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Current Committee of the Canberra Lithuanian Community Association

2024-25
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COMMITTEE OF AUSTRALIAN LITHUANIAN COMMUNITY IN CANBERRA

Personnel

President:
  • Elena Kusta
  • Ben Katauskas
    Vice President
  • Algis Kusta
    Treasurer
  • Sophie Kusta
    Secretary
  • John Andruška
    Committee Member
  • Vida Howe
    Committee Member
  • Ben Cibiras
    Committee Member
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Australijos Kanberos Lietuvių Bendruomenės Sąjunga

Komitetas

Pirmininkė:
  • Elena Kusta
  • Ben Katauskas
    Vice pirmininkas
  • Algis Kusta
    Iždininkas
  • Sophie Kusta
    Sekretorė
  • John Andruška
    Committee Member
  • Vida Howe
    Committee Member
  • Ben Cibiras
    Committee Member

Canberra Lithuanian Community

The Canberra Lithuanian Community Association is a local community for the Lithuanian diaspora living in Canberra, Australia’s capital city. We actively promote the celebration of Lithuanian culture and significant days by hosting lunches and morning teas, walks around Lake Burley Griffin, participating in sport, trivia nights and picnics and so much more!

Whether you’re a distant relative of a Lithuanian, first, second, third generation, have a spouse that is of Lithuanian descent, or just interested in what we’re about – follow us and get involved in the celebration of our cultural events and activities, help us cheer on our basketball team Vilkas, or get involved in wider Canberra events.

Our Community’s Būstinė (meeting place) houses our Lithuanian library and is a place where our Community gathers to socialise and where our Committee meet for regular meetings.

Address:
Canberra Lithuanian Community
Grant Cameron Community Centre,
27 Mulley Street, Holder
ACT 2611

Follow us on social media to keep up to date on our events and to learn more about Lithuanian culture.

Reach us at:

email link here
Instagram link
Facebook link
LinkedIn link

Membership to the Canberra Lithuanian Community

Only $10 per financial year

Membership Form

Download here

Canberra Quarterly News

Download PDF here:

Current Canberra Newsletter
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CANBERRA LITHUANIAN COMMUNITY

CALENDAR 2025

11 January | 5km Freedom Defenders Walk
Lake Burley Griffin

February | Chinese New Year Dinner

1 March | Joint event for the Restoration of the State of Lithuania (V16) and the Restoration of Independence (K11)
Yacht Club

June | Baltic Deportations Day

July | Statehood Day

October/November | Community Annual General Meeting (AGM)
Būstinė

December | Christmas

 

Personnel

Who's who
Team member
Elena Kusta
President
Elena was born and raised in Canberra to second generation Lithuanians who met at Lithuanian folk dancing. Elena has a strong connection to her Lithuanian ethnicity, inspired by the stories, cooking and language of her late grandparents and parents.

Growing up, Elena’s connection to Lithuania formed through her love of Lithuanian food (krustai, koldunai, cepelinai), celebration of a traditional Kučios (Christmas), attending Lithuanian events and travelling to Lithuania with her family. Today, Elena is a dual citizen, enjoys cooking her grandmother’s Lithuanian recipes for the family, helping her Mum prepare Kučios and working with the Committee to engage members and build a viable Community for future generations.

Elena still holds many stories from her paternal grandmother about her life in Lithuania, experiences during WWII and move to Australia. When life isn’t so busy, she intends to complete a short biography as a keepsake for the family.

2022-23 was Elena’s first year on the Committee, however prior to this, she was involved in the organisation of many Community events.

Team member
Ben Katauskas
Vice President
Ben was born and raised in Canberra to Lithuanian Parents and enjoyed and participating in all facets of Canberran Lithuanian community life whilst growing up. As an avid scout, folk dancer and basketball player he enjoyed regularly representing Canberra’s community at “Lithuanian days” by attending Sporto and Šokių Šventė and Tautinė Stovykla.

During his time in Sydney during the late 90’s and early 2000’s Ben played basketball for Sydney Kovas and is a current playing member of the Canberra VILKAS basketball team.

Having toured and visited relatives in Lithuania on two occasions Ben is looking forward to his next opportunity to travel back to the motherland again. As an avid cyclist Ben is looking forward to planning a “bike-packing” adventure across Lithuania.

During several previous terms on the CLCA committee Ben especially enjoyed celebrating Lithuanian food and beverages by organising several Multicultural Festival stalls.

Ben looks forward to supporting a sustainable and viable future for our small community by organising, promoting and contributing to events which celebrate Lithuanian culture and bringing people together to share and enjoy traditional Lithuanian cuisine/recipes.

Team member
Algis Kusta
Treasurer
Algis was born in Newcastle to Lithuanian-born parents who met on the boat emigrating them from Lithuania to Australia after WWII. Algis grew up in Bankstown, which had a strong Lithuanian presence, and learnt to speak Lithuanian at home.

In 1975, Algis moved to Canberra for work, where he met the mother of his children at Lithuanian folk dancing. Algis has been attending Community events since his arrival in Canberra, has taken Lithuanian language classes and has volunteered his cooking skills for previous Lithuanian food stalls at Multicultural Festivals.

Algis has travelled to Lithuania many times and holds dual citizenship. Experiencing the Lithuanian culture (food, language, land) in Country drives Algis’ love for travelling back to the Motherland.

2022-23 is Algis’ first year on the Committee.

Team member
Sophie Kusta
Secretary
Sophie is a third generation Lithuanian, born in 1994 and raised in Canberra with a strong connection to her Lithuanian heritage and family history.

Sophie has expressed her pride in her Lithuanian roots since she was young, through learning Lithuanian at CLC-run language classes, visiting and traveling around the country with her family, volunteering at local events such as the Multicultural festival and becoming a dual citizen of Lithuania.

Since becoming a committee member in 2021, Sophie continues on her role as co-functions coordinator alongside Katherine Andruska.

Team member
John Andruška
Committee Member
John was born in Cowra where his parents worked in the migrant camp. The family moved to Mittagong and then to Canberra in 1959.
The family joined the Canberra Lithuanian Community with John participating in community events, language classes for a short time, scout outings and camps, basketball and folk dancing. He married Aurora in 1976 and they have three children. Alexander lives in Sydney. Peter and Katharine live in Canberra and have enjoyed participating in a number of Lithuanian activities including; Peter re-creating the Vilkas basketball team and Katharine joining the committee in 2019. John and Aurora have four grandchildren who also enjoy attending events across the year.
John spent a number of terms as secretary of the Lithuanian Club and also a number of terms as President.
John has visited Lithuania a number of times to visit relatives and experience the land and culture of his parents’ birthplace.
Team member
Vida Howe
Committee Member
Vida was born in Canberra and moved to Sydney when she was four. Whilst living in Sydney Vida was involved in Lithuanian activities: attending Lithuanian school on Sunday mornings, the folk dancing group and the “Ateitininku” organisation.

Vida returned to Canberra in 1972 with husband Geoff and daughter Belinda. The family became involved in the Lithuanian community soon after their arrival by joining the dancing group. Years later Vida took over as teacher of the dancing group.

As her daughter grew older Vida became involved with the Lithuanian language classes for children where she taught. When the scouts group Baltijos Tuntas formed all the family became involved.

Team member
Ben Cibiras
Committee Member