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. Continuing a year-long series of ten-part virtual exhibition throughout 2025, this part focuses on the Lithuanian scouts of Australia.

The Lithuanian Scouts of Australia trace the beginning of their activities to November 28, 1947, when the first transport of Lithuanian refugees arrived at the port of Fremantle in Western Australia. Even while sailing to Australia, scout leader Boris Dainutis gathered a large group of scouts on board the ship. Later, after being distributed for two years of work across various locations, the scouts maintained contact for several years through letters.

The true beginning of Lithuanian scouting in South Australia can be considered 1948. That year, during Christmas, nine Lithuanian scouts participated in the jamboree (an international scouting camp) held in the state of Victoria. They actively joined the events, organized a small exhibition, and took part in the shared Christmas Eve celebration.

The development of Lithuanian scout troops in Australia was very diverse. Scout organizations in various Australian cities formed, dissolved, and re-formed again. From their earliest steps, Lithuanian scouts in Australia not only nurtured scouting traditions but also strengthened Lithuanian culture, community spirit, and ties with the homeland, becoming an important part of diaspora life.

The theme “Lithuanian Scouts of Australia” in the virtual exhibition “Australian Lithuanians. Part 9” is represented through photographs of Adelaide Lithuanian scout camps, group portraits of Lithuanian scouts in Adelaide and Sydney, moments from scout excursions in nature and competitions, as well as the emblem of the Australian Lithuanian Jubilee scout camp.

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.