Albinas: From Žemaitija to Australia – A Life of Dedication and Community Leadership
Albinas was born not far from Sėda in northern Žemaitija, where he had a brother and sister. He first joined the scouts in 1930, at the age of 12, an interest that he retained throughout his life. Albinas attended high school in Mažeikiai, but finished high school at the Vytautas Didysis Sports Institute in Klaipėda. He studied journalism at the Vytautas Didysis University. He helped produce the periodicals, Žemaičių prietelius, XX amžius, Panevežio garsas, Karys, Trimitas. In 1943 – 1944 he helped produce the underground newsletter, Žemaičių trimitas. For two years he was also in the Lithuanian Air Force. During the soviet occupation Albinas worked on the railways.
In August 1944, he fled the Russian front and escaped to Germany. He found himself in the Montomery camp in Dorverdene camp and later Seedorf, the British zone. It was in a Seedorf Displaced Persons camp that he met Ruta Pociute whom he later married. In the camp he kept active, being involved in the choir, attending classes, and participating in the publication of a cultural and literary newspaper called “Aušros belaukiant”. He was also actively engaged in the scout movement and assisted with the scout newsletter “Būdėk”, a special four-page newsletter inserted in Aušros belaukiant”. He later moved to Rotenburg camp in 1947. At Rotenburg, he assisted in the publication of a daily newspaper, Mūsų Žinios (Our news) Žemutine Saksonija. From 1947 to 1948, he worked on the community papers of Lietuvių žodis, Mintis, Teviškės garsas.
On the February 1949 they left Naples on the boat Nea Hellas for Australia. As Albinas had two year government work requirement, he spent about a year planting pine trees and later working in Housing Trust building homes. The skills he learnt on the job allowed him to build his own home in Warragul. When the Australian government withdrew funds from the Housing Trust, they sold their house and moved to Melbourne. Albinas gained employment as a printer.
They became heavily involved in the Lithuanian community, with Albinas in the scouts, and he even became the president of the Australian Lithuanian and regional director of the Lithuanian Scout Association. Albinas was the President of the Melbourne Lithuanian Club for eight years, and in 1980, he was elected to the Australian Lithuanian community as President.
After retiring, Albinas and Ruta moved to Adelaide, where Ruta had family. In 1997 Albinas and Ruta celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary together. Family and friends gathered at Lithuanian House in Norwood for a lunch.
Albinas died in 1999, the funeral mass was held in the Adelaide Lithuanian chapel.
