Česlovas Sviderskas (1920-1997), Who Stayed in Sydney, by Rasa Ščevinksienė and Ann Tündern-Smith

Like our previous entrant, Vladas Navickas, Česlovas Sviderskas was one of the first group of 6 Lithuanians and Latvians sent to work at the Repatriation General Hospital, Concord, New South Wales, in April 1948. Unlike Vladas, Česlovas stayed, started a family and became part of Sydney’s Lithuanian community.

Česlovas was another of the 187, at least, First Transport men sent to pick fruit in Victoria’s Goulburn Valley from late January 1948. His employers were Messrs Dundas Simson of Ardmona. He had worked for them until returning to the Bonegilla camp on 1 April, so for a solid 2 months.

Česlovas Sviderskas in 1947

Source:  National Archives of Australia

Česlovas (or Charles) in Sydney

An obituary by Anskis Reisgys, published in the Mūsų Pastogė newspaper in November 1997, summarises his life in Australia. He stayed at the Concord Repatriation Hospital for the contract period required by the Australian Government, so probably until 30 September 1949. 

While there, he met a later arrival, Janina Jablonskytė, who became his wife on 26 November 1949.  The bride's marriage required the prior consent of the Minister for Immigration, as a birthdate of 12 March 1929 meant that she was still under the then age of majority, 21.  They had 2 sons, Robert and Raimondas.

Anskis wrote (in Lithuanian, translated by Rasa) that “Česlovas took great care of the well-being of his young family. He acquired a house for them in the Sydney suburb of Wentworthville early. He constantly improved the well-being of his family by acquiring better and better housing”.

Wentworthville was further away from Sydney’s centre than Parramatta. By the time Česlovas (than known as Charles Stevens) and Janina were granted Australian citizenship on 6 October 1961, the family had moved to Sydney’s south, to Revesby. This suburb was close to the Sydney’s Lithuanian Club in Bankstown, a suburb known by some as “Balt Town”.

Česlovas at Work and Play

Anskis added that Česlovas had “successfully immersed himself in the new air-conditioning industry, which was then expanding rapidly.”

“Česius had a soft heart for those who got into trouble”, Anskis wrote. “He supported not only his relatives, but also everyone who needed help. However, perhaps he devoted most of his heart to Lithuanian song. At gatherings he quickly became the centre of attention with his songs. Perhaps while singing, he poured out his heartache and gathered so much new strength that there was no room for complaints.

Česlovas' Retirement and Death

“Retirement was not a good time for Česlovas: his health deteriorated, he underwent a serious operation, after which he never recovered his health. He rejoiced in his grandchildren and the achievements of his sons. At the beginning of (1997), he suffered a major haemorrhage in the brain. Without regaining consciousness, he died on 6 November”, Anskis reported.

Česlovas or Charles in later life

Source:  Mūsų Pastogė

A large gathering of the Sviderskas and Jablonskis families farewelled Česlovas 4 days later at Sydney’s Rookwood Crematorium. Undoubtedly, many friends attended also, since there are 4 condolence advertisements immediately under the Mūsų Pastogė obituary.

One of those advertisements was from Sophia and Carmen Saparas, the widow and daughter of another First Transport arrival in Australia, Bronius Šaparas, who had been a pioneer aviator in Lithuania.

The resting place of Charles (Česlovas) Stevens (Sviderskas) 
in the Rookwood Cemetery

Source:  Milly McCarthy on Find A Grave

Janina dies

Česlovas’ widow, Janina, by then also known as Jenny, lived on for another 17 years after her husband died. She was farewelled by 4 grandchildren in addition to the 2 sons in December 2014.

Česlovas' Youth

Česlovas had been born in the town of Simnas, in Lithuania’s south, as the youngest of 11 children. He spent a happy childhood on his parents' large farm while attending the local primary school, then studied at Marijampolė secondary school. He also studied at the Kaunas Theological Seminary, and later attended lectures at the Faculty of Medicine of Vilnius University.

The report of the interview he attended with the selection team for migration from Germany to Australia summarises this as 3 years of primary school and 8 years of secondary.

Česlovas in Germany

At the time his presence in Germany as a refugee was recorded on an American form in August 1945, he had reached the city of Paderborn towards the north of the country. The Americans recorded him as a medical student, something that Australian records ignored but, possibly, this was taken into account in sending him to the Concord Hospital.

The only language in which he was fluent recorded by the Australians was Lithuanian, but the Americans noted that he spoke German, Polish and Russian without mentioning the Lithuanian.

He is likely to have known English too by October 1947, when applying for Australia, since his address then is given as 8184 Lab Serv Co, probably working for the Americans but the place was not listed. His occupation by then had become “automechanic”.

Versatility

Growing up on a farm seems to have taught Česlovas, the former medical student, to be versatile.

CITE THIS AS:  Ščevinksienė, Rasa and Tündern-Smith, Ann (2026) 'Česlovas Sviderskas  (1920-1997), Who Stayed in Sydney' https://firsttransport.blogspot.com/2026/01/ceslovas-sviderskas-1920-1997-who-stayed-in-Sydney.html

SOURCES

Bonegilla Identity Card Lookup ‘Ceslovas Sviderskas’ Bonegilla Migrant Experience https://idcards.bonegilla.org.au/record/203693538, accessed 15 January 2026.

Find a Grave ‘Charles Stevens’ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/150632914/charles-stevens, accessed 15 January 2026.

‘Folder DP4123, names from SWIATLA, Albina to SWIDERSKA, Bronislawa (2)’ 3.1.1 Registration and Care of DPs inside and outside of Camps, ITS/Arolsen Archives https://collections.arolsen-archives.org/en/document/69405226, accessed 15 January 2026.

Migrant Selection Documents for Displaced Persons who travelled to Australia per General Stuart Heintzelman departing Bremerhaven 30 October 1947, 1947-1947; 677, SVIDERSKAS Ceslowas DOB 12 February 1920 recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=5118097, accessed 15 January 2026.

National Archives of Australia: Migrant Reception and Training Centre, Bonegilla [Victoria]; A2571, Name Index Cards, Migrants Registration [Bonegilla], 1947-1956; SVIDERSKAS CESLOVAS, SVIDERSKAS, Ceslovas : Year of Birth - 1920 : Nationality - LITHUANIAN : Travelled per - GEN. HEINTZELMAN : Number – 1051, 1947-1948; recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=203693538, accessed 15 January 2026.

New South Wales, Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1995, Marriage Certificate, Registration Number 25160/1949, Sviderskas, Ceslovas and Jablonskis, Janina.

Reisgys, Anskis (1997) ‘A † A Česlovas Sviderskas — Charles Stevens’ (‘In Memoriam, Česlovas Sviderskas — Charles Stevens’, in Lithuanian) Mūsų Pastogė, Sydney, 1 December, p 7 https://www.spauda2.org/musu_pastoge/archive/1997/1997-11-24-MUSU-PASTOGE.pdf, accessed 15 January 2026.

Sydney Morning Herald (2014) ‘Janina Stevens Obituary’ https://tributes.smh.com.au/au/obituaries/smh-au/name/janina-stevens-obituary?id=44207354, accessed 15 January 2026.

Concord Repatriation Hospital, Sydney, for Lithuanian Refugees, by Jonas Antanas Skirka, translated by Rasa Ščevinksienė

The Australian Lithuanian newspaper, Mūsų Pastogė, published an article in December 1954 considering the role of Sydney's Concord Repatriation Hospital in the settlement of Lithuanian refugees (then called Displaced Persons) in Australia after World War II. Its author identified himself as JA Skirka. A quick search of the National Archives of Australian files which have been indexed on RecordSearch shows him to have been Jonas Antanas Skirka. Here is Rasa's translation.

"One of the larger workplaces in Sydney, where most of our compatriots found work and shelter even with their families upon arrival, is the Concord Military Hospital, probably the largest in Sydney.

Concord Hospital at the end of 1949

"Already at the end of 1949, over 60 Lithuanian men and women worked there under contract. All of them, both men and women, worked and still work, regardless of their profession, training, and education, only as ordinary workers. The men were mostly cleaners or orderlies, the women were nursing assistants.

"The worst times were those when, as soon as they arrived, and having nowhere to stay with their families, they were accommodated in the workers' camps located here, separately for women and men. Meetings with families were possible only during their free time — on the street.

A 2011 photo of Concord Hospital shows the 1990 extension
in front of the original multistorey building

Source:  Concord Historical Walking Tour

Lithuanian Doctors

"A little bit of statistical information: of the medical doctors who practiced in Lithuania, the following worked here: Drs Petrauskas, Ivinskis, Kišonas, Šalkauskienė, and Mikas Bobinskas. The first two of them are currently working as doctors in New Guinea, the third is a doctor in the Scheyville immigration camp, and Bobinskas is finishing his medical studies at the University of Sydney.

Lithuanian families

While working there, some met and created Lithuanian families: Česlovas Sviderskis with "Janina Jablonskytė and Stasys Paulauskas with Magdalena Jablonskytė. Kazys Jablonskis died.

"There was a time when entire families worked here: five Karpavičiai, four Miniotai, three Ankudavičiai. Jaunutis Jurskis, the famous chess player Vytautas Patašius and K. Ankudavičius worked and studied together.

Still working at Concord, late 1954

"Currently, 15 Lithuanian men and 10 women are still working permanently. Among them are: the compassionate Sister E. Šavronas, who graduated from an Australian nursing school; Vladas Miniota, a well-known public figure to the Lithuanians of Sydney; A. Gilandis, a student of the Kaunas Conservatory, who has played at various Lithuanian commemorations and parties, and who has promised to open a private music school from the beginning of next year.

Publishers of Mūsų Pastogė

"Finally, three publishers of this issue of Mūsų Pastogė work here: Juozas Kapočius, a public figure, one of the founders of the Lithuanian community in Australia, a former book publisher in Germany, who always, everywhere and helped everyone wherever they were asked; Pranas Antanaitis, quiet and modest, who always contributes with work and donations wherever needed; and Kazys Čiuras, who has been working here for the longest time as a specialist for steam boilers, specially invited from Melbourne."

CITE THIS AS:  Skirka, Jonas Antanas (1954) 'Concord Repatriation Hospital, Sydney, for Lithuanian Refugees' translated from Lithuanian by Rasa Ščevinksienė, https://firsttransport.blogspot.com/2026/01/%20%20%20concord-repatriation-hospital-sydney-for-lithuanian-refugees.html.

SOURCE

Skirka, Jonas Antanas (1954) 'Concordo Lietuviai' ('Lithuanians of Concord' in Lithuanian) Mūsų Pastogė (Our Haven) Sydney, NSW, 1 December p 3 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/259362687, accessed 14 January 2026.