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Story: Dalmatians

Origin of Dalmatians emigrating to New Zealand before 1949

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Origin of Dalmatians emigrating to New Zealand before
    1949

Until the late 1940s most Dalmatians came from a region south of Split. This area comprises a 70-km coastal strip from the town of Makarska to the Neretva River estuary, the immediate hinterland districts (Vrgorac, Metkovič), the adjacent islands (Korčula, Hvar, Brač and Vis) and part of the Pelješac Peninsula.

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How to cite this page

Carl Walrond, Dalmatians – Dalmatian, Yugoslav, Croatian?, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/map/262/origin-of-dalmatians-emigrating-to-new-zealand-before-1949 (accessed 11 June 2026).

Story by Carl Walrond, published 4 March 2009, updated 1 July 2024.

Comments

Jane Knox Hyder
08 July 2017
tell me my Grandfather Mr Urlich came from Split Croatia...I was told their is a village called Urlich in that area..can you tell me anything about it ?
Dee Sanders
08 May 2015
My Pradid was Uri Klinać, he and his brother Karl came out from Vrgorac in the 1890s. Both brothers worked the gumfields up north originally. My Baba, Tomsena Lovrič was from Korčula and she came out in the 1920s. She was married to my Dida, Antun Klinać (who came out on 1922 with his niece Milly on Greek ship out of the port of Piraeus). Baba and Dida had four children, my Mum, Annie and her three siblings; Mary, George amd Tony. When my family left Dalmatia they went to the US, Canada, Argentina, Australia and NZ. Family lore has it that the family who came to NZ called it "Little America." My family was still coming out to NZ til the 1940s and 50s as refugees and immigrants.
Peter
20 November 2012
i am trying to contact Bille who posted on the 14/7/2011 think we share the same family
Dale
16 October 2011
My grandfather from Drasnice Dalmatia Austria in the early to mid 1990 and worked in the Gum Fields in Dargavill, his name was John Urlich, he met and married Mary Jenkins from Wanganui,they moved to Hawera, had 5 sons and 1 daughter,John,Alex,Frank,Laurie and Olga. I would like to find out more about his back groundas I am off to Croatia next year, if anyone knows any of the extened family I would love to hear from you. My name is Dale Urlich, Thank you :)
Billie
14 July 2011
Hi, my great grandfather came from Drvenik (small village south of Split) around 1900. I too would like to know more if anyone can help. His name was Visko Matutinovich - he was a gum digger in Dargaville.
kristle
16 March 2011
my grand father come from yugoslavia his name was toni matijosivich imtrying tofind out more information about his family from yugoslavia id like to get the history behind his migration and family my name is kristle huirama thank you