Visam, kas bija saistīts ar latviskās kultūrvides saglabāšanu, līdzekļi bija jāatrod pašiem bēgļiem. Nonākot mītnes zemēs, latvieši organizējās biedrībās un kristīgajās draudzēs. Draudzes uzcēla savas baznīcas. Kultūras biedrībās veidojās kori, tautas deju grupas un teātri. Nedēļas nogalēs latviešu ģimeņu bērniem mācīja dzimto valodu, Latvijas vēsturi, ģeogrāfiju, latviskās tradīcijas un svētku svinēšanu. Austrālijā tika organizētas Kultūras Dienas. Latvieši izveidoja savus preses izdevumus, publiskās bibliotēkas un izdeva grāmatas latviešu valodā.

On October 3, 1947, the Australian Latvian Charitable Society (ALLB) was founded in Sydney. The number of members grew rapidly as the number of Latvian immigrants increased. Social and cultural activities also developed. There was a literary section, a theatre, a sports group, a tourist group, and a choir.

In 1949 Evangelical Lutheran Latvian congregations began to be founded. In smaller centres, the congregations were the only gatherings of compatriots and promoters of cultural life. The care of former soldiers and their families was facilitated by the “Daugavas Vanagi” groups, whilst the organisations of scouts, guides and junior scouts played an important role in the education of young people. In larger centres, theatres, choirs and Saturday/Sunday schools for children operated under the associations. From July 1949, Emīls Dēliņs published the newspaper “Austrālijas Latvietis” (Australian Latvian). The magazine “Latvju Zeltene” was published.

At the beginning of the departure of Latvians for Australia, the Latvian ambassador to Great Britain Kārlis Zariņš, was also in charge of the Latvian consular representation in Australia. In April 1952 he appointed the former First Secretary of the Latvian Embassy in London, Olģerts Rozītis, as the Secretary to the Senior Consul of Latvia in Sydney, Norman McLeod (McLeod), with a seat in Melbourne. Rozītis became active in the community, supporting his compatriots. In May 1958, he was appointed Secretary of the Latvian Honorary Consulate in Melbourne.

In 1952, the total number of Latvians in Australia was around 22,000. At this stage most Latvians already lived in separate houses. The largest Latvian communities  were in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Newcastle and Perth. Social life was formed around Latvian associations and congregations. Church congregations, folk dance ensembles, choirs, needlework groups were founded. The oldest association was the Australian Latvian Charity Association, founded in Sydney in 1947. Since 1951, Latvian communities throughout Australia have gathered for the annual Cultural Festival.

Based on the research on the situation of Australian Latvians, carried out by the Latvian historian Edgars Dunsdorfs, it was generalised that in the 1960s about 12-20% of Latvians could have been involved in various exile organisations (dance groups, choirs, etc.). Cultural organisations and activities were more popular than political ones in exile and through them it was possible to attract a larger number of Latvians to political activities. Local Latvian associations dealt with both self-help issues and the cultivation of Latvian culture and formed a solid basis for the organisational structure in exile.