Embroidery

The Canberra Lithuanian Community Association was formed in 1963. Its 250 founding members were Canberra residents who had immigrated to Australia in the late 1940s. Their Lyneham club, built by members in 1972, was a ‘home away from home’ for members. Using traditional Lithuanian designs and made by club members, the embroidery was worked in canvas stitch in three colours on a brown ground in four panels, and was intended to create a familiar and homely atmosphere in the club.

The proliferation of community clubs and societies is central to the story of Canberra as a ‘meeting place’ and is evidence of the cultural diversity of the national capital. This embroidery is material evidence of the Canberra Lithuanian community and the Canberra Lithuanian Club at Lyneham (1972-1999). It represents a Canberra chapter in the great story of post-Second World War migration to Australia.