When Jon's parents arrived in Australia from Serbia ( then Yugoslavia) in the late 1950s, they were very disappointed. A Serbian acquaintance had sent misleading photos and exaggerated stories of his life in Australia, and Jon's parents had been one of several families who had been attracted to Australia on this basis only to be let down by the reality. Jon's father had had a jewellery business in Belgrade, which was repeatedly closed down by the authorities, and led him to getting the family out of the country.
In this episode, Jon talks about some of his family, who had roles of some note in both pre-war Yugoslavia and the post-war Tito regime, including a decorated General and one who was referred to as "Auntie Hitler", who was high up in the government.
Jon would move to Hobart in the early 70s to study at university , and met his current wife there. After being active in student politics, Jon took up a role as an industrial advocate for nurses after graduating. He eventually started an import-export business which he still operates today.
In the photo, Jon is holding the rather impressive plumbing trade certificate of his grandfather from 1921
