Celebrating the women who have shaped the Adelaide Lithuanian Community

Women have played an important role in the Adelaide Lithuanian Community: they have been the caregivers, the cooks, the teachers, the cleaners, and the fundraisers. They instigated groups, filled committees, and continue to shape the future of the community.

The women worked beside the men: while the men dug trenches to expand Lithuanian House, the women prepared the food that sustained them during the day. They raised their children with a Lithuanian spirit that has traversed generations.

We draw strength and inspiration from those who came before us – and the remarkable women among us today. They are part of our story, and a truly balanced and inclusive history recognises how important women are.

As their stories are told we realise they are more than just women; they are heroes, and they shall no longer be hidden.

Some of the women recorded

Isolde Ira Požėlaitė - Davis AM

1923 - 2013

Isolde was undertaking her secondary education in Kaunas when the family was forced to leave due to the Russian incursion. In 1942, Isolde completed her secondary education in Berlin. She undertook tertiary studies in Arts and French language and literature in universities in Berlin, Freiburg, Zurich and Paris between 1944 and 1948. She travelled to Australia with her parents, older sister, brother-in-law and niece in April 1949, arriving in Melbourne on the Skaugum on 31 May 1949.

Her long, varied, and most importantly for her, rewarding, teaching career spanned over 40 years. She held the following positions.

Special Senior Mistress of Languages secondary schools; South Australian Department of Education, teaching French, German and Lithuanian; Member of the Secondary Schools Subject Committee (SA); Member Public Examinations Board (SA); Member of the Senior Secondary Assessment Board of South Australia (SSABSA); Member of the Languages Committee (SA); National Chief Examiner in Lithuanian (Australian College of Education); Tutor (French) at the University of the Third Age (Adelaide).

In addition, at her instigation, the Education Department of Western Australia sent 60 boxes of brand-new ESL coursework to Lithuania. Isolde personally supervised the distribution of this material to 125 Lithuanian and Polish/Russian primary and high schools.

Isolde received many awards for her work:
In 1984, Honorary Member of the Board of the World Lithuanian Community, 1994, Certificate of Commendation for work in the Lithuanian Community in Australia - awarded by the World Lithuanian Community. 1990-1992 and 2000, Certificates of Commendations from the Minister of Education and various City Council mayors in Lithuania, as recognition for her work teaching foreign languages in Lithuania.

1995: Isolde was appointed a Member of the General Division of the Order of Australia (AM) for Service to the Lithuanian Community and to Education.

2001: Isolde received the Cross of the Knight of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas for services to Lithuania and the Lithuanian Community in South Australia. In 2005, the library of Šiauliai English Centre was named in her honour.

Elena Petronėlė Dainius

1908 - 1997

Elena was born in Daukai, Marijampolė. She married teacher Petras Jušius and moved to Mažeikiai where a son, Vytautas, was born. The family later moved to Kėdainiai in the centre of Lithuania. Elena had been a leading musical comedy star in Lithuania.

During the Bolshevik occupation of Lithuania, Petras was deported to Siberia. Elena and her young son moved to Vilnius, where they lived until the second Soviet occupation. She later learnt of her husband’s death in Siberia.

In Adelaide, Elena worked at the Calvary Hospital in North Adelaide and quickly learnt English. She later worked in a hotel and when she became head housekeeper, she was able to assist Lithuanian women to gain employment in this area.

Elena was active in several Adelaide Lithuanian community groups. Together with Paulius Rūtenis, Elena organised Adelaide’s first theatre group in March 1949. She acted and directed several plays. The group’s first production was the First Bell in which she acted. Elena was a soprano in the Adelaide Lithuanian choir Lituania and often sang solo parts. She was elected to the Adelaide Lithuanian Community Committee and at one time was President of the Baltic Women’s group in Adelaide. Elena wrote articles for Lithuanian and English newspapers about the Soviet occupation of Lithuania. She was a great community ambassador who was always promoting Lithuania.

Baltic Women's Association. Christmas gathering.

Australian Lithuanian Scout leaders.

Women's Vytis Basketball team.

Adelaide Lithuanian Catholic Women's Society

Gucius Singing

Teresė Petravičiūtė - Gasiūnas

1924 - 2014

She was born in Kybartai, located close to Vilkaviškis. She was only 20 when she left Lithuania and made her way to Germany with her aunt and her family. In Germany, she met and married Lithuanian, Petras Gasiūnas. Her aunt’s family migrated to America and Petras and Teresė migrated to Australia.

Teresė was heavily involved in the Adelaide Lithuanian Catholic Women’s Society (Adelaidės Lietuvių Katalikių Moterų Draugija). It would be a rare occasion to go to church and not see her busy, cooking, cleaning or organising. After Mass on Sundays, for many years, she would be busy with church work, and preparing, cooking and serving lunch. Teresė was a wonderful organiser. She knew what had to be done and went out and did it. Her work was exemplary.

Teresė had a beautiful voice and was part of the church choir for a short time. She found performing stressful and so her involvement was short-lived.

Paulina Gavelienė
1896 - 1972

Paulina Gavelienė, born in Panevėžys, was one of the few female Vyčio Kryžiaus (Knights of the Vytis Cross) recipients. Adelaide resident, Vladas Dumčius, met her in 1945 at the Displaced Persons camp in Dörverden, Germany. Silent and calm, she was always ready to help another, as if she had no trouble of her own.

Marija Grebliunas

1908 - 1998

Marija was born in Vilnius, the eldest of three children. The family lived in Panevėžys, where Marija graduated from High School.

She was the first (1941-1943) ballet master of the Lithuanian Folk Song and Dance Ensemble (the group still exists today as Ensemble Lithuania). Marija returned to head the Folk Dance and Games Cabinet established at the Palace of Physical Education. This was the start of her learning about the history of dance and becoming acquainted with the basics of folk dance properties. In addition, this role trained teachers, supervisors and choreographers. Lithuania at that time was behind its neighbouring countries in valuing its folk dancing.

Antanina Binkevičiūtė – Gučius

1906 - 1989

Her life had two purposes: to work and be useful.

Born in St Petersburg, Russia, Antanina and her family remained there until the Russian Revolution, when they returned to an independent Lithuania.

Antanina studied singing at the conservatory in Kaunas and ran a private singing studio. After graduating in 1928, she went to Paris to study. While at a Paris Russian Conservatorium, she studied acting and French. Returning to Lithuania, she joined the Kaunas and Vilnius radio, recording and giving concerts in Estonia and Latvia.

In Adelaide, she worked in a sewing room and later in an office. In the evenings and on weekends, she taught singing. She opened a singing studio for men and women, and taught piano for children over the age of eight. Many people had the benefit of her education. She joined the Alliance Française d'Adélaide and gave concerts at the Australian French Association.

Antanina appeared in many Adelaide Lithuanian events, concerts, performances, literature evenings and youth concerts. If she wasn’t performing, she was a spectator who wrote reviews for the Australian Lithuanian newspapers, Mūsų Pastogė, Tėviškės Aidai but also for Draugas, Pasaulio Lietuvis or other American and Canadian publications. She prepared radio programs about music, composition, actors, playwrighting and gave humourist readings at literature evenings or other cultural occasions.

May these women be the role models of the future, where their perseverance, dedication, and love show us how to pave a similar path into the future.

On Sunday 1 May2022, Adelaide celebrated the women in the community who have shaped us, nurtured us and made us proud. The 250 page book, Hidden Heroes, Women in the South Australian community was launched.

This book is compiled by, Birutė Beal, Juratė Grigonis, Edita Meskauškaitė and Daina Pocius. Each of us brought something different to the book, and together we made a great team.
Hidden Heroes records the lives of 73 remarkable women who have been a vital part of the Adelaide Lithuanian Community.
The four editors felt it was important to remember community members, before they are forgotten.
If anyone would like to purchase a book, you can do so from the link below. The cost is $30:00 which includes postage.

https://australian-lithuanian-archives.square.site/