Lithuanian Bread in Benalla

The Mozūras family - owners of Baltic Bakery (Benalla)(Enhanced with AI from image in MP)

 An article written by Dr P Bačys, titled 'Delicious Lithuanian bread' was written up in Musu Pastoge 1956.

Lithuanian Bread in Benalla

While travelling around Australia, I passed through Benalla many times. It is a small town in Victoria, known for its family camp. Driving through in haste, I never noticed the modest sign on Bridge Street bearing the words “Baltic Bakery.”

One day, while attending a service, I met several Lithuanians at the family camp. They mentioned that a few Lithuanian families still lived in the town, among them the Mozūras family. I joked that a Mozūras could hardly be Lithuanian. In truth, Albertas Mozūras proved to be a sincere Lithuanian and a true compatriot.

Alvika Mozūrienė woke her husband, and we spoke warmly about life in Australia. Mr Mozūras rises at three o’clock each morning, resting briefly in the afternoon so he can begin baking again before dawn. From Albertas Mozūras’ bakery, I brought home black Lithuanian bread for the first time in Australia. Made from genuine rye flour and naturally leavened, it carried the unmistakable sour aroma of village bread from Lithuania.

Albertas was a modest man of medium build, with dark eyebrows meeting at the bridge of his nose and lively black eyes. He was forty-five years old when he told me his story, and with it, the story of Lithuanian bread in Benalla.

The Beginning of a Life

Albertas learned the trade of baker and confectioner while still in Lithuania, a craft whose secrets he fully mastered. After arriving in Australia in 1949, he worked for a time at Bandiana, in an army kitchen. His wife and children were sent to Benalla, and Albertas soon followed, finding work with a local baker, Mr Hide.

The work was hard, but he remained employed full-time while nurturing a dream of independence. Bakers were always in demand, but establishing one’s own bakery was another matter entirely. At first, Albertas had no home of his own. His wife was often unwell, and they were raising three children. Still, in 1952 he managed to buy a small house on Bridge Street, paying only a deposit.

As he settled into his home, the idea of opening his own bakery grew stronger. Many plans were made, only to collapse under financial and bureaucratic obstacles. From conversations with his employer, Albertas learned that to open a bakery he would need to join the Bakers’ Union and pay compensation to the baker operating in the same territory. This seemed an insurmountable barrier.

Yet hardship often carries its own solution.

Permission to Open a Bakery

One day, weighed down by worry, Albertas met a Benalla city official and spoke candidly about the difficulties faced by newcomers. The official explained that the government supported migrants seeking to establish themselves and suggested that Albertas apply directly to the city council for permission to open a bakery. Encouraged, Albertas submitted his application.

Some time later, the local morning newspaper announced that the council had granted him permission. That same morning, his employer paid him two weeks’ wages and dismissed him, warning that unless Albertas paid compensation of six hundred pounds, his bakery would be shut down within months.

Albertas returned home disheartened. There was no income, no wages forthcoming, and yet an oven still needed to be built. What was to be done?

A Lithuanian proverb came to mind: “Kas bus, kas nebus – dar nežinai.” Whatever will be, will be. And so Albertas resolved to try.

With his family’s support, he began building the bakery himself. A sawmill owner supplied timber without demanding a deposit, bricks were gathered where they could be found, and Albertas first constructed the oven. Before long, a modern, German-style baking oven stood in the yard.

Until the bakery was ready, his wife baked biscuits in the household oven and sold them at a nearby camp. The family survived on that modest income. Finally, production began in the real oven. There was no signboard, no advertising, and no customers. The first day’s takings amounted to five shillings. The first week brought only three shillings and faith in God’s judgment.

But good bread speaks for itself.

Anyone who bought bread or pastries once returned again, bringing neighbours with them. Soon, without signs or advertisements, people flocked to the bakery. Demand exceeded supply, yet the struggle for survival was far from over.

The Fight for Yeast and Flour

When Albertas refused to pay compensation, the Bakers’ Union declared him a “black baker.” All bakers and millers were ordered to boycott him. Once again, ingenuity prevailed. Having worked in the trade, Albertas knew which millers had themselves fallen out with the union and began purchasing flour from them. Grateful for his custom, the millers supported him.

The Bakers’ Union intervened, forbidding the millers from supplying flour. One miller advised Albertas to take the matter to the Victorian Parliament, even drafting a petition on his behalf. Albertas signed it. Parliament ruled in his favour, ordering that flour be supplied or a commissioner appointed to enforce compliance. The flour problem was resolved.

Yeast soon became the next obstacle. Albertas sourced yeast from Melbourne until the union traced the supplier and cut him off. Undeterred, Albertas prepared to produce yeast himself, planning a small factory. When Melbourne manufacturers learned of this, the yeast supply was suddenly restored.

Following these victories, the Bakers’ Union lifted all sanctions and permitted Albertas to bake and sell freely. Though inspections continued, checking weight and quality, Albertas needed no defence. His skill spoke for itself, and the people of Benalla defended him openly.

“Thanks to you,” they told him, “we now eat good bread. Before, bakers gave us what they pleased, and we had no choice. You brought competition, and with it, quality.”

An Untimely End

Mr Mozūras later rebuilt his home, opened a shop, and modernised his bakery, hoping to ease his workload and expand production. Fifteen months after this account was written, tragedy struck. Albertas and his wife were involved in a car accident. Albertas was killed; Ludvika survived. They left behind four children.

His bread, his perseverance, and his quiet courage remain part of Benalla’s history, a testament to the endurance of a Lithuanian baker who refused to give up.

 Musu Pastoge December 20, 1956, No. 45

 

Rev. John Joseph Tamulis

Rev. John Joseph Tamulis was born on 18 March 1915 in London to John and Julia (Sarocka) Tamulis, but he spent most of his life in Lithuania. He completed his early schooling in Jurbarkis before attending the Kaunas Seminary. In 1940, he earned a degree in Theology and Philosophy from Vytautas Didysis University in Kaunas.  He was was ordained on 16 June 1940 at Kaunas.

During the first Soviet occupation of Lithuania in 1941, Father Tamulis left the country, traveling via China, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, before arriving in Queensland, Australia. He later arrived in Sydney by Pan-American Clipper.

In 1946, he moved to London, where he assisted at St. Casimir’s Lithuanian parish, before relocating to Los Angeles. In November 1948, he was appointed to serve the spiritual needs of Catholic Balts at the Bathurst Training Centre for Displaced Persons in Australia. During this time, he also served as chaplain to two schools and Australian and American army camps. Later, he became assistant priest at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Brisbane. Archbishop McGuire, President of the Federal Catholic Immigration Committee in Sydney, specifically requested him to work with Lithuanian migrants in Australia.

Father Tamulis also served in London before coming to Los Angeles in 1946 and spent four months in Chicago. In 1950, he moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he served in numerous parishes, including Carson City, Cheboygan, Ionia, Muskegon, Hastings, Cadillac, and Roscommon. He retired in Cadillac in 1991 yet continued to celebrate Mass at St. Edward’s Catholic Church in Harrietta, Mercy Hospital in Cadillac, and Lakeview Lutheran Manor in Cadillac.

Father John was a Catholic priest for 70 years and served as chaplain for the Third-Degree Knights of Columbus Council 1224 and the Fourth-Degree Council 1946 for 30 years. He loved trees and enjoyed feeding wildlife on his property. A skilled woodworker, he built many of the pieces of furniture in his home.

Rev. John Joseph Tamulis passed away on 10 October 2010 at Mercy Hospital in Cadillac, at the age of 95. He is interred at Mt. Carmel Catholic Cemetery, Cadillac. 

References

Advocate Melbourne Thursday 2 Dec 1948 page 4
Catholic Weekly, Thursday 17 March 1949
Kaliforijos Lietuvis Nov 1948, Vol III

Erin Joynt Cadillac News Oct 13, 2010 Updated Oct 12, 2017

George Hotel, Newcastle

 

Jonas Statkus owner of the George Hotel sold it in November 1975. When the George Hotel was in Lithuanian hands, the Newcastle Board received all kinds of support from here, providing parties with drinks, lodging guests at the hotel, and receiving winnings for lotteries.

The Discussion Club held its meetings several times on the site of this hotel (J. Statkus participates in the Discussion Club), Astra and Andy Šaltys, German based Lithuanian sibling folk duo, performed on the site of this hotel.

Jonas Statkus and his family continued to live in Newcastle, because they have bought a property there, a couple of blocks of Home Units.  

Jonas married Margaret and had two children. Jonas died on 31 January 1994.

Sydney Lithuanian Artists’ Group Aitvaras

On 27–28 December 1950, several former students of the Institute of Applied Arts in Freiburg, who had gathered in Sydney, established the Lithuanian Artists’ Group “Aitvaras.” The group’s principal aim was to encourage and support its members in the creation of artistic work. It was agreed that an exhibition of members’ works would be organised in Sydney within the year, and that a library would be established for the use of the group. Initially, the library would consist of publications owned by members and subscriptions from abroad, to be expanded with new publications as circumstances allowed.

The group was led by the elected chair Jurgis Bistrickas, with Henrikas Šalkauskas as deputy. Correspondence for the group was directed to: Mr Jonas Kalgovas.

In 1953, Jurgis Bistrickas organised the first Australia-wide Lithuanian art exhibition, held at Mark Foy’s Gallery in Sydney. Seventeen artists participated, exhibiting a total of seventy-four works: thirty-nine graphic works and drawings, eighteen oil paintings, thirteen sculptural pieces, three watercolours, and one tapestry (Kazokas, p. 36).

In the exhibition catalogue, Vytautas Janavičius wrote in the introduction:

“This is an exhibition of restless, striving individuals. May these works emphasise their striving and seeking. May this be a small contribution to the young Australian nation, which is still fighting for its expression in art and culture.”

The exhibition represented, in many ways, the artists’ attempt to come to terms with exile.

Contemporary reviews of the exhibition were largely favourable. One critic noted that the exhibition at Mark Foy’s Gallery was, on the whole, pleasing, with considerable variety. The juxtaposition of traditional and modern styles was welcomed, and many artists were observed to be responding to the Australian environment, offering fresh and unusual interpretations of their new surroundings. While no single masterpiece was identified, the exhibition demonstrated strong craftsmanship and a sensitivity that reflected the cultural contributions Lithuanian artists were bringing to Australia.

The reviewer expressed the hope that many people would visit the exhibition, describing it as multifaceted and accessible, with relatively few overtly problematic works. For the average visitor interested in art, there was much to learn and admire.

Vladas Meškėnas was awarded first prize for his pastel Study for the Portrait of a Family, praised for its careful balance and engaging tonal qualities. Second prize was awarded to Teisutis Zikaras for the sculpture Land of Sorrows, a work that carried elements of Byzantine tradition into a modern idiom, particularly evident in the treatment of the head. Henrikas Šalkauskas received third prize for his linocut Three Women, which, although somewhat simplified, was noted for its feeling and charm.

Other notable works included Aleksandras Marčiulionis’ swift and dramatic impression of trees; Jurgis Bistrickas’ Displaced Persons, featuring desert peas and poppies, which, while not entirely successful, was recognised for its striking and unusual use of colour; and Vaclovas Ratas-Rataiskis’ woodcut Emu, a charming work inspired by Aboriginal art.

Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW : 1931 - 1954), Monday 7 September 1953, page 12

Juozas Maksvytis, the first Lithuanian to graduate from the University of NSW

Juozas was the first Lithuanian to graduate from the University of NSW. Eighteenth and seventh president of the Australian Lithuanian Community.

Juozas was a person devoted to science, loved music and song, and had a sense of responsibility for Lithuanian community work, and everything was connected with a sense of the beauty of life, with undying optimism.

Juozas Maksvytis was born on November 7, 1924, in Grūšlaukė, Salanta village, Kretinga county, in the family of a pharmacist, the middle of seven children.  In 1938 he joined the scouts in Taurage and in 1944 graduated from Plungė Gymnasium.

After moving to Germany, due to the occupation of Lithuania, he gained a degree in electrical engineering, graduating from Nürtingen-Schwäbisch Gmünd Lithuanian Technical School in 1948.

In 1949 he arrived in Australia on the Svalbard 29 June 1948, his younger sister, also came to Australia a few months before him.  Juozas completed a two-year work contract at a factory in Yallourn, Victoria. After moving to Melbourne, he immediately got involved in national cultural activities, such as Lithuanian folk dancing. He enrolled into the University of Melbourne, but due to his limited English he was unable to complete the course.

In 1952, Juozas moved to Sydney, where in August 1954 he married a fellow Lithuanian.  They had two daughters.  He again enrolled into the newly opened University of NSW, Faculty of Science and Mathematics.  In 1959 he received his diploma in applied chemistry and in 1960 received a Bachelor of Science degree. 

He worked during the day and studied in the evening; he had to support his family.  It was reported that chemistry student Juozas Maksvytis, had become the first radioactive person in Australia. While studying in the chemistry labs he helped to remove from the laboratory a container with radioactive material.  It was later noticed that liquid had leaked from the leaden container that he had been carrying.   After conducting tests, it was established that his wrist was radioactive. The university took urgent measures, and he spent 14 days in hospital, where intensive blood tests were carried out.  He survived.

From 1963-64 and 1969-70 Juozas was a member of the Regional Board of Australian Lithuanian Community (ALC).  From 1973-75 Juozas was the chairman of the Sydney area of ​​ALC, and when Gough Whitlam recognised the Baltic States incorporation into the Soviet Union, Juozas was a member of the BAG (Baltic Action Group), who actively fought for the cancellation of the recognition.

In 1983-84, Juozas was again a member of the ALC Regional Board and simultaneously the chairman of the ALB Cultural Council.

He worked as a biochemist at St. Vincent's Hospital, until his retirement in 1987.  By then he was head of the hormone research department.

The following year he studied philosophy and history at Macquarie University, then 1991-92 he attended a museum management courses (graduated in November 1992), and since 1993 worked with the University of Third Age until his death.

In 1989 to 1990 Juozas again served on the ALC board as chairman.  From1995 he actively joined Sydney Lithuanian sports club "Kovas" and played golf.

Juozas had a lifelong love of music.  Since 1954 he sang in the Sydney Lithuanian choir and saw him join Algis Plukis "Rozytės", later he performed with his own group "Tie patys".  After the creation of the "Ansamblio" choir, Juozas helped this choir prepare individual voices, occasionally conducting the choir himself in concerts.  Since 1960 until 1970 for a whole decade, Juozas was a singing and music teacher at the Sydney Weekend School.

Juozas even composed a series of his own songs and hymns, such as "Longing", for which he wrote the music and lyrics.  Juozas performed in the opera "Aida" in the chorus of the Sydney Opera House.  In 1996 Juozas sang in four Australian choirs: Sydney Men's Choir, Sydney Mixed Choir, Beethoven 9th Symphony Society Choir and University of Third Age Choir.

Since 1975 he acted in the Sydney Lithuania "Atžala" theatre, in 1980 he switched to directing and theatre administration. Together with Paulius Rūtenius, he organised the first Lithuanian theatre festival in Australia.

On 2 February 1977, the sad news about the unexpected death of Juozas Maksvytis, was received which painfully shocked his large group of friends and acquaintances.