70 thousand Australians acknowledged their Hungarian roots

Gergely Gulyás, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office, addressed ethnic Hungarians living in Australia at the inauguration of a renovated facility of the Hungarian Cultural and Welfare Association in Marsden on Sunday.

Gulyás said the Hungarian diaspora should be seen as a resource, rather than the consequence of historical tragedy. “While Hungarians suffered losses and were scattered in the 20th century, the 21st century needs to be a period of prosperity and national unity for Hungarians,” he added.

He said ethnic Hungarians living in Australia deserved “a gold medal” for preserving their language and Hungarian identity while living so far away from “home”.

He noted that 70,000 Australians acknowledged their Hungarian roots in the last census the country conducted. “That’s proof that Australian Hungarians are an important part of the body of the nation,” he added.

HERE is what President Novák told the Australian Hungarians on that celebration.

Here are some photos: