Vlatko-Rulo family collection

The Vlatko-Rulo family migrated from Yugosalvia to Australia in 1927 and took up market gardening around Osborne Park in Western Australia. This collection of photographs documents the history of the Vlatko-Rulo family who made significant contributions to the economic and social development of the City of Stirling.

Ivan Vlatko-Rulo was born in 1903 and cultivated the land as did his forebears in Korcula working on the family farm “bastina” (pronounced baa-sh-tin-agh and means the heritage or inheritance) during his teenage years and early twenties with his father Frank and brother Vlaho.  Their family like all others in Blato dwelled in town and the workers walked to their farms daily because nobody lived on the outlying farm.  They grew a variety of horticultural and grain crops also many different fruits and tree nuts and all these crops were for the market place and for their own sustenance as well.  They raised dairy cattle, goats, pigs, sheep and also poultry.  Net fishing was a traditional occupation on Korcula because of the abundance of fish in the Adriatic.  Fishing for some of the islanders was their sole source of income.  Ivan’s family cured and smoked bacon over the open fireplace in the home and they made cheeses from cow and goat milk also pickled cabbages, olives, onions, and sardines in brine or vinegar. They milled their own flour from some of the various cultivated cereals (wheat, maize, oats and barley) and also made wine, vinegar, olive oil and plum liqueur brandy (slivovitz sli-vo-vitz). The preserved food and the sun dried fruit (figs, apricots and grapes) with tree nuts sustained them during their cold winter. 

Ivan and Marija commenced their long uninterrupted married life (57 years) in a humble tin shed rented from Mr. Curtin in White Street Osborne Park adjacent to Lot 116 White Street where the family lived for many years and had the market garden.  There was no honeymoon for them and Ivan continued to work as usual in market gardens, timber cutting and as a builder's labourer whilst Marija did laundry and ironing as well as cleaned house for some local Yugoslav families.  Marija had worked in the family home and farm (bastina) and was a carer for the aged family members from her childhood till she left Blato to come to Australia.  It had been customary and also expected for three generations (grandparents, parents and children) all to live in the large family home to ensure adequate care of the aged.