To mark the 75th anniversary of the Lithuanian community in Australia, the Lithuanian Central State Archives, together with the Australian Lithuanian Archives, invites you to revisit the story of how Lithuanians settled and built their lives on this distant continent. This final, tenth part of the virtual exhibition, is dedicated to the Adelaide Lithuanian Sports Club "Vytis".

Lithuanian athletes in Adelaide came together soon after arriving in South Australia and, as early as 1949, were already unofficially competing in the South Australian basketball championships. The sports club "Vytis" was founded on March 25, 1950. The club’s first board was elected at a meeting from among athletes and community members, and the establishment of the club marked an important step in shaping Lithuanian cultural and sporting life in South Australia.

In its early years, "Vytis" focused primarily on basketball – a sport that had traditionally been very popular within the Lithuanian community. Later, football, volleyball, table tennis, lawn tennis, and chess were promoted. In addition to men’s teams, the club gradually began forming women’s teams, which also competed successfully in various championships. "Vytis" quickly became not only a sports club but also a centre of the Lithuanian community in Adelaide. The club took part in the annual Australian Lithuanian sports festivals and became a symbol of Lithuanian sporting identity.

The theme of the virtual exhibition "Lithuanian Australians. Part 10" about the Adelaide Lithuanian Sports Club "Vytis"", is reflected through photographs of Adelaide Lithuanian men’s and women’s basketball teams, men’s football teams, coaches, women tennis players and volleyball players, moments from training sessions and matches, as well as the emblem of the Australian Lithuanian Sports Club "Vytis".

Traditionally, the exhibition presents documents preserved in the Lithuanian Central State Archives and the Australian Lithuanian Archives. We are grateful to Daina Pocius for making the documents kept in Australia accessible to the wider public.

We invite you to explore the exhibition.