{"id":2512,"date":"2021-02-16T18:08:34","date_gmt":"2021-02-16T07:38:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mtloftyhistoricalsociety.org.au\/?page_id=2512"},"modified":"2021-02-25T18:48:29","modified_gmt":"2021-02-25T08:18:29","slug":"tamara-miljanovich","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mtloftyhistoricalsociety.org.au\/?page_id=2512","title":{"rendered":"Tamara Miljanovic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
A friendly face at Stirling Hospital for 40 years<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Text and Images: Elisabeth Anderson<\/em>, Tom Dyster<\/em>, Tina Miljanovic<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Tamara and Dragan Miljanovic and their daughter Tina in 1957<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Tamara Miljanovic (nee Kutschuk) was born on 14th<\/sup> May 1933 in the village of Hancesti in Bessarabia, then a province of Rumania.  The village lay east of the Carpathian Mountains and less than 100km from the Black Sea. Her father Alexei was an accountant and her mother Eleonora, though born at Odessa, was German by nationality. The family fled to Austria to escape Communist rule in their country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tamara would later recall her happy childhood and the beauty of the Salzkammergut countryside of Austria where she grew up but also the grim demands made on children by the Hitler Youth Movement and the anxieties of World War II. Tamara\u2019s sister Trudi was born in 1944. There was nothing in Austria for the family after the War and, as the country strained to rehabilitate itself from its devastation, the family sought a way to emigrate. They sailed for Australia as Displaced Persons on the liberty ship \u201cGeneral Stuart\u201d in July 1949, bound for Sydney but diverted to Adelaide by a strike of waterside workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They were taken to the Woodside Immigration Holding Centre and from there Tamara\u2019s father soon obtained work with the SA Railways. The job was at Wolseley in the Upper South East of the State but Alexei was able to come home most weekends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 5th<\/sup> November 1949 Tamara began work as a nursing aide at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and after 18 months she began her formal nursing training. Meanwhile, then aged 16, she had become acquainted with Dragan Miljanovic<\/a>, also a resident at the camp. Their friendship blossomed as they shared their love of hiking and the birds and wildflowers of the Australian bush. They both wished to become Australian citizens and Tamara did so in June 1952, with Dragan following the next year. Tamara\u2019s parents were naturalised in 1955.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tamara and Dragan were married in the Mt Lofty Congregational Church<\/a> on 22nd<\/sup> May 1954, according to the rites of two churches.  The ceremony was shared by the Mt Lofty minister Edward Fenn and Father George of St Sava\u2019s Serbian Orthodox Church in Adelaide. They would have one daughter, Tina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Kutschuk family home was now in Mabel Street, Stirling, and this is where the newly-weds also settled. Tamara soon joined the nursing staff at the nearby Stirling Hospital and would become a familiar professional presence there as a night nurse, caring for the sick for 40 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She supported Dragan in his community activities. They both became associated with the Save the Children\u2019s Fund in 1965 and founding members of its Stirling\/Aldgate branch.  The establishment and success of this branch, it is firmly believed, was due to their vision, drive, commitment and enthusiasm.They organised many fund raising events, including a Spring flower festival, Easter egg festivals where children decorated eggs in the European tradition, donkey rides and a holiday camp at Woorabinda for an inland aboriginal mission.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The branch also undertook a great deal of catering and Tamara was known in her circle of friends for her Austrian specialty of apple strudel. She handled the great lengths of pastry with dexterity and filled it with all the traditional ingredients that made her strudels a delectable way to pass on a tradition from her former homeland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2013, His Excellency Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce, Governor of South Australia, held an afternoon tea in honour of Tamara and the Stirling\/Aldgate Branch volunteers, in recognition of all the hard work, dedication and commitment to raising funds for Save the Children Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the years the amount of money they raised for Save the Children with Tamara\u2019s continuing involvement and support totalled about $151,806. Tamara received a life membership with Save the Children on 26th<\/sup> August 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tamara and Dragan were also active supporters of the Stirling Community Theatre and following Dragan\u2019s passing in 1974, Tamara donated two of his paintings to the theatre in his memory. A plaque would commemorate this gift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tamara died on 11th<\/sup> May 2018. Her funeral was held at Sunset Rock Uniting Church on 2nd<\/sup> June.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her father Alexei died on 14th<\/sup> January 1975 and her mother Eleonara died on 8th<\/sup> August 2003.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acknowledging:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tina Miljanovic<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dragan \u2018A Man to be Remembered\u2019<\/em> by Tom Dyster 1992<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Downstairs Upstairs, the story of the Stirling Institute<\/em> by Tom Dyster 2000<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dragan \u2013 a man to be remembered<\/em> (ISBN 0 646 12383 1) 1992, by Tom Dyster, published by the Dragan Miljanovic Memorial Trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Do you have memories of Tamara or the many groups she was involved in? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contact us at mldhsgateways@mtloftyhistoricalsociety.org.au<\/a> or drop into the History Centre at the Coventry Library, 63 Mount Barker Road, Stirling.
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A friendly face at Stirling Hospital for 40 years Text and Images: Elisabeth Anderson, Tom Dyster, Tina Miljanovic Tamara Miljanovic (nee Kutschuk) was born on 14th May 1933 in the village of Hancesti in Bessarabia, then a province of Rumania.  The village lay east of the Carpathian Mountains and less than 100km from the Black … Continue reading “Tamara Miljanovic”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"spay_email":""},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/PaNLq6-Ew","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2137,"url":"https:\/\/mtloftyhistoricalsociety.org.au\/?page_id=2137","url_meta":{"origin":2512,"position":0},"title":"Our Migrant Heritage","date":"July 8, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Return to Gateways Topics In this section we explore the impact of those people who have come from other countries to make the Hills their home and we tell their stories from past and present. Italian Migrants The Rossini Family The Good Neighbour Council Fr. Frank Manak The Rutte Family\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/mtloftyhistoricalsociety.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Manna-2a.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2396,"url":"https:\/\/mtloftyhistoricalsociety.org.au\/?page_id=2396","url_meta":{"origin":2512,"position":1},"title":"Dragan Miljanovic","date":"November 27, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"A Local Legend Text and Images: Elisabeth Anderson, Tom Dyster Dragan Miljanovic as depicted on the cover of the book by Tom Dyster Dragan Miljanovic (1922-1974), who was a well-known Stirling resident for more than three decades, is remembered as one of South Australia\u2019s most colourful immigrants. In 1963 he\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mtloftyhistoricalsociety.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/dragan.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2360,"url":"https:\/\/mtloftyhistoricalsociety.org.au\/?page_id=2360","url_meta":{"origin":2512,"position":2},"title":"The Good Neighbour Council","date":"November 10, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Text and Images: Elisabeth Anderson The memorial to Mary Williams MBE, Milan Terrace, Stirling In a fenced enclosure opposite the Stirling Hospital in Milan Terrace stands a rounded rock bearing a simple plaque, dated 1969, to commemorate Mary Williams MBE and her untiring work and help for overseas newcomers to\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/mtloftyhistoricalsociety.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2583,"url":"https:\/\/mtloftyhistoricalsociety.org.au\/?page_id=2583","url_meta":{"origin":2512,"position":3},"title":"New Acquisitions, March 2021","date":"April 12, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Text: Jackie MussaredImages: Jackie Mussared William Hartley Davey A large A3 certificate for William Hartley Davey for the contribution he made to the war effort & the coming of peace. The certificate was issued in 1995, 50 years after World War 2 ended. It is signed by Paul Keating as\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/mtloftyhistoricalsociety.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/whd-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2052,"url":"https:\/\/mtloftyhistoricalsociety.org.au\/?page_id=2052","url_meta":{"origin":2512,"position":4},"title":"Italian Migrants in the Adelaide Hills","date":"June 25, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Text and Images: Elisabeth Anderson Italian migrants and their descendants have lived in the Mt Lofty district for more than a century, stamping a presence through their skilful stonework and market gardens, their orchards and their wine, their coffee and cuisine and an exemplary work ethic. Their migration story can\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mtloftyhistoricalsociety.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Manna.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1264,"url":"https:\/\/mtloftyhistoricalsociety.org.au\/?page_id=1264","url_meta":{"origin":2512,"position":5},"title":"Mylor Primary School","date":"August 10, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Text: Ann Herraman. Image: Peter Holderness. Mylor Primary School \u2013 a local school with a flowering gate. There is something special about small country schools which have been formed and maintained by local communities over many decades. Mylor Primary School is one of these. In her centenary publication, The Light\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mtloftyhistoricalsociety.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2512"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mtloftyhistoricalsociety.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mtloftyhistoricalsociety.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mtloftyhistoricalsociety.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mtloftyhistoricalsociety.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2512"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/mtloftyhistoricalsociety.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2512\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2527,"href":"https:\/\/mtloftyhistoricalsociety.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2512\/revisions\/2527"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mtloftyhistoricalsociety.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2512"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}