Australian Lithuanian History

American All Star team arrive in Adelaide Jonas Jonavicius (Organiser) in light grey suit, Standing on first step is Vladas Adamkus (Tour Manager), next to him is Martynas Pocius (President of the Adelaide Lithuanian community)

The American All Star Basketball team was in Adelaide between Tuesday 28 th July to Monday 3 rd August 1964.  They played six of those seven days various teams. Tuesday 28 th July                     American All Stars vs Adelaide Vytis Wednesday 29 th July                American All Stars vs Australian Latvians Thursday 30 th July                   American All Stars vs Australian Lithuanians Friday 31 July                          American All Stars vs SA State Team Saturday 1 st August                 American All Stars vs Australian Representatives Monday 3 rd August                   American All Stars vs SA State Team Adelaide VYTIS team 5 ...

The idea of the American Lithuanian team was born in 1962 during the Sports festival by J Bačiunas (President of the World Lithuanian Communities) who was touring Australia at that time. Early in 1963 the Lithuanian Athletic Union of North America contacted the Federation of Australian Sports Clubs and these two bodies began planning a tour.   The Manager of the USA team was Mr Vladas Adamkavi č ius (Adamkus, recent President of Lithuania) who had led them on a successful South American tour in 1959.  Adamkus was an all round sportsman but his successes were in athletics.  In 1949 he migrated to the USA and partook in Lithuanian community sports events.  He retired from sports in 1954 and turned his interests to sporting administration.   The coach, Vytautas Grybauskas grew up playing basketball in Lithuanian and while he attended Vilnius University.  While in exile in Germany he was selected for a Lithuanian All Star Basketball Team that toured France...

Uršulė Juciene, Anelė Urnevičienė, Birutė Budrienė, Teresa Gasiunienė Kur bėga Šešupė, kur Nemunas teka Tai mūsų tėvynė, graži Lietuva (Where the Šešupė runs, where the Neman flows That's our homeland, beautiful Lithuania) Almost every Lithuanian can recite these words by heart. It is so well known that it is treated as an unofficial national anthem. The Adelaide Lithuanian Catholic Women from 1961 organised an annual “Šupini” (mixed concert).  The women wanted to strength these concerts with Lithuanian songs and so a women’s vocal quartet was formed.  It was led by Anelė Urnevičienė. The quartet first performed on May 15 th 1965.  The group comprised of Birutė Budrienė, Uršulė Juciene, Teresa Gasiunienė (soprano), and Anelė Urnevičienė (Alto).  They were accompanied on the piano by Nemira Masiulytė Stapleton. The group was a great success and so began to perform at festivals, literature evenings, gatherings, national festivals, at Baltic g...

Some Lithuanians undertaking their two year contract worked in the Mt Gambier area.  They worked for SA Forestry, in the local saw mill and wool processing factory An extract from Mūsų Pastogė on the work they did in the forest. We had a water tap by the barracks but no where to shower.  There was no river and the weather was cold.  The kitchen had a wooden stove and one pot.  Once a week we would organise to wash.  Washing was chaotic.  The last two people  had to be washed by 8am so that we could catch the bus to Mt Gambier.  A list of items to purchase was already done as we had to buy a week of food as there was no shop in the forest . A farmer nearby sold us milk and eggs.  Bread was delivered daily to the barracks. Everyone had to cook their own food, there was only one stove on which one pot would fit.  It was decided that they needed a cook who was paid  a shilling per week. Modestas Čiplys got the job.   Our cook...

Paminklas “Žuvusiems už Lietuva” Minint Lietuvos kariuomenės atkurimo 50-ties metų sukaktį, Liet Sajungos sodelyje, Adelaidėje, buvo pastatytas paminklas “Žuvusiems už Lietuva” prisiminti. Paminklo bareljiefą sukūrė ir isliejo sculpturė I. Pocienė. Paminklo statybos darbus vadovaujant inž arch K. Reisonui, atliko ramovėnai. Paminklas buvo atidengtas 1968m laprkričio men 24. Po paminklo tituliniu akmeniu yra įmuryta paminklo Pašventinimo aktas, sauja Lietuvos zemės ir Nepriklausomos Lietuvos monetos. Memorial to the fallen At the rear of Lithuanian House in Adelaide stands a memorial that commemorates the 50-year anniversary of Lithuania regaining independence in 1918.  The memorial was built to commemorate those who died for Lithuania.  The sculpture was designed and made by local artist Ieva Pocienė.  A woman, holds a dying or dead man in her arms.  The woman wears a wimple favoured by married women, maybe the man is her son or husband who has fought ...