Fr Luka leads Croatian festivities
Events
A glitzy, once-in-a-lifetime community celebration is expected to attract more than 600 Croatian dancers and spectators when it takes place at Adelaide Town Hall later next month.
The brainchild of Fr Luka Poljak, the inaugural Croatian Royal Ball to be held in the Town Hall ballroom on November 23 will be a mixed affair of black tie, white tie, uniforms and gowns as revellers gather to celebrate 1100 years since the birth of the kingdom of Croatia.
Fr Luka (pictured) expects about 300 spectators to be seated in the upstairs gallery and hopes that a further 300 or so people will buy tickets for the dancing part of the evening on the ground floor where they will be backed by the Norwood Symphony Orchestra.
The occasion is a first for South Australia, said Fr Luka, who is chaplain to the Croatian Catholic Community in Adelaide.
“This is why we wanted to do something that is unique and to be able to attract a significant audience,” he said, likening it to a night out at the theatre.
He would not be drawn on whether he would be dancing or not.
“I will be downstairs because I have to do the opening speech,” he said and stressed there would be three short speeches only.
The jewel of the evening promises to be the making of a replica royal crown as worn by the first king of Croatia and founder of the first Croatian state, Tomislav, in 925 AD.
“We have got hold of some drawings of the crown and are reconstructing it and decorating it with Australian opals,” Fr Luka said.
The replica crown – which Fr Luka estimates will be valued at a few thousand dollars – will highlight the link between Croatia and the 10,000 strong Croatian community now living in metropolitan Adelaide.
“When you buy a ticket for the ball you will have the chance to donate an opal stone to the crown,” he said.
The crown will be sent to a leading public research institution, the Croatia Institute for History in Zagreb, after the ball.
As for the success of the evening, the multilingual Fr Luka is staying calm but hoping for the best.
“I am the architect of my own demise,” he joked. “The captain goes down with the ship.”
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