Virtual exhibition “Australian Lithuanians. Part 2”
In commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Lithuanian community in Australia, Lithuanian Central State Archives, together with the Australian Lithuanian Archives, invite you to reflect on the history of the settlement and establishment of Australian Lithuanians on the old continent. Also we are continuing this ten-part virtual exhibition dedicated to Australian Lithuanians, which will be open throughout 2025.
The Australian Lithuanian community is undoubtedly the largest and most important factor uniting all Lithuanians in Australia. According to the well-known Australian Lithuanian public figure, writer, and artist Brone Mockuniene (Zaranskyte), who described her experiences in her biographical memoir “Lithuanians in Australia. Journey into the Unknown”, the life of the Lithuanian diaspora from arrival in Australia to the restoration of Independence can be divided into four major periods, each covering approximately a decade.
The first period (1947–1960) – formation. This is the Lithuanian refugees’ acquaintance with Australia, its exceptional life conditions and rules, their efforts to adapt to them, the emerging need to gather and organize, to lay the foundations for their personal and, at the same time, communal life.
The second decade (1960–1970) – a time of maturation, when most Australian Lithuanians sought to study, obtain higher education, repeated their studies completed in Lithuania or Germany, took exams at Australian universities, and tried to adapt to the requirements, traditions, and new culture of the land. Having learned the lifestyle and customs of the local population, and not neglecting their activities in Lithuanian communities, Australian Lithuanians found their place in this distant land from Lithuania.
The third decade (1970–1980) – a turbulent period of struggle, which the author describes with the Australian expression stand up and be counted (do not give up, stay in line, fight). The challenges of this decade were political events in Australia, when the Australian government recognized the occupation of the Baltic states, and Lithuanians continued to raise the issue of Lithuania's freedom, gathering for rallies and demonstrations.
The fourth decade (1980–1990) was the struggle for existence in the land of their fathers, the pursuit of Lithuanian independence, especially at the end of the decade, when Australian Lithuanians lived with the concerns of the Lithuanian nation.
Australian Lithuanians believed that for the Australian Lithuanian community, which was established in 1950, the sessions of the National Council – a period of periodic meetings – were a necessity in carrying out Lithuanian activities. All Lithuanians were directly represented in the Council, providing an opportunity and the right to ask questions of concern and submit proposals. The reports of the meetings of the National Council reflect in detail the questions, speeches and proposals of the representatives. The activities of the National Board, which was controlled by the National Council, were effective and efficient, although the political and economic situation in Australia also had a significant impact on its work and results. The attention of the national boards of the Lithuanian World Community until 1973 was directed to the internal affairs of Lithuanian communities – education, press, culture, art. After 1972–1973, more and more Australian Lithuanians raised the issues of non-recognition of the occupation of Lithuania.
The virtual exhibition “Australian Lithuanians. Part II” consists of two sections: “Australian Lithuanian Community. Origins. Creation (until 1960)” and “Australian Lithuanian Community. Activities (1960–1990)”. The exhibition focuses on the activities of the Australian Lithuanian Community (ALB) Regional Council and Board, chairmen, and documents reflecting the origins of the community. The photographs capture sessions of the ALB Regional and District Boards and councils. The majority of exhibits consist of written and photographic documents stored in the Australian Lithuanian Archives. We are grateful to Daina Pocius for opening them to the general public. It is important to emphasize that the Australian Lithuanian Archives has digitized most of the reports of the ALB Regional Council sessions. The exhibition is complemented by documents from Lithuanian diplomatic missions, the Supreme Committee for the Liberation of Lithuania (VLIK), and photographs about the activities of the Lithuanian community in Australia, stored in the Lithuanian Central State Archives.
We feel a great professional interest in the sources stored in the Australian Lithuanian Archive - they are little researched, unique and show the development of Lithuanian emigration. For the first time, we are opening them to the Lithuanian public and history lovers.
We invite you to visit the exhibition: https://virtualios-parodos.archyvai.lt/en/virtual-exhibitions/49/australian-lithuanians.-part-2/exh-430
Last updated: 12-05-2025
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Virtual exhibition “Australian Lithuanians. Part 4”