Australian Lithuanian History

I recently wrote about Dail Opulskis hoisting the Lithuanian flag in Antarctica.  I didn't have a photo but Dail has been in touch and has sent two photos through.  He wrote 'it doesn't look very Antarticky, it was summer after all.  There are icebergs on the horizon'.    Thankyou Dail, I loved the story and the photos just make it better.   

Last year I attended a 'dark tour' of Gawler.  It was filled with tales of murders, mysterious deaths and ghosts.  It was an interesting tour walking around Gawler hearing these stories.  My mind often reverts back to Lithuania and so I began wondering if there were similar tales about Lithuanians in Australia.  A few evenings spent  on Trove and this is what I found. 1927 Parvil Noguleoitsch, a Lithuanian, a prohibited immigrant, was arrested at Fremantle on November 27. An attempt was made to find a Lithuanian consul to guarantee the necessary money to enable the man to land. The attempt was unsuccessful, and he was sentenced to deportation. He was placed on the Minderoo, but jumped overboard shortly after the vessel left Fremantle last Friday. No trace has since been found of him, and it is feared that he has been eaten by sharks. Westralian Worker 23 December 1927   1933 DETERMINED SUICIDE Having failed to hang himself on Saturda...

  In 1997, Donatas Opulskis (Dail) born in Adelaide, visited Antartica for the second time to work for a stint in communications.  On February 16th, Dail hoisted a lithuanian flag near an Australian flag for Lithuania's independence day.   This is not a picture of the flag, I didn't have one, so used a photo from the internet.

I am very excited to announce there is a new blog dealing with the history of Lithuanians in Australia.  This one is looking at those who arrived pre 1947.  Research is undertaken by Jonas Mockunas, now Canberra based who has taken this project on board. This blog will explore the stories of those Lithuanians and their near neighbours (Jews, Poles and others) who originated in what is now the republic of Lithuania and who arrived in Australia before 1947 (the year when World War II displaced persons from the occupied Baltic States began to arrive in larger numbers). The earlier arrivals were most often subjects of czarist Russia (1795-1917) or citizens of independent Lithuania (1918-1940). Some migrated to Australia intentionally, others came accidentally; some travelled directly, others arrived here from Scotland, the USA or other countries. Take a look, maybe you have something to share. http://earlylithuaniansinaustralia.blogspot.com.au/