stumps by gelignite, it was all virgin bush. While Evarist was in the war Milly kept repaying the Bank loan from his pay. The hard work had begun. Burning, trenching 3 foot deep, sinking the well and all by hand, no machinery of any kind.

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TAPE 4 SIDE A

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Market garden in the late 1940's. Beginning in Osborne Park. No help from relatives or friends. Milly was big help. Sinking well 56 feet deep. Evarist was entitled to one thousand pounds Re-establishment loan. He used first £250 to buy pipes, sprinklers and implements. Importance of irrigation. First produce; learning to cultivate, fertilise. Depending on others to deliver produce to the market. Difficulties.

The new truck. Evarist used other £750 of the Commonwealth Re-establishment loan to buy a Chevrolet 2/1/2 ton truck. To build a garage for it and packing shed. Excitement at being the owner of the new vehicle. It was used for carting, visiting, outings, beach trips. "We felt like millionaires". Winter crop carrots, summer for lettuce.

Second son, Ronald (born 10.6.1947). Tin shack was home for the new baby and two more. No money to improve living accommodation. No runnipg water, bath or toilet. Water dripping from the rusty tin roof. Young eager to prosper. Experimenting with various crops.

Old war injury. Evarist's back gave up first. More work for Milly. Army did not accept Evarist's claim on being injured in the war. Private treatment. Advised to operate and fuse vertebrae. Evarist decides against operation, but depressed at seeing Milly with double load of work. Evarist not able to contribute. More physiotherapy. After three months of treatment, no improvement.

Milly's workload. In six and a half years Milly had five sons. She was also pressed to carry heaviest work in the market garden. Older children were able to contribute and help to maintain the cultivation of crops. Evarist in despair for not being able to work.

Five sons. Allan (1945), Ronald (1947), Denis (1948), Richard (1950) and Leslie (1952). Proud parents of good children.

Carnarvon visit, 1956. Different working conditions, no bending. Beans grown on stakes. Banana farming. While on holidays Evarist and Milly helped some friends picking and cultivating the crops for three weeks. Warmer climate and

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different working experience gave Evarist no back pain. Excited/ they decided to move to Carnarvon. Children were left in Osborne Park with Milly's parents.

Big decision. North Beach Road property and a new house were left behind. Milly 1 Evarist and five sons left for Carnarvon. Children agreed. The family bought 80 acre property on the banks of the Gascoyne River. Semi virgin land and an old weatherboard house. They too took a loan from the R&I Bank for £5500 to pay for the property.

New start vital. channels. and Janko start.

on the Gascoyne River. Irrigation Organised flooding through concrete Earlier Yugoslav settles Filip Divich

Buzolich helped the newcomers to a good

Carnarvon in the came to Carnarvon.

late 1950's. New immigrants Newcomers eager to work.

Working day on the farm. Children to school . Planting 1 staking or picking beans all day. Afternoon tea on the paddock when children returned from school then work for all until tea time. After tea/ packing vegetables often until 3.30am. Closely knit family. Children eager to help and contribute. Skender family experimenting with various crops. Janko Buzolich reputed to be the first to plant bananas in Carnarvon in the early 1930's. Evarist claims Yugoslav and Italian immigrants started vegetable growing in Carnarvon. Later came Portugese settlers.

Share farming. This type of farming very popular. More profitable for share farmers than owners of land. First settlers from Dalmatia 1

Luka Slako.

Marketing the produce. Industry was erratic in the early days. Later became well organised. Gascoyne Trading Company had the contract to transport produce to Perth. Their fleet of trucks also involved in logging. Local growers' association well organised. Evarist oh the committee.

Australian settlers diminishing. Younger set of

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Australian growers were eager to move away . Many Yugoslavs moved in and took share farming for Australian owners. Mach~nery scarce. Few rotary hoes and spraying plants. New crops, rockmelons, cucumbers, pumpkins, tomatoes. Problems with insects and fungal diseases.

Marketing process. Picking, packing, loading and delivering to the central depot. Boys worked alongside their parents in packing and assembling the boxes. Change in packing process and requirements.

House description. Initially one room structure with wide verandah. Later enclosed for sleeping quarters. Boys all in one room.

Flooding and irrigation. Cyclone often flooded the whole property as well as the house. Pressure of work was seasonal. Concrete channels for irrigation built across all the property. Moving soil, levelling for easier flooding from the river bed. Friends all helped to build irrigation canals. Seasonal flow of Gascoyne River. Cleaning of wells after flooding.

Incident with the flood in February 1961. Evacuation of all locals from Carnarvon after a big rainfall in the catchment area of the Gascoyne basin. Hospital evacuation. Camps along the route to Geraldton. Scare for safety of children for Evarist and Milly.

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Flood, Living food. family Damage End of erosion.

February 1961 continued. Evacuation. in 'tins'. Returning home. Rotting

Invasion of field mice. All recor~s and photos destroyed. The big clean up. on crops only partial in low lying areas. the growing season. No noticeable soil

Cyclones in Carnarvon. Few months later in May 1961, cyclone destroyed all banana crops. Roof blown off, ceiling collapsed. Tremendous noise, terrifying, tearing sensation.

Boarding school in Geraldton in the 1960's. No schooling in Carnarvon at the time, beyond Year 10. Boys one after the other went to St Patrick, Christian Brothers' College in Geraldton. 22 students years at boarding school for Bumbak boys. All went there after 7th year primary school. Big drain on the family's finances.

Ronald and Denis share farming. Ronald and Denis, second and third sons, left high school after Junior Year and decided to work for their family on share basis. Initially paid £8 weekly. Later the two boys took care of vegetable farming which was marketed under their name. Father marketed all banana produce in his name.

Evarist and Milly proud of their sons' achievements. Allan bank clerk, Ronald and Denis on the Carnarvon farm. Richard - bank clerk and Leslie completed BA in Commerce.

Evarist retired when his youngest son completed his studies. 48 years after arriving in Australia, Evarist decided to visit Yugoslavia with his wife, Milly in 1974.

Impressions of Yugoslavia. The old village on Prvic island. Memories, places in Damatia. Three months' holiday. Evarist had no wish to return to WA. Affections by relations, old customs, warm greetings.

Retirement on North property. Milly and units.

in Osborne Park. Renovating the house Beach Road. Selling half of the Building 18 units as an investment.

Evarist · managed the renting of the

All sons married by early 1980's. Carnarvon

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property transferred to sons Ronald and Denis. Other sons given a unit each in the 18 unit block. Family decision to sell all the units and distribute the money among all members. Each son received $40,000. They used it to repay their own houses. The rest Evarist used to build a two storey house on 67 Kookaburra Street, Stirling and to secure their old age.

House in Kookaburra Street, Stirling. Two storey building with arches and balcony built in 1981.

house. Description. Completed in September

house - Evarist took care

Evarist and Milly's new Designer Frank Vlahov. 1982. Building the new of sub-contracting the building . Frank Vlahov overseer.

Five sons and their families. Allan; Commonwealth Bank employee. Kerry Milhouse his wife. They have three sons.

Ronald; farmer in Carnarvon. Sady Emin his wife. They have three daughters and a son.

Denis; wife.

farmer in Carnarvon. Helen Dellabe lla his They have two sons and two daughters.

Richard; R&I Bank employee. Carol Stark his wife. They have two daughters and a son.

Leslie; BA in Commerce. wife. They have two sons.

Annette Cummings his

Evarist and Milly are today proud grandparents of 16 grandchildren.

Community activities and duties. RSL member since World War II ended. Early 1950's in Osborne Park, Evarist was elected as a Branch President of the Market Gardener's Association (1953). Left the Association in 1956 and moved to Carnarvon. Foundation member and sometime President of the Market Gardeners' Association in Carnarvon. One of the three members (growers) representatives on the Gascoyne River Advisory Commission, advising the Minister on problems and conditions on the Gascoyne River district. Later in 1960's member of the Lions Club.

On retirement activities. From 1969 Evarist

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was an active Club. Evarist club's premises the building. for some time. 828.

member of the WA Yugoslav Bowling was involved in building new in Jones Street. Description of He was a Vice President of club

In 1970 the club membership was

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Opening of the WA Yugoslav Club. Opening ceremony was held on 2 May 1971 and unveiling was done by the then Premier of WA, John Tonkin. The President was Milan Bosich and the Secretary Tony Pogorelic. Evarist was the foundation secretary of the bowling annexe. Coaching new members, Branko Katunarich champion bowler.

Ladies Committee of the Club. It was particularly active section. Organising various functions. Ladies bowling section activated some ladies who as widows would be otherwise in deep mourning probably for the rest of their lives . Evarist claims it was the best therapy for them playing bowls.

Evarist Justice of the Peace 1975. He had basic and advance training for this duty. Hearing impairment from the war time prevented Evarist from sitting on the court bench .

Club activities. Evarist was busy at the WA Yugoslav Club four afternoons a week. Milly threatened she would shift his bed there. This was the first ethnic club with licensed premises.

Other Yugoslav Clubs in the metropolitan area. Evarist mentions other Yugoslav clubs such as ones in Spearwood, North Fremantle, North Perth, Gwellup, Balcatta and Swan Valley. The first Yugoslav club built in mid 1930's was Unity in the Swan Valley, organising meetings, dances, stage plays and concerts. Before WWII there were Yugoslav clubs active in Boulder as well as the Eastern Goldfields. Yugoslav String Band.

Concert in the Perth Town Hall. After the WWII there was a big concert organised by the Yugoslav community. String band performed under the leader Nane Kovacevich.

Yugoslavs poetic people. The tradition was to compose poetry on any occasion. Every community in Dalmatia had its on poet in residence. Milly's grandfather was one such man. He composed poems for the weddings and bride. Had a poem written for her by Mate Rokic while in Prvic. He did the same on his arrival in Australia. There is a poem in Croatian that he composed about his life on the Kurrawang Woodline. (The poem is attached to the synopsis) .

Conclusion by Evarist Bumbak .

END OF INTERVIEW WITH EVARIST BUMBAK

"The appendix for this interview has not been reproduced due to copyright restrictions.

This material can be viewed in person at the State Library of Western Australia"