Age, Biography and Wiki

Mario Despoja was born on 1938 in Croatia, is an A croatian emigrant to Australia. Discover Mario Despoja's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Learn How rich is he in this year and how he spends money? Also learn how he earned most of networth at the age of 86 years old?

Popular As N/A
Occupation N/A
Age 86 years old
Zodiac Sign
Born 1938
Birthday 1938
Birthplace Croatia
Nationality Croatia

We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 1938. He is a member of famous with the age 86 years old group.

Mario Despoja Height, Weight & Measurements

At 86 years old, Mario Despoja height not available right now. We will update Mario Despoja's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible.

Physical Status
Height Not Available
Weight Not Available
Body Measurements Not Available
Eye Color Not Available
Hair Color Not Available

Dating & Relationship status

He is currently single. He is not dating anyone. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. According to our Database, He has no children.

Family
Parents Not Available
Wife Not Available
Sibling Not Available
Children Not Available

Mario Despoja Net Worth

His net worth has been growing significantly in 2023-2024. So, how much is Mario Despoja worth at the age of 86 years old? Mario Despoja’s income source is mostly from being a successful . He is from Croatia. We have estimated Mario Despoja's net worth, money, salary, income, and assets.

Net Worth in 2024 $1 Million - $5 Million
Salary in 2024 Under Review
Net Worth in 2023 Pending
Salary in 2023 Under Review
House Not Available
Cars Not Available
Source of Income

Mario Despoja Social Network

Instagram
Linkedin
Twitter
Facebook
Wikipedia
Imdb

Timeline

1794

His special category was Australian history, and he was able to name the five convicts transported to Australia in 1794 now known as the Scottish Martyrs.

Despoja said that "their case stuck in (his) mind" because they were political exiles like him.

At the time of his big win, Despoja was working as a press operator at the Chrysler Australia factory in Adelaide.

He was earning £12 a week.

The prize money enabled him to buy a block of land on which he built a house and to attend University to obtain a bachelor's degree with an honours thesis on Yugoslav history.

In addition to operating the unofficial Croatian Embassy, Despoja has worked in the Australian Commonwealth's Department of Aboriginal Affairs and as a real estate agent.

Despoja met his first wife, journalist Shirley Stott, through the quiz show.

In their 12 years of marriage they had two children, Natasha and Luke.

He now is married to Wendy Austin, and lives with her in Canberra, as a retired diplomat, quiz champion, public servant and real estate agent.

1959

Despoja arrived in Australia in 1959 without any English.

He regarded himself as a political refugee.

Four years later, he won the grand prize on a television quiz program, Coles £3000 Question, broadcast around Australia.

1977

Mario Dešpoja is a Croatian Australian who opened an unofficial Croatian embassy in Australia's capital city, Canberra in 1977.

The embassy was on a main road and attracted much publicity until it was closed down two years later.

He is the father of former Australian Democrats Senator Natasha Stott Despoja.

Despoja first came to mainstream public notice as a campaigner for Croatian independence in June 1977 when he was nominated as a candidate for an international Croatian National Council.

In August, a letter from him headed, "Nationalism in Yugoslavia" appeared in The Canberra Times.

It pointed out that a previous anonymous correspondent on Croatian issues probably was a Serb.

Then, on 29 November 1977, Yugoslavia's National Day, the Croatian community in Australia opened its "Embassy" on Canberra Avenue, Forrest, with Despoja as the "chargé d'affaires".

A building with external insignia purporting to represent one of the constituent republics of Yugoslavia was a diplomatic embarrassment to Australia, which had long recognised the communist Government of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

1978

On 5 April 1978, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Andrew Peacock made a statement to the lower house of the Australian Parliament about the "Croatian Embassy", in which he said that, " the so-called Croatian Embassy is damaging to the national interest and that such an establishment cannot therefore be tolerated".

In the same statement, he promised legislation to give the force of Australian law to the nation's obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

The response of the Croatian community in Australia was a decision to seek official recognition for the "embassy".

The Parliament passed a Diplomatic and Consular Missions Act in August 1978.

This was a law "to prevent the improper use of diplomatic and consular signs and titles".

Still, the Government did not move against the Croatian Embassy for another nine months.

1979

On 6 June 1979, two Commonwealth policemen delivered a letter from the Attorney-General, Peter Durack, warning that the Government would begin legal action in two weeks unless Mario Despoja provided certain undertakings.

They were that he stop displaying insignia "that represents in a diplomatic or consular capacity a part of Yugoslavia, namely Croatia, or the people of such part of Yugoslavia" and that he stop publishing or permitting to be made or published "any representation that states or implies or is reasonably capable of being taken to imply that there is located in Australia a mission (other than a diplomatic or consular mission of Yugoslavia) that represents in a diplomatic or consular capacity a part of Yugoslavia, namely Croatia, or the people of such part of Yugoslavia".

Despoja's considered response was to hold teleconferences around Australia with other Croatian community leaders over the following weekend before taking the matter to the "Embassy's" lawyers.

The Commonwealth's arguments before the Federal Court of Australia succeeded on 7 August 1979, when Mr Justice Reginald Smithers granted an injunction against Despoja.

The injunction forbade Despoja from displaying any signs, insignia or flags giving the impression of an embassy and from publicising the "Embassy" as representing a part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Despoja was ordered to pay the court costs.

Despoja's response to the court order was to resign as "chargé d'affaires" and commence as the "Embassy's" "special adviser in non-diplomatic and consular matters".

The "Embassy's" former secretary, Dinka Sidic took up the "chargé d'affaires" position, becoming the youngest "head of mission" in Canberra at the age of 23.

Three judges of the Federal Court of Australia on 9 October 1979 dismissed Despoja's appeal against the injunction granted by Mr Justice Smithers.

Despoja and Sidic closed the doors of their "Embassy" two weeks later.

According to Sidic, the legal advice they had received was that an appeal to the High Court could have extended the "Embassy's" life by another eight months but they would have lost the appeal.

The flag and insignia at the "Embassy" were to come down under the cover of darkness on 25 October, "to spare the Croatian people the sight of seeing them removed", according to Despoja.

The next election for the Croatian National Council was held about the same time and found Mario Despoja receiving the most votes among the 93 international candidates contesting 30 positions.

Dinka Sidic also stood for election but did not receive enough support to be one of the chosen 30.