The Slovenian Association Melbourne: A Museum, Archive, Library and a School

Slovenian Association Melbourne – Museum

Slovenian Association Melbourne – Library

Slovenian Association: Kaja Antlej, Melbourne – Museum: Kaja Antlej, Julija Campelj, Dragica Gomizel and Draga Gelt

Slovenian Association Melbourne – Museum

Slovenian Association Melbourne – Archive

Slovenian Association Melbourne – Museum

Slovenian Association Melbourne – Archive

Slovenian Association Melbourne – Library

Slovenian Association Melbourne – Museum and Library

Slovenian Association Melbourne – Youth Club

Slovenian Association Melbourne

Slovenian Association Melbourne – Youth Club

Slovenian Association Melbourne – Dinning Room

Slovenian Association Melbourne – Ballroom

The Slovenian Association Melbourne was founded in 1954 in Carlton as one of the first Slovenian clubs in Melbourne. In 1972, a property on the Eltham hills in Research was acquired. Among the club house with dining room and ballroom, hunters and anglers lodge, indoor bocce arena and outdoor BBQ area, the Association comprises a museum, library of about 3,000 books, the Historical Archive for Slovenian Australians (HASA) in Victoria and the youth club with a school.

All of them, the youth club, archive, museum and the library keep in their collections not only the Association’s heritage, but also a rich history of Slovenians across whole Australia. Different objects related to food traditions, such as pottery, glassware, cookbooks and other publications as well as a large range of photographic material recording traditional festivities, are presented as well. Some of the material was produced in Australia, however there is also a numerous objects brought from Slovenia.

Nevertheless the archive became an independent entity already in September 1998, both the museum and the archive were officially open on 29 November 2014. The library was open already on 20 November 1983.

In collaboration with the Museum Victoria in partnership with Museums Australia (Victoria), the Association is also represented on the Victorian Collections website, “a showcase of cultural artefacts held by many hundreds of organisations distributed across the State of Victoria in Australia.” Currently 250 items can be explored.

More about the club can be also read on Sloveniana: Slovenian Heritage Trails.

All the photos in the album were taken on 18 June 2015.