III Australian Pan Pacific Scout Jamboree 1948/49
On a rainy day on December 28 th , 1948, the Pan Pacific Jamboree began, 30 km from Melbourne at Wonga Park. 11,000 scouts gathered for the twelve-day camp, representing over 20 countries. Amongst them were a contingent of 30 Lithuanian scouts who hadn’t been in Australia for more than a year. Borisas Dainutis leader of Lithuanian scouts in Australia, had kept in touch with scouts and guides by correspondence since arriving in Australia. It was the first time many of them had seen each other since they left Europe. Special permission was granted to the Lithuanian contingent to participate as a separate unit. Vytas Neverauskas who later settled in Adelaide, acted as contingent leader. The Lithuanian camp at the Jamboree was described as ‘one of the finest’. The gateway, decorated with gum tree sprays held a carv...