Justinas Vaičaitis

Justinas Vaičaitis served as the first President of the Australian Lithuanian Community, Sydney 1950 – 1953

Justinas Vaičaitis was born in 1904 in Stakiai, Raseiniai district, into a farming family that lived in relative comfort. He studied in schools at Raseiniai and Kaunas, later enrolling at Vytautas Magnus University, where he pursued studies in the humanities and economics.

While still at university, he became active in public life and organisational work. In 1922, he gave his first speech at the spring festival in Stakiai. Soon after, he became deeply involved in the Vilnius Liberation Union (Vilnių vaduoti sąjunga), a civic organisation that promoted the cause of regaining Vilnius and supported cultural activity among Lithuanians in the Vilnius region. He travelled widely throughout the country, helping establish and strengthen Union branches and delivering speeches. Between 1925 and 1939, when the organisation was dissolved, Vaičaitis gave around one hundred speeches at meetings and conventions.

While teaching at the secondary school in Sėda, he reorganised the local fire brigade, which was later integrated into the local Riflemen’s Unit, with Justinas appointed as its leader. In 1927, he also served on the commission in Kupiškis that organised the erection of a monument to honour the 60 Lithuanian soldiers who fell during the War of Independence in 1919.

Vaičaitis was active in the Association of Lithuanian Teachers, directed youth events, and helped organise commemorations and cultural activities. Later, he took a position in the State Control Office, where he remained until the Soviet occupation. While working at the State Audit Office in Kaunas, he also taught workers’ education courses organised by the Chamber of Labour.

Following the German occupation of Vilnius in 1941, Vaičaitis worked in the Vilnius Committee, taking responsibility for the People’s Commissariat of Education. He was appointed Director of Education Affairs, a position he held until that same year. On 27 June 1941, in his capacity as Head of the Department of Higher Education, he issued an order retroactively dated to 22 June, dismissing or expelling Jewish employees and members of the university community who had supported the Soviet regime during the preceding year of occupation.

He married Brone Plūkaitė, born in 1915.

As the Soviets advanced, the family fled Lithuania, eventually reaching Germany. In Landshut, Vaičaitis joined the Lithuanian Committee and was elected chairman. In early 1945, the family crossed into Switzerland, where he again served on Lithuanian representative committees, eventually becoming vice-chairman and later chairman of the Lithuanian Committee in Yverdon. While living in Bern, he headed the Swiss Lithuanian Department and was active in the Swiss Lithuanian Cultural Centre.

In 1949, the family migrated to Australia. Almost immediately, Vaičaitis became active in community life. On 13 August 1950, he was elected to the Sydney District Board of the Australian Lithuanian Community, serving as its chairman until 1951. At the same time, he was elected to the Regional Board of the Community, also serving as chairman after his re-election in 1951. He attended and supported every Lithuanian gathering, commemoration, and cultural event in Sydney. His duties included maintaining correspondence with central community organisations, district boards, institutions, and individuals, as well as liaising with other ethnic communities. All this was carried out in his spare time while he worked full-time in a factory.

Vaičaitis poured his energy into strengthening Lithuanian life in Australia, especially through the publication Mūsų Pastogė (Our Shelter). On 2 November 1953, however, the family emigrated once again, this time to the United States. His tact, dedication, and leadership left a lasting mark on the Lithuanian community in Australia.

Settling in Boston, Vaičaitis continued his community service. He initiated and organised the annual 8 September commemorations, previously unknown in Boston. He was elected chairman of the Boston Branch of the Lithuanian National Association, a position he held for two years, and also served as chairman of the Lithuanian Teachers’ Association in Boston. For two years he directed the Boston Lithuanian School. In addition, he contributed to Lietuvių enciklopedija, to the major historical work Mūsų Lietuva, and supported Radio Lithuania broadcasts.

For his livelihood, he managed Cosmos Parcels Express in Boston, a company that sent parcels to relatives and friends in Soviet-occupied Lithuania and Poland.

Justinas Vaičaitis died on 25 August 1969.

Sources

Australijos Lietuvis = The Australian Lithuanian (SA : 1948 - 1956)  Mon 18 Apr 1955, p7

Mūsų Pastogė 1958 July 28

https://www.vu.lt/en/about-vu/history/recovering-memory