First Transport passenger Jonas Strankauskas was born in Virbaliūnai village, Kaunas district, Lithuania, on 1 September 1916. His parents were the peasants Joakimas Strankauskas and Pranciska, whose maiden name was Ciuciulkaite. Jonas was the second child in the family.
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| Jonas Strankauskas birth record (in Russian) from the Raudondvaris church, near Kaunas, Lithuania |
There was an older son, Antanas, and two younger daughters, Teofile and Aleksandra. Jonas also had an older half-sister, Ona, from his father's previous marriage. His Bonegilla card says that he also had a half-brother in Germany, Kasys Kalasinas. In reality, this was his first cousin, Kazys Kasiūnas.
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| Jonas Strankauskas' photo on his Bonegilla card Source: Bonegilla Migrant Experience |
In pre-War Lithuania, 21-year-old boys were called to the army, so Jonas spent the years 1937-1939 on military service.
From his Arolsen Archives DP registration card, we know that Jonas arrived in Germany before 11 July 1945. The card shows his profession as a carpenter.
He was living in Northern Casern Displaced Persons (DP) Camp in Würzburg. Many Lithuanian DPs lived at this camp between 1945 and 1949.
Jonas left Bremerhaven for Australia with 842 other Baltic refugees on the USAT General Stuart Heintzelman on 30 October 1947 and arrived in Australia on 28 November 1947. That previous work as a carpenter meant that he was recruited into Australia as a much-needed builder’s labourer, for building the new houses Australia needed to make up for the absence of building during World War II.
Like many other men who came on the First Transport, Jonas’ first job in Australia was fruit picking. In his case, he left Bonegilla camp to work for Dundas Simson Pty Ltd in Ardmona. on 28 January 1948 and returned to Bonegilla on 10 April 1948.
From 14 April to 17 May, Jonas worked in the Bonegilla migrant camp as a casual labourer. He left Bonegilla on 2 June 1948 having been allocated to the Commonwealth Department of Works and Housing at Philip Ponds camp, Woomera, South Australia. He worked here as joiner, so as a specialist carpenter, someone who made furniture rather than building houses. His salary was £7/10/6 per week.
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| Huts 12 and 13 at Philip Ponds camp, 1948: the FX Holden between the huts means that this photo was taken after 29 November Source: Steve Swayne on Flickr |
On 18 August 1948 at his own request, Jonas left Woomera and moved to the State’s capital city, Adelaide. We have no record of the work he then did in Adelaide but probably, like most of the other First Transport arrivals, he was released from his obligation to work in Australia on 30 September 1949.
From an advertisement in the new Lithuanian-Australia newspaper, Mūsų Pastogė, we can see that in mid-1949, Jonas was living at 93 Childers Street, North Adelaide. When he received Australian citizenship on 24 April 1956, his address was 14 Divett Place in Adelaide.
From newspaper and magazines we can describe Jonas’ life in Australia. He liked to read Lithuanian newspapers and magazines, he subscribed to them and constantly donated money to them. He read and donated to the following Lithuanian publications until this death: Mūsų Pastogė, Dirva, Lietuviu Dienos and Tėviškės Žiburiai.
When Mūsų Pastogė was starting, Jonas donated a valuable £1/8/- to help it on its way. The Reserve Bank of Australia estimates that this sum was worth nearly $100 in today’s money. It certainly was generous for someone who had been out of DP camps for only two years and who had been on a low income for all of that time.
Jonas’ generosity included ordering Lithuanian publications for other people. In September 1955, the Lithuanian magazine Lietuviu Dienos advised that J Strankauskas from Adelaide, Australia, ordered had ordered this magazine for two ladies, L Juodelyte and N Juryte.
He also loved books. In 1952, the Lithuanian newspaper Tremtis advertised that it was preparing for publication a volume of original writings by Vincas Kudirka. Jonas preordered this book. A couple of years later, Tremtis advertised that it would soon publish the second part of the Gatvės berniukų nuotykiai (Adventures of Street Boys) trilogy by writer R. Spalis, to be called Ant ribos (On the Edge), and a selection of articles by Tremtis writers, Gintarai (Amber). Jonas subscribed to these books as well.
In 1956 the Lithuanian newspaper Dirva advised that its longtime reader, Jonas Strankauskas, who recently had celebrated his 40th birthday, was a patron of the Adelaide men's choir "Lithuania" and had been supporting the Vasario 16 (February 16, Lithuania’s Independence Day) Gymnasium for the fifth year, making him the largest donor of all the Australian supporters.
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| Jonas Strankauskas in 1959 Source: Private Collection |
Jonas became the Treasurer of the Adelaide Lithuanian Club (Mūsų Pastogė, 1958) and the Adelaide Lithuanian sports club, Vytis (Mūsų Pastogė, 1959, 1960). He remained the Vytis Treasurer until 1965.
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| Jonas is eighth from the left among those standing at the back in this photo of Adelaide sports people and friends Source: Mūsų Pastogė |
In 1964, Jonas gave clocks and 15 chess sets to its chess group Mūsų Pastogė, 1964). From this and other evidence, it looks like Jonas’ sport may have been chess.
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| The Mūsų Pastogė caption says, in Lithuanian '‘Chess matters are discussed during the farewell for Mr and Mrs Bačiūnas’: Jonas Strankauskas is in the background on the right Source: Mūsų Pastogė |
Jonas became seriously ill in the middle of 1967 and Mūsų Pastogė told its readers that he was in hospital but feeling better. The newspaper sent its wishes for him to get well soon. He was described as the long-time treasurer of Vytis and a generous supporter of the club.
In 1970 Jonas resumed his activities with Vytis. Mūsų Pastogė noted that Vytis was celebrating its 20 anniversary. Large contributions had been made and continued to be made by Jonas Strankauskas, its Treasurer.
Jonas Strankauskas died in Adelaide on 14 June 1987. His death certificate records the cause of death as ‘intracerebral and subarachoid haemorrhage, hyperglyaemia and pneumonia’. The hyperglyaemia indicates that Jonas had diabetes – not a surprise in someone who looks overweight in all of his photos. Maybe that was the cause of his ill health in mid-1967.
He had not married. His last known address had been 58 George Street in Norwood, Adelaide. He was farewelled on 22 June at the Centennial Park Crematorium.
The last press notice about Jonas Strankauskas was on 8 September 1987, three months after his death. Tėviškės žiburiai announced that Jonas had paid $25.00 to renew his subscription.
Lithuanian language publications in exile were in Jonas’ good hands until his death and after.
Sources
Arolsen Archives, ‘AEF DP Registration Record, DocID: 69321313 (Jonas STRANKAUSKAS)’ https://collections.arolsen-archives.org/en/document/69321313 accessed 28 December 2024.
Australian Cemeteries Index, ‘Name/Cemetery Search’ https://austcemindex.com/?family_name=strankauskas accessed 24 December 2024.
Bonegilla Migrant Experience, ‘Bonegilla Identity Card Lookup: Jonas Strankauskas, https://idcards.bonegilla.org.au/record/203694645 accessed 26 December 2024.
Centennial Park, ‘Memorial Search – Cemetery Records’ https://www.centennialpark.org/memorial-search/?surname=Strankauskas&firstname= accessed 24 December 2024.
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette (1956) 04 24 ‘Certificates of naturalization’, Canberra, ACT, 24 April, page 2866 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/232988815/25126346 accessed 26 December 2024.
Dirva [The Field] (1956) ‘Kas ir Kir’ ['Who and Where'] Cleveland, Ohio, 18 October, p 2 https://spauda.org/dirva/archive/n1956/1956-10-18-DIRVA.pdf accessed 24 December 2024.
Lietuviu Dienos [Lithuanian Days] (1955) ‘Ka Veikia Skaitytojai’ [‘What Readers Do’, in Lithuanian] Los Angeles, California,15 September, p 17 https://spauda.org/lietuviu_dienos/archive/1955/1955-09-15-LIETUVIU-DIENOS.pdf accessed 27 December 2024.
Lietuviu Dienos [Lithuanian Days] (1958) Ka Veikia Skaitytojai’ [‘What Readers Do’, in Lithuanian] Los Angeles, California,15 April, p 17 https://spauda.org/lietuviu_dienos/archive/1958/1958-04-15-LIETUVIU-DIENOS.pdf accessed 27 December 2024.
Lietuviu Dienos [Lithuanian Days] (1966) ‘LD Žurnalui Aukojo’ [‘Donated to Lietuviu Dienos Magazine’, in Lithuanian] Los Angeles, California,15 November, p 20 https://spauda.org/lietuviu_dienos/archive/1966/1966-11-15-LIETUVIU-DIENOS.pdf accessed 27 December 2024.
Lietuviu Dienos [Lithuanian Days] (1967) ‘LD žurnalą parėmė’ [‘Lietuviu Dienos magazine supporters’ , in Lithuanian] Los Angeles, California,15 December, p 18 https://spauda.org/lietuviu_dienos/archive/1967/1967-12-15-LIETUVIU-DIENOS.pdf accessed 27 December 2024.
Lietuviu Dienos [Lithuanian Days] (1970) ‘Lietuvių Dienoms Paremiti, Įsigydami bilietėlių, aukojo’ [ ‘To support Lietuviu Dienos, by purchasing tickets, they donated’, in Lithuanian] Los Angeles, California,15 November, p 15 https://spauda.org/lietuviu_dienos/archive/1970/1970-11-15-LIETUVIU-DIENOS.pdf accessed 27 December 2024.
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Mūsų Pastogė [Our Haven] (1949a) ‘Mūsų Pastogės Rėmėjai’ (Mūsų Pastogė Sponsors, in Lithuanian) Sydney, NSW 21 December p 8 https://spauda2.org/musu_pastoge/archive/1949/1949-12-21-MUSU-PASTOGE.pdf accessed 26 December 2024.
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Mūsų Pastogė [Our Haven] (1960) ‘Adelaidėje, Visuotinas – Metinis Susirinkimas’ [‘Adelaide, Annual General Meeting’, in Lithuanian] Sydney, NSW, 6 May, p 5 https://spauda2.org/musu_pastoge/archive/1960/1960-05-06-MUSU-PASTOGE.pdf accessed 26 December 2024.
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Mūsų Pastogė [Our Haven] (1962b) ‘Sporto Šventės Aktoriai’ [‘Sports Celebration Performers’, in Lithuanian] Sydney, NSW, 20 December, p 9, https://spauda2.org/musu_pastoge/archive/1962/1962-12-20-MUSU-PASTOGE.pdf accessed 26 December 2024.
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Mūsų Pastogė [Our Haven] (1963c) [Photograph caption] ‘Adelaidės sportininkai ir sporto bičiuliai po metinio susirinkimo ...’ [‘Adelaide athletes and friends of sport after the annual meeting …’, in Lithuanian] Sydney, NSW, 31 July, p 5 https://spauda2.org/musu_pastoge/archive/1963/1963-07-31-MUSU-PASTOGE.pdf accessed 27 December 2024.
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Mūsų Pastogė [Our Haven] (1964) [Photograph caption] ‘Aptariami Šachmatų reikalai p.p. Bačiūnų iSleistuvių metu’ [‘Chess matters are discussed during the farewell for Mr and Mrs Bačiūnas’, in Lithuanian] Sydney, NSW, 26 February, p 7 https://spauda2.org/musu_pastoge/archive/1964/1964-02-26-MUSU-PASTOGE.pdf accessed 27 December 2024.
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