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Moulin Rouge Gala Evening, organised by RIK Youth Group will be on Saturday 2 August at 7pm. Entertainment by the No Name Band (Névtelen Banda). Tickets: $28 ($18 for under 12’s) including dinner. Bookings and enquiries Timea Toth 9726 4099
Saint Stephen (Szent István) commemorative program will be on 24 August commencing with lunch organised by the Regnum Cooperative. For further information contact Sue Pal on 9873 1508.
MELBOURNE-I MAGYAR KÖZPONTBAN A “KORONA ÉTTREM” KIADÓ. ÉRDEKLŐDŐK TOVÁBBI FELVILÁGOSITÁSÉRT KÉRJÜK HIVJÁK VETŐ OLGÁT 9754 8579
HUNGARIAN LANGUAGE COURSES: for enquiries please contact Marika Szabo on 0409 434417or email: mariaszabo@optusnet.com.au
Please note: We welcome general enquiries about the Hungarian Community Centre and the community, however we are unable to deal with requests for the search for relatives and friends.
Rokon és barátok keresésével nem foglalkozunk.
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Hungarian Community Centre Melbourne, Australia
760 Boronia Road Wantirna, Victoria 3152 |
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Hungarians have come to Australia mainly after World War II and the 1956 Uprising. During the 60s ethnic Hungarians arrived from Hungarian inhabited regions of Vojvodina and Transylvania which are now regions of Serbia and Rumania. Hungarians also emigrated from Hungary in the 1980's in smaller numbers.
The beautiful Szent Istvan (Saint Stephens) ecumenical church enables Hungarians of the Catholic, Reformed Church and Lutheran faiths to observe their Christian beliefs and traditions. Catholic services are held each Sunday at 8.30 am. Reformed Church services are held on the first and third Sunday and Lutheran services are on the fourth Sunday of each month.
Each year the community commemorates historical and national days.
- 15 March: 1848-49 Revolution and Uprising against the Hapsburg Empire;
- 6 June: the Treaty of Trianon;
- 20 August: National Day of Hungary, Saint Stephen, first Christian king of Hungary; and
- 23 October: the 1956 Uprising.
On these occasions wreaths are also laid at the memorial.
The parkland in the Community Centre is perfect for holding outdoor activities such as picnics. In March 2007 a beautiful bust of martyr Janos Damjanich was unveiled in the memorial park. The bust was a generous gift from the Janos Bolyai Military Foundation in Hungary. A number of trees have been planted in the park by distinguished visitors such as Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
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| Santa Clause picnic in December 2006 |
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Every second year the Community Centre hosts the biggest Hungarian cultural festival, Hungarofest. The festival includes an exhibition of the rich cultural heritage, authentic Hungarian cuisine and entertainment with local and overseas artists.
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| The "Bogracs Banda" preparing their winning "gulyas" |
Vajdaszentivanyi dance camp, 2004-2005 |
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Several well known artists from Hungary have performed over the years at the Hungarian Community Centre. In 2000 as a Millennium present from Hungary to Australia, the Honved Dance Theatre's members performed and then conducted folk dance workshops for young dancers. Other visiting performers have included Marika Osvald, Miklos Hidvegi, Edit Gardonyi, Andras Farkas, Gyorgy Korda, Klari Balazs, Ottelia Mate, Kati Kovacs, Attila Pataki, Jozsef Jankovits, Valer Hegedus, Marika Nemeth, Bon Bon, McHawer and Tekkno, Irigy Honaljmirigy, Ferenc Kaczor, Sandor Deki Lakatos and his gypsy band, the Budapest Puppet Theatre, Ifjuszivek Dance Ensemble, Kamila Devai-Nagy, Antal Szalai and his gypsy band, Balint Domsodi-Farkas.
Many distinguished politicians have also visited the Hungarian Community Centre, including President Arpad Goncz, Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Geza Jeszenszky, Janos Martonyi, Bela Kadar, Elemer Gergatz, Ibolya David, Zsolt Nemeth, Janos Ader. Other distinguished guests have included the Reverend dr. Laszlo Tokes and Kalman Csiha.
The Hungarian Community Centre has contact with the Australian Embassy in Hungary with the ambassadors visiting the Community Centre and liaising with the directors.
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| Ambassador Istvan Gyurk unveils the Hungarian memorial in Bendigo dedicated to the officers who fled the 1848-49 Revolution |
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The Hungarian Community Centre and the groups within it actively participate in Australia's multicultural life, the dance groups perform at various festivals and close ties are held with other institutions, such as Buda, an historic home in Castlemaine.
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| Gyöngyösbokréta dance group with Mayor Jim Norris at Buda historic home in Castlemaine |
Gyöngyösbokréta dance group, 2000 |
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The following organisations are based at the Hungarian Community Centre:
The Australian Hungarian Transylvanina Association
President: Lajos Pelle, Phone: (03) 9486-3670
Gyöngyösbokréta Folkdance Group
Contact: Géza Juhász, Phone: (03) 9795-8972
Hungarian Scouts
Contact: Robert Kovács, Phone: (03) 9723-3589
Knox Hungarian Senior Citizens Club Inc.
President: Tóth Teréz, Phone: (03) 9898-3930
Hungarian Language School
Contact: Marika Szabó, Phone: (03) 9870-8768
Hungarian Embroidery Group
Contact: Magdolna Bognár, Phone: (03) 9874-5242
Hungarian Community Centre Folkdance Group
President: Joe Hegedűs, Phone: (03) 9878-8296
Rákóczi Youth Club (RIK)
President: Timea Tóth, Phone: (03) 9726-4099
Hungarian Human Rights Foundation
President: Petronella Fliszár, Phone: (03) 9758-4620
Hungarian Television
President: Sandor Polonyi, Phone: (03) 9762-2875
If you would like to contact any of the clubs above via e-mail, please use the Contact Us form.
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