AUSTRALIAN LITHUANIAN COMMUNITY
AUSTRALIJOS LIETUVIŲ BENDRUOMENĖ


ALC Federal Executive 1963-64 From left: P.Nagys, M.Zakaras,
I.Jonaitis, D.Labutytė, J.Maksvytis, V.Daudaras
The Australian Lithuanian Community (ALC) was formed in 1950, following a reorganisation of the Australian Lithuanian Society (Australijos Lietuviu Draugija), which had been in operation since 1930. The highest ALC governing body is the Federal Council, which 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).

ALC Federal Executive 1973-74 Front row (from left): E.Dainienė,
V.Neverauskas, L.Pocienė Back row (from left): V.Aleksandravičius,
V.Baltutis, D.Dunda, A.Galatiltis
The Federal Council elects for the duration of its term of office the 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 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 the Federal Council, oversees the work of the Regional Communities Executives.

ALC Federal Executive 1977-78 From left: V.Jaras, A.Milašas,
R.Zakarevičius, V.Patašius, A.Kabaila, P.Rope. Missing - L.Cox
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). 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, while in 1998 there were 9 Regional Communities (Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Geelong, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth, Sydney) and one Regional Community Branch (Gold Coast). ALC is a member of WLC.
Since 1972 in Melbourne there exists the independent ALC body, the Australian Lithuanian Foundation, which gives grants for the needs of 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. The ALC Archive operates in Adelaide, while 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 organisations. 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 ALC can be found in those two volumes.




ALC Federal Executive 1981-82 Front row (form left):
B.Prašmutaite, A.Pocius, I.Tamošaitienė Back row (from left):
J.Tamošiūnas, J.Kirkščiūnas, P.Baltutis, V.Adomavičius


ALC Federal Executive, in Sydney 1997-98 From left, sitting -
Vytautas Patašius, Laurie Cox, Pajauta Pullinen,
Kestutis Protas, Anskis Reisgys, standing -
Danius Kairaitis, Jonas Zinkus, Vytautas Doniela

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 Antanas Čibiras, Canberra


ALC Federal Executive, in Sydney 2003-4
Standing: Arminas Šepokas, Vincas Bakaitis
Sitting: Liuda Popenhagen, Lolita Kalėda, Daina Šliterytė
ALC Federal Executive, in Adelaide 2005-6
From left: Linas Kubilius, Jonas Verbyla, Lucija Vaičiulevičius,
Romas Pocius, Birutė Mikužienė, Ramūnas Dunda, Romas Urmonas

ALC Federal Executive, in Melbourne 2007-8 (L-R):
Loreta Cižauskaitė-Tigani, Dennis Gaylard, Lilija Kozlovskienė,
Edvina Utemiseva, Andrius Vaitiekūnas, Birutė Prašmutaitė.
(Absent) Vytautas Krivickas, Audrius Skeivys.
ALC Federal Executive, in Sydney 2009-10 (L-R):
Aida Abromienė (Secretary & Education), Teodoras Rotcas (Treasurer),
Dr. Angonita (Nita) Wallis (President), Gintaras Janulevičius (Communications),
Elė Kains (Cultural events)

ALC Federal Executive, in Adelaide 2011-12. (L-R):
Ramūnas Dunda (Vice-president), Gintaras Valužis (Secretary),
Aldona Bagušauskienė (Treasurer), Juratė Grigonytė (Culture & education)
and Dr. Saulius Varnas (President). Photo courtesy “Mūsų Pastogė”
ALC Federal Executive, in Melbourne 2013-14. Sitting (L-R)
Dr Rasa Ruseckaitė (Secretary), Gabrielius Žemkalnis (President)
and Lilija Kozlovskienė (Culture & Education). Standing (L-R)
Viva Alekna (Vice-president & Treasurer) and Algis Kairaitis
(Communications). Photo courtesy “Mūsų Pastogė”

ALC Federal Executive, in Sydney 2015-16.
(L-R) Kęstutis Protas (Secretary - English)),
Monika Čyplys (Secretary - Lithuanian), Dr. Ramutis Zakarevičius (President),
Eglė Garrick (Vice-president), Giedrimas Jeglinskas (Treasurer) and Antanas Čibiras.
(Absent) Edita Ritmejerytė (President, Australian Lithuanian Youth Association)
ALC Federal Executive, in Melbourne 2017-18.
(L-R) Zita Prašmutaitė, Eugenijus Klimas, Andrius Vaitiekūnas (President),
Dennis Gaylard, Gaila Muceniekas. (Absent) Antanas Čibiras, Andy Mašanauskas,
Ramutis Zakarevičius. Photo courtesy Andrius Vaitiekūnas

ALC Federal Executive 2019.
(L-R) Aleksas Talanskas, Dennis Gaylard, Antanas Čibiras (President), Dr. Andrius Vaitiekūnas, Monika Mack,
Dr. Alfonsas Stonis, Gaila Muceniekas, Algis Šimkus. (Absent) Tautvydas Anušaitis)


Original Text by: Jonas Zinkus
Translated by: Ramutis Zakarevičius