Celebrating Lithuanian Independence Day, 1950

 A long road to Freedom was the headline detailing the celebration of the 32nd Lithuanian Independence Day in the small town of Bridgetown, south of Perth in 1950.  Lithuanians as well as other new migrants were employed in a range of jobs in the surrounding area, undertaking their compulsory two-year contract.  

Newly married couple, Birutė and Jurgis residing in Bridgetown felt that a commemoration of some sort was in order. There were a few Lithuanians families at that time in Bridgetown, but more were needed for a worthy celebration.   Lithuanians from neighbouring towns of Nannup, Shannon River, Deanmill, Yornup, Manjimup, Jarrahwood and Pembertown were invited to attend.  The anniversary was held in the convent Hall at Bridgetown, the sister prepared the food and a table was draped in a newly made yellow, green and red flag.  Small flags from left over material were placed on the tables.  Birutė kept the flag and it was used on many Adelaide events until it disappeared. 

Jurgis quickly gathered a choir that sang several songs and both national anthems.   Around fifty Lithuanians gathered, attending mass in the morning at St Brigid’s church before lunch.  Zenonas Samuolis living in Nannup, delivered the main address detailing the history of Lithuania’s struggle for independence.  Father Kelliher welcomed those gathered and said that as he had come from another country, he could sympathise of the loss homeland. Amongst those invited were Father Duffy from Manjimup, F. Leeman and G. A Lydiate, Manager of Deanmill and Jardee Timber Mills, Doctor N.S Williams, Officer in change of the Commonwealth Employment Officer W.L. Owens And H.O Moore, Chairman of Bridgetown Road Board. 

Jurgis (George) Jonavicius spoke at the event, We chose Australia as our new homeland, came here because we knew that we will have freedom, democracy and prosperity. We are happy ones because we found a new homeland which accepted us as newcomers as their own fellow – Australians and is giving us freedom, democracy and independence.  

Photo from Waymarking website

Lithuanian Independence day

 

In 1997, Donatas Opulskis (Dail) born in Adelaide, visited Antartica for the second time to work for a stint in communications.  On February 16th, Dail hoisted a lithuanian flag near an Australian flag for Lithuania's independence day.

 

This is not a picture of the flag, I didn't have one, so used a photo from the internet.

Mixed Voice Double Quartet Choir

Two quartets, one women’s ones men who sang Lithuanian folk songs.  The choir organised a one off performance on February 16th, 1951 in the Adelaide Town Hall.  From this invitation were extended the choir to perform at the ABC, Nuriootpa wine festival.
Women’s quartet consisted of Leonayda Kilikonienė, Janina Maželiene, D (probably Ona) Naudžiuvienė, E. Duchauskas (who later changed with A. Maželienė).  

Men’s choir consisted of Česlovas Zamoiskis, Jonas Abromas and Mečislovas Rudzenskas and ?.  Jonas Zdanavičius was the musical director.  Soloists were sung by Antanina Gučiuvienė, Elena Rūkštelienė and Paulius Rūtenis. 

Proceeds from the evening went in support of the Vasario 16 (February 16th) Lithuanian high school in Germany.

The group later released two folk songs produced in Chicago in 1952.

It was interesting to note that many of those mentioned soon left Adelaide for the USA.  Leonayda and her husband Vytautas Kilikonis moved to Elgin, Illinois, leaving Australia in 1956. Elena Rūkštelienė, her husband and four children moved to San Francisco in June 1955.  Ona Naudžiuvienė   and her husband, Kostas went to live in Los Angeles, leaving in May 1955. Jonas Zdanavičius also left the Commonwealth on the 29th March 1955, but I wasn't able to find out where he migrated to.  

A write up of the event appeared in the Advertiser.

Lithuanian Music and Dancing 
A concert of Lithuanian music and dancing, given in the Adelaide Town Hall last night to celebrate the Commonwealth Jubilee, was well attended.

In the first half of the programme solos were contributed ay Pranas Matiukas (violin) Elena Rukštelė (soprano) and Vivien Tuck (piano).

National dancers, under the leadership of Maria Grėbliunas, gave three groups of dances in costume during the second half, and a double quartet, conducted by Jonas Zdanavičius, sang groups of folk songs.

A collection of Lithuanian handcrafts was also on view.

The Advertiser 17 Feb 1951

V-16 school in Germany

Vasario 16, (February 16) Lithuania’s Independence day is the name given to the only Lithuanian High School high school outside Lithuania.

During World War II, thousands of Lithuanians left their homeland fleeing Soviet occupation. By the close of the war, most of them had ended up in Germany. As war refugees they were housed in “displaced persons camps.” Conditions were harsh and their future uncertain. Yet they did not allow that to discourage them and went to work establishing Lithuanian educational institutions for themselves and their children.  By 1947 there were 26 Lithuanian high schools, five Lithuanian technical colleges, and 112 Lithuanian primary schools in Germany.

As Lithuanians emigrated many of these schools were closed, but 8,000 Lithuanians chose to remain in Germany.

In 1950, Germany’s Lithuanian Community established a single high school for Lithuanian students. The high school was founded in Diepholz—the site of a displaced persons camp where many Lithuanians had lived since the end of the war. In 1954, the Lithuanian Community acquired Rennhof Manor House with its twelve-acre park in the town of Lampertheim-Hüttenfeld. The school was relocated there.
Following the reestablishment of independence, the school continued to serve as a cultural centre for Lithuanians in Western Europe and a bridge between Lithuania and the West, providing an opportunity for the children of Lithuanian expatriates to integrate without losing their Lithuanian identity.

The Australian Lithuanians did not forget this school and many gave donations in support.  For Lithuanian Australians the school was physically and economically out of reach for many years.  It wasn’t until 1980 that someone from Australia enrolled in the school.  In 1980 Raimondas Andrekus donated $1000 for an Australian Lithuanian to attend the school for one year.  The gift was awarded to Andrius Binkevičius from Adelaide.  Andrius was to receive another $500 from N Butkus.

Other Adelaidians to attend the school have been;
Dana Baltutytė
Anita Baltutytė
Birute Stalba
Linas Pocius
Daniele Pocius
Vanessa Milen
Matthew Page-Hanify

Lituania Adelaide Lithuanian Choir

First Adelaide Choir by J Mockunas (1974)

The first migrants to Australia were mainly single men or couples without children. The men most often lived near their work place, either in tents or metal barracks for the EWS, Railways, sawmill or other places that Australians didn’t want to work.

In 1948 he rented a small flat near his workplace of Calvary hospital. On Sundays Lithuanians would meet to talk about their work, worries and fears, to sing and sometimes to drink cheap wine. A Lutheran pastor of the name A. F Zinnbauer had heard that they like to sing and offered them an opportunity to sing at an informal Scandinavian gathering. Under Mikas Pareigis their director they began to rehearse, all eleven of them. They sang well and were soon invited to sing at the Royal Society for the Blind after hearing about their performance.

The group soon began rehearsing for the February 16th, Lithuania's Independence day in1949. This event had many Australians so “God save the king” was learnt and sung with four Lithuanian songs. Before the concert the first Lithuanian mass was held where Lithuanian hymns were sung, the organ played by A Giniotis.

Independance Day 1965

Lithuanian Independence Day is celebrated annually on February 16. Some form of concert usually takes place at Lithuanian house. Here's who participated in the 1965 celebrations.

Contribution by youth, sisters Julija and Rima Germanaitis (acordean, solo and duet), Dalia Viliunaite (recital), Ramune Klimaite (piano), Vytas Straukas (fiddle), Nemira Masilyte (piano) and Adelaide Youth chouir directed by Vytas Straukas who performed three folk songs. Choir members, Nijole Beinoraviciute, Laima Kuncaitte, Valdone Mikeliunaite, Maryte Damasevicius, Maryte Kersyte, Vida Urneviciute, Aldone Urneviciute, Dana Brazauskaite, Alma Krivickaite, Rima Serelyte, Ramune Klimaite, Alfredas Barauskas, Vytas Vanagas, Leonas Vasiliunas, Antanas Stepanas, Leonas Macpanas, Gintautas Kaminskas, Algis Bernaitis, Klevas Rudzinskas, Eugenijus Brazauskas.

Also the final year Lithuanian school students for the year were acknowledged.
Kristina Baskute
Alma Krivickaite
Nijole Bataityte
Aldona Tugaudyte,
Grazina Bagdonaite
Dalia irvaite
Dalia Viliunaite
Julija Germanaite
Edmundas Rapsevicius
Algis Radzevicius
Vytautas Levickas
Nemira Masiulyte