Teresė Petravičiūtė – Gasiūnienė: The Heart and Soul of the Adelaide Lithuanian Catholic Women’s Society

Teresė had a strong faith and was an even stronger woman.

She was born in Kybartai, located close to Vilkaviškis and on the border of Kaliningrad.  She was only 20 when she left Lithuania and made her way to Germany with her aunt and her family.  In Germany she met and married Lithuanian Petras Gasiūnas. Her aunt’s family migrated to America and Petras and Teresė migrated to Australia. Teresė had a brother and two nephews who came to Australia, settling in Melbourne.

Teresė and Petras travelled on the Oxfordshire, arriving on 25 May 1949.  In Adelaide she worked her two-year contract in childcare. Later she worked for many years at Amscol (Adelaide Milk Supply Co-Operative Limited). Amscol was an extensive business producing bottled milk, ice cream, cream, cheese and butter. Teresė later worked at a belt-making factory; Petras worked at Kelvinator, manufacturer of white goods. The couple built a house in Woodville Gardens like many other Lithuanians at that time. Land was affordable and available and located close to the factories in which many of them worked.

Teresė was heavily involved in the Adelaide Lithuanian Catholic Women’s Society (Adelaidės Lietuvių Katalikių Moterų Draugija). It would be a rare occasion to go to church and not see her busy, cooking, cleaning or organising.  After Mass on Sundays, for many years, she would be busy with church work, preparing, cooking and serving lunch. Teresė was a wonderful organiser. She knew what had to be done and went out and did it. Her work was exemplary.

Teresė had a beautiful voice and was part of the chapel choir for a short time. She found performing stressful and so her involvement was short-lived.

After Lithuania’s restoration of Independence, Petras and Teresė travelled to Lithuania to be reunited with family and friends.

Teresė and Petras had no children, but life was busy and full with their involvement in the Lithuanian community. Teresė was 90 when she passed away. Petras passed away four years later in 2018.