Albinas Pocius, the Lithuanian Minor Activist

Albinas was born on December 13th 1918, not far from Sėda. His parents were farmers. He finished Sėda Primary school and then the Sėda middle school. He first joined the scout movement  in 1930, as a 12 year old, an interest that he retained throughout his life.  Albinas attended high school in Mažeikas, but finished high school in Klaipėda.  He studied journalism at the Vytautas Didysis school.  During the soviet occupation Albinas worked on the railways.

In August 1944 he fled the Russian front and fled to the west.  He found himself in the Montomery camp in Dorverdene camp and later Seedorf, the British zone.   It was in a Seedorf Displaced Persons camp in Selsingen that he met Ruta Pociute whom he later married on the 23 March 1947.  

On February 1949 they left Naples on the boat Nea Hellas, bound for Australia.  Albinas spent his two work contract planting pine trees and later working in Housing Trust building homes.  The skills he learnt on the job allowed him to build his own home in Warragul. In 1949 he was actively involved in the Lithuanian scout movement and helped V.s B. Dainutis organise the Australian district.  He had been in Australia only one month before he sought out other Lithuanian scouts, corresponding with them.  

Albinas continued writing for various Lithuanian newspapers over the years.  He wrote “Po Svetimų Dangum” (Under a foreign sky) about scouts in the Sydney Lithuanian newspaper, Mūsų Pastogė.

Later Ruta and Albinas moved to Melbourne where they spend many years.  They became heavily involved in the Lithuanian community, Albinas in scouts, Ramovė even become president of the Australian Lithuanian and regional director of the Lithuanian Scout Association.  Albinas was Ramovės secretary and for six years was Vice-President of the Melbourne Lithuanian Club from 1968 to 1972.  For many years he was the Scouts Ramovė president and also held position of President of the Melbourne Lithuanian community for eight years and in 1980 was elected to the Australian Lithuanian community as President.  He was awarded the World Lithuanian community Karaliaus Mindaugas and Vilnius Universitetas 400m medal.  

Albinas became heavily involved in the fight with the Whitlam government acknowledgment of the Baltic states as being incorporated into the Soviet Union.  He joined the Australian Baltic Committee & Captive Nations and served on both as vice-president.

Albinas was very concerned with the plight of Mažoji Lietuva (Lithuania Minor) and wrote many articles and booklets on the situation.  He lectured extensively throughout Australia and Melbourne. In 1951 he organized the Mažosios Lietuvos Bičiulių Draugija, (Friends of Lithuanian Minor) and became the President.  

After retirement, the couple moved to Adelaide, as Ruta had family there.  Albinas involved himself in the Adelaide community and continued writing. 

In 1997 Albinas and Ruta celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.  Family and friends gathered at Lithuanian House in Norwood for a lunch.  He passed away two years later in 1999. Mass was held in the Lithuanian chapel and later at the Centennial Park where he was cremated.  

Albinas was a big bulky bear of a man with a gentle soul.  He was softy spoken, well educated and a true Lithuanian patriot.  He dedicated many years of his life to the Lithuanian community, in the hope of seeing his country free again. 

Baltic Convention, Adelaide 1968

To commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the proclamation of Independence of the Baltic counties in 1918, a Baltic week was held throughout Australia from 1^st to 8^th of June 1968.  Functions arranged for that week included Remembrance Services and concerts, exhibitions of Art and crafts, Baltic food display and tasking and social evening.

The Baltic convention was held on the 1^st June in Adelaide as part of Baltic Week.  Held at Latvian house the convention was attended by 98 delegates (35 Estonians, 35 Latvians and 28 Lithuanians) representing communities in Adelaide Melbourne and Sydney.

Mr A Krausas (Lithuanian member from Melbourne) summed up the aims,

To strengthen the resistance and ties of the Baltic nations in their fight for freedom, culture is the best weapon.

Being without our countries and armies, the only way we ca strive for freedom is through cultural media. 

All three of us working together will have a better chance to be heard and our voices of protest will be stronger.  All of us are suffering the same cruel fate and our countries are smothered by the communist regime.  We must try and save our cultural heritage, so that it does not fade, but make it flourish and grow stronger and more meaningful than ever.

To achieve this we must;

Try to send as many young people as possible to gain higher education.

Try to translate classics and other noteworthy works into each other’s language.

Try to have a chair for Baltic Studies in at least one Australian university.

Parents should teach their children to be proud of their nationality, let the children have a dual nationality, let them assimilate the best to each culture.

Items discussed were how the communities could work together to promote the history and traditions of their countries.  Discussions mentioned the formation of a Baltic Art Association even a of a Baltic arts and crafts museum. 

The convention notes were collated and printed in a booklet.

Annual remembrance of Baltic holocaust

The Baltic people in Australia have never forgotten the mass deportations of their countrymen in 1941.  Each year around the anniversary of the deportations the Estonian, Lithuanian and Latvian communities come together to remember.  

It continues today, the 62nd annual commemoration service and concert to be held at St Peter;s Latvian Hall on Sunday 15th June 2014 at 3:00pm.

Baltic Women banner

The same year that the Lithuanian banner was created  another was produced by the Baltic Women's Association.   Designed by Ieva Pocius, a Lithuanian artist.

 

The fir trees represent the Baltic landscape. The faces symbolise the women of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. They are set against a combination of the national colours of the three states. This central image highlights the individuality of the Baltic States, while stressing the essential unity in the region.

The Jubilee 150 logo honours South Australia’s sesquicentenary. It symbolises the link between the old culture and the experience of Baltic women in their new land.

In remembrance

In Remembrance of the sufferings

Of fellow countrymen

Deported from their homelands

To Siberia

By the Soviet Communist Regime

On 14^th June 1941

These trees were planted by

The Estonian Latvian and Lithuania

Communities of South Australia

On 13^th June 1959

For many years the Baltic community has gathered to commemorate the June 13 & 14 deportations, in the Migration Museum courtyard.

In 1959 Juozas Lapšys, Baltic Council president organised for a memorial to be erected in the Glenunga Reserve, Connyngham street, Glenunga.  That year members from the Latvian, Estonian and Lithuanian communities  planted three trees and erected the above plaque in a granite rock.

As the years passed their was concern that the plaque would be lost, stolen or forgotten, so the Migration Museum was approached to see if they would take ownership.

Janina Vabolienė, President of the Lithuanian Community said in 2003 regarding the June deportations;

‘When our parents, brothers and sisters journeyed to distant Siberia, the echo of the train wheels  resound in our ears and our hearts reiterate  our countrymen’s torment’.