This is a traditional Polish Easter lunch. It is a beautiful celebration of Christ Resurrection. Firstly the Mass was celebrated at St Anthony’s Catholic Church. Afterwards we met for the Easter meal at the Club. This time our Easter meal was blessed by Fr Stanisław Tomasiak from the Maylands Church – thank you.

Also we have had a live music during the lunch, as Kalamunda Live Open Mic happened on that day. Will Hepburn and Richard Bienkowski and their friends – well done, thank you.

Friendship between two countries Poland and Hungary survived for a Millennium!

Our friendship was so ingrained in our history and imbedded in our hearts, memory and culture that our parliaments in Budapest and Warsaw sanctioned in 2007 the 23rd of March as an official Polish – Hungarian Friendship Day.

Polish Club General W. Sikorski WA and Hungarian Association of Western Australia invited everyone for the celebrations of Polish-Hungarian Friendship Day. This invitation was particularly directed to the Hungarian and Polish communities, however all were welcomed.

And we had a full house, 270 people attended!

Among our special guests we had Mr Georg Molnar the Honorary Consul of Hungary to Western Australia, Mr Paul Bitdorf the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland in Western Australia and his wife Halina, Mr Tamas Deutsch, Trade Commissioner for V4 Countries, Mrs Anna Niedźwiadek President of Polonia WA and her husband Grzegorz.

The event started with MC Mrs Beata Larcombe opening the proceedings. Then were formal speeches by Mr Vlodek Bilski, President of the Polish Club General W. Sikorski Western Australia and Mrs Henrietta Podgorska, President of the Hungarian Association of Western Australia, where they provided historical and factual background for the celebrations.

Then Beata and Henrietta gave us few interesting facts about Poland and Hungary, our so different languages, also some fun facts.

After that there were the most awaited performances by the Polish Dance Group Kukułeczka and Keszkenő Hungarian Folk Dance Group. That was just splendid.

Next we had some entertainment provided by Steve Keene with the band The New Reflections.

Then there were some competitions, where you could win a bottle of Hungarian Liquor or a bottle of Polish Vodka.

There was also highly anticipated raffle that the girls and boys from our dance groups run very efficiently. All proceeds from competitions and the raffle went to support both dance groups Kukułeczka and Keszkenő.

Then we all could enjoy some dance to wonderful music, as promised by Steve: the best international hits mixed with music from Poland and Hungary.

1000 years of friendship is something to celebrate and our both communities decided to make it an annual event! From now on we will do it every year, not only because it was a fantastic happening full of fun, but also to propagate friendship, mutual understanding, tolerance and support between nations. If we can do it why not everybody?

This event was excellent not only for Poles and Hungarians but was also affirmative to harmony and multiculturalism in Australia.

To top it off we had a crew from SBS TV, reporter Kyle Brown did a superb overview of this event that was aired on the International News, Australia wide at 6:30 PM on the 25 March 2018.

It also needs to be mentioned that prior the event Radio SBS Australia ran an interview with the Polish Club Sikorski Vice President Beata Larcombe. SBS’ Dariusz Buchowiecki talked with Beata about the Club and in particular Polish-Hungarian Friendship Day. The interview took 10 minutes and was on the air also Australia wide on Monday 12 March 2018.

Two famous Polish actors Marzanna Graff and Aleksander Mikołajczak from Warsaw’s theatre “Mam Teatr” on their Australia wide artistic tour visited our Club with two plays.

Play “Pomoc Sąsiedzka” is acontemporary comedy about two single people, neighbours who cross their path because of her faulty computer. She needed a quick fix, he was nearby and immediately available… and he was trying to fix more than the computer, she didn’t need that, or did she?

Lovely comedy, with sensible humour, touching and positive.

Screenplay by Marzanna Graff, Director Karol Stępkowski, Music Danuta Błażejczak, Mieczysław Jurecki.

Sound operator Michał Weryk.

This play was brought by the Sikorski Club in association with Fr Tomasz Bujakowski and Scena 98.

Two Great Plays, fantastic actors, two unforgettable nights. What a performance!

Thank you Marzanna and Aleksander. You brought from Poland the best there is, we were mesmerised and are still under the spell of two fascinating personalities. This was very unique experience worth the best theatres of the world.

Two famous Polish actors Marzanna Graff and Aleksander Mikołajczak from Warsaw’s theatre “Mam Teatr” on their Australia wide artistic tour visited our Club with two plays.

Play “Czas na Miłość” is a contemporary comedy about a married couple immersed in a boring and predictable routine who suddenly rediscover themselves in a series of spontaneous events making all spectators giggle and at times roll in aisles from laughter but sometimes smile with reflection.

Screenplay by Marzanna Graff, Director Karol Stępkowski, Music Danuta Błażejczak.

Sound operator Michał Weryk.

This play was brought by the Sikorski Club in association with Fr Tomasz Bujakowski and Scena 98.

The Polish Mass at the St Anthony’s Church was conducted by Fr Marian Brzozowski .

At the Sikorski Club we welcomed Fr Richard Sadowski from the St Anthony Parish who came to celebrate The Christmas Wafer with all of us. The prayer by Fr Richard was followed by sharing the wafer, singing carols to the music by Maciek Warzycki (guitar) and Ryszard Bienkowski (violin). Then everybody enjoyed a traditional Polish Christmas lunch.

At that point on stage we welcomed Will Hepburn who with his musicians from Kalamunda Live gave us a great performance.