This year we commence 50 years of celebration of CYM in Australia.

Already in 1949 the Central Committee of CYM made contact with most of the CYM members settled in Australia, and helped them to organise the first Branches/Oseredky. The Melbourne Branch and the CYM members from Victoria in general played a large role in the development of SUM in Australia, although the first Melbourne Branch Executive was not elected till January 1951.

The organisers of CYM operated almost in isolation from one another due to the wide distances between major centres where there were larger groupings of younger people in places like Greta camp, Perth, Adelaide, Murbank and Melbourne. The first organisers were O. Tarnawskyj, O. Jankivskyj, V. Jankivskyj, M. Brecko, Ch. Mishchuk, Â. Bann, L. Sklepkowycz, V. Polishko, V. Shumskyj, J. Kusyj, O. Nahirnyj, O.Kavunenko.

On the 2nd May 1950 the Central Committee of CYM authorised Mr Z. Hrabyk to organise a national Committee in Australia. The new national Committee with membership of Mr. Hrabyk, A. Atamaniuk, and V. Burak, immediately started preparing for the first all Australian Congress. Which took place in Melbourne in 1951. The fist elected Australian head of CYM was Mr. V. Vasylko who was later replaced by Mr. P. Soroka, who called the second Australian Congress in Sydney. At that second Congress Mr. Soroka was re-elected and there were already 6 Branches represented with nearly 200 members.

The 3rd Australian Congress took place in Melbourne in 1954 where there were 7 Branches represented with 343 members with Mr. O. Matiash elected as the next president. Here the aspects of organising children and youth was discussed for the first time and V. Bann became the first Organiser of Youth. At this Congress honorary membership was given to Professor O. Olignyk and M. Shygydyn and Professor Olignyk was invited to head up the first CYM Educational Unit. Mr Matiash was replaced by Mr. S. Misko prior to the next Congress and was joined by P. Kryshka, O. Nahirnyj, and Mr V. Pundiak.

By the 6th Australian CYM Congress in Melbourne which took place in Sydney in 1963 with Mr. V. Majkovskij again re-elected, 48 delegates representing nearly 1200 members, formulated some plans and resolutions which were far reaching and visionary, including a course for CYM educators and the first CYM Zdvyh.

In Dec/Jan. 1964 the first Zdvyh CYM in Australia kicked off here at the summer camp. On the 17 and 18th April 1965, the Zdvyh continued in Melbourne with the attendance of Mr. O. Kowal, the president of the CYM Central Committee in the Western World, and 1500 participants. A night of cultural events of dancing and singing and drama and orchestra events was followed the next day by church services and massive group displays as well as sporting events with the participation of 700 CYM members and 1300 public.

Associated with his visit to Australia Mr. Kowal also opened the first purpose built CYM building in Australia in Geelong on the 1st May 1965.

47 delegates took part in the 11th Australian CYM Congress in Melbourne in March 1978, where Mr. Michael Moravski was elected as the new national president.

In December 1984 at the 13th National Australian CYM Congress, took place in Melbourne, with 7 Branches being represented, electing Mr. Stefan Romaniw as its president. At that time there was a membership of 814 people.

In December 1985 in Melbourne a historical event occurred within the program of the 5th Zdvyh of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations — a camp for Australian-Ukrainian Youth with some 800 participants who were non-members of organisations as well as CYM and PLAST. The chair of the organising Committee was Mrs. Tatiana Zachariak, and the commandants of the camp were Mr Stefan Romaniw and Mr. Mykola Dobrotvir.

On the 25th December 1992 here on this property, commenced the 5th worldwide CYM Zlet, with 400 CYM participants from all over the world including Ukraine. The Chair of the organising Committee was Mr Peter Duma with Ms. Irena Mycak from Canada as commandant.

In October 1999 the 17th Australian National CYM Congress took place in Melbourne with around 50 delegates and observers, once again elercting Mr. P. Duma as its president