A Shared Hope

From the speech of the book launch on 15th November 2020, by Daina Pocius.

South Australia is the state of Lithuanian firsts; the first newspaper, the first theatre group, the first and only museum and archives, and the first soccer team, just to name a few.  We have a lot to be proud of and celebrate.

As someone who grew up with four Lithuanian grandparents and in the community, I was surprised that, there was a lot of history, I didn’t know.  

I knew Lithuanians love basketball and we have had basketball teams since 1949, but I didn’t know how good they were. 

The Vytis Club began playing in in C grade and they outclassed all their opponents so effortlessly to win the premiership that next year the team applied and was admitted to the A grade.

The very first rounds in 1950, showed that the Vytis boys even outclass some of the A grade team.

I didn’t know that in 1958, Juozas Baciunas, President of the World Lithuanians Community visited Adelaide with his wife.  They spent the New Year here, which was celebrated at Centennial Hall, Wayville.  The Women’s Association had spent all day preparing food for the 500 expected guests.  

I didn’t know, After the community purchased an old church in Eastry Street, Norwood, renovations were organised to extend the complex.  In 1961, to construct the front of Lithuanian House, required approximately 300 bricks, each one costing 2 shillings.  A scheme was created that if you purchased a brick you received a numbered badge.  

In the year 1961, men and women offered their time to build Lithuanian House.  They worked 2706 hours, equivalent to 339 workdays.  The men were fed with meals prepared by the 18 women in the Women's Committee.  

I didn’t know that we had a community member who was on a crusade to ensure that Lithuania was properly represented in printed material.  Juozas Riauba would write to publishers pointing out mistakes or misguided information.  In 1969, he began to correspond with the State Library of South Australia, suggesting books that the Library could purchase about Lithuania.  He had compiled a list of books that the Library held, relating to Lithuania, 40 books in all.  Juozas appealed to the Lithuanian community in Adelaide to donate books that might better represent Lithuania in the State Library.  He went one step further; writing to publishers seeking to purchase books which he would then donate to the Library.  Within a short time, the State Library increased its collection of books on Lithuania to 67.

I did know that Vitas Gerulatis, American born to Lithuanian parents was a tennis star.  I didn’t know that he followed his father’s talent on the tennis court.  Vitas senior had won the Lithuanian tennis championship in his youth. 

In 1980 while in Australia he came to Adelaide with his father.  Here they visited another former Lithuanian tennis champion, Alfonsas Remeikis.  Alfonsas had been Lithuanian tennis champion in 1929 and 1930 and won many doubles titles.  In 1938 his doubles partner was Vitas Gerulaitis senior.

I didn’t know that the tiny town of Eucla on the Western Australia/South Australia border in the middle of the Nullarbor Plain could be seen as a micro nation of Lithuania.  The small township has six streets, a Police Station, a Motel Hotel complex with restaurant and Caravan Park.  With a population of just 50, it is literally in the middle of nowhere.  

One of the streets is Patupis street, named after Gediminas. Gediminas ended up as proprietor of Eucla's Amber Motel.

There is a 20-foot-high white metal cross with stylized tulips.  Constructed on 13th October 1969, the cross is dedicated to all Christians and to those who made the highway.  Two memorials are there are dedicated to Steve.  They both feature the Gedimino stulpai (Columns of Gediminas) an iconic Lithuanian symbol.  

After discovering these stories, I got upset that I didn’t know, that the older generation didn’t tell anyone, they didn’t pass this history on.  I soon realised that they did.  They recorded these stories in publication in the newspapers, I didn’t see it because they were written in Lithuanian.  Not being my first language, I translated the stories in English, so I could tell the stories to those who were connected to the community but no longer spoke the language. 

One of the hardest parts in writing this book was to come up with a title.  I discussed this with friends and family and we couldn’t come up with something that I thought was suitable.  So, I went back to the stories, looking for a common thread.  I found one. 

This was written on the first ship carrying Displaced Persons from Europe to Australia, the General Heintzleman which docked in Fremantle on the 27 November 1947.

The fate and sufferings of the Baltic peoples are known to the greater part of the world, to the rest we shall untiringly tell them until the day our native countries regain their freedom and independence.

At the first scout camp in Adelaide in 1955, Camp fire leader Vytenis Stasiškis gave these final words at the camp.

 Do all you can for the Motherland and never give up hope for Lithuania’s future and our return there.

In the book Adelaide published book,  Blezdingėlės prie Torrenso   The Swallows by the Torrens published in 1962, a forward was written by Juozas Bačiūnas.  In it he wrote, 

Lithuanians established themselves economically and spiritually and partook in Australian life.  It is my desire to create ties and connections between Lithuanians around the world that we all share the same hope to help Lithuania and to return when Lithuania is free.

It was every Lithuanians shared hope, that they could return home to a free Lithuania.

Again and again I was astounded by the dedication, sacrifice, and perseverance that members contributed to the community.  The time, money and effort that so many people willingly gave to see their beloved homeland free, is extraordinary.

Lithuania is free once again.  This shared hope of returning to a free Lithuania bound the community in its early years and instigated many of the clubs and events that transpired over the past 70 years.  

Now it is time to honour their hard work and celebrate their successes.

The money for the printing of this book, has been provided by the Australian Lithuanian Fund.  All proceeds from this book and going back into the Archives so we can print more about our history.  

I want the community’s history to be remembered, each of us have a story to tell, one that is unique and will be lost if it is not recorded.  I look forward to working with you in preserving our community’s history.

You can purchase the book online  for $25.00, plus $6.50 postage from the Australian Lithuanian Archive Facebook page.  https://www.facebook.com/australianlithuanianarchives/ 

US tour for Vaskas

In 1963, World Lithuanian President Juozas Bačiunas invited her to perform in concerts around America.  She travelled with her accompanist Dorothy Oldham and gave 12 concerts to Lithuanian communities. 

September 21 Detroit
September 28 Cleveland
October 6 Hamilton
October 12 Rochester
October 13 Boston
November 9 & 10 Chicago
November 16 Omaha
November 23 Los Angeles

Concerts also in Torone, Philadelphia, New York and Baltimore.

Gene sang a variety of songs from Lithuanian composers as well as Tchaikovsky, Schubert, Puccini.

Dorothy Oldham, Juozas Baciunas, Gene Vasiliauskas

 

New Years Celebrations 1958

New Years Ball, Adelaide. from left; B. Lapsys,
Bachunas, A. Linkuvicius

The next day the Bachunai rose early so they could fit in meeting more members of the community. The first visit of the day was to Vladas Požela, who was with the Lithuanian Ministry of Home Affairs during president Griniaus time in Lithuania.  They visited Pozela’s son-in-law Vytas Kmitas who works in one of Adelaide’s largest firms, O’Connor and Sons heating and cooling specialists.

He also met Juozas Gučius, an actor and manager of Lithuanian Theatre group.  He worked for many years at the Kaunas radio station, as director an actor.  His wife, Gučiene Binkevičiutė, is also a professional singer and singing teacher.  Gučius showed him several programs of past performances, that were held in Lithuanian and English.  The theatre group has performed Henri Devernois, The Bronze lady and the Crystal Gentleman, and Box and Cox, the Proposal, the school for wives.  All the actors were Lithuanian and the plays performed in English.

Baciunas was told that on December 1^st, in the Australian Hall, violinist Pranas Matiukas gave a performance with singer Uknevičiutė.  There are three singers, B. Rūkštelienė, Gučiene, and Vasilauskienė.  Rūkštelienė has since moved to America.

From here the Bachunai  visited Rūdaičius, then Jonas Kalvaitis, who has three brothers in America.  Jonas has contemplated moving to Boston to work with his brother in real estate, but he now has grown children who are not keen to move.  Bachunai then visited Vaclovas Raginis, and later Česlovas Zamoiskis, and Vytas Petrūskevičius.

Lapšys took the Bachunai to visit a well known Lithuanian pilot and glider, Major Jonas Pyragius. His daughter was a well known sports woman, now married Mrs Cibiras. 

Bachunas learnt about the local church newspaper, ‘Šventadieno Balsas’ Sunday Voice.  The newspaper is edited by Father Kungys, with drawings added by Pušdešrys, and it is printed in Dičiunas home.

New Years Eve was celebrated at Centennial Hall, Wayville.  The Women’s association had spent all day preparing food, they were expecting over 500 guests.  There was a good band, everyone danced and enjoyed themselves.  Before the evening finished the President of the Community, Čibiras welcomed in the new year, and invited Bachunas to speak.

The following morning they rose early, and were taken to the airport for a flight to Sydney.

So ended their Adelaide leg of their tour to Australia.

Journey to the Pacific Region III

December 30th


Bachunas spent some time with members of the Adelaide Lithuanian Women's group.

On March 1, 1952 a Lithuanian Women’s group was formed. The groups role was to generate social occasions where Lithuanians can meet. Another function was to visit the sick in hospitals. The women would take food, sweets or special dietary food and have a chat to the sick. The group would send money twice a year to German sanatorium in Gauting.

The women have instigated several new traditions in Adelaide. The Christmas ‘Eglutė’ for children, where Father Christmas visits and gives each child a gift, followed by a communal meal. Each New year or Mother’s day, women over 70 are honoured and presented with a gift. The women assist in preparing lunch each Saturday for the children attending Lithuanian school. Children who take first communion do so in a decorated church and partake in a meal afterwards prepared for by the women.

Not one newborn into the community did not receive a gift or those who died did not receive a wreath from the Women’s group.

In 1957 the women had collected £600, this was profits from balls, lotteries and donations. All the women’s time were freely given. The president is Garbaliauskienė, other committee members, Janavičienė, Varnauskienė, Navakienė, Šerelienė.

Bachunas referred to the Women’s group as the heart and soul of the community.

Journey to the Pacific region continued

On December 27th they were invited to lunch at Lapšys, who drove them around. They then attended the children’s Christmas celebrations organised by the Women’s guild. The children all received presents and presented the Baciunai with a song, that they had rehearsed. The choir had around 30 children organised by Vasilauskienė. The children also danced, taught by Grėbliunienė and Lapšiene. Many of the children were born in Australia.

That evening there was a party at Vytautas Linkus house at Port Adelaide. Linkus has his own business a food products shop at Port Adelaide, “Linkus World Food”. He was then invited to visit Vasilauskas at 36 roomed hotel at Semaphore . Vasilauskas owned several other properties, used for holiday rental.

Sunday December 29th, Dičiunas drove them to church where over 300 Lithuanians had gathered. After mass Father Kungys said a prayer for Lithuania independence. After the service had finished Father Kungys drove them to Dičiunas’ home for lunch. Dičiunas has built a lovely home, next to his sister lives. After lunch they were driven to Christies Beach where the church had purchased a block of land which has a small building. A pleasant afternoon with song and food was occurred. The Baciunai were then taken to Pascevičius’ home where more Lithuanians had gathered. Pascevicius, an engineer had designed a elevator that can lift 1,500,00 bushels. The lift is built in a factory by the sea, where over 150 people work.

Adelaide Lithuanian Museum & Archives

The Adelaide Lithuanian Museum has been collecting material since the 1950’s. It has become a unique storage house of items brought from Lithuania and items made in Australia by people of Lithuanian heritage; mainly art, craft and printed material.

As early as 1961, the Adelaide Community Council appealed to the community for historical items relating to Lithuania. Jonas Vanagas, founder of the Lobethal museum on his own initiate had already begun to collect material. After the opening of the Lobethal museum, Vanagas found himself collecting printed material and clippings from Australian newspapers that made mention of Lithuania. Jonas Vanagas was appointed curator of the would be Museum and Archives.

The initial aim of the museum was to gather and protect Australian Lithuanian material and other documents relating to life in Australia. It was envisaged a museum could help the youth become familiar with their history and culture.

A purposely built museum and archives were constructed at the rear of Lithuanian House. A large room formed the museum, and a partially underground small room would serve as the Archives.

By 1967 enough material had been collected to conduct the official opening. On January 28th, 1967, Juozas Bachunas, President of the World Lithuanian Association cut the ribbon and declared the museum officially open. Speeches were presented by the Adelaide Lithuanian Community President, Z. Vabolis and the Adelaide Lithuanian Society president P. Bielskis.

Building Lithuanian House

Once the community had purchased the old church in Eastry street, they went about organising renovations. There were three stages of renovations. First was the construction of four rooms, partly done by contractors, finished in September 1960. Stage two was the construction of a library, toilets and amenities, and kitchen. Completed at the end of 1962. Third stage, extension of hall, construction of museum, stage and change rooms at the rear of the stage. All renovations were overseen by engineer Karolis Reisonas.

In 1961 to construct the front of Lithuanian House, required approximately 300 bricks, each one costing 2 shillings. A scheme was created that if you purchased a brick your received a numbered badge which had on it ALN brick. In 1966 further renovations took place to enlarge the stage and construct the museum and archives. All that remains of the original church is the roof.

76 men worked 2706 hours in 1962 about the Lithuanian House, the women’s committee of 18 women worked 851 hours.

The American Lithuanian Community donated £200 so the community could organize a library. The library was named after Juozas Bačiunas. He arrived in Chicago USA in 1897, with his parents. He was heavily involved in the Lithuanian Community and in 1963 elected as President of the World Lithuanian Association. He published many books on Lithuania, include the SA publication “Blizdingėlės prie Torenzo”.