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The Australian Lithuanian Community (ALC)

was formed in 1950, following a reorganisation of the Australian Lithuanian Society (Australijos Lietuvių Draugija), which had been in operation since 1930.  The highest ALC governing body is the Federal Council. The ALC is a member of WLC.

The Federal Council

The Federal Council consists of delegates elected by secret ballot by Regional Communities, together with members of the Federal Executive, delegates to the World Lithuanian Community (WLC) Parliament and other persons specified in the constitution. The Federal Council is elected for a term of 2 years (in 1997 it had 76 members).

The Federal Council elects for the duration of its term of office various ALC executive bodies: – the Federal Executive, the Federal Auditors’ Commission, the Court of Honour and the delegates to the WLC Parliament. 

The ALC Federal Executive

The ALC Federal Executive represents Lithuanians at government and other institutions, raises funds, communicates with WLC and Lithuanian Communities in other countries, looks after cultural, educational, sporting and youth matters, implements decisions of the Federal Council and oversees the work of the Regional Communities Executives.

Until 1970 the Federal Executive was based in Sydney and after 1971, in rotating order in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney (an exception was  Canberra 1991-92).

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The ALB Current Committee

ALC Federal Executive Presidents

The current committee has elected to run for the next two years.

  • Pirmininkė / President: Rasa Mauragienė
    Sekretorė / Secretary: Edita Meškauskaitė
    Įždininkė / Treasurer: Ramute Stankevičiūtė
    Visuomeniniai reikalai /Community Affairs: Aleksas Talanskas
    Švietimo Taryba: Rasa Ruseckaitė
    Kultūra: Jomantė Maksvytytė
    Informacijos sklaida/Dissemination of Information: Jurgita Rakauskaitė Stanwix
    Specialius projektai/ Special Projects:
    Viešieji ryšiai/ Public Relations: Rūta Peleckienė

 

Algis Simkus as AL Fondas President

Tautvydas Anusaitis as the Australian Lithuanian Youth Group President

Alex Talanskas as Member for Adelaide

Alfonsis Stonis as Member for Sydney

PAST & PRESENT PRESIDENTS

Across the recent Lithuanian Days festival in Adelaide (Dec 27 – 31 2018) meetings of the country’s leaders was held with many discussions about the directions that are to take place within the Australian Lithuanian community as a whole.

During this time, a new and fresh committee was elected to run for the next two years.

Antanas Cibiras was elected President

Gaila Muceniekas was elected as Vice-President

Andrius Vaitiekunas as Secretary

Dennis Gaylard as Treasurer

Monika Mack as Protocol Secretary

Algis Simkus as AL Fondas President

Tautvydas Anusaitis as the Australian Lithuanian Youth Group President

Alex Talanskas as Member for Adelaide

Alfonsis Stonis as Member for Sydney

ALC Federal Executive Presidents
1950 – 53 (Oct 25) Justinas Vaičaitis, Sydney
1953 – 54 Vytautas Simniškis, Sydney
until June 17, 1955 Leonardas Karvelis, Sydney
1955 – 56 Vytautas Skrinska, Sydney
1957 – 58(Oct 25) Stepas Kovalskis, Sydney
until July 26, 1959 Vytautas Skrinska, Sydney
1959 – 60 Izidorius Jonaitis, Sydney
1961 – 62 Balys Daukus, Sydney
1963 – 64 Izidorius Jonaitis, Sydney
1965 – 69 (Dec) Simas Narušis, Sydney
until Dec 1970 Mykolas Zakaras, Sydney
1970 Juozas Maksvytis, Sydney
1971 – 74 Vytautas Neverauskas, Adelaide
1975 – 76 Algis Šimkus, Melbourne
1977 – 78 Algimantas Kabaila, Sydney
1979 – 80 Vytautas Neverauskas, Adelaide
1981 – 82 Albinas Pocius, Melbourne
1983 – 84 Vytautas Bukevičius, Sydney
1985 – 86 Vytautas Neverauskas, Adelaide
1987 – 88 Danutė Baltutienė, Melbourne
1989 – 90 Juozas Maksvytis, Sydney
1991 – 92 Viktoras Martišius, Canberra
1993 – 94 Viktoras Baltutis, Adelaide
1995 – 96 Andrius Žilinskas, Melbourne
1997 – 98 Vytautas Doniela, Sydney
1999 – 2000 Janina Vabolienė, Adelaide
2001 – 02 Birutė Prašmutaitė, Melbourne
2003 – 04 Lolita Kalėda, Sydney
2005 – 06 Romas Pocius, Adelaide
2007 – 08 Birutė Prašmutaitė, Melbourne
2009 – 10 Angonita Wallis, Sydney
2011 – 12 Saulius Varnas, Adelaide
2013 – 14 Gabrielius Žemkalnis, Melbourne
2015 – 16 Ramutis Zakarevičius, Sydney
2017 – 18 Andrius Vaitiekūnas, Melbourne
2019 – 20 Antanas Cibiras, Melbourne

ALC Regional Communities

ALC Regional Communities have been established in centres with major concentrations of Lithuanians, while Regional Community branches exist where smaller numbers of Lithuanians are to be found. 

In 1983 there were 10 Regional Communities and 3 Regional Community branches, whilst in 1998 there were 9 Regional Communities (Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Geelong, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth and Sydney) and one Regional Community branch (Gold Coast). 

Australian Lithuanian Foundation

Since 1972 in Melbourne there exists the independent ALC body, the Australian Lithuanian Foundation, which gives grants for the needs of the ALC and cultural, educational and other purposes.  The funds for the grants are derived from the annual interest on the capital accumulated from donations and bequests. 

Other Organisations

The ALC Archive operates in Adelaide, whilst in Sydney the Lithuanian Community Publishing Society publishes the weekly newspaper “Mūsų Pastogė” (“Our Haven”).

Within the framework of ALC there exist many independent youth, artistic, sporting and other oerganisations. 

The Federal Executive published Volume I of the “Australian Lithuanian Yearbook” (Juozas Almis Juragis, Chief Editor) in 1961 and Volume II (Viktoras Baltutis, Editor) in 1983.  Much information about the ALC  can be found in these two volumes.