City of Cockburn Mayor, Logan Howlett, has been awarded the Order of ‘Red Hrvatskog Pletara’, presented on behalf of the President of the Republic of Croatia, Zoran Milanović.
Mayor Howlett received the award from Her Excellency Betty B. Pavelich, Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji & Dean of the Diplomatic Corps of Australia, at a ceremony at the WA Croatian Community Centre in North Fremantle.
The event marked the 36th Statehood Day of the Republic of Croatia, with the Mayor’s award recognising his longstanding association with Croatia and its community.
Mayor Howlett said the City of Cockburn and Croatia had deep historic ties that began many decades ago, long before the establishment of the City’s Sister City relationship with Croatia’s second largest city, Split, 28 years ago.
“Croatians, many from the Dalmatia region, first arrived in WA with the gold rush in the 1900s. After the First World War, another wave of Croatian immigrants arrived in WA, with many choosing to settle in the Spearwood area from the 1920s,” Mayor Howlett said.
“Many established market gardens and became some of the area’s most industrious and dedicated workers. Another wave of Croatians arrived in WA between the 1950s and 1970s following WWII.
“According to 2021 Census data, three per cent of the City of Cockburn’s population has Croatian ancestry, compared to one per cent in greater Perth.
“The descendants of these families continue to live in Cockburn today, forming a vibrant, active part of our multicultural community.
“I have been a regular visitor to Croatia over the years, and as Mayor, have hosted reciprocal visits from representatives from Split as part of our Sister City relationship.
“I am delighted to have been considered for this award, and very humbled to accept it. I acknowledge my wife Patricia, a steadfast supporter of all things Cockburn.”
