Vladas Mozuraitis (1922-2007): From Farmer to Jack of Many Trades by Daina Pocius

Updated 3 February 2025

Born in Keturvalakiai, a small town in Marijampolė County, in southwestern Lithuania, on 8 April 1922, Vladas Mozuraitis came from a farming family with three sisters and two brothers. After completing four year of school, the normal minimum at the time, he worked with his father on the farm and quickly learned farm work.  He later reported that he had undertaken farm work for ten years.

When the Soviet forces headed back to Lithuania in the late summer of 1944, he and his family withdrew to Germany. He resided in Displaced Persons camps where he learnt how to make shoes.

Vladas Mozuraitis

Source:  Australian Lithuanian Archive

He came to Australia on the First Transport in November 1947, aged 25. Taken to Bonegilla, he stayed there until the 12 January when he was assigned to work at the Lake Bolac Flax Mill in Victoria.

After his contracted ended he moved to Geelong where he worked in the tractor factory of International Harvester Company. He also worked for Ford as a first-class machinist.

Vladas Mozuraitis (centre, kneeling) helps cut down a tree

Source:  Australian Lithuanian Archive

A very skilful worker, he liked and understood cars.

While working in Geelong he purchased a Triumph motorcycle, which he rode 400 km to Cowra in NSW to meet a sister and her family. He gave each relative £5, a week’s wage at that time.

Vladas on his motorcycle -- clearly a print which someone carried around for a long time

Source:  Australian Lithuanian Archive

He moved to Melbourne in 1956 to be closer to other family. By then he had purchased an Austin A 40 which he was forever improving.

In Melbourne he worked in various factories, where he liked working with people. He enjoyed fishing, attaching a rod to his bicycle to catch eels and other fish.

Vladas Mozuraitis in his Sunday best

Source:  Australian Lithuanian Archive

When a sister moved to be closer to family in Adelaide in 1995, he moved also. He passed away on 26 September 2007 aged 85.

Sources

Arolsen Archives (1951) 'Resettled file (Mozuraitis, Vladas)' https://collections.arolsen-archives.org/en/document/68348649 accessed 25 January 2025.

National Archives of Australia, Migrant Reception and Training Centre, Bonegilla [Victoria]; A2571, Name Index Cards, Migrants Registration [Bonegilla], 1947-56; MOZURAITIS, Vladas : Year of Birth - 1922 : Nationality - LITHUANIAN : Travelled per - GEN. HEINTZELMAN : Number - 600 https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=203902924 accessed 28 January 2025.

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, 1947-47; 204, MOZURAITIS Vladas DOB 8 April 1922, 1947-47 https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=5005620 accessed 2 February 2025

Verbyla, Jonas(2007) Eulogy written by Vladas' nephew, unpublished manuscript in the possession of the Australian Lithuanian Archive.

Juozas Šuopys (1913–1997): Farm Boy to Family Support by Daina Pocius

Juozas Šuopys was born on a large farm in the village of Skaisgiriai, Sintautai district, Šakiai county in Lithuania on 9 February 1913. Together with other 437 Lithuanians, Juozas arrived in Australia on the USAT General Stuart Heinzelman, the First Transport, on 28 November 1947.

Juozas Šuopys' identity photo on his Bonegilla card

Source:  NAA, A2571, Suopys Juozas

From the Bonegilla Migrant camp, Juozas’ two-year contract was with the Flax Production Committee, Melbourne, possibly going to the Commonwealth Flax Mill at Lake Bolac with other new arrivals from the ship. He later worked at a Kellogg’s factory until retirement. This probably was the factory which the company opened in Botany, a suburb of Sydney, in 1928.

Juozas did not waste his savings unnecessarily, but even though he lived alone, he had bought a house in Botany. It was probably from this house, at 24 Page Street, that he sought and obtained naturalisation as an Australian citizen on 31 August 1966. Through this process, he announced a legal change of name, to Joseph Sopis. To Lithuanians, he undoubted remained Juozas Suopys.

Later he moved to Punchbowl, near the Lithuanian House in Bankstown, where he was a frequent guest. Juozas belonged to the Returned Services League on account of having been caught up in World War II, while supporting Lithuanian sports and other Lithuanian activities with donations.

Around 1980, he met Ingeborg, a German widow, and spent the rest of his life with her.

He never forgot his sisters and extended relatives. He travelled to Lithuania several times and was able to help his relatives, providing farm equipment and cars.

He did not forget his home parish in Sintautai, where the church was destroyed during the war. It was restored to its former state thanks to the efforts of the pastor, the prelate Maskeliūnas. Juozas was one of the biggest supporters of the reconstruction of this church.

After returning from a visit to Lithuania, Juozas felt pain in his leg. He was taken to Bankstown Hospital, where he died of complications a week later, on 15 October 1997 at the respectable age of 84.

On October 20, after mass, which was held by Fr. John Girdauskas SM, Juozas’ remains were accompanied by Inga's family and his Lithuanian friends to the Lithuanian section of the Rookwood cemetery. Antanas Kramilius gave a farewell speech on behalf of the community. At the grave, the Lithuanian National anthem was sung.

References

Arolsen Archives (1945) ‘AEF DP Registration Record’, 5 October, https://collections.arolsen-archives.org/en/document/69197342 accessed 25 January 2025.

Arolsen Archives (1946) ‘UNRRA HQ’s Team 77, DP Camp Mattenberg’ 17 June https://collections.arolsen-archives.org/en/document/81997447 accessed 25 January 2025.

Arolsen Archives (1946) ‘Transportlist (sic) UNRRA HQ Team 77, DP Camp Mattenberg’ 16 August https://collections.arolsen-archives.org/en/document/81997477 accessed 25 January 2025.

Arolsen Archives (1946) [From Folder 170: Kassel-Oberzwehren] 9 October https://collections.arolsen-archives.org/en/document/81997518 accessed 25 January 2025.

AVK (1997) ‘Mūsų mirusieji: Juozas Šuopys, 1913.03.09 – 1997.10.15’ (‘Our dead: Juozas Suopys, 9.3.1913 – 15.10.1997, in Lithuanian) Mūsų Pastogė Sydney, 3 November p 7.

Commonwealth of Australia Gazette (1967) ‘Certificates of Naturalisation’ Canberra, 8 June, p 2839 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article241040447 accessed 25 January 2025.

'Kelloggs, in Australia since 1924', https://www.kelloggs.com.au/en_AU/history.html accessed 25 January 2025.

National Archives of Australia: Migrant Reception and Training Centre, Bonegilla [Victoria]; A2571, Name Index Cards, Migrants Registration [Bonegilla], 1947–1956; SUOPYS, Juozas : Year of Birth - 1913: Nationality – LITHUANIAN : Travelled per – GEN. HEINTZELMAN: Number – 1038, 1947 – 1948; https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=203899865 accessed 25 January 2025.