Australian Lithuanian History

Joseph Janusaitis, Marilyn Rowe and Ross Stretton in Monotones, 1975. Another student of Madame Babicheva Ballet school was Joseph Janusaitis.  In 1964 he was awarded a Borovansky scholarship to the Australian Ballet school and later joined the Australian Ballet.  He remained in the Australian ballet from 1966 to 1982.   He was born 31 May 1946, the youngest of six children, the family arriving in Australia in 1950, settling in Adelaide.   Joseph Janusaitis in make-up for Elektra, the Australian Ballet, 1966. If anyone knows more about Joseph, I would love to know.

Regina Plokštytė (Plokstis) A promising young Lithuanian student of classical ballet at Madam Agnes Babicheva’s school, Miss Regina Plokstyte, is about to leave for London to join Saddler’s Wells ballet school for further ballet studies. To farewell the young talent a concert has been arranged in which Madam Agnes Babicheva’s ballet school students will present the ballet ‘Asta’, in which Miss Plokstyte will dance the leading part.  The concert will be held at the Freemasons Hall, North Tce, Adelaide, 24 th August 1956, commencing at 8.pm. The concert will be supported by well known Lithuanian singers living in Adelaide, Mesdames A. Guscius, and G. Vasiliauskas.  Advertiser and News 24 August 1956 A well known Lithuanian expressive dancer, Miss Elena Kepalaite will give an expressive dancing recital at the Freemason’s Hall, North Terrace, Adelaide on Saturday 21 st July 1956 at 8.pm.  Miss Kepalaite was born in Vilnius, studied ballet dancing there ...

An unusual marriage ceremony was performed at Port Lincoln on Wednesday evening, when two New Australian's were married at the District Registrar's Office by the Registrar (Sgt A. E. Copp). The bride was Miss Vanda Lazevnikaite, a Lithuanian, and the groom, Mr Stefan Naninski, Ukrainian, at present employed at the Kopi waterworks camps. The ceremony believed to be the first of its kind on Eyre Peninsula was performed with the aid of an interpreter. Port Lincoln Times, Thursday 8 December 1949

The most important event in the life of an Australian Lithuanian is the Australian Lithuanian Days, where as many as one fourth of Lithuanians living in Australia attend.   The five day event was held in Adelaide, South Australia, ending in the New Year of 1969. Parallel to the Lithuanian festival is the Lithuanian National Council session, during which a new National Executive is elected. In Adelaide, one will quickly notice that our community holds the historical and material culture in the form of the Lithuanian Archive and Museum. It is the only such institution in Australia and of great pride for all. Lithuanian Days and the XIX Sports festival opening ceremony was held at Forestville stadium.  The presence of the community’s youth emphasised the importance of the Lithuanian Days.  Young and old attended the literature and song evening.  10 of the 23 participants in Adelaide’s theatre group ‘Vaidila’ were of the younger generation.   A youth C...