The Patron of Kosciuszko Heritage, Lech Paszkowski, passed away yesterday. Lech was officially appointed Patron in October 2011.
He was an esteemed member of the Polish community in Australia. A writer, historian, community worker and journalist, he was the author of many highly regarded works about migrant life in Australia and famous Polish individuals. One book in particular, Sir Paul Edmund de Strzelecki: Reflections on his life, is seen to be an internationally authoritative text on the subject.
Born in 1919 in Warsaw, Lech took part in the 1939 Defensive War of Poland at the beginning of the Second World War. After falling into German hands and spending years undertaking forced agricultural work, and then passing through numerous transit camps, he finally reached Australia in 1948 thanks to the help of extended family contacts.
Until his retirement in 1984, he worked in an electrical engineering laboratory in Melbourne. The historical work that he undertook was never his main occupation. He published around 400 articles in a variety of international media outlets. His other books included Social Background of Sir Paul Strzelecki and Joseph Conrad (1980), Poles in Australia and Oceania 1790-1940 (1987), and On the Waves of Life in three tomes (2005-2007).
Lech passed away in his home in Melbourne.
Article updated 27/04/2013
Lech Krzysztof Paszkowski, the former Patron of Kosciuszko Heritage (photo: Tadeusz Dobrostanski, Wikipedia Creative Commons, Attribution 3.0 Unported license) 
Lech Paszkowski in 2009, in his home in Melbourne (photo: Puls Polonii) 
The book Sir Paul Edmund de Strzelecki: Reflections on his life 
A letter from Lech Paszkowski to the President of Kosciuszko Heritage, written in 2011