Virtual exhibition “Australian Lithuanians. Part 4”
In commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Lithuanian community in Australia, the Lithuanian Central State Archives, in cooperation with the Australian Lithuanian Archives, invite you to reflect on a remarkable journey of resilience, identity, and solidarity. This ten-part virtual exhibition, open throughout 2025, continues with Part 4, dedicated to the Australian Lithuanians’ unwavering fight for Lithuania’s freedom.
When the Soviet Union occupied Lithuania in 1940, Australia – like many Western democracies – refused to recognize the legitimacy of this aggression. That changed in 1974, when the government of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam reversed Australia’s long-standing position and officially recognized the incorporation of the Baltic states into the USSR. The decision deeply shocked the Australian Lithuanian community and provoked international condemnation.
But Lithuanian Australians did not remain silent.
From the earliest days of the occupation, Lithuanian refugees and their descendants in Australia became tireless advocates for Lithuania’s independence. Alongside Latvians and Estonians, they wrote thousands of letters to Australian MPs, senators, and government officials. They staged protests and demonstrations in cities such as Canberra, Melbourne, and Adelaide. They commemorated deportations and the suffering of their people, organized rallies during Captive Nations Week, and published articles in both diaspora and international media – relentlessly reminding the world that Lithuania had never voluntarily joined the Soviet Union.
In 1975, in part due to public pressure, Australia reversed its recognition of the occupation. A decade later, on 28 February 1985, the Australian Parliament passed the Baltic Resolution, condemning the Soviet annexation of the Baltic states. Finally, on 27 August 1991, Australia officially recognized the restored independence of Lithuania and re-established diplomatic relations later that year.
The virtual exhibition “Australian Lithuanians. Part 4” presents two key chapters of this story:
“The Fight for Lithuania’s Freedom: Demonstrations and Rallies”
“The Recognition of the Occupation and the 1974 Setback.”
These sections feature rare and powerful documents from the Baltic Council and the Baltic Women’s Union in Adelaide, photos of protests organized in Canberra, letters to authorities, deportation commemoration events, and press articles condemning Soviet aggression.
As with the previous parts of the exhibition, all materials are drawn from the rich holdings of the Australian Lithuanian Archives and the Lithuanian Central State Archives. Special thanks go to Daina Pocius, whose dedication and effort made it possible to share these important documents with the public.
This is not only a story about the past – it is a tribute to a community that never gave up on freedom, no matter how far from home.