Austlit

Bronius Zalys was born in Gaigaliai, Lithuania. He moved to Germany in 1944 and worked on the newspapers and magazines Musu viltis, Siandien, Teviskes aidas, and Pedsakai. He lived in Belgium between 1947-1949, where he worked in the editorial office of the semi-monthly newspaper Gimtoji salis, moving to Australia in 1949. In Australia he worked as an unskilled labourer in factories, an administration clerk with a government commission, and studied telecommunications, finally working in journalism where he was known for his interest in social issues. From 1954 to 1969, Zalys edited the Australian Lithuanian Scout monthly Pedsekys, and between 1970-1980, he was a member of the editorial staff of the United States magazines Musu Vytis [Our Knight] and Skautu Aidas [Scouts' Echo]. In 1991 Zalys was promoted to editor of the Sydney weekly newspaper Musu Pastoge, the publication of the Australian Lithuanian community where he had worked for some time. His poetry was included in anthologies such as Australijos lietuvio metrrastis (1961), Plunksna ir zodis (1966), Terra Australis (1972), Tretieji vainikai (1984) and Po Pietu kryzium (1990). He was a member of the Lithuanian Writers' Union and Lithuanian PEN. He also contributed several works on Lithuanian Scouting, edited scouting magazines, and won awards from the Lithuanian Scouts Union in 1959, 1962, 1972 and 1982 for his work in the Scouting movement.