Mykolas Zakaras - Eleventh President

Mykolas was born on October 21, 1909, in the Urniežiai farmstead, Dotnuva parish, Kėdainiai county, into the family of a wealthy farmer.  He grew up with five brothers and three sisters. Mykolas was the eldest in the family.  He attended primary school in Dotnuva, continued his secondary education in Kėdainiai and Kaunas, at the Pavasaris Higher Commercial School (Gymnasium). He completed his higher education in Klaipėda, where he studied at the Institute of Trade.  He also attended the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics of Vytautas Magnus University, but was unable to complete his studies, as the University was closed during the German occupation.  He performed his military service in the Sixth Squadron of the Military Aviation, in Šiauliai. He graduated with the rank of private.  He worked as a bookeeper  for the Electrical station in Telšiai from 1938 – 1944.  In addition to Lithuanian, he was fluent in three languages, German, Russian and Polish.

On 21 January 1942, Mykolas Zakaras and nurse in the Resurrection
Church in Kaunas.  A daughter was born in Kaunas. The family moved to Germany in 1944, due to the Soviet reoccupation of Lithuania. Mykolas worked in a factory at Schwopnitz, Saxonia Germany and later from 1945 as a checker in a warehouse for the IRO in Hanau Germany.   A son, was born in 1945, Germany 

After the war, they emigrated from Germany to Australia, where they lived in the Sydney suburb of Kingsgrove.

Mykolas worked hard in a glass factory, settled down nicely and took care of his children's education, and when they grew up, he joined the activities of the community. 1961-1962 Mykolas took up the position of Chairman of the Bankstown District Board, later in 1963 he was elected to the Regional Board of the Lithuanian Community of Australia.  In 1969, after the death of the then Chairman of the Regional Board of the ALB, Stasys Narušis, he briefly took over the position of the former Chairman.

In 1967, Mykolas Zakaras joined the Sydney branch of the Lithuanian Veterans Union "Ramovė". He was active in this union and a dutiful member, often elected to the branch board, he held various positions. For his exceptional kindness and merits to the Lithuanian soldiers, united in the Lithuanian Soldiers Veterans Union "Ramovė", on May 20, 1989, he was elected an honorary member of the union.

On 16 August 1985 Mykolas passed away.  On the 21st friends and acquaintances accompanied Mykolas on his last journey to the Rookwood cemetery. Mindaugas Šumskas gave a farewell speech at the grave, remembering his contribution to the creation of the Bankstown Lithuanian House and his work in the activities of the district. Juozas Dambrauskas also mentioned Mykolas' merits in sports activities, for which he was elected an honorary member of "Kovas".

Simas Narušis - All my achievements and work are for you, Lithuania

Simas was born on 13 March 1899 and passed away on 23 December 1969. He was born in Karališkiai, near Jurbarkas. In 1927, he completed his studies at a school in Kaunas, and from 1930 to 1931 he studied law at Vytautas Didysis University. He married Vanda, and they did not have children.

Simas volunteered for the newly established
Lithuanian Army and, in 1933, attained the rank of Major. During the Second World War, he organised and led independent military units in the eastern regions and fought against enemies of Lithuania.

Upon arriving in Australia, he immediately became active in Lithuanian community life. He served on the committee of the Sydney Lithuanian Society, where he worked tirelessly to organise cultural and community events. From 1965 until his death five years later, he was President of the Australian Lithuanian Community.  During this time, he visited every Lithuanian community across Australia, including the smallest branches. He maintained close ties with scouts, youth organisations, and sports clubs, and consistently encouraged Lithuanians to work not for personal gain, but for the good of the Lithuanian nation and community.

In recognition of his dedication, the Latvian community in Australia awarded him a silver medal in 1968 for his efforts and contributions to the struggle for Baltic freedom. In 1969, Simas represented Australia as a delegate at the World Lithuanian Community Parliament, where he was honoured with another medal. Despite suffering from cancer, he travelled to New Zealand to meet with the Lithuanian community there.

Simas lived by the motto: “Visi mano atsiekimai ir darbai – Tau, Lietuva!” — “All my achievements and work are for you, Lithuania.” His passion and devotion to Lithuania were deeply felt, and his death was a profound loss to Lithuanians throughout Australia. At his funeral, a guard of honour composed of Lithuanian scouts, members of the Federal Council, Ramovė, and the Sydney Lithuanian Committee stood beside his casket, which was draped with the Lithuanian flag.

Several years later, on 14 March 1971, the community gathered at Simas’s grave to commemorate his life and bless the newly placed headstone. The black granite headstone was designed by engineer A. Jakštas and features a white cross and the Gedimino stulpai carved into the lower corner. It stands in the Lithuanian section of Rookwood Cemetery in Sydney.

The Engineer and the President, Balys Daukus

Balys Daukus was born on 23 November 1900 in Samanių village, Južintai region, Rokiškis district, under the surname Dobkevičius. During Lithuania’s struggle for independence, he restored his great-grandfathers’ original surname, Daukas.

After completing elementary school, he enrolled at the Daugavpils Gymnasium. With the outbreak of World War I, he left for Tashkent to stay with his uncle, where he witnessed the Bolshevik Revolution and the mass killings carried out by the Soviets. After the war, he returned to Lithuania, continued his studies at the Rokiškis Gymnasium, and later at the Panevėžys Men’s Gymnasium, from which he graduated in 1923. He then studied engineering at Kaunas University. During his studies, he supported himself by teaching adult courses and working at the Kaunas railway workshops, as well as serving as a technician in peat bogs. At the university, he joined the student organisation Corp! Neo-Lithuania, becoming one of its earliest members when it was founded in 1922.

He married Pajauta Linartaitė, who was also a student at the time. In 1931, he graduated with a degree in technological engineering. 

From 1932 to 1934, he headed the railway workshop in Virbalis. In 1934, on the recommendation of Minister of Transport Vytautas Vileišis, he moved to Klaipėda to serve as head of the port mechanics department and port dredging operations. He managed a staff of 450 employees, was frequently invited as an expert to other organisations, and travelled abroad to England, Sweden, and Germany on official assignments. In 1938, he was also appointed head of anti-aircraft defence for Klaipėda city and the Klaipėda region.

While living in Klaipėda, he actively participated in sports activities, helped organise Lithuanian football players, and often accompanied teams traveling between Klaipėda and Kaunas.

After Klaipėda was seized by Germany in 1939, he briefly served as deputy director of the Pavenčiai Sugar Factory. In 1940, he became director of the Panevėžys Sugar Factory. Under his leadership, the company—employing 2,000 workers—completed construction of the new plant.

During this time, he also witnessed the murder of twenty high school students from Kupiškis. Through his efforts, a temporary memorial—a large wooden cross—was erected to honour the victims. In the summer of 1941, after the Bolsheviks were expelled from Lithuania, numerous resistance groups emerged in Panevėžys. Recognising the continued danger posed by the new German occupation, Balys organised a joint meeting of resistance leaders to coordinate future activities.

In October 1944, he left for Germany, where he worked for a time as an engineer at a sugar refinery near Leipzig. By late 1945, he was living in the Lithuanian camp in Kempten.

From Kempten, he emigrated to Australia, arriving in June 1949 aboard the General Langfitt. He worked under a two-year contract at the Army workshops in Bandiana, Victoria. The family later moved to Sydney, where he worked as a factory mechanic in a ceramics plant, and later as a design engineer for the New South Wales Electricity Commission until his retirement.

Prior to emigrating, he had founded the Lithuanian Engineers and Architects Society and served as its head. After settling in Sydney, he established a branch of the World Lithuanian Engineers and Architects Society on 22 July 1951, led the branch, and kept its yearbook of professional activities. He maintained close ties with branches in Melbourne and Adelaide, founded a new branch in Canberra, and kept contact with engineers across Australia and New Zealand.

In Sydney, he was an active contributor to Šviesa and regularly participated in Lithuanian Community meetings. In 1951, at the Regional Council session in Melbourne, he was elected vice-chairman of the presidium. In 1956, at the session in Sydney, he was elected chairman. He chaired the session effectively and was re-elected to the Regional Council for the 1957–1958 term, again serving as vice-chairman. He also took part in the 1958 session held in Melbourne. At the end of 1960, he was once more elected to the Regional Council for the 1961–1962 term, this time as chairman. During his term, the Provincial Government published the monumental 290-page Australian Lithuanian Yearbook, which remains an important source on Lithuanian life in Australia.

Balys Daukus died on 9 January 1968 and was buried in the Lithuanian section of Rookwood Cemetery.

Izidorius Jonaitis

Seventh and nineth President of the Australian Lithuanian Community, Sydney, 1959 - 1960, 1963-1964

Izidorius Jonaitis was born on 3 May 1909 in Paežeriai Šeduva, into a large farming family of five brothers and two sisters. With the support of his elder brother, he completed his primary and secondary education in Radviliškis and Šiauliai before enrolling at Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas, where he graduated with a degree in civil engineering and architecture.

From an early age, Izidorius was deeply inspired by the ideals of scouting. His enthusiasm continued during his university years, culminating in the founding of the scout corporation “Vytis” at Vytautas Magnus University, of which he served as president in 1931–1932.

After completing his engineering studies, he also graduated from the Military School and served for a time in the Lithuanian Air Force, where he learned to fly. Later, he worked professionally as an architect and construction contractor, and for a period he was employed in the Ministry of Education in Vilnius within the engineering department.

In 1944, Jonaitis was forced to leave Lithuania due to the war. He moved to Austria, and from 1945 to 1949 lived in a displaced persons camp in Ravensburg, Germany. There he taught at the Lithuanian Gymnasium and conducted construction courses for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA).

On 31 May 1949, Izidorius and his wife Whilemina arrived in Australia aboard the Skaugum. He first worked for the New South Wales Railways in Sydenham and, from 1951 to 1971, served in the New South Wales State Architect’s Office, where he helped design hospitals and other public buildings.

Jonaitis remained deeply committed to community life. He served twice as Chairman of the Regional Board of the Lithuanian Community of Australia, dedicating great effort to restoring unity and harmony within the organisation. He was also a long-time member of the Advisory Editorial Board of “Mūsų Pastogė,” an avid chess player, and an active scout leader. Through his initiative, the “Vytis” academic circle of scouts was established in Sydney.

One of his most enduring contributions was the organisation of the first Australian Lithuanian Days in 1960 — a milestone cultural event that strengthened the bonds of the Lithuanian diaspora in Australia.

Izidorius Jonaitis passed away on 7 June 1995, leaving behind a legacy of leadership, service, and dedication to Lithuanian culture and community life.

Stepas Kovalskis - a true aristocrat of spirit

 

Fifth President of the National Council, Sydney 1957 – 25 October 1958

Stepas Kovalskis was born on 28 May 1905 in Bern, Switzerland. After graduating from Ukmergė State Gymnasium in 1925, he studied law at the Faculty of Law, Vytautas Magnus University, in Kaunas. During his studies, he was an active member of the Lithuanian student organisation L.S.T. Korp! "Neo Lithuania."

Upon completing his legal studies, Kovalskis began his career as a bailiff in Kaunas and later worked as a notary in Molėtai, Panevėžys, and Šakiai.

In October 1944, the turmoil of war forced him to leave his homeland. He lived in various German cities—Dresden, Ravensburg, Ulm, Schwäbisch Gmünd, and Stuttgart—before emigrating to Australia in 1949 with his wife, Gražina, and their children. They arrived aboard the ship Nelly in November 1949.

Initially, the family settled in Sydney, later moving to Canberra, where Stepas spent the last seven years of his life.

Stepas left an enduring mark on the Australian Lithuanian community. A man of great administrative talent and exceptional intellect, he served as President of the National Council from 1956 to 1958. Under his leadership, the National Board revitalized the community by launching new cultural initiatives. One of his most significant achievements was the establishment of the Council of Culture and its inclusion in the Community Statute. He is remembered as the founder and chief architect of the Council’s activities and as one of the most devoted supporters of the first Lithuanian Art Days in Australia.

Kovalskis was known for his forward-thinking vision in both social and cultural spheres. His guiding principle was: “Everything needs to be planned at least ten years ahead.”

Those who knew him admired not only his intellect and deep erudition but also his integrity, tolerance, and genuine kindness. As Izidorius Jonaitis, a long-time colleague, once said: “He was a true aristocrat of spirit.”

His untimely passing was a great loss not only to the Lithuanian community in Australia but also to Lithuanians around the world. He left behind the example of a noble personality and a creative Lithuanian who deeply believed in the immortality of the nation. His life was guided by respect for others and love for his fellow human beings.

More than 150 friends and relatives gathered to pay their final respects when Stepas passed away on 5 November 1964. His funeral took place in northern Sydney, where an open casket allowed mourners to bid him farewell. His ashes rest in the Lithuanian section of Rookwood Cemetery, inscribed with the words: “Respect for others was your strength.”

His beloved wife, Gražina, passed away on 21 April 1995 and rests beside him.

References

Mūsų Pastogė 9 Nov 1964 p1
Mūsų Pastogė16 Nov 1964
National Archive of Australia
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Arlosen Archive