Bernardas Matkevičius (1922-1992) A Labourer's Life, by Rasa Ščevinskienė and Ann Tündern-Smith

Bernardas first job in Australia

We’ve met Bernadas Matkevičius already. He was a workmate of Juozas Nakas, when both were employed by CJ Webb, Row & Anderson at Thornton, in northeast Victoria’s timber country. He was the truck driver in the June 1948 photograph below.

Aged 24 when selected for Australia and 5 feet 11 inches tall, that’s 180 centimetres, he would have had the physique for which the selection team were looking. We can’t tell you anything more about his selection at this time, as his papers are yet to be digitised.

While they were still working at Thornton, Bernardas, Juozas Nakas and a third Lithuanian in the photograph below, Edvardas Lapinskas, subscribed to the fledgling Mūsų Pastogė (Our Haven) Lithuanian-Australian newspaper by sending £3 each. That may well have been a large slice of their savings. It was appreciated by the newspaper, which thanked them publicly in its 16 February 1949 edition.

Bernardas is in the cab with fellow workers Lithuanian Edvardas Lapinskas on the left, an Estonian, probably Helmut Nurmsalu in the middle and Lithuanian Juozas Nakas on the right:
the message on the back of this photo printed on postcard paper was dated 19 June 1948
and sent from Thornton, Victoria, where the group worked

Source:  Private collection

Later employment and residence

There is no citizenship file on the National Archives of Australia’s RecordSearch Web service and no digitised announcement in the Commonwealth Gazette of Bernardas becoming an Australian citizen. He clearly did, though, as he is on electoral rolls from 1963 to 1980. (Later rolls have yet to be digitised.)

The digitised rolls enable us to see where Bernardas lived and his stated occupation. In 1963, he was a rubber worker who lived on Bayswater Road, Wantirna, in Melbourne’s outer eastern suburbs. By 1968, he was living on nearby Orchard Road in Bayswater and had become a labourer.

Bernardas' photo from his Bonegilla card

Source:  National Archives of Australia

In 1977, he had moved again, to the suburb of Heathmont but was still a labourer. In 1980, he was still at the Heathmont address and a labourer.

We can see that Bernardas was already a rubber worker in 1957 and, probably, 1956 from a Victoria Government Gazette. The issue for 9 January 1957 contains a notice from Dunlop Rubber which includes Bernardas in a list of people for whom the company held unclaimed money. This may have been because of a pay rise where the retrospective amount was not included in his pay packet, or some other problem with his pay. The amount was only 7 shillings and 11 pence, but probably could have bought him several beers after work.

At the time, he was recorded as living in the inner, then industrial suburb of Port Melbourne, likely to have been close to his place of work.

Bernardas' early life

Also in 1957, in October, Mūsų Pastogė published a notice for him, saying that it had news for him from S. Daugėliškis. Senasis Daugėliškis was his birthplace, a village in the Ignalina district, Utena County in Lithuania.

Bernardas was a Christmas present to his parents, Anupras Matkevičius and the former Izabelė Peciulevičiūtė, as he arrived on 24 December 1922. This happiness was followed by sadness though, as Izabelė died only 19 months after his birth, on 24 July 1924. She was aged 39.

She had already born two older sons, Edmundas around 1913 and Jonas around 1917. He also had 3 half-sisters. We have this information because someone has been interested enough in him and his family to include their details on a family history Website, geni.com.

Bernardas' death

Bernardas was only 69 when he died at Heathmont on 15 October 1992. Unfortunately, whoever gave his name to officialdom misspelled it as Beranardas Markevicius. That also is how is burial in the Yan Yean Cemetery on 22 October is recorded.

At least the Melbourne Lithuanian-language newspaper, Tėviškės Aidai (The Echoes of Homeland), knew the correct spelling of his name when it carried a report of his death and burial in its 27 October 1992 issue.

Bernardas’ death certificate shows that he died from heart disease, and that he also was known as Ben Markevicius. Maybe he had noted that Australians found Markevicius easier to say than Matkevicius. But the death certificate also contains the incorrect Beranardas spelling of his forename.

Not surprisingly, given the low income occupations since his arrival in Australia, Bernardas’ final occupation was given as pensioner.

His grave is unmarked still. Presumably his estate was not large enough to cover the costs of a grave marker. Also, he may have died intestate, that is, without a will. We think this was the case since an online search for a possible will held by the Public Records Office of Victoria did not produce any results under either the proper spelling of his name or the misspelling.

Bernardas' burial site is in the middle of this photograph

Source:  Geoff F on Find A Grave

His grave might be a pauper’s grave.

SOURCES

Ancestry.com, ‘All Census & Voter Lists results for Bernardas Matkevicius’ https://www.ancestry.com/search/categories/35/?name=Bernardas_Matkevicius&location=5027&priority=australian, accessed 26 March 2026.

Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria [search for Beranardas Markevicius’ (sic) death] https://my.rio.bdm.vic.gov.au/efamily-history/69a880855cdccbdd88c2952f/results?q=efamily, accessed 26 March 2026.

Bonegilla Migrant Experience, Bonegilla Identity Card Lookup, ‘Bernardas Matkevicius’ https://idcards.bonegilla.org.au/record/203611495, accessed 26 March 2026.

Electronic Archive Information System, ‘Švenčionių dekanato gimimo metrikų knyga’ (Svencionys Deanery Birth Register, in Lithuanian) [Bernardas’ birth is recorded in the Senasis Daugėliškis church 1922 register, on page 66 as number 187] https://eais.archyvai.lt/repo-ext/view/267143226, accessed 26 March 2026.

Find a grave, ‘Beranardas Markevicius, Yan Yean Cemetery’) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/231620463/beranardas-markevicius?_gl=1*w6jern*_gcl_au*ODk2ODA1MDgxLjE3Njg0MTYwMDM.*_ga*MTU0MjMxMjQ3Mi4xNzM3Mzk2NDY1*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*czAzMTNiOWM0LTA0NjEtNGFhZi05NzkxLTU1MDM1ZGRjMzY0NSRvMjYkZzEkdDE3NzI2NTA0NjQkajU5JGwwJGgw*_ga_LMK6K2LSJH*czAzMTNiOWM0LTA0NjEtNGFhZi05NzkxLTU1MDM1ZGRjMzY0NSRvMjYkZzEkdDE3NzI2NTA0NjQkajU5JGwwJGgw, accessed 26 March 2026.

Geni.com ‘Bernardas Matkevičius’ https://www.geni.com/people/Bernardas-Matkevi%C4%8Dius/6000000070489407928?through=6000000070492006821, accessed 26 March 2026

Mūsų Pastogė (Our Haven) (1949) ‘Aukos Mūsų Pastogei’ (‘Donations to Musu Pastoge’, in Lithuanian) Sydney, NSW, 16 February, p 6 https://spauda2.org/musu_pastoge/archive/1949/1949-02-16-MUSU-PASTOGE.pdf, accessed 26 March 2026.

Mūsų Pastogė (Our Haven) (1957) ( ‘Pajieškojimai‘ (‘Searches‘, in Lithuanian) Sydney, NSW, 14 October, p 6 https://www.spauda2.org/musu_pastoge/archive/1957/1957-10-14-MUSU-PASTOGE.pdf, accessed 26 March 2026.

National Archives of Australia: Department of Immigration, Central Office; A11772, Migrant Selection Documents for Displaced Persons who travelled to Australia per General Stuart Heintzelman departing Bremerhaven 30 October 1947, 1947-1947; 482, MATKEVICIUS Bernardas DOB 24 December 1922, 1947-1947.

National Archives of Australia: Migrant Reception and Training Centre, Bonegilla [Victoria]; A2571, Name Index Cards, Migrants Registration [Bonegilla], 1947-1956; MATKEVICIUS BERNARDAS, MATKEVICIUS, Bernardas : Year of Birth - 1922 : Nationality - LITHUANIAN : Travelled per - GEN. HEINTZELMAN : Number – 857, 1947-1948 recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=203611495, accessed 26 March 2026.

Tėviškės Aidai (The Echoes of Homeland) (1992) ‘Iš mūsų parapijų, Melbournas‘ (‘From Our Parishes, Melbourne’, in Lithuanian) Melbourne, Vic, 27 October, p 7 https://www.spauda2.org/teviskes_aidai/archive/1992/1992-nr42-TEVISKES-AIDAI.pdf, accessed 26 March 2026.

Victoria Government Gazette (1957) ‘Dunlop Rubber Australia Limited, Register of unclaimed money held by Dulop (sic) Rubber Australia Limited, 108 Flinders-street, Melbourne’ Melbourne, Vic, 9 January, p 117 https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/vic_gazette/1957/22.pdf, accessed 26 March 2026.

Vikipedija, ‘Senasis Daugėliškis’ in Lithuanian, https://lt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senasis_Daug%C4%97li%C5%A1kis, accessed 24 March 2026.

Izidorius Smilgevičius with friends, by Ann Tündern-Smith

If you've looked through old photo albums, you may well have seen a street photograph or several.  We have one in this blog already, in the story of Rasa Ščevinskiene's grandfather, Adomas Ivanauskas.  

Adomas Ivanauskas with friend Beryl on a Melbourne street, 17 October 1950

Source:  Private Collection

This form of street photography is said to have started in the United Kingdom in the 1930s and flourished during the period when few people had their own cameras, let alone phones which took more photographs than they took calls.

Given the size of cameras in those days, those being photographed would have been aware of what was happening and probably smiled because they knew they had been "caught".  An assistant handed the subjects a card to tell them where they could view contact prints in the next or following days.  There was a price to pay but, given the absence of personal cameras, many were willing.

Some of these photographers operated also at social events, as Rasa's blog entries about friends of her grandfather testify.

An niece of Izidorius Smilgevicius' wife, Joy Spain, gave me access to his small photograph collection when we met in Melbourne.  It included these two  photographs of Izzy with friends, likely to be fellow Lithuanians. 

One was definitely taken on a street, but by a photographer who was not accomplished.  A  better photographer would have not have cut off some of the man on the left by including less background on the right.  

Young Lithuanian men, probably on a Melbourne street —
might some of the others be those who absconded from EZ Rosebery with Izzy?

Source:  Private collection

The photograph below probably was taken at a social event.  That's my guess because the young men, all from the First Transport, I was told, are all dressed in their best (and probably only) suits.

Five Lithuanian men from the First Transport

Source:  Private Collection

So, who do you recognise in the photographs above?

SOURCES

Murray, Lisa (2019) 'Street Photography' State Library New South Wales, Dictionary of Sydney, https://dictionaryofsydney.org/blog/street_photography, accessed 24 March 2026. 

Museums of History NSW, 'Street Photography' https://mhnsw.au/whats-on/exhibitions/street-photography-touring-exhibition/, accessed 24 March 2026.

Museums of History NSW, 'The street snapshot craze' https://mhnsw.au/stories/general/street-snapshot-craze/, accessed 24 March 2026.

Mečys Laurinavičius (1922-1984) Becomes Max Laurin, by Rasa Ščevinskienė and Ann Tündern-Smith

Mecys' first assignment

You may never have heard of Togganoggera in New South Wales. Neither has Google Maps, although the Australian-based Bonzle Maps can locate it. So can Phillip Simpson’s massive 2020 publication, Historical Guide to New South Wales.

We want to know where it is because the Commonwealth Employment Service at the Bonegilla Camp sent 2 of the First Transporters to work for WL Moore, Sawmillers, at Togganoggera, NSW. They were Mečys Laurinavičius and his fellow Lithuanian, Bolius Kunčiunas.

Mečys Laurinavičius photograph from his Bonegilla card

Source:  National Archives of Australia

Simpson writes that Togganoggera is 29 Km southwest of Braidwood, on the Shoalhaven River. Its main industry is grazing. It has an airfield and a quarry, but there is no mention of a sawmill. The telephone arrived in 1918. The population of the locality in 1933 was 49 people (and 1933 probably was the last time anyone found it for a census).

Mecys finds trouble

Mečys appeared in the local newspaper, The Braidwood Review and District Advocate, a little after the first anniversary of the First Transport arriving at Fremantle, on 30 November 1948. He had been found drunk on the main street of Braidwood at “4.5 o'clock on the morning following the Ambulance Ball”, arrested by a constable and taken to the police station.

Presumably he had been released later that day because on the following day, when called at the Court of Petty Sessions, he failed to appear and his 10 shillings bail was forfeited.

The Ambulance Ball would have to be held in Braidwood’s Show Pavillion on 27 November, so Mečys was found to have overindulged on the morning of 28 November, exactly one year after he disembarked for a new life in Australia. Had he been trying to forget the next year? Had he been celebrating how wonderful it was compared with the previous 7 years of his life?

Mecys in NSW and citizenship

Mečys stayed in New South Wales after finishing his contract, presumably on 30 September 1949 along with nearly all the other First Transporters. We know that because on 29 June 1954, in the Sydney Morning Herald and one other newspaper, he was advertising that he intended to apply for naturalization under the Nationality and Citizenship Act 1948-1953.

He was naturalized, granted Australian citizenship, on 30 November 1955, from an address in Eastwood, a suburb in the north of Sydney.

Mecys married, their address and occupations

In 1958, the first time Mečys appeared on a publicly available electoral roll, he had already married his Australian wife, Joan, and his occupation was given as rubber worker. Joan was a typist. They lived in Eastwood. In 1963, their occupations and street address were the same, but their suburb had become Rydalmere. All the details were the same on the 1968 and 1977 rolls.

Given that any marriage occurred more than 50 years ago, its record should be available, but a search of the New South Wales Government’s Marriage records said initially that it was unavailable. That was because someone has managed to massacre the spelling of both Mečys’ first name (“Mercys”) and his last name. A wildcard (*) is essential in such situations.

The marriage took place in 1951.

Mecys becomes Max

Before the production of the 1980 electoral roll, Mečys had decided to make things easier for his fellow Australians and, perhaps, especially his wife. He had changed his name to Max Laurin.

On the 1980 roll, Joan Laurin is still a typist but Max also may have made life easier for himself in another way, by ceasing to work with rubber and becoming instead a driver.

Mečys is a very Slavic name, short for Mečislovas, which in turn is the Lithuanian form of the Slavic forename whose Polish version is Mieczysław. This name combines miecz or meč meaning “sword” and slava or slav meaning “glory” or “fame”, so its meaning approximates “one who gains glory with the sword.” There being no immediate English or Germanic equivalent, Max was a well-chosen alternative.

Mecys and Mūsų Pastogė

The Lithuanian-Australian newspaper, Mūsų Pastogė, had thanked Mečys in its 8 October 1973 edition for donating 8 books and 3 Lithuanian records to the Sydney Lithuanian Club Library’s Reading Room. No, it was more than mere thanks: it was sincere gratitude.

Mūsų Pastogė next had occasion to discuss Mečys in its 14 January 1985 edition, when it reported that he had died of cancer on 14 October in the Westmead Hospital. He was buried in Castlebrook Rosehill Cemetery. He left behind a grieving wife, an Australian woman. They did not have a family. He was a relatively youthful 62. Although he did not participate in Lithuanian life, he was a long-time reader of Mūsų Pastogė.

Mecys' death, funeral, burial

The Sydney Herald Sun newspaper of 15 October 1984 had carried the English-language death and funeral notice. Not only was Max Laurin the beloved husband of Joan but he also was the loved brother-in-law of Eric, Ken, Ron and Gwen and loved uncle of their families. He still was living on Bennetts Road, which original had been in Eastwood but which now, 30 years later, was in West Dundas.

His relatives and friends were invited to attend his funeral to leave the all Saints Anglican Church, Victoria Road, Parramatta after a service commencing at 9.30 for the interment in the Castlebrook Lawn Cemetery, Windsor Road, Rouse Hill. If Mečys was originally Roman Catholic like the majority of Lithuanians, he had become a Protestant for Joan’s sake.

Mecys and assimilation

He had assimilated even more by becoming a Freemason. The newspaper notice invited officers and brethren of Corinthian No 100 UGL of NSW attend the funeral of their late esteemed member Max Laurin. Regalia was to be worn. UGL was the United Grand Lodge.

At least Max and Mečys had never stopped the subscription to Mūsų Pastogė.

Mecys' past

We do not have access to a digitised version of Mecys’ selection papers at this time. The Arolsen Archives has yet to digitise any papers relating to his time in Germany. All we know about Mecys’ past is that his parents were Bronius and Marija; we know this from his death certificate. We will update this page with particular reference to Mecys’ time before Australia as more information becomes available.

SOURCES

Ancestry.com, ‘All results for Max Laurin’, https://www.ancestry.com/search/?name=max_laurin&event=_australia_5027&searchMode=advanced, accessed 23 March 2026.

Ancestry.com, ‘All results for Mecys Laurinavicius’, https://www.ancestry.com/search/?name=mecys_laurinavicius&event=_australia_5027&searchMode=advanced, accessed 23 March 2026.

Bonegilla Migrant Experience, Bonegilla Identity Card Lookup, ‘Mecys Laurinavicius’ https://idcards.bonegilla.org.au/record/203619596, accessed 23 March 2026.

Braidwood Review and District Advocate (1948) ‘Ambulance Ball’, Braidwood, NSW, 30 November, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/119376162, accessed 23 March 2026

Commonwealth of Australia Gazette (1956) Canberra, ACT, 24 May, p 1513 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/25099858, accessed 23 March 2026.

Death Search Results, NSW Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages, ‘Laurin Max, 23254/1984’ https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/familyhistory/search/deaths?1, accessed 23 March 2026.

Herald Sun (1984) ‘Deaths, Laurin, Max’ Sydney, NSW, 15 October, p 27 https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=lL5f5cZgq8MC&dat=19841015&printsec=frontpage&hl=en, accessed 23 March 2026.

Herald Sun (1984) ‘Funerals, Laurin, Max’ Sydney, NSW, 15 October, p 27 https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=lL5f5cZgq8MC&dat=19841015&printsec=frontpage&hl=en, accessed 23 March 2026.

Klubo Valdyba (Club Board) (1973) ‘Padėka‘ (‘Acknowledgements‘ in Lithuanian) Mūsų Pastogė (Our Haven) Sydney, NSW, 8 October, p 8 https://spauda2.org/musu_pastoge/archive/1973/1973-10-08-MUSU-PASTOGE.pdf, accessed 23 March 2026.

Mūsų Pastogė (Our Haven) 1985 [No heading] Sydney, NSW, 14 January, p 12 https://spauda2.org/musu_pastoge/archive/1985/1985-01-14-MUSU-PASTOGE.pdf, accessed 23 March 2026.

National Archives of Australia: Department of Immigration, Central Office; A446, Correspondence files, annual single number series with block allocations [Main correspondence files series of the agency] 1926-2001; 1955/32795, Application for Naturalisation - LAURINAVICIUS Mecys born 19 August 1922, 1954-1955.

National Archives of Australia: Department of Immigration, Central Office; A11772, Migrant Selection Documents for Displaced Persons who travelled to Australia per General Stuart Heintzelman departing Bremerhaven 30 October 1947, 1947-1947; 175, LAURINAVICIUS Mecys DOB 19 August 1922, 1947-1947

National Archives of Australia: Migrant Reception and Training Centre, Bonegilla [Victoria]; A2571, Name Index Cards, Migrants Registration [Bonegilla], 1947-1956; LAURINAVICIUS MECYS, LAURINAVICIUS, Mecys : Year of Birth - 1922 : Nationality - LITHUANIAN : Travelled per - GENERAL HEINTZELMAN : Number – 572, 1947-1948 recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=203619596, accessed 23 March 2026.

Sydney Morning Herald (1954) ‘Public Notices’ Sydney, NSW, 9 June, p 15 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18427320,  accessed 23 March 2026.

Vaclavs Kozlovskis in Pyramid Hill, July 1948

 

PYRAMID HILL, 3.7.48, Sat

Now and then the Australian papers hold some sensible words as well - today’s articles for example - this cutting from Smith’s Weekly.

Note that the Communists illustrating the Smith's Weekly article of 5 June 1948
appear to have the heads of clowns

Source:  Trove

Early this evening I went to the dance with Kukusinski*. We took a bottle of wine to Fred’s, and soon enough we became very talkative and merry. Fred told us that tonight there was a farewell evening for our old foreman, Bill, in progress, and tried so hard to talk us into going that finally we agreed.

On the other side of town, in a building on the football field, a large crowd of men had gathered. All of them were full, one had just climbed onto the table extolling the praises of Bill, who was swaying in some remote corner and smiling, while everyone else was half listening, and half talking in drunken voices amongst themselves.

In one corner the barkeeper sat with a beer cask, handing out free drinks. It was there that Fred dragged us and now we had to enjoy it as well, even though we’d already drunk over our limit. In fact we came into town to go dancing, so we tried to disappear from this boozing company, but the first try failed — Fred caught us and dragged us back.

Our next try ten minutes later met with success and soon enough, breathless from our zigzag running, we were drinking lemonade at Naschke’s café, and then went to the dance. It was already late and after several dances the national anthem played and nothing much came of our much-anticipated dancing. Next time we will definitely have to try to drink less, and dance more.

PYRAMID HILL, 4.7.48, Sun

Those damned sparrows: they’ve found their way into the loft of my cabin and chirp annoyingly, disturbing my sleep. I can’t throw a boot at them for it might rip the paper ceiling, so I was up by eight. Because I happened to be up in time, I went to church at St Patrick’s — the only thing here that is the same as in Latvia.

In the afternoon, Kukusinski and I discovered a new pursuit: we played basketball with the ladies. And so, larking around, the whole afternoon passed, and it was especially pleasant, when you take into account the merry, pretty lasses.

But about the basketball itself I have to say that it’s only the name that is similar to basketball in Europe. First of all the basket is without boards, and is raised on one post. You are not allowed to dribble the ball forward, or run around the whole court, and you have to let the opponents throw the ball without interference from a certain distance. Such basketball I couldn’t have imagined even in my dreams.

But our primary aim isn’t to play, but rather to spend some pleasant time in the company of females, and this is where we find them, for in Australia this game is generally only played by women. The men give precedence to their foolish football, which is supposed to be the most advanced and highest form of football (of course, only in their own minds!).

The 7 from the First Transport, in their best outfits,
 with 2 local women (and a dog) who found them interesting

Source:  Collection of Vaclavs Kozlovskis

PYRAMID HILL, 6.7.48, Tues

The boss showed up, but we didn’t see him all day. It was only after work that he came into my cabin and widened his eyes in amazement at the changes we’ve wrought. Apparently it’s unusual here that a simple labourer organises his dwelling so pleasantly. You can see this when you compare ours with the Australians’. And why wouldn’t he marvel, when I’ve made so cosy and pleasant a room from a simple wooden shed.

Of course, he brought some changes with him. Starting from tomorrow we have a new foreman, who the whole village says is an exploitative, bad person. The boss’s task is to raise production from one hundred and thirty to two hundred or three hundred yards, but I doubt we’ll be able to manage that. We won’t let this foreman pull us around by our noses, after all we’re not slaves and can “escape” at any time back to Bonegilla.

He also said that a sand-digging vehicle will arrive soon along with five more Balts. The new crusher will also be ready soon, and then production will most likely increase, but whether we can reach three hundred yards a day, and how we will get on with the new foreman, I don’t know. Bill, the old foreman, was a very nice person, it’s a pity he has to go to another quarry.

PYRAMID HILL, 17.7.48, Sat

“Time to go for firewood!”, we resolved yesterday as we observed the empty woodpile beside the kitchen, so today we did. Around lunchtime we brought a large truckload home, and so the unpleasant threat of cold meals has been held at bay again.

We hadn’t bought any wine for today, but without fortification my legs couldn’t follow the strange movements called “Australian dance” here, so this afternoon we brought home bottles of gin and lemonade. It was nothing special, but climbed into the head well, and by the time we arrived at the hall, life looked pretty rosy.

To my mind these Australian dances are very strange - sometimes dropping onto the knees, sometimes sliding across the floor as if ice-skating, sometimes everyone goes forward at once, then back again, now and then lifting one leg, then the other, and sometimes, it seems, even both at once; how can a man make any sense of it all without a bottle?

Usually a prize-giving dance is held each evening, during which a man waves cards around energetically. The music halts frequently, at which point he sends a large number of the dancers off the floor. The last dancer on the floor wins a prize. This sort of dance, of course, happened tonight as well, and just this evening it happened that I was the last dancer on the floor.

This feeling wasn’t particularly enjoyable, especially because I was dancing with Margot and all the gossips will now start saying that we’re together, but nothing can help that now. After the dance, to a loud ovation, I went to the centre of the hall to receive my prize — a wonderful shaving kit. Soon after that the musicians started playing the national anthem, and it was time to go home.

PYRAMID HILL, 20.7.48, Tues

IIt’s amazing how swiftly the earth turns - it seems that July has only just begun, but the calendar already shows the other end of it … be that as it may, another dance day is here, even though it’s the middle of the week. After work I spruced myself up, but then listening to the fine raindrops clattering on the roof, it seemed that our plans to go to the dance would fall through. As soon as it was dark the boss appeared and helped me to fill in my income tax forms, which are to be sent to Melbourne as soon as possible.

With these forms he’s also sending a courteous letter, pointing out that I am a poor DP, and that for the last three years I haven’t had any income, so now I have hopes of my tax deductions returning to my pocket. It seems that the rain wanted to detain us just long enough for the boss’s visit, for soon after he arrived it stopped, and we renewed our resolve to go to the dance.

We arrived around ten, but there was plenty of time left until two. As usual during this type of dance, it was crowded and all the girls were wearing long dresses, but the empty gin bottle sent to the devil my remaining shyness, and I began dancing the moment we arrived.

I danced a lot this time, even the dances I haven’t been game to try up to now. Suddenly, in the middle of one dance the master of ceremonies appeared beside me, pointed to the coloured balloons above my head, then murmured something in English and slapped me on the shoulder, while the rest of the crowd started their embarrassing clapping, just like last Saturday. It’s not my fault that when the music suddenly stopped I happened to be standing right under the balloons, but I was the winner again, and this time the prize was an ashtray with the words “From Pyramid Hill” inscribed on it.

I didn’t get home until three. It’ll be a hard day at work tomorrow!

PYRAMID HILL, 31.7.48, Sat

I’ve become a student again, and spent the first two hours yesterday sitting on a child’s seat in the local primary school. This time I’m learning English, or should I say, learning how to properly pronounce English words much differently to how I’ve been taught before. The government has given us this opportunity, and it certainly is a good thing, if for nothing else than it will be useful for when I seek a place in one of the local naval schools.

This afternoon Vik* and I emptied the usual wine bottle and went dancing. I happened to dance with Jan, who invited me to play tennis tomorrow afternoon at two — exactly the same time I’ve been invited to play basketball by Velma. I like this tall lass very much, so I accepted her invitation, but after the dance while I was sitting on a chair waiting for a sudden rain shower to pass, I suddenly remembered that I’d promised to show up in two different places at exactly the same time. To make it worse both courts are right next to each other.

Where will I go, and where not? Oh well, I’m sure I’ll work things out tomorrow … but perhaps rain will come and rescue me from this awkward situation? That would really be the best solution.

* Neither Kukusinski nor Vik (Viktor, Viktors or Viktoras?) are names appearing among the 7 from the First Transport sent to Pyramid Hill.  A search for Kukusinski in the records of the National Archives of Australia did not produce any results, which a search for the Vik variations produced too many (1215 from 1947).