It was a beautiful sunny day, and Our Lady of Czestochowa Church in Marayong was amass with the most beautiful wreaths and floral tributes. Around 200 mourners filled the church including Piotr Rakowski the new Consul General of Australia and Lukasz Graban, representing the Polish Embassy in Canberra. Fathers Artur Botur, Tadeusz Przybylak and Jozef Kolodziej celebrated the Funeral Mass. Our friends from the Monero-Ngarigo people, who we respect as the traditional custodians of the lands on which Mt Kosciuszko is located, also attended - Aunty Iris White and Carrisa Anderson.

From left: Dorota Banasiak (SBS), Marianna £acek OAM, Felix Molski (KHI), Piotr Rakowski Consul General of of the Republic of Poland in Sydney, £ukasz Graban Counsellor in the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Canberra

Iris White (left) and Carissa Anderson representing Monero-Ngarigo Traditional Custodians of Mt Kosciuszko

Maja Kedziora with her beautiful voice and Krzysztof Malek both played at different special moments of the mass. 13 members of Lajkonik were able to attend in costume, but our whole Ensemble was there in spirit, in gratitude to Ernestyna for all her support over nearly 20 years.

Here are a few photos. No doubt there will be many more from the beautiful farewell which she had. She deserved only the best.

Here is also my personal tribute to Ernestyna. We worked together closely on various projects associated with KHI for almost 20 years. We became close friends. It was read at the wake at Bankstown Polish Club after the burial at Rookwood Cemetery. During the wake, people who knew and loved Ernestyna were invited to speak if they wanted to.

Ursula Lang

The Kosciuszko Polonez was played at the final farewell.

"It is hard to know where to start, but I will try first to describe “ who Ernestyna was to me”. First and foremost she was someone generous and kind-hearted, warm and empathetic to everyone. She was vibrant and colourful, and once you met her, you never forgot because she always made an impression. She was of course incredibly knowledgeable , creative and highly-intelligent. She also had a great sense of humour, sometimes even wicked.

Ernestyna with pilots of the flights over Mt Kosciuszko, Khancobahn 19/11/2023

Before she got ill, a few years ago, she loved to socialise and party, and always enjoyed talking and getting to know people and their unique life stories. In that regard, she was a journalist in the truest sense. Her ability and enthusiasm to research and find new connections and meanings in history were simply brilliant and amazing. Her work and research relating to Tadeusz Kosciuszko and Sir Paul Edmund Strzelecki, two great Poles of huge significance to the Polish Community in Australia and Ireland, was extraordinary.

It was only by chance that we got to know each other around the time that National Parks and Wildlife Service had released the Kosciuszko Plan of Management in 2006. This was a time when the Polish Community had a somewhat strained relationship with National Parks following the preparation of that document.

As a town planner, I wanted to find out more about what had initiated and guided the document as I knew it would form the basis of many decisions going forward and relating to Kosciuszko National Park. Ernestyna understood this, and together we set about on a mission to try and have the Polish Community recognised as a stakeholder in matters relating to Kosciuszko National Park. We felt it was important for the Polish Community to be included as part of the discussions which prior to that had only been superficial and ineffective. We knew it was important to consult with the traditional owners Monero-Ngarigo people and through many workshops and meetings, both formal and informal, some genuine and lasting friendships with members of Monero-Ngarigo people emerged and developed further. Ernestyna held these friendships very dear to her heart, and so do I.

Ernestyna, Ursula Lang, Monika and Norbert Oksza Strzelecki and Traditional Dancers from Monaro

Over many years from 2006 to recent years, it was truly a unique collaboration between Ernestyna and me, relating to all aspects of the work of KHI. Whenever a word, phrase or document needed a translation into Aussie English, I would wake up in the morning to a request from Ernestyna as she always worked through the night. Usually the request was urgent which was often difficult when I was still working. Ernestyna demanded a lot from people, but because she gave so much as well, many people like me did their best to help her achieve her hugely ambitious projects and undertakings. She was always interested in my ideas too. This gave me wings. Our joint projects included the many Kosciuszko Festivals, the art and music competitions, the visits from special guests such as Roy Eaton and the Paderewski Orchestra from the States, and academics from Poland linked to the agenda of KHI.

Ernestyna was a person that changed my life, and the lives of many others too. Through knowing her and working with her, I took it as an opportunity to involve the dancers in Lajkonik and often their families, taking them on amazing journeys and events with KHI. We all learnt so much on the way and had experiences that can never be replicated. Dancing on the summit of Mt Kosciuszko was one of them and a highlight. As far as we know, Lajkonik is the only dance Ensemble ever to have performed on the Summit of Australia.

Ernestyna with Steve Reden (KNP), Ambassador Jerzy Wiêc³aw and Lajkonik on Mt Kosciuszko 17/02/2007

From the early years after I met Ernestyna in person, and after her idea of performing of doing Kosciuszko Music on Mt Kosciuszko, with the Sydney Windjammers in 2007, we both knew that whilst speeches and courtesies during events were of course important, it was the smiling young people presenting so beautifully in their Polish Costumes, singing and dancing the Polish Folk dances, and standing in photos with VIP’s that created the most impressive memories for the KHI archive. Ernestyna always invited a number of Ensembles to participate, and occasionally some did, but its Lajkonik that was always there and never let her down. It was always a big effort from everyone, but that’s what was required.

In the early days it was difficult because there were no funds to support the festivals and special events so KHI relied on uncertain grants from Poland and other entities. There was never enough to fund all that was needed, but Ernestyna always somehow managed on a shoe string. After an event, always totally exhausted, we always had a drink and said we probably won’t do this again, and yet Ernestyna kept coming up with new ways, approaches and opportunities.

Wonderful outcomes were achieved with the hard work and good will of so many people. Ernestyna had a knack of motivating people to do things for “the cause” being the promotion of Strzelecki and Kosciuszko and being a huge patriot, to uphold Polish culture generally. She always had “big ideas” and it was always a challenge to deliver on them. Although very demanding of people, she always worked very hard too, and so things simply got done! She was a “can-do, we will make it happen type of person”.

Ernestyna at Kozzie Fest in Jindabyne 2013

Ernestyna will be hugely missed and there will never be anyone with so much knowledge, creativity and drive to replace her but I feel that she would want her work and projects to continue through KHI, and not sit in the hard drive of someone’s computer.

Ernestyna has left a huge legacy, but it will be an even greater one when it is built upon, and developed further. In our sadness today at losing her, this seems difficult to contemplate, but I believe it can be done. I hope that the Polish Community and especially the leaders of the Polish Community will see the opportunity for the work Ernestyna started through KHI to continue and further evolve, and that it will have everyone’s ongoing interest and support.

We have to encourage and inspire the next generation to take up the reins, and Ernestyna will be with us in spirit and smiling down to make sure that it happens.

Ernestyna

22 August 1944-20 October 2024, BY URSZULA LANG

photos by Henry Iglinski & Puls Polonii