Australian Lithuanian Students

Australijos Lietuvių Studentų Sąjunga (ALSS)

The Australijos Lietuvių Studentų Sąjunga (ALSS) was formed in 1952.  Members were university students or those studying at a higher professional level who have completed a diploma.  Branches were formed in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney, Canberra had a eldership.  An informal group met in Brisbane, Newcastle and Perth.

Tertiary students in Adelaide began to appear soon after post WWII arrival, in the early 1950’s.   Stasys Čibiras instigated the establishment of a group in Adelaide. Officially began in 25 August 1951.  The group rose in number to 13 members by the time the first formal gathering was called on 19 April 1952.  On this day a committee was elected which consisted of Stasys Čibiras as president, Algis Navakas and Nemira Šiunaitė.

The group aimed to actively participate in the Adelaide Lithuanian community and to keep ties with other Australian Lithuanian students.  A two shilling membership fee by each member was invested so dance evenings could be held.  Ten years later the number had risen to 50 students and 24 graduates.

Adelaide instigated the first Australian student gathering which was held in Sydney in 1956.  Others were held in 1958 and 1962.

ALSS Adelaide Branch Committee

1957

Romas Urmonas                        President
Dalia Levickaitė
Sigitas Martinkus

1958

T Žurauskas      President

J .Arminas, V. Giruckas, D. Varoneckaitė, Antanas Lapšys.

This committee formed the central committee and organised the ALSS gathering.  12 new students enrolled in university that year.

1962

Antnas Stepanas                        President

J. Martinkutė, Rimas Daugalis, and Ramunas Dunda.

1964
Juratė Naujalienė                      President
Laima Radzevičiutė, Violeta Vasilauskaitė, Rimas Daugalis ir Gytis Šimkus

1965
Vytautas Straukas                      President
Emilija Matiukaitč, Laima Radzevičiutė

1966

Gytis SImkus    President
Rasa Pacevičiutė, A. Radzevičiutė

1967

Vytas Straukas                            President

A. Tugaudyte, A. Radzevičiutė, K. Baškutė, V. Vanagas

This committee became the national  committee and organised the Adelaide national gathering.

The committees organised Initium and Finis Semestri, Žirnius ir aluti, outings to the countryside and readings and discussion evenings.

The committee pushed the Kūlturos Fondo (Cultural Fund) to instigate a Lithuanian course in Adelaide.  The students donated copies of the groups newsletter Lituanus to the Barr Smith Library.

Algirdas Kudirka - artist

Painter, Stage Director, graphic and poker work artist.

Born in St Petersburg in 1915, he and his parents returned to Lithuanian after WWI. (His immigration papers state he was born in Zarasai on 22 June 1917). He studied art at the Vilnius Academy of Art for three years.  During WWII he was captured by Nazis, conscripted into the German Army and taken prisoner of war by the American Army.
In 27 April 1948, he arrived in Australia on board the ship General Black.  He fulfilled his two year work contract as a sugar cane cutter in Queensland.  During that time he painted in oil a large picture, titled Holy Mary, a copy of the revered painting in Vilnius.  He donated his work to the parish of Freshwater in 1948 to mark the first Lithuanian Day celebrations in Australia.

Žemaitė Julija Beniuševičiūtė-Žymantienė,
famous Lithuanian author

In 1949, he exhibited four graphic art works at a Gympie exhibition and won first prize. While still in Queensland he painted murals in private homes, decorated church halls and painted pictures of religious subjects for Catholic churches.

In 1955, he moved to Adelaide and became involved with the community, painting  theatrical sets and decorating Lithuanian house with wooden ornaments based on folk art symbols.  (These still hang in the House). He then began to use poker work.  

In 1956, he held his first solo exhibition at St Joseph's Hall in Adelaide.  He showed 22 poker work items and 10 oil paintings.  In 1957 he won a bronze medal at the Royal Adelaide Exhibition and in 1958 he was one of six Lithuanian artists who held an exhibition at Lithuanian House. During the 1962 Lithuanian Festival he held a joint poker work exhibition with Rimas Daugalis.

He never married and lived the last five years at the Lithuanian Catholic centre where he painted many oil painting of Lithuanian historical figures.  They can still be seen displayed around the Lithuanian Catholic Centre.