Thursday 24 June 2010

What's the connection between the Hilton and Lithuanians?


South Australian Lithuanian Antanas Lapsys, Architect was " part of the consortium which developed the Hilton Hotel on Victoria Square; a project which was unprecedented for South Australia in terms of its size and as its status as the first ‘international’ hotel in Adelaide". (http://www.architectsdatabase.unisa.edu.au).

Well known Hilton chef, Cheong Liew
first moved from Malaysia to Melbourne in 1969 to study electrical engineering, but instead became a chef. In 1995 he opened The Grange restaurant at the Hilton one of Adelaide's most successful restaurants. Cheong is married to Lithuanian Ziukelis, and has trained several of the family as chefs.

Do you know of any more connections?


Wednesday 2 June 2010

Adelaide Lithuanian Women’s Society


Women's Society committee, 1962
From left back row: A. morkuniene, K. Garbaliauskiene, P. Gavaliene, M. Navakiene
Front: B. Vaboliene, S. Jonaviciene, E. Reisoniene, N. Varniauskiene.

The Society was formed March 1st, 1952, and open to all Lithuanian women in Adelaide. Some of the aims of the society were to visit the sick in hospital and assisting disadvantaged families. The society in its formative years remembered Lithuanians still displaced in Germany, they sent monetary donations twice a year.

The women would cook traditional food for Christmas for the school children and would purchase presents to give to all the children, at times over 160.

Money raised from numerous sources, lotteries, donations were forwarded to the Lithuanian school in Germany, as well as donations to the local sports club, library, choir, students.

The songs my father sang

Paulius Rutenis (Rutkauskas) 19 March 1919 – 28 August 1983 Singer, soloist, actor, director, journalist. A man who was seen on and off ...