SA Basketball part II

Most of the Vytis players have known each other since 1947, when they played in Wuerzburg, Germany.

Stasys (Stan) Urnevicius, the captain (who at 31 is the oldest of the team), learned basketball in Lithuania in his early teens, played in his college team, later for the Vilnius University and finally in the renowned LFLS team.

In Germany he lived in Wuerzburg, where Kestas Jaciunskis (born 1926) was captain of the junior team.  Virgilius Gurskis (now 21) was also there, but just learning to play.  Later Algimantas (Algis) Ignatavicius (now 20), from Schweinfurt, joined the juniors.

In Adelaide those four, although having arrived at different times. Met each other again and formed a team. By 1951 they had been joined by Nikolaj (Nick) Brovcenko (22), Vitas Merunas (30), Edvardas Kurauskas (32), Anatolijus Kitas (25) and Eugenius Pyragius (20).

The first five are; Urnevicius (right forward), Ignatavicius (centre), Jaciunskas (Left forward), Gurksis (left guard), Brovcenko (right guard).

Urnevicius (5ft 10in) is the brain of the team.  He has the onerous job of being playing coach.  He commands remarkable respect, not only form his own boys, but also from players of other clubs.

What he says goes.  His court craft is excellent.  He knows all the tricks of the trade and also how to keep the team together; when to take time outs and when to decide on fresh tactics.

His medium distance one handed shots from the shoulder are deadly.  Yet he feels that are is gradually catching up with him and that he has no more than one or two competitive seasons left.  Then he will switch to coaching alone.

Ignatavicius (5ft 10in) is the youngest and most admirable player.  His improvement has been unbelievably rapid.  In 1947 he could hardly get a place in a junior team.  In 1950 he was chosen in the all Australian team.  He plays a very elegant, fast game, dealing out quick passes and shooting goals effortlessly form anywhere over the centre line.

He seldom touches an opponent.  Most of the time he is on the move, having developed a dislike of congested places on court. However, when the going gets real close, he can fight like a tiger at the basket and he can leap high to snatch rebounds from opponents much taller than himself. 

In 1950 he was the most successful goal sneak in the association and second best in 1951.  Shortly after the 1951 season ended, Algis left for Melbourne to play with a Lithuanian team. However, it seems that he has not found things entirely to his liking there, and will be back in Adelaide before the 1952 season is over.  Just as well, otherwise his team might find it difficult to get a substitute for the vacant centre forward post.

Jaciunskas (5ft 10 in) is the team ‘tank’ but a mighty fast one.  His stamina is seemingly inexhaustible.  At the final bell he will going just as strongly as during the first minute.  His control of the ball is enviable, his fighting spirit unquenchable.

He is always where the ball is, following it in the roughest tumble.  He is an excellent medium distance goal shooter and from underneath the basket will score with his eyes closed.  His fighting heart sometimes earns penalty shots against him, but that is his only blemish.

Gurskis (6ft) is one of the staunchest and stablest SA guards.  He is Vytis vice-captain and it is amazing that at his age he should display such coolness, anticipation and presence of mind in the firmest battle.  He knows exactly where to expect a rebound form his own board and once he has put his fingers on to the leather he will never let go.  It just sticks to him.

Most feared are his accurate long distance shots, which often force a defending team to send a man forward just to prevent Gurskis from making what would be ‘pot shot’ for most players but is a  2 to 1 on certainty for Gurskis.

Brovcenko, at 6ft 1 in, the tallest man in the team, has also developed remarkably.  In 1949 he provided the spectators with tons of fun because of a little cap he wore which would inevitably fall off during a scramble.

Within 12 months he had turned into a fully fledged guard, strongly supporting Gurskis and shattering the early conception that Vytis was playing a ‘four men’s game’.

The solid veteran Kurauskas, the tall agile former Western Australian Merunas, the fast footballer Kitas, the quick witted, technically flawless Pyragius, constitute Vytis first reserve who may soon gain a permanent place if Urnevicius retires or studies compel Brovcenko to withdraw.

But when they move up, others will take place of first reserves as Vytis has a second team and many youngsters keen to improve.

Did Lithuanian's change the shape of basketball in South Australia?

This article, written in Sport Novel in 1952, may answer that.  Its quite long so I will post it in parts.

New Australian Stars Give new life to SA Basketball

Since the war ended not only the popularity but also the standard of men’s basketball has risen steadily throughout Australia.

Considerable influence has been exercised by European players who began settling in this country late in 1947.  South Australia has received its share of them and the standard of basketball in Adelaide is only slightly behind Victoria and NSW, the traditionally strong eastern states.

Among the ablest exponents of the game in Adelaide are Lithuanians.  Their club, Vytis has won the premiership twice, in 1950 and in the SA Men’s Basketball Association an in 1951 in the Adelaide Basketball League, the recently formed body.

Will they be able to make it a hat trick?  It is quite possible, but it is going to be a mighty strong team which can wrest the premiership from them.

When in 1935 the Latvian National team won the first European basketball championship Lithuanians scarcely played the fame.  But the big success of their small neighbouring country stimulated the Lithuanians.  They imported several American trainers and set to work wholeheartedly.

Within two years the incredible happened and Lithuanian won the 1937 European championship.  Ever since, basketball has been regarded as the national game.

Take two dozen Estonians and you will most certainly be able to pick a volleyball team, take two dozen Poles, Czechs, Jugoslavs or Hungarians and you will be able to form a soccer team; take only one dozen Lithuanian boys and you will be able to pick a top line basketball team with ease.

The Vytis Club was formed in Adelaide in 1949.  At that time it numbered only half a dozen players.  They were put in C grade and they outclassed all their opponents so effortlessly to win the premiership in  a canter that next year the team applied and was admitted to the A grade.

It was rather unorthodox move, but it turned out to be invaluable for the benefit of the game.  The very first rounds in 1950 showed that the Vytis boys even outclass some of the A grade team.

Throughout the season there was a neck to neck race between Vytis, Our Boys Institute and YMCA (with Latvians as the backbone).  Vytis won the minor round from YMCA, with OBI third and Kingston fourth.

In the semi-finals Vytis beat OBI and Kingston defeated YMCA, who had a black day.  Vytis forwards combined at will, shot for goal at will and scored one of the easiest victories on record.

The brilliant showing by Vytis resulted in four of their boys, Ignatavicius, Urnevicius, Jaciunskis and Gurskis, being chosen to play for the SA team to play in Brisbane Australian championships.  Unfortunately Gurksis and Urnevicius could not go for family or business reasons.

The SA side finished third, behind Victoria and NSW.  The biggest reward was the inclusion of the 19 year old Vytis centre forward Ignatavicius in the all Australian team.  The boys returned from Brisbane high in spirit and determined to make an even better showing in the 1951 season.

To be continued....

New Years Celebrations 1958

New Years Ball, Adelaide. from left; B. Lapsys,
Bachunas, A. Linkuvicius

The next day the Bachunai rose early so they could fit in meeting more members of the community. The first visit of the day was to Vladas Požela, who was with the Lithuanian Ministry of Home Affairs during president Griniaus time in Lithuania.  They visited Pozela’s son-in-law Vytas Kmitas who works in one of Adelaide’s largest firms, O’Connor and Sons heating and cooling specialists.

He also met Juozas Gučius, an actor and manager of Lithuanian Theatre group.  He worked for many years at the Kaunas radio station, as director an actor.  His wife, Gučiene Binkevičiutė, is also a professional singer and singing teacher.  Gučius showed him several programs of past performances, that were held in Lithuanian and English.  The theatre group has performed Henri Devernois, The Bronze lady and the Crystal Gentleman, and Box and Cox, the Proposal, the school for wives.  All the actors were Lithuanian and the plays performed in English.

Baciunas was told that on December 1^st, in the Australian Hall, violinist Pranas Matiukas gave a performance with singer Uknevičiutė.  There are three singers, B. Rūkštelienė, Gučiene, and Vasilauskienė.  Rūkštelienė has since moved to America.

From here the Bachunai  visited Rūdaičius, then Jonas Kalvaitis, who has three brothers in America.  Jonas has contemplated moving to Boston to work with his brother in real estate, but he now has grown children who are not keen to move.  Bachunai then visited Vaclovas Raginis, and later Česlovas Zamoiskis, and Vytas Petrūskevičius.

Lapšys took the Bachunai to visit a well known Lithuanian pilot and glider, Major Jonas Pyragius. His daughter was a well known sports woman, now married Mrs Cibiras. 

Bachunas learnt about the local church newspaper, ‘Šventadieno Balsas’ Sunday Voice.  The newspaper is edited by Father Kungys, with drawings added by Pušdešrys, and it is printed in Dičiunas home.

New Years Eve was celebrated at Centennial Hall, Wayville.  The Women’s association had spent all day preparing food, they were expecting over 500 guests.  There was a good band, everyone danced and enjoyed themselves.  Before the evening finished the President of the Community, Čibiras welcomed in the new year, and invited Bachunas to speak.

The following morning they rose early, and were taken to the airport for a flight to Sydney.

So ended their Adelaide leg of their tour to Australia.

Journey to the Pacific Region III

December 30th


Bachunas spent some time with members of the Adelaide Lithuanian Women's group.

On March 1, 1952 a Lithuanian Women’s group was formed. The groups role was to generate social occasions where Lithuanians can meet. Another function was to visit the sick in hospitals. The women would take food, sweets or special dietary food and have a chat to the sick. The group would send money twice a year to German sanatorium in Gauting.

The women have instigated several new traditions in Adelaide. The Christmas ‘Eglutė’ for children, where Father Christmas visits and gives each child a gift, followed by a communal meal. Each New year or Mother’s day, women over 70 are honoured and presented with a gift. The women assist in preparing lunch each Saturday for the children attending Lithuanian school. Children who take first communion do so in a decorated church and partake in a meal afterwards prepared for by the women.

Not one newborn into the community did not receive a gift or those who died did not receive a wreath from the Women’s group.

In 1957 the women had collected £600, this was profits from balls, lotteries and donations. All the women’s time were freely given. The president is Garbaliauskienė, other committee members, Janavičienė, Varnauskienė, Navakienė, Šerelienė.

Bachunas referred to the Women’s group as the heart and soul of the community.

Journey to the Pacific region continued

On December 27th they were invited to lunch at Lapšys, who drove them around. They then attended the children’s Christmas celebrations organised by the Women’s guild. The children all received presents and presented the Baciunai with a song, that they had rehearsed. The choir had around 30 children organised by Vasilauskienė. The children also danced, taught by Grėbliunienė and Lapšiene. Many of the children were born in Australia.

That evening there was a party at Vytautas Linkus house at Port Adelaide. Linkus has his own business a food products shop at Port Adelaide, “Linkus World Food”. He was then invited to visit Vasilauskas at 36 roomed hotel at Semaphore . Vasilauskas owned several other properties, used for holiday rental.

Sunday December 29th, Dičiunas drove them to church where over 300 Lithuanians had gathered. After mass Father Kungys said a prayer for Lithuania independence. After the service had finished Father Kungys drove them to Dičiunas’ home for lunch. Dičiunas has built a lovely home, next to his sister lives. After lunch they were driven to Christies Beach where the church had purchased a block of land which has a small building. A pleasant afternoon with song and food was occurred. The Baciunai were then taken to Pascevičius’ home where more Lithuanians had gathered. Pascevicius, an engineer had designed a elevator that can lift 1,500,00 bushels. The lift is built in a factory by the sea, where over 150 people work.

Journey to the Pacific Region

With an occupied Lithuania, the President of the Lithuanian World Community was as close as anyone would get to  Lithuanian royalty.  In 1958, Juozas Bačiunas or Bachunas was elected in this role and in 1958/59 he and his wife journey to Australia. He visited most capital cities and met with many in the Lithuanian community.


They arrived in Adelaide on December 26th and were greeted at the Adelaide airport by members of the Lithuanian community with flowers and girls in traditional costumes. Povilas Lūkošiunas organised the Adelaide leg of their holiday. Lūkošiunas treated the couple to tea where the priest Kungys and other members of the community gathered.

On the 27th they went to Lithuanian house where the house was full. Being a hot day, it was like a sauna inside. President of the community S. Kibiras gave a talk on the community and its organisations. The number of Lithuanian community groups made an impression on Bachunas.

Two years indentured

Stasys Šiuskus arrived in Perth and stayed in the Grayland migrant camp for a brief time. After two weeks, he was told that he would be going to pick grapes in South Australia. He was sent by train to Adelaide and then by bus to Renmark. A farmer named H. Rasheed selected a small group of Lithuanians and took them to his property on 28 March 1948. He would receive £4 per week for a 40 hour week. Two shillings were deducted for tax. Other farmers allowed their workers to earn by amount and so could potentially earn more.

On one occasion, the group picked large grapes and then were taken to a crop consisting of small grapes. Here the farmer changed how they were to paid, now they earned their wage by the amount you pick. The group knew they were being taken advantage of, and as a group decided they would not pick and instigated a strike. The farmer got the Union representative, who sided with the workers. He had to pay them an hourly wage which included the half a day they were striking.
At the end of the harvest they received a letter from the Renmark Harvest Labour committee, it read;

As the harvesting of the dried fruits has now concluded it is gratifying to hear of good work done and also your conduct during the period of engagement with our Growers. You will now be moving on to other parts of Australia and we wish you every success in your new home of adoption and feel sure you will be loyal to the British Empire.

After the harvest, Stays was sent to work on the railways at Bancham, between Naracoorte and Mt Gambier. He lived here in tents, two to a tent. His next door neighbours were J and Vytas Neverauskas. Meals were eaten in a communal area, the food was good and inexpensive. They were earning 1 shilling a week which was paid fortnightly, after tax they received £13.

Stasys was injured and spend two weeks in the Naracoorte hospital; he contracted rheumatism in his foot. He asked for a transfer to Adelaide. After a week he received notification that he was transfer to Islington, to work on the tractors at the Railway yards. He was fortunate to find a room with furniture at 254 Main North Rd, Prospect.

The day after Stasys two year contract ended he purchased a six ton truck and drove north to the Leigh Creek coalfields, where he could now earn over six shillings an hour.