Founding of the Sydney Latvian Society.
The Australian Latvian Welfare Society (ALLB) as a charity did not have the rights of a legal entity, it could not acquire real estate. In order to ensure the social, political and cultural life requirements of the Latvian community, a new organisation was needed. It was necessary to prepare draft statutes and establish an association that could buy a property where Latvians could meet and develop their cultural life. In 1952, the general assembly of the ALLB was presented with the draft of the statutes of the newly established Latvian Society of Sydney. The New South Wales government approved the statutes of the Sydney Latvian Society on March 3, 1952. On March 26, SLB’s founders elected a temporary board, and on March 31, in the last newsletter issued by ALLB, an invitation was published inviting every Latvian to become a member of the Sydney Latvian Society.
The Sydney Latvian Society was founded by: Felikss Bruvelis, Bruno Strazdins, Aleksandrs Rolavs, Vilis Motmillers, Juris Andersons, Elvira Miezis-Plume, Pēteris Laivins, Martins Silins, Roberts Studans, Janis Krauklis un Janis Lusis.
The founders of the Sydney Latvian Society, the signatories of the statutes, met on March 26, 1952 and elected a temporary board. The first general meeting of members of SLB met in May and elected the firstBboard of the Society. The President of the Board elect was Felikss Bruvelis, members of the Board: J. Andersons, K. Erdmanis, P. Laivins, E. Miezsi-Plume, L. Resgalis, A. Rolans, M. Siliņu and B. Strazdins.
In 1953 one of the founders of the SLB, the opera singer Karlis Nicis, found and suggested the purchase of a suitable property in Strathfield. The building was bourght and so began its reconstruction and the planning of the main hall. The consecration of the hall took place on the day of commemoration of the independence of Latvia on November 18, 1959. The hall has 500 seats for listeners, has a wide stage, a dressing room under the stage and a kitchen. Over the next few years, several reconstructions took place under the managemnt of future Presidents of the Board: Vidvuds Koskins, Alfreds Silkens, Janis Ronis and engineers Janis Treimanis, Eriks Zvirbulis, Janis Macens and others. The old building was almost completely rebuilt, furnishing providing rooms for meetings, schools, a kitchen, a cafe, the manager’s apartment, a credit union, etc.
The premises of the SLB house were also regularly used for events by organisations not connected to the Society – the Latvian Credit Cooperative, the Australian Latvian Artists’ Association, groups of students’ fraternities and sororities and Australian organisations, for example, the Strathfield Musical Society.
SLS Board Presidents:
Felikss Bruvelis 1952–1953
Martins Silins 1953–1974
Vidvuds Koskins 1974–1986
Alfrēds Silkens 1986–1992
Imants Sveilis 1992–1996
Janis Ronis 1996–2009
Janis Grauds 2009–2015
Janis Cecins 2015–