In 1978, the late Father Josip Kasić, who was the Parish priest of Saint Nikola Tavelić church in Clifton Hill, had an idea to start a Croatian folkloric group as a way to bring the Croatian youth of Melbourne together. Father Kasić called upon local parishioners Mr Aleks and Mrs Gizela Kechenovich to teach our youth about Croatian folklore. Mr and Mrs Kechenovich were seasoned folkloric dancers and had been a part of a cultural and artistic society in their hometown of Tavankut, in the Bačka region of Croatia.
With the help of hard working and dedicated members of the Croatian community, Mladi Hrvati was formed.
n its early stages, the group started off with 30 members, but at its peak reached 248 members.