Australian Lithuanian History

Through the research I have been gathering I am compiling a database of people of Lithuanian nationality who at some time resided in South Australia. My initial thoughts were to identify the family names and individuals who came from Lithuania, post WWII. This has grown to include • Their involvement in the Lithuanian community • Their descendants • Occupation • Education • Name changes • Any notable movement eg have they moved interstate? • Place of birth • Date of arrival in Australia • Ship of arrival • Settlement camp in Australia • Headstones Why would I collect this information? In part some information is collected because a source of information may provide several facts, eg Immigration records will have date of birth, ship, arrival dates, dependants etc. The other reason is that no one to my knowledge has collected this information and will be able to provide a more detailed glimpse of the community. Conservative guestimates that approximately one third of Lithuanians were...

Adelaide, thirty-one year old Pranas Matiukas, Lithuanian migrant musician and law student has been worried about his hands. He was brought to Australia from a displaced persons' camp in Germany, when he agreed to do whatever work the Government told him for a year. In return, his wife and child were to be allowed to come here to live with him. There is more in it than that for Pranas. If allotted work which would harden his hands too much he would never again be able, to give violin recitals; or play in a symphony orchestra as he used to at the Mozart festivals in Salzburg. He wants to go back to his music when he can pick his job. He hopes by then Adelaide will have its permanent symphony orchestra that perhaps he can play in it. Pranas has been fruit-picking at Renmark. After that job he asked for work that would, not be too hard on his hands. He has got his wish, though authorities: say the work is just as hard and just as important to the nation. His worries about his hands ar...