Sydney Lithuanian Women’s Social Welfare Society

After the Lithuanian community settled in Sydney, many organisations began to emerge, and Lithuanian-style social and cultural activities flourished. However, women were always needed behind the scenes—for assistance, organisation, and preparations. Much of this work was being done informally and separately in different districts, but it was clear that a coordinated effort was lacking. There was also an urgent need for structured social support work, which could only be addressed by a unified women’s organisation.

At the time, there were already small groups of women active in charitable efforts under the Sydney District Council, as well as in areas like Bankstown and Cabramatta. While these groups weren’t yet united under one body, their efforts laid the groundwork for the creation of a formal organisation.

Recognising this, the Australian Lithuanian Community (ALB) Regional Board—particularly its social affairs representative, Vytautas Simniškis—took the initiative. On 18 March 1956, he convened the founding meeting of what would become the Sydney Lithuanian Women’s Social Welfare Society. Attendees included: Mrs. Ona Osinienė, R. Klimaitytė, Cecilija Protienė, Jadvyga Venclovienė, Bronislava Jarembauskienė, Pajauta Daukienė, Wilhelmina Jonaitienė, Elzbieta Kapočienė, Elena Badauskienė, Sofija Dryžienė, A. Zigaitienė, Ona Grosienė, and Marta Cibulskienė.

At this meeting, Simniškis spoke about the vital role an organised women’s group could play in the life of the Lithuanian community—emphasising its independence and self-governance. The idea was unanimously supported, and the Society was formally founded. Its first board was elected with Ona Osinienė as chairwoman, and R. Klimaitytė, Marta Cibulskienė, Bronislava Jarembauskienė, and Elzbieta Kapočienė as members. K. Narbutienė and Cecilija Protienė were selected as board candidates.

The community quickly felt the impact of this new organisation. The Society rapidly expanded its membership and activities, focusing on social service and charity. Within a few months, the board was restructured, and the organisation became a central part of community life. However, the women of the Society felt that their work should not remain limited to behind-the-scenes tasks or private gatherings.

In 1962, they decided to register officially with local authorities as a charitable organisation. On 25 January 1963, the group became legally recognised as the Sydney Lithuanian Women’s Social Services Association, with its own constitution and formal regulations. It was one of the first officially registered Lithuanian organisations in Australia. This step enabled the Society to organise public fundraising events, such as raffles and lotteries, and manage financial resources for charitable projects—including the acquisition of property.

A major goal of the Society was the creation of a retirement home for Lithuanian seniors—a place where they could live out their later years in dignity and among their own community. Through persistent effort, and with support from government programs, the Society acquired a two-acre plot of land in the suburb of Engadine, a location both beautiful and convenient. With further effort and assistance, including help from the Lithuanian SSR, the dream of a “Lithuanian Homestead” began to take shape.

Tanija Simniškienė, one of the Society’s founding members and most active leaders, chaired the organisation from 1959 to 1961.

As the name suggests, the Society’s work began with practical assistance to other groups: helping the sick, supporting those in distress, preparing food and hosting events, and raising funds for charitable purposes. Despite the demands of such work, the Society took on the ambitious challenge of building a Lithuanian Home for the Elderly—a project many considered too large to be led by a women’s organisation. But the Society’s determination only grew stronger.

Following registration as a legal charity, the long and difficult journey to realise this vision began. Finally, the Engadine land was secured, and financial support was obtained to build and furnish the facility. After 15 years of effort, the results were clear: six brick houses, housing 12 apartments, were completed and fully occupied by members of the Lithuanian community, forming a close-knit and caring environment. If not for the economic downturn in Australia, which led to the suspension of government grants, the project might have been completed even sooner.

Despite the scale of the Lithuanian Homestead project, the Society never lost sight of its original mission. Assistance to the living remained a core part of its work—but care for the dead also became part of its service. The Society arranged funerals for many lonely Lithuanian compatriots, maintained their graves, placed modest headstones, and managed their affairs with dignity and compassion.

The Sydney Lithuanian Women’s Social Welfare Society remains a testament to what can be achieved through unity, determination, and community spirit.

Sister Pranciška Gaidamavičiutė

Seselé Pranciška came from the village of Rubikoniu, Širvintais county. Her parents are Karolis Gaidamavičius and Ieva Sargūnaitė. 

She remembers from her youth how her mother used to teach her to read and write in Lithuanian because in those days it was forbidden to learn the Lithuanian language publicly from Tsarist Russians. In 1914 Pranciška travelled to Riga to visit family friends. When the war broke out, she could no longer return home. The family that took care of her moved to St Petersburg with her to avoid the war. There, she met missionary nuns, became fascinated by their life, and in 1920 joined the Franciscan monastery of the Missionaries of Mary.

Having experienced the horrors of the communist revolution, she found her way to Italy.  As a novice, she was sent to the center of the monastery in Italy, Grottaferrata, where the summer residence of the Holy Father is also located. After two months, the journey reached Grottaferrata, where on 19 March 1922 she took her first vows and received nun's clothing. There she prepared for mission work and was sent to Harbin China, where she worked in an elementary school and a hospital.  On 19 March 1925 she took her last vows in Vicux-China.  Since 1940, she worked in the operating room and helped doctors during admission hours. For a while it was transferred to Macao, a Portuguese colony worked in a hospital and at a doctor's office.   In 1953 The Chinese Communist authorities expelled the nuns and Sister Pranciška was appointed to go to Australia. 

She arrived in Sydney in 1954.  On 19 September 1956 she was transferred to Melbourne where she looked after the convent chapel. Here she meet Lithuanians, read "Tēviškės Aidai", served as sacristan and other duties in the monastery.  The chapel was decorated with Lithuanian roses, several bushes of which were planted among the roses in the nursery of one of the slopes.  The chapel was decorated with Lithuanian rue, several bushes of which were planted among the roses in the nursery on the hillside

Here she celebrated her 50 years of life and work as a nun for the welfare of humanity and the 75th anniversary of her life. She was later transferred to the Sydney suburb of Rooty Hill to Our Lady of Consolation Home conducted by the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary for Aged Ladies."  In 1987, she turned 90 on 15 March and reached 65 years of monastic life.   

Sister Pranciška Gaidamavičiūtė left us at the age of almost 99 (only 23 days left). She stayed in the monastery for over 73 years. The funeral was attended by a large number of nuns and priests from all over Sydney. She is buried at Rookwood Cemetery, a suburb of Sydney. 

Her cousin is Fr. Pranas Gaidamavičius is the editor of "Tēviškės Žiburių" in Canada.

Sources

Tēviškės Žiburiai 1996, March 26, p. 5
Tėviškės Aidai 5 March 1987 p. 7
Tėviškės Aidai 28 May 1986, p 7

Rest in Peace, Stasys

The brotherly feeling of Lithuanians towards Lithuanians encouraged Melbourne Ramovė chairman Vladas Bosikis and Joana Valaitienė, who have a summer house on Phillip Island, to mark a lonely, disappearing grave of Lithuanian Stasys Sadauskas in the Cowes town cemetery.

Stasys Sadauskas died in 1985 at the age of 58. He was born on 26 February 1926. He left Lithuania when he was only eighteen years old.  He came from Tarpučiai, Marijampolė, Suvalkija and studied at the Marijampole gymnasium.  He arrived in Australia on the Charlton Sovereign on 29 October 1948.  Stasys had no relatives or relatives in Australia. He had no property or any savings. He was given a Christian burial by a local Catholic priest in Cowes. In earlier years, Stasys lived in Melbourne for some time.

Life sometimes seems insurmountably difficult for many. The road suddenly becomes dark and only storms seem to rage mercilessly around us. Some weather those storms, Stasys seems to have been unsuccessful. 

Melbourne Lithuanians collected donations one Sunday to fix this grave.  Vladas Bosikis organised two assistants, Jonas Valaitis and Vincas Savickas, and within a few days a solid cement border was made around the grave.  A beautiful metal cross in national style was made by Gustavas Narušis.  Gravel was placed over the grave and a simple sign made that reads; In memory of Stasys Sadauskas, died on 26 December 1986, aged 59. Rest in Peace. Lithuanian Community.

At the request of the Melbourne Lithuanians, the Lithuanian pastor priest Dr. Fr. Dauknys agreed to come to the town of Phillip Island, Cowes and on 17 June 1989 to consecrate the memorial.

Cowes Cemetery in an extremely beautiful location on a hill. It reminds one of old cemeteries in Lithuania. There are, of course, some large, beautiful marble monuments from the early 19th century and some family graves enclosed by metal fences.

 

MP 3.7.1989 Nr.26 ( 20991)

Lithuanian snake catcher, Alfonsas Karašauskas

Alfonsas was a man with a very colourful life. Personally modest, but deeply self-respecting; socially open, honest, courageous and eloquent; withdrawn but helpful; indeed, being a true son of nature,

Alfonsas was born in1928, into the poor family of Ieva and Andriejaus Karašauskas, in Tolučiai. He grew up among three brothers and a younger sister.

Sixteen-year-old Alfonsas was pushing to join General Plechavičius's military unit, to defend Lithuania.  He borrowed his older brother's passport and successfully joined the national military unit; but he remained two years older for the rest of his life. His unit had to be stationed in Vilnius and there in 1944, the Germans disarmed, arrested and took them to Germany for work or war purposes.  Alfonsas was dressed in the Luftwaffe uniform with which he was captured by the English in Belgium. Here he suffered in inhuman conditions and would have starved to death, but because of his youth, a German doctor took pity on him and admitted him to a civilian hospital. After leaving captivity, Alfonsas ended up in a refugee camp in the English zone. A few years later, he married a German woman, a son was born, and the family came to Australia in 1951.  He was assigned to work with the Water Board in Potts Hill, Sydney.   

From Sydney, through Adelaide to Melbourne, the family started looking for better and better living conditions.  Alfonsas worked in construction, in the fish market, in workshops.  He had a store of small goods and dairy products and, with the involvement of two partners, he bought a hotel and worked in it.  

Alfonsas immersed himself in fishing and hunting. His rooms were hung with impressive photographs.
Alfonsas also excelled at catching snakes.  He would catch them with his bare hands, only being bitten twice. Live snakes were sold to laboratories for making antivenoms. For his services in trapping venomous snakes, he was honoured by the Altona, Laverton and Werribee area residents and board with a silver coiled snake ring.  

At the end of November 1985, a snake hunt was organised around Werribee. It became unsafe for residents to walk around; snakes were even entering homes.

Alfonsas who had distinguished himself as a brave and agile snake catcher was specially invited to that hunt.  The caught snakes were delivered alive to the chemists.  Alfonsas caught the most snakes and he was declared the winner.

Alfonsas passed away 10 August 2003. During Mass the D.L.K. Riflemen of the Vytenis company stood in a guard of honour at the tricolor-covered coffin, decorated with home-grown rhubarb and orchids and the deceased rifleman's hat.

Magdalena Žilinskaitė Aukštakalnienė - A life of song

It seems that Magdutė life was one of music and song.  A soloist and choir member, mezo soprano, she was born and raised in Kaunas. A member of St. Michael the Archangel's Church and Kaunas Basilica choir.

She joined the Lithuanian National opera choir and when an operetta was created she was accepted as a soloist. During the summer, when theatre groups toured Lithuanian cities she was amongst the them.

Towards  the end of WWII, Magdute moved to Germany.  She found the emerging Čiurlionis ensemble members and immediately joined their work.  There was no camp in Germany that the Čiurlionis ensemble did not visit and stir a deep love of Lithuanians in their hearts with their concerts.  The ensemble's travels were not easy, as they had to travel hundreds of kilometres by freight trains and military trucks. The Čiurlionis members did not complain of these tiresome trips, and Magdutė also never complained about her hard part.

She boarded the General Stewart ship arriving in Australia on 13 April 1949. She was to work at the Victorian Railways at Seymour, Victoria.

She married Lithuanian Pranas Aukštikalnis in Australia soon after arriving and had two children.  

Magdutė participated in the Melbourne Lithuanian community, there was no shortage of her anywhere - in celebrations and preparations, not only with her singing, but also with her extremely lively mood, it seems that she was born for that, to make others happy and entertained.  She was always alive, energetic, cheerful and friendly . She had an extraordinary love for Lithuanian youth.

Magdutė joined the Melbourne Lithuanian choir and sang whener asked, annual concerts, various commemorations, song festivals, Melbourne women's sextet and on Sundays St. John's Church.  She participated in all the song festivals around Australia.

She was buried on 22 January, having passed away four days previously.  Buried in Cheltenham cemetery, Melbourne where a  large number of the Melbourne community came to pay their respects. Members of the Melbourne Lithuanian choir, dressed in national clothes, stood on either side of the coffin as she made her final earthly journey.

Australian Lithuanian vignettes

For thousands of years, history was seen as the story of kings and aristocrats, their wars, victories and defeats. We know little about what life was like for ordinary people then. Even if fragments of such knowledge survive, ordinary life is seen through the perspective of others. Imagine if our lives today were told only through the prism of presidents, ministers or academics. Would future people get a true impression of our lives from reading such a description?

The Australian Lithuanian community is no different. So much written material that comes to the Archive from our community centres around official matters like reports from boards and committees of various organisations, minutes of meetings, and official letters. Yes, all these documents tell the story of our community, but only the official side. What was daily life like? What did people do and feel in their ordinary lives? Would you not like to preserve real life for future generations?

Members of the Australian Lithuanian community were asked to tell their own stories. Our team wanted funny, weird, delightful or interesting stories from a wide range of people, with a Lithuanian flavour, of course. It may have been an interaction with others, an event, an incident of note that has remained in family- or community-lore and still evokes strong memories. This would provide shades of grey, colour and the infinite variety that makes a community. 

This book, ‘Australian Lithuanian Vignettes’, with more than 65 stories, is the result. You will read about the sword swallower, the Lithuanian-inspired strike in Canberra, the journey of a doll from a DP camp to Australia via USA, life in the jungle, the family calmly and methodically going about their business in their own garden only to be censured by a snippy neighbour, and many many more. We are very grateful to those who have been willing to share their stories with us. Some are funny, some are sad, some are unbelievable, some are heartbreaking – the same as our lives. We hope you enjoy our book.

Birutė Beal, Edita Meškauskaitė and Daina Pocius

You can purchase the book through the link to the Archive shop or from the Australian Lithuanian Archive facebook page. 

 

Algimantas Plūkas

Algimantas Plūkas was born on New Year’s Day 1922 in Kupiškis. He is the son of Ignas and Julija Aleknaite.  He attended primary school in Kupiškis from, 1936-1942. studied at Kupiškis gymnasium.  In the summer of 1944, he left Lithuania for Germany, he had been studying electronics and residing in Vilnius before he left.  He had hoped to migrate to Cleveland. On 30 October 1949 emigrated to Australia on the Nelly and settled in Sydney.

He worked in a private company as a silversmith. His work is held by the Australian Officers' Association in Sydney (miniature cannon valued at about $4,000), Cardinal Gilroy of Sydney (several).

He devoted a lot of energy, time, financial resources and energy to Lithuanian affairs, he was a accordion player, conductor, instrumentalist, painter and decorator.  He carved wood, worked in metal.  He led the Sydney Lithuanian choir, Dainava from 1955 to 1957.  From 1960 to 1963 he led a double quartet, Rožytes, a double trio, the Merry Brothers. He wrote songs for scouts and guided groups. He illustrated Ava Saudargienė's book Sigutė (1968). He created a national dancing group called Plūktetas.

Algis joined the scouts in 1932 and gained his senior scout level in 1943. In Australia, he was a long-time member of the Sydney Lithuanian scout troop, Aušra and scouter leader. In 1952 he completed the Australian Scout Leaders Course, receiving the rank of Scoutmaster.  He participated in the 1938 national scout camp in Panemunė, Lithuania and led the Lithuanian scouts in the 1952-1953 Pan-Pacific Jamboree at Greystanes, NSW and almost every Aušra camp and district camp while in Australia.  Algis was an irreplaceable camp cook, musician and artist.  Camp songs composed by him are still sung today. For several years he illustrated the scout journal Pėdsekis.

He has been awarded the badge of the Tėvynės Sūnaus žymeniu Son of the Fatherland and the ordinu Už Nuopelnus Order of Merit for her services to scouting.

     Algis passed away on 11 June 1976 in Sydney. He has been interned in the Lithuanian section of Rookwood cemetery, Sydney. 

A notebookof his remains with his sketches and meal menus from scout camps in the 1950's.