Žilinskas three, by Daina Pocius and Ann Tündern-Smith

Green is a common enough family name among English speakers. Its Slavic equivalents include Zelinski, Zelinsky, Zelenskii, Zelenskiy and so on. In recent years, the whole world has become familiar with a Ukrainian version, Zelinskyy.  The Lithuanian equivalent is Žilinskas.

Onomasticians, people who study names, say that this is a toponym, a name derived from a place. The families which carry this name originated in a place which was known for its greenness.

There are over twenty people with the name Žilinskas who came to Australia from Germany after World War II, but only three who arrived on the First Transport. Later arrivals were family units but, in this instance, two men of that name were brothers.

Aleksandras Žilinskas

Aleksandras was named after his father and born on 17 June 1928 in Šiauliai. He was a farmer but recorded as a barber when in Germany. He had wanted to return to Lithuania if independent but indicated that he would migrate to Canada as second preference.

Aleksandras Zilinskas' ID photo from his Bonegilla card

Source: National Archives of Australia

Instead, he was part of the First Transport to Australia. He would have been only 15 when he left Lithuania, and no family is indicated in the records. Now aged only 19, he was sent to pick fruit at HE Pickworth’s orchard in the Goulbourn Valley as part of his two-year employment contract. Once the harvest was finished, he returned to Bonegilla on 1 April 1948 and was transferred to Tasmania a week later.

In Tasmania he worked at Goliath Portland cement company at Railton from 1948 to 1950. 

It is reputed that Aleksandras was seeing two girls at one time, which caused some rivalry with the local lads. He was challenged to a fight, which he won. The local policeman needed to intervene when the local boys marched into camp seeking revenge.

That's Aleksandras, second from left, joining others for a smoke before a concert during his time in Railton; left is Endrius Jankus, on the right we have Kazys Vilutis and Vaclovas Kalytis

Source:  Collection of Endrius Jankus

On another occasion Aleksandras wielded a toy pistol after an argument, hitting a local who had to have seven stitches in his head. Aleksandras pleaded guilty to assault and was fined £2, with 2/6 costs.  Given the date when he was before the court, this incident probably occurred when Aleksandras worked for the Hydro Electric Commission in Tasmania’s Central Highlands from 1950 to 1951. Here he most likely helped build dams, power stations or accommodation. 

He then worked at the Electrolytic Zinc Company at Rosebery from 1951 to 1955.

Aleksandras didn’t stay in Tasmania but moved to Brisbane. It was here he married Thelma Daphne Pike.

After 75 years in Australia, Aleksandras passed away on 1 November 2023, aged a respectable 95.  His ashes are interrred in the Bribie Island Memorial Gardens, Woorim, Moreton Bay Region, Queensland.

Clearly no-one proofread this plaque for Aleksandras' birthplace before it was cast

Source:  Happy Graving on Find A Grave

Juozas Žilinskas

Juozas Žilinskas was said to have been born in 1907 in the Lithuanian village of Jaunai, Kalvarija township, Marijampolė district, into a family of a wealthy farmers. According to his death certificate, his parents were George (probably Jurgis) and Marie (possibly Marija, née Cejinskas, which would be Cejinskaite in Lithuania).

He had five brothers and two sisters. One brother, Jurgis, also came to Australia on the General Stuart Heintzelman.

Juozas studied in Kybartai and Marijampolė. He later studied humanities in Kaunas and continued his studies at the universities of Rome and Paris. He taught at the Marijampolė gymnasium (senior high school) and was the director of the Kybartai gymnasium during the last years of Lithuania’s independence and the German occupation. In exile, he organised and directed the Lithuanian school in his DP camp. By this time, he could speak 8 languages.

He was 40 when he arrived in Australia, although it is suspected he was at least five years older. (The age of 40 had been specified as the maximum for those refugees lucky enough to be selected for the First Transport.)

Juozas Zilinskas' ID photograph from his Bonegilla card

Source:  National Archives of Australia

He was sent to pick fruit at the HE Pickworth orchard on 28 January 1948, returning to the Bonegilla camp on 1 April after 2 months away. The camp administration then employed him as a kitchen hand for more than 3 months, from 6 April to 25 July.

Next, he was sent to Canberra on 3 August to work for the Department of Works and Housing. In practical terms, he was making bricks at the Canberra Brickworks. If he was released from the terms of his two-year employment-where-sent contract at the same time as most others, on 30 September 1949, this would have meant 13 months of more labour for the former senior high school principal.

He remained in Canberra and found employment with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in its stores, where he worked until his death. He had a very good reputation in CSIRO due to his diligence and honesty.

One of Ann’s informants, Estonian Galja Mägi, had come to Australia on the General Stuart Heintzelman too, but on a later voyage which left Naples on 31 March 1949 and reached Melbourne on 20 April (which must have been a record time). She said that Juozas had been the first Baltic refugee to buy his own house in Canberra.

Galja Mägi and her 12-year-old son, Tõnu (later Tony) had lived with Mr and Mrs Zilinskas for the nine months before 20 December 1951, when they had been able to move into their own home. Mrs Mägi’s husband and Tony’s father, Johannes, had preceded them to Australia and was living in Canberra hostels for working men at the same time.

Galja learnt that Juozas was the eldest son in his family, so his father had wanted him to become a priest, as was a custom in those days. Try as he might, he could not commit himself to the priesthood. He nearly had a nervous breakdown over the matter. In the end, he was allowed to leave home and continue to study.

Galja said that Mrs Zilinskas, Wanda, had been a primary school teacher. She had been married before World War II to another teacher, but he had been killed by the Russians. She had fled to Germany with her sister and parents. Her father had died of typhus in one of the Displaced Persons camps. Juozas, who knew her before the War, located her and sponsored her entry to Australia.

Away from his home and work, in the Lithuanian community, Juozas could be seen everywhere and often. He did not neglect a single commemoration or community gathering. He was chairman of the very first committee for the Lithuanian Community in Canberra. From then on, he was on every committee and board.

When Juozas was a little bit over 50 years old, he developed a bad pain in his back. The doctor prescribed tablets for him and told him that he was not to go to work, or even drive, for three weeks. At the end of this time, he went back to the doctor, who wrote him a medical certificate for the period. Juozas took the certificate home and looked up the word the doctor had written for his condition in a medical dictionary. What he found there stopped him in his tracks. The dictionary said, “incurable”.

By this stage, he was having difficulty in reading. There was no nerve specialist in Canberra, only someone who came from Sydney once a month. He did not have anyone with him he could discuss his condition. He spent the evening quietly, lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. That night, he did not sleep. We need to understand how much pain he might have been experiencing despite the treatment already received.

The next day he returned to work, in the stores at the CSIRO. The stores contained sodium cyanide among many other chemicals. That day, 5 April 1961, he was found deceased in a CSIRO storeroom about 1.40 pm. The Canberra Police were notified, and the body was taken to Canberra morgue where an autopsy was carried out.

At 2.30 pm, someone turned up at Wanda’s workplace to tell her that her husband was dead. He had poisoned himself in his storeroom and collapsed on the floor. Wanda was so devastated that for six months she could not return home. She spent this time boarding with other couples.

This news of his death shocked not only his wife, other relatives and friends, but the entire Lithuanian community of Canberra and, undoubtedly, the wider Lithuanian community. 

Canberrans and Australians in general would have been shocked by the circumstances also – so much so that Juozas’ death and some others like it are the reason why Australia now has a Telephone Interpreter Service. Had it operated in 1961, Juozas might have had someone with the language and technical skills to connect him to a medical person with whom he could have discussed his situation, day or night.

Juozas was buried in Woden Cemetery, Phillip, Canberra. He was survived by Wanda, who lived another 36 years, until 1997. They had no children.

Wanda Zilinskas (left) with a First Transport arrival, Birute Tamulyte Gruzas

Source:  Collection of Birute Tamulyte Gruzas

At the time of his death, Juozas and Wanda had moved from the original house in Ebden Street, Ainslie, up the hill to a home closer to his Black Mountain workplace, in Cockle Street, O’Connor. This very house was celebrated in a book prepared for Canberra’s centenary in 2013 by Tim Reeves and Alan Roberts, 100 Canberra Houses.

The authors wrote that the house had been built in 1960 by a Polish Displaced Person, who had cleared a rocky, hillside block himself and ordered a Women’s Weekly plan from a local department store. He also had built the whole house himself apart from the brickwork and stonework. Perhaps because of Juozas’ recent death, the first buyer was recorded as Wanda Zilinskas, who paid just over £5,000 for it.

This was much to the builder’s satisfaction. However, it also was the home where Wanda could not stay for 6 months after her husband died.

2001 watercolour by an unknown artist of the house in which the Juozas and Wanda Zilinskas
were living at the time of Juozas' death.

Source:  Reeves and Roberts, 100 Canberra Houses

Jurgis Žilinskas

Juozas Žilinskas’ brother Jurgis, was born in 1910, also in the village of Jaunai, Kalvarija township, Marijampole district.

Jurgis finished his studies at the Marijampolė school and the Technical School in Kaunas, from which he graduated as a mechanic.

After the War, he lived in the Hanau displaced persons camp in Germany. The record of his interview with the Australian selection panel records him as one of those to have been “forcibly evacuated by the Germans”.

Jurgis Zilinskas' photograph from his selection documents

Source:  National Archives of Australia

He arrived in Australia on the First Transport in 1947. Like his brother, he left the Bonegilla camp on 28 January 1948 to pick fruit at the HE Pickford orchard. Together they returned to Bonegilla on 1 April, and together they worked as kitchen hands in the camp for 6 weeks until 25 July 1948. Then, together yet again, they set out for Canberra to labour at the Brickworks.

Jurgis is on the far right of the row of 11 Bonegilla camp employees with a 12th in front
Who are the others?  Who took the photograph?  Was it the versatile Gunars Berzarrins?
Source: this copy from the Collection of Galina Vasins Karciauskas; also in the Australian Lithuanian Archives

Like his brother, he was one of the first Lithuanians to settle in Canberra. He also was one of the first to buy a house and he provided assistance to many Lithuanians. He was a supporter of the Canberra Lithuanian Club, of which he served as President in 1954, and participated in many Lithuanian gatherings.

Here he met and married Bronė Rubikaitė. She had arrived in the middle of 1948 on the Svalbard, the Fifth Transport, and been sent from the Bonegilla camp to work as a domestic in the Cooma Hospital in southern New South Wales. As Cooma is some 90 road minutes from Canberra and there was a train service at that time, perhaps she was in Canberra to mix with more fellow Lithuanians.

Jurgis was a passionate chess player, known locally as by the translation into English of his first name, George. Ann has counted 20 reports of his chess competition results in the Canberra Times, so suggests to any readers interested in the detail that they search the National Library’s Trove digitisation service themselves.

In late 1949, he was one of 8 Lithuanians who participated in a New Australians versus the Canberra Chess Club tournament, along with 2 Latvians, a Hungarian, and Estonian geologist Professor AA Öpik. The New Australians won resoundingly, which probably led to invitations to join the Canberra players, as George played for them later.

He was Canberra’s champion player in 1951.

Ann has been told that Jurgis was “a bit of a gambler”. He probably gambled with his health because, aged 63, he died suddenly of a heart attack on 3 August 1973 aged 63. He had been working at the Canberra Brickworks for 25 years at the time of his death although, according to his death certificate, he had rise to the skilled occupation of bricklayer.

His funeral took place at St Christophers Cathedral before the cortège left for the Woden Cemetery. He was buried near his brother Juozas, who had died 8 years earlier.

Neither of them lived to see the freedom of the Motherland, for which both had yearned.

Bronė was buried besides her husband on 5 June 1996, having died one month earlier. Her mental health must have deteriorated badly in the twenty and more years after her husband’s death. Ann has been told that she used to wander around the local shops talking to herself. Another informant has told of how she was scammed by 2 men who made use of her vulnerable state. As this is Jurgis’ story, the details of his wife’s life are better shared by someone focussed on those who came on the Second Transport.

Bronė also told this informant that she had nothing to do with Juozas or his wife as they did not like her. Juozas’ wife, Wanda, who died after Brone, on 21 July 1997, is not buried with the others. She chose cremation, so her ashes are stored in the Sister Kenny Wall at Canberra’s Norwood Crematorium.

CITE THIS AS Pocius, Daina and Tündern-Smith, Ann (2025) Želinskas three https://firsttransport.blogspot.com/2025/08/zilinskas-three.html.

Sources

Advocate (1951) ‘Toy Pistol with a Wallop’, Burnie, Tas, 25 May, page 9 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/69286430, accessed 16 August 2025.

AEF DP Registration Record, 'Aleksandras Zelinskas', 3.1.1.1 Postwar Card File / Postwar Card File (A-Z) Names in "phonetical" order from SI, ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives https://collections.arolsen-archives.org/en/document/69061784, accessed 16 August 2025.

Australian Capital Territory Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages 1961, Death certificate: Jouzas Zilinskas, Canberra, certified copy held by Ann Tündern-Smith.

Australian Capital Territory Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages 1973, Death certificate: Jurgis Zilinskas, Canberra, certified copy held by Ann Tündern-Smith.

Australijos Lietuvis (Australian Lithuanian) (1949) ‘Mūsų šachmatininkai Canberoje’ (Our Chess Players in Canberra, in Lithuanian), Adelaide, SA, 19 December, p28 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article280322235, accessed 14 August 2025.

Canberra Times (1961) ‘Man Found Dead in Storeroom’, Canberra, ACT, 6 April, p 3 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article133976454, accessed 13 August 2025.

Canberra Times (1973) ‘Return Thanks’, Canberra, ACT, 16 August, p 18 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110743068, accessed 3 August 2025.

Canberra Times (1973) ‘Funerals’, Canberra, ACT, 6 August, p 10 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110741343, accessed 16 August 2025.

CŽB (1961) ‘Canberros Naujienos, Staigi Mirtis’ (‘Canberra News, Sudden Death’, in Lithuanian), Mūsų Pastogė (Our Haven), Sydney, 18 April, p 4 https://spauda2.org/musu_pastoge/archive/1961/1961-04-18-MUSU-PASTOGE.pdf, accessed 16 August 2025.

Examiner (1951) 'Struck by Toy Pistol' Launceston, Tas, 26 May, p 7 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article52816810, accessed 16 August 2025.

Find a Grave, ‘Brone Zilinskas’ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/230145727/brone-zilinskas, accessed 16 August 2025.

Find a Grave, ‘Joozas (sic) Zilinskas’ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/230151971/joozas-zilinskas, accessed 16 August 2025.

Find a Grave, ‘Jungis (sic) Zilinskas’ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/230148732/jungis-zilinskas, accessed 16 August 2025.

Find a Grave, ‘Wanda Zilinskas’ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/263471913/wanda-zilinskas, accessed 16 August 2025.

J (1973) ‘A A Jurgis Zilinskas’ (RIP Jurgis Zilinskas, in Lithuanian), Tėviškės Aidai (Echoes of the Homeland), Melbourne, 21 August, No 32, p 3 https://spauda2.org/teviskes_aidai/archive/1973/1973-nr32-TEVISKES-AIDAI.pdf, accessed 16 August 2025.

JŽ (1954) ‘Canberros Lietuvių Bendruomenė’ (‘Canberra Lithuanian Community’, in Lithuanian), Mūsų Pastogė (Our Haven), Sydney, 15 December, p 2 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/259360319, accessed 14 August 2025.

Mägi, Galina (Galja), Personal communication with Ann Tündern-Smith, 13 August 2021.

National Archives of Australia: Department of Immigration, Central Office; A11772, Migrant Selection Documents for Displaced Persons who travelled to Australia per General Stuart Heintzelman departing Bremerhaven 30 October 1947; 344, ZILINSKAS, Aleksandras DOB 17 June 1925 https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=5118126, accessed 16 August 2025.

National Archives of Australia: Department of Immigration, Central Office; A11772, Migrant Selection Documents for Displaced Persons who travelled to Australia per General Stuart Heintzelman departing Bremerhaven 30 October 1947; 344, ZILINSKAS Jurgis DOB 2 April 1910 https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=5118048, accessed 16 August 2025.

National Archives of Australia: Department of Immigration, Central Office; A12508, Personal Statement and Declaration by alien passengers entering Australia (Forms A42); 37/666, ZILINSKAS Juozas born 7 December 1907; nationality Lithuanian; travelled per GENERAL HEINTZELMAN arriving in Fremantle on 28 November 1947 https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=7249369, accessed 16 August 2025.

National Archives of Australia: Department of Immigration, Tasmanian Branch; P1183, Registration cards for non-British migrants/visitors, lexicographical series; 20/595 ZILINSKAS, Aleksandras born 17 June 1928 - nationality Lithuanian https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=60159309, accessed 16 August 2025.

National Archives of Australia: Migrant Reception and Training Centre, Bonegilla [Victoria]; A2571, Name Index Cards, Migrants Registration [Bonegilla]; ZILINSKAS ALEKSANDRS (sic), ZILINSKAS, Alexandrs (sic), Year of Birth - 1928, Nationality - LITHUANIAN, Travelled per - GEN. HEINTZELMAN, Number – 1082 https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=203726182, accessed 16 August 2025.

National Archives of Australia: Migrant Reception and Training Centre, Bonegilla [Victoria]; A2571, Name Index Cards, Migrants Registration [Bonegilla]; ZILINSKAS JUOZAS, Year of Birth - 1907, Nationality - LITHUANIAN, Travelled per - GEN. HEINTZELMAN, Number – 1225 https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=203726183, accessed 16 August 2025.

National Archives of Australia: Migrant Reception and Training Centre, Bonegilla [Victoria]; A2571, Name Index Cards, Migrants Registration [Bonegilla]; ZILINSKAS JURGIS, Year of Birth - 1910, Nationality - LITHUANIAN, Travelled per - GEN. HEINTZELMAN, Number – 740 https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=203726184, accessed 16 August 2025.

Reeves, Tim and Roberts, Alan (2013) 100 Canberra Houses: A Century of Capital Architecture, Canberra, Halstead Press, pp 106-7.

Tarvydas, Ramunas (1997) From Amber Coast to Apple Isle: Fifty Years of Baltic Immigrants in Tasmania 1948-1998, Baltic Semicentennial Commemoration Activities Organising Committee, Hobart, Tasmania, p 48.

V (1951) ‘Lietuvis-Australijos Sostines Sachmatu Meisteris’ (‘Lithuanian-Australian Capitals Chess Master’, in Lithuanian), Mūsų Pastogė (Our Haven), Sydney, NSW, 28 November, p 4 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article259360595, accessed 14 August 2025.

Wikipedia, ‘Zelinski’ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zelinski, accessed 14 August 2025.

Gunars Berzzarins OAM (1925-2015): Chess champion, accountant, journalist, by Ann Tündern-Smith

Gunars, chess champion, arrives in Australia

Gunars Berzzarins was singled out by Sydney’s Daily Telegraph newspaper in its 8 December 1947 report of the arrival in Melbourne the previous day of ‘more than 800 sturdy, sun-tanned Baltic migrants’.  This economics student had been, the paper noted, chess champion of Latvia’s capital, Riga.  (That had been in 1943 and 1944, before the return of Soviet forces from the east made Gunars and thousands of others flee westwards.)

Gunars Berzzarins' ID photo on his Bonegilla card

Source:  National Archives of Australia

In January 1950, soon after moving to Adelaide, he won that city’s Summer Chess Training tournament, a 6-man competition.  In 1952 he won the Adelaide Chess Masters tournament again and organised the first Adelaide Schools Team tournament.  He finished 11th at the Australian Chess Masters in Brisbane in 1951.

Why Gunars left Latvia

Another entry in this blog discusses 13-14 June 1941, the night when Baltic people known or thought to be anti-Communist were rounded up for deportation to Siberia. During that night, Riga lost some 35,000 of its population of 400,000: nearly 10 per cent.

Gunars himself lost school friends and friends of the family to this deportation. He told me that this had generated fear in the remaining Latvians rather than hatred.

After the Germans occupiers of Latvia lost the battle for Stalingrad in February 1943, they began calling up Latvians to serve in the German Army. Boys still at school could choose to serve instead in the RAD, the Reichsarbietsdienst (the Reich Labour Service). Gunars’ birth year, 1925, was to be called up in 1944.

The Soviet forces pushed into the Bay of Riga on 30 July 1944. A day or two later, Gunars and Valentins got themselves to the port city of Liepaja and managed to flee to Germany from there.

Gunars told me that it was much easier for city dwellers to leave Latvia than for rural Latvians. The latter were likely to have been living where their ancestors had lived for hundreds, if not thousands, of years so they had a strong emotional attachment to their land.

Riga, the capital city where one-third of the Latvian population lived, finally fell to the Soviet forces on 13 October 1944.

Gunars in Germany

Initially the refugees who had fled the Soviet invasion, knowing that their lives under Soviet rule would be even worse than under German rule, thought that they would be able to return to their homelands soon. For that reason, they tended to find refuge together. By 1947, however, the hope of an early return to their homelands had faded.

In Germany, Gunars became an economics student in Göttingen, whose university had become the first to resume teaching after WWII. This meant that he could live in student quarters. Valentins wanted to continue his medical studies, so made his way to Dusseldorf.  This town is still more than 3 hours to the west by train or road.

Gunars’ parents had lost everything during the Russian Revolution, so they believed strongly that what you had in your head, your education, was most important. His father worked for the Latvian public service, in its upper levels, including for its Auditor-General.

His parents also had evacuated from Riga before it fell. They found refuge in Erfurt, a city which was captured by the Americans in April 1945 but then handed over to the Soviet Union in July 1945. They had not left Erfurt before the handover, but managed to get back to Riga. Gunars’ father died in 1956, around the time that the Soviet Union under Khrushchev decided to let older people go if they wanted to leave. As Valentins was settled in the USA, his mother migrated there.

The winter of 1945-46 in Germany was grim, with no coal and little electricity. There was no light after 4 pm. He was able to continue his studies in three helpful homes, one of a man, one of a woman, and one of a couple. As a student, he was fed by UNRRA. Cigarettes and coffee had become the local currency. Shops had almost nothing to sell.

He had started to learn English when he attended the English High School in Riga, which had English language instruction in its final years. Initally he had 7 sessions of English in a 5-day week, Linguaphone records, other records of English songs and books in English.

After the 1940 invasion of Latvia by the Soviet Union, English became just another language – until English-speaking troops successfully invaded Germany, where he had found refuge.

That 1945-46 winter was so difficult that Gunars did not want to spend more time in Germany, and knew that the Germans did not want the refugees either. He wanted to go to Venezuela or another warm country. Coal miners were wanted in both Germany and England, while Germany also wanted farm labourers. Gunars was neither, studying pure economics although this topic did not thrill him.

He considered Canada as well, since it was an English-speaking country on a similar latitude to Latvia. Everyone else wanted to resettle in the United States, of course. Canada was not making any offers, however, when he saw a notice about going to Australia on the noticeboard of his student quarters. Since UNRRA was feeding the residents, he thought an UNRRA official had put up the notice.

He was interviewed by the Australian team in a camp in Hannover, sent there with other applicants in a canvas-covered truck. He stayed in another camp in Bucholz, also used by the interviewers, on his way to the General Stuart Heintzelman in Bremerhaven.

What did Gunars know about Australia before his interview? In a few words, it was the Fifth Continent, with sheep, gold and wheat. It had been half a page in a geography textbook. He asked UNRRA staff to tell him what more they knew, but they replied, “Nothing”. Still, he knew that it was an English-speaking country.

He travelled through the interview process and the trip to Australia with friends from Göttingen. They included Olgerts Bergmanis, a fellow chess and table tennis player who Gunars knew from his chess club in Riga, Indulis Nicis and the Seja brothers, Andris and Juris.

Gunars in Fremantle

Nicis’ father had left his family in the 1920s to travel, stayed in Australia and remarried. Kārlis Nicis had become secretary to the Honorary Consul for Latvia. He probably knew or knew of most of the pre-War Latvians in Australia. He also knew that his son now was coming to Australia and that there would be a stopover in Perth. He wrote to friends there, who came to the camp where Indulis and Gunars were staying to drive them around the city.

Bonegilla camp

The Commandant of the Bonegilla camp, Alton Kershaw, seemed to be fierce but was known to be a good man underneath it. His offsider, Allan Dawson, was not liked. Gunars did not remember any problems in the running of the camp. Although supposedly dry, this was not actually the case.

Gunars remembered oranges, grapes, chocolate and port wine in the camp for Christmas 1947.

Gunars worked as a storeman at Bonegilla camp for nearly two years, from one week after his arrival, from 15 December 1947, to one month after the Minister for Immigration said that the new arrivals’ obligation to work in Australia was finished, to 28 October 1949.

Do you remember the women Heintzelman passengers filling out forms with some vital statistics and the men completing forms with their shoe size even before they reached the wharf in Fremantle? Do you remember a representative of a clothing factory estimated the size of the men's clothing by watching them disembark?

That was so that surplus Australian Army clothing in the correct sizes could be supplied to them after arrival at Bonegilla. And the clothing had to be stored somewhere, as did bedding and other supplies. Gunars curated these for 22 months. It would have been much better employment for the former economics student than some of the heavy labouring to which his peers were sent.

Marianne Hammerton’s book on the history of South Australia’s Department of Engineering and Water Supply includes the remark that “The migrant labour force was not without its problems. There was no system of matching individuals to positions. The Department found it had a mixture of professionals, tradesmen and technicians working as labourers …”

I reckon it's actually Gunars Berzzarins on the LEFT,
judging from the glasses and the blond, wavy hair,
playing with OlgerTs, not Olgerfs, making his move on the right

Source:  Sydney Morning Herald, 18 December 1947

Gunars was underemployed compared with his previous education but at least he was not digging ditches or felling trees. Plus he had time to play chess, as we can see in the photograph above. Gunars’ brother, Valentins, 4 years older, had taught him this game. At Bonegilla, his friend Olgerts taught him how to swim in the adjacent Lake Hume.

Latvians working in the Bonegilla camp gather to celebrate one year in Australia:
(left to right) Andris Seja, unknown, Galina Vasins, possibly Nikolajs Krukovs, unknown, Irina Vasins, unknown, Gunars Berzzarins, (kneeling in front) Antanas Norkeliunas

Source:  Collection of Galina Vasins Karciauskas

Gunars started competing publicly in Australian chess tournaments in September 1948.

To balance the quiet time with a chess opponent, Gunars played table tennis. By May 1948, he was winning A Grade table tennis matches in Albury. At this time, a team called Balts was playing in the competition, with Vacys Morkunas and Janis Belousovs as well as Berzzarins and later arrivals. They were winning. Gunars even represented Wodonga in a match against Albury, which Wodonga won, in July 1948. In September, Balts won that year’s Wodonga table tennis competition.

Around June 1949, Balts had changed its name to Bonegilla, reflecting a greater diversity of camp residents and potential players.

Gunars in Adelaide

One week after leaving Bonegilla, Gunars was working as a clerk for the Adelaide Car Service company in Flinders Street, Adelaide and had found accommodation at 6 Wheaton Road, St Peters.

He was soon making news in Adelaide, under the headline, ‘Migrants keen on “night life”’. The former Prime Minister, now leader of the Federal Opposition, had told Australia’s first Citizenship Convention in Canberra on 23 January 1950 that many of the new arrivals must miss the opportunity for a chat and a glass of wine in the evening. Gunars, as a migrant in the street, asked for a poll on 6 o’clock closing (of hotels) and suggested open-air cafes, where customers could be liquor, listen to music and even dance. These would have been radical ideas to 1950 Australia!

After ten months in Adelaide, Gunars moved to 15 Castle Street. His next job was as a salesman with the British Sales Company, in August 1952. Seven months later, he had switched to selling for the Home Appliances Sales Company. He stayed in home appliance sales for 13 months before becoming a clerk for an accountant, TS Wilson. All of these jobs were in Adelaide’s Central Business District and he was still living at 15 Castle Street.

Gunars, accountant, citizen, journalist, university lecturer

Like at least 6 of the other young passengers, Gunars was presented with the idea that accountancy was a good way for a person whose second, third or fourth language was English to make a living.

They could work in an office with numbers rather than English language words in the days before Information Technology provided a similar pathway for smart young immigrants. There are two such stories on this blog already: those of Helmi Liiver Samuels and Artur Klaar (although Artur is a special case as he was working as an accountant already in Estonia).

In Gunars’ case, he obtained a Diploma in Accountancy in 1959 from the South Australian Technical Institute, which became part of the University of South Australia. He was a part-time lecturer in office management and related subjects at his alma mater during 1972-76, in addition to his other activities.

Gunars was still at 15 Castle Street when he became an Australian citizen on 7 March 1957. This is quite unlike the other Heintzelman passengers at whom we have looked so far, most of whom moved often from one place of residence to another.

Another First Transport passenger, Emils Delins, began publishing the Austrālijas latvietis newspaper in May 1949. Gunars became an immediate volunteer contributor. The Latvietis online newspaper obituary says that he already had publishing experience, since he and two friends had published Šacha pasaule (Chess World) during 1946-47 while he was in Göttingen.

From 1950 to 1953 he wrote about chess for the Adelaide Advertiser, in English of course. Additionally, from 1952 until 1964, he was that newspaper’s basketball correspondent, this being another sport he had played when younger.

One of Gunar's chess reports, from the Adelaide Advertiser, 20 September 1951 —
his middle name was Eizens, related to Eugene in English

Source: The Advertiser, Adelaide

His story is starting to look very much like that of a previous entry, Jonas Strankauskas, from January 1950, when he participated in the founding of the Adelaide Latviešu Sport (yes, Adelaide Latvian Sport) club and became its secretary or manager for many years. I’m not aware of Strankauskas being a writer as well as a chess player and sports administrator, however.

In 1961, Gunars was elected as the head of the Latvian Sports Authority of Australia. For several years, he also worked on the boards of the Latvian Association in Australia and New Zealand and the Latvian Society of Australia. He was elected a life member of the Latvian Association and Daugava Vanagu, the international Latvian care organisation.

Gunars had his first article in English published in Australia as early as July 1949, but under a pseudonym, "Gordon Birch", which at least was in quotations marks to tell the readers it was not his real name. Whether the decision to use a pseudonym was Gunars or that of the editor of the Argus Weekend Magazine, I do not know, but suspect that the editor decided that Gunars Berzzarins would be too difficult for his (probably his) gentle readers.

The article explained to Australian readers why the displaced persons were coming to their country and dispelled some false ideas that had a risen already.

“Gordon Birch” wrote once more for English language readers, this time about sport, from one mention we have in the Lithuanian language press. Lithuanian Aldona Snarskytė was a rising table tennis star. The Sportas column of the Australijos lietuvis (Australian Lithuanian) dated 30 August 1952 reports that “Gordon Birch” had a long article about her in a publication called Sports News, in which he described her life and sporting achievements.

The only article I can find to fit this description is in Australijos lietuvis itself, in its English section of 11 October 1952. A footer on the same page contains the phrase “Sports News” in Lithuanian. (At that time, the foreign language press was allowed to publish only if it included a section in the English language.)

Gunars, the travel, food and sports writer

Travelling became a hobby. He had visited all Australian states before, in 1961, he left for New Zealand. Then he travelled 34 times to all continents, usually combining the trip with a sporting event. After his return, he would write about the places visited during the trip, first in Austrālijas latvietis, later in the US newspaper, Laiks (Time). These articles were collected in two books, Svešās zemēs esot jauki (Foreign Lands are Enjoyable) published in Latvia in 2000, and Part II, published in Australia in 2007.

The cover of Gunars' first travel book

Source:  Collection of the author

He wrote and published Where to Dine in South Australia in 1976. This was his second book, the first being the story in Latvian of the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Melburnā 1956: sespadsmitas Olimpiskas Speles. Just as writing about the Olympic Games surely requires some attendance at events, Where to Dine in South Australia must have required what scientists call “fieldwork”.

The next year saw a move to Melbourne, where he wrote regularly for the Age newspaper’s annual Good Food Guide. More fieldwork must have been required. He lived in Melbourne until retirement in 1987.  That was the year he co-authored The Age Cheap Eats as well.

He was asked to be the volunteer editor of the sports section in Austrālijas latvietis. He organised and led a group of Australian Latvian athletes to the first Latvian Global Championships in Garezer, Michigan, in 1985. The Pasaules Brīvo Latviešu Apvienība (World Association of Free Latvians) awarded him the Krišjānis Barons prize for special achievements in sports journalism in 1987.

He attended 7 Olympic Games, 7 world basketball championships, 5 European basketball championships, the Davis Cup in tennis, plus various athletics and cycling competitions. Some of his sports reporting was collected in a book called Draugos ar sportu piecos kontinentos (Friends with Sports on Five Continents) published in 2003.

Latvia proclaimed its independence from the Soviet Union in May 1990 and regained its de facto independence in August 1991. From 1990, Gunars visited his homeland a number of times, writing up his observations in Austrālijas latvietis. They were collected into his sixth book (not counting the Age Good Food Guides or The Age Cheap Eats), Rīgas piezīmes 1990- 2003 (Riga Notes 1990-2003), published in 2004.

All this travel and sport attendance costs money, unlikely to have been covered by the sale of his books. Perhaps Gunars was able, as an accredited reporter, to attend sporting events for free or at a reduced rate, but he was not being paid for his journalism (except by the Melbourne Age). I would assume that Gunars was able to find work as an accountant, auditor or management consultant when not travelling but have not confirmed this.

Gunars Berzzarins in later life

Source:  TimeNote

Gunars is honoured

As far as I am aware, he is the only passenger from the first refugee voyage to Australia of the General Stuart Heintzelman to have received an honour from the Australia Government. On Australia Day 2012 he received a Medal of the Order of Australia for ‘service to the Latvian community, and to sport as an administrator and journalist’. This entitled him to the OAM postnominal.

Gunars’ death

Gunars died in Adelaide on 14 November 2015. He had reached the respectable age of 90. He had clearly found some things more interesting than economics to keep him engaged, active and contributing to the broader community in such a long life.

Sources

Advertiser (1950) ‘Berzarrins wins chess tourney’ Adelaide, 14 January, p 12 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article50205342 accessed 2 January 2025.

Berzzarins, Gunars (2004) Personal communication, Adelaide, 6 January.

Border Morning Mail (1948) 'Leneva in Close Match’ Albury, 6 May, p 8, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article263461640 accessed 2 January 2025.

Border Morning Mail (1948) 'Wodonga Table Tennis', Albury, 20 May, p 12, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article263463451 accessed 2 January 2025.

Border Morning Mail (1948) 'Table Tennis', Albury, 3 June, p 12, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article263465225 accessed 2 January 2025.

Border Morning Mail (1948) 'Table Tennis', Albury, 17 June, p 11 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article263467117 accessed 2 January 2025.

Border Morning Mail (1948) 'Table Tennis', Albury, 22 June, p 12, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article263467589 accessed 2 January 2025.

Border Morning Mail (1948) ‘Revised Draw’, Albury, 1 July, p 11, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article263775553 accessed 2 January 2025.

Border Morning Mail (1948) 'Table Tennis', Albury, 3 July, p 15, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article263775858 accessed 2 January 2025.

Border Morning Mail (1948) ‘Colts’ Second Win’, Albury, 8 July, p 11, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article263776405 accessed 2 January 2025.

Border Morning Mail (1948) ‘Colts’ Down Wodonga’, Albury, 15 July, p 12, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article263776405 accessed 2 January 2025.

Border Morning Mail (1948) ‘Wodonga Table Tennis’, Albury, 29 July, p 12, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article263779206 accessed 2 January 2025.

Border Morning Mail (1948) ‘Table Tennis’, Albury, 19 August, p 11, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article263781859 accessed 2 January 2025.

Border Morning Mail (1948) ‘Table Tennis’, Albury, 2 September, p 12, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article263783514 accessed 2 January 2025.

Border Morning Mail (1949) ‘Played Balts Table Tennis’, Albury, 27 June, p 12, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article264034366 accessed 2 January 2025.

Border Morning Mail (1949) ‘Table Tennis’, Albury, 1 July, p 15, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article264010971 accessed 2 January 2025.

Border Morning Mail (1949) ‘Table Tennis’, Albury, 25 July, p 12, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article264017837 accessed 2 January 2025.

Border Morning Mail (1949) ‘Table Tennis’, Albury, 18 August, p 15, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article264024590 accessed 2 January 2025.

Border Morning Mail (1949) ‘Table Tennis’, Albury, 29 August, p 11, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article264027862 accessed 2 January 2025.

Border Morning Mail (1949) ‘Wodonga Win Narrowly over “Bulldogs”’, Albury, 25 September, p 26, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article136315066 accessed 2 January 2025.

Britannica (2024) ‘Göttingen, Germany’ https://www.britannica.com/place/Gottingen accessed 1 January 2025.

Čepliauskas, V (1952) ‘Sportas’, Australijos lietuvis (Australian Lithuanian, in Lithuanian), 30 August, p5 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/280312004 accessed 11 July 2025.

Commonwealth of Australia Gazette (1957) ‘Certificates of Naturalization’ Canberra, ACT, 3 October, p 2988 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/232986655 accessed 1 January 2025.

Daily Telegraph (1947) 'New Migrants from Baltic', Sydney, 8 December, p 9, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article248104979 accessed 2 January 2025.

GEB (1951) 'Chess Prizes Presented' Adelaide, 20 September, p 8 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/45784498 accessed 21 July 2025.

Hammerton, Marianne (1986) 'Water South Australia' Netley, Wakefield Press pp 232-5.

Latvietis (2015) ‘Gunars Bērzzariņš, 1.09.1925-14.11.2015’, Victoria, Australia, 27 November, https://www-laikraksts-com.translate.goog/raksti/raksts.php?KursRaksts=5851&_x_tr_sl=lv&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc accessed 1 January 2025.

Nagy, Boti (2016) ‘Goodbye and God bless three of our finest’ 16 January, http://www.botinagy.com/blog/goodbye-and-god-bless-three-of-our-finest/ accessed 1 January 2025.

National Archives of Australia, Department of Immigration, Central Office; A11772, Migrant Selection Documents for Displaced Persons who travelled to Australia per General Stuart Heintzelman departing Bremerhaven 30 October 1947; 35, BERZZARINS Gunars born 1 September 1925 recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=5169917 accessed 20 July 2025.

National Archives of Australia, Department of Immigration, South Australia Branch; D4878, Alien registration documents, alphabetical series; BERZZARINS G, BERZZARINS Gunars - Nationality: Latvian - Arrived Fremantle per General Stuart Heintzelman 28 November 1947 recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=4072326 accessed 20 July 2025.

National Archives of Australia, Department of Immigration, South Australia Branch; D4881, Alien registration cards, alphabetical series; BERZZARINS GUNARS, BERZZARINS Gunars - Nationality: Latvian - Arrived Fremantle per General Stuart Heintzelman 28 November 1947 recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=7215890 accessed 20 July 2025.

National Archives of Australia, Migrant Reception and Training Centre, Bonegilla [Victoria]; A2571, Name Index Cards, Migrants Registration [Bonegilla]; BERZZARINS GUNARS, BERZZARINS, Gunars : Year of Birth - 1925 : Nationality - LATVIAN : Travelled per - GEN. HEINTZELMAN : Number – 435 recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=203663902 accessed 20 July 2025.

News (1950 )'N.S.W. Chess Champion Coming Here', Adelaide, 6 January, p 7, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article130800048 accessed 2 January 2025.

News (1950) 'Migrants keen on "night life"', Adelaide, 25 January, p 16 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article130793823 accessed 2 January 2025.

Ryerson Index, https://ryersonindex.org/search.php accessed 19 July 2025.

Sydney Morning Herald (1947) 'Yacht Race Entrant — Migrants', Sydney, 18 December, p 11, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article27893069 accessed 2 January 2025.

TimeNote ‘Gunars Berzzariņš (in Latvian)’ https://timenote.info/lv/Gunars-Berzzarins accessed 15 July 2025.

Wikipedia ‘Battle of Stalingrad’ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stalingrad accessed 17 July 2025.

Wikipedia ‘Kruschev thaw’ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khrushchev_thaw accessed 17 July 2025.

Wikipedia ‘Reich Labour Service’ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reich_Labour_Service accessed 17 July 2025.

World's News (1948) ‘The Chess Corner', Sydney, 25 September, p 26, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article136315066 accessed 2 January 2025.

Vaclavs Kozlovakis' Time in Bonegilla to 31 December 1947, translated by Monika Kozlovskis with Janis Sakurovs

BONEGILLA, 11.12.47, Thurs. In the morning my lungs were x-rayed, then I went into another room where my English skills were evaluated.  I was put into group 1b, and in the afternoon school began.  The teacher spoke only English the whole time, but I understood him really well.

There's a bit of journalistic fancy in the "man above welcomed an X-ray after years in a Nazi prison camp", since it was more likely to be years digging trenches for the Nazi military, for the men at least, or some time in a Allied prisoner-of-war camp before being released into a DP camp: What's more, all had been X-rayed in Germany before being selected for the Heintzelman
Source:  Courier-Mail, 15 December 1947

We were divided into two groups of sixteen and each group has its own teacher, with only little grasp of the German language.

Sourced from a private scrapbook which, in turn, did not give its source

BONEGILLA, 13.12.47, Sat.   Yesterday it started raining, today again it rained heavily and the sun was constantly hidden behind the clouds. On Thursday I saw a small, cute bear outside the kitchen, and today it climbed up the birch tree by the microphone and gazed around at the crowd which stood there marvelling at it.

The troublemakers arrived too - they just can’t stand there peacefully and watch.  One picked up a stick and poked the little bear, another shook the tree, until it jumped down and ran off.  What people they are.*

In the afternoon we were given five shillings pocket money, so at least I can now buy some tobacco.

BONEGILLA, 14.12.47, Sun.  Today we didn’t have to go to school, maybe that’s why it was a little boring.  All morning I played cards, and in the afternoon I swam in the nearby lake.

Kola and I dived for small white stones which we threw into the water.  The water was so warm I didn’t want to come out.  It could be a wonderful life here, if only there wasn’t such a huge swarm of flies buzzing around.

Early in the evening I went to the shop for tobacco and happened to speak to a young Australian girl, but couldn’t understand a single word she said.  Is it possible that Australians speak differently to our English teachers?

BONEGILLA, 15.12.47, Mon.  No school today either, it was my group’s turn for domestic duties. There wasn’t a great deal to do – sweating in the hot sun we cut the grass around the movie room.  I didn’t return in the afternoon either, instead I spent all afternoon by the lake swimming and diving.  When I returned, I wrote Merry an airmail letter, hoping my pleasant words make her happy.

Late in the evening, when I was already in bed, some men brought in a large tortoise, which had withdrawn into its shell.  I leaped out of bed to have a look at it.  I took it in my hands and lifted it into the air, but I took fright and let it go again when it suddenly poked all four feet out.  The rascal kept its head hidden, though.

Wanting to see its head as well, we put the turtle into a bucket of water.  Despite this it didn’t poke any limbs out, or even move. We weren’t sure whether such a turtle could live in the water after all, so after a few minutes we pulled it out again, in case the rascal drowned.  After another look, we put it back outside and then went to bed.

BONEGILLA, 16.12.47, Tues.  Ever since our first day on Australian shores, newspaper and film reporters have milled around us.  They haven’t ignored us here either, each day you can see them walking around with their equipment.

On arriving in my class this morning, I saw standing in the middle of the room lamps, microphones and cameras.  As soon as we were seated, the reporter appeared and began his job, so my face will soon be seen around Australia in the latest newspapers.

This evening a group of migrants was gathered near the shower room, for the little bear had appeared again.  At first the troublemakers started doing their trick again with bits of wood and water, but then some Latvians arrived and put a stop to this fun.

I fed the little bear some white bread, and he wasn’t frightened at all – he took it right out of my hand. What a charming creature he was, with his bushy tail, red snout and lively eyes. A few times he couldn’t reach the bread with his snout, so, without causing me the least injury, carefully took my finger in his claws, pulled it to his mouth, and took the bread from my hand, then released my finger.

After a while he’d had enough and stopped reaching for the bread, and then I went to bed.

BONEGILLA, 17.12.47, Wed.  Today was very unpleasant.   Arguments began as early as breakfast.   First, due to an oversight no butter came out for Lanky, but he wasn’t too concerned about it, the main troublemaker was another man, who is always complaining about everything.

Some leftover milk was put on the table and several of us had a cupful of it, others didn’t.  This quarrelsome man came to breakfast late, so naturally there wasn’t any milk left over.  He was so angry about this, that all morning he argued about Lanky missing out on the butter, which in fact was nothing to do with him anyway, then about the milk, then about who knows what.

It was unpleasant for everyone – as if we had drunk his milk deliberately.   Most fed up of all was his neighbour at the table, a man past middle age.  In the end the quarrelsome man said “what are you waiting for, Lanky, punch the oldie in the face!”

That was too much, and at being called “oldie” the middle-aged man’s patience was at an end.  He returned to his barracks, and on receiving more accusations from the quarrelsome man, threw a good punch at him. T hus a fight started, lasting several minutes, unpleasant for everyone.  The tension remained and even after lunch there was uneasiness and bad feeling.

Later the immigration minister arrived.  A concert and exhibition were organised in his honour, but I didn’t go to either.  It has been hot all day; then late in the afternoon the sun hid behind the clouds, and as I went to bed it began to rain.

BONEGILLA, 18.12.47, Thurs.   I received an invitation to go to the employment office, so went to register.  I advised them I was a seaman with two years in naval school.

The clerk wrote down that I would prefer to work on a ship, but that I was happy to work in any job, with my first preference being at the harbour.  He told me that seaman work is hard for an immigrant to find, but who knows, maybe I will be lucky?

BONEGILLA, 20.12.47, Sat.  It seems it will be a fruitful summer here in Australia - it’s raining again. Despite the weather, in the evening a busload of Australian girls pulled up for a dance organised in the camp.   I’d like to have gone too, but I don’t have anything suitable to wear.  The Australian girls are showing quite an interest in us.

The first wedding in Bonegilla of two passengers from the Heintzelman took place on
17 December 1947; we say"first wedding in Bonegilla" because we know that there had been at least two marriages before embarkation and another during the Perth stopover 

Source:  this cutting was found unsourced in a private scrapbook 

BONEGILLA, 21.12.47, Sun.  It seems that the Australians sense our desire to return to Europe for they organised a big dance for us, perhaps hoping that we will marry and settle down.

Tonight, a large party of the boys was driven to some dance in the town.  Who knows, perhaps I too will settle here one day and forget about returning?

BONEGILLA, 25.12.47, Thurs.  Christmas is here, the first I’ve ever spent in the southern hemisphere.  You can’t find proper fir trees here, but it seems that nature herself wishes to re-create the familiar holiday feeling for us – this morning it’s become very cold.  It would be very strange to spend Christmas sweating in the heat and looking for relief in the lake.

BONEGILLA, 26.12.47, Fri.   I’ve never yet felt as cold in Australia as I did last night, I even had to get up and pull out my third blanket.  This morning the sun shone again, and the cold and rain disappeared far behind the mountains.

At 10am there was supposed to be a basketball match with the Australians, but they didn’t arrive until eleven, and copped it heavily – the result was 51:12 in our favour. The devil only knows what these Australians are good at – we beat them outright at chess, table tennis, and basketball.

They are friendly and courteous, but have a very narrow education.  All they know is Australian and English geography and history, nothing else.  Also, the sort of clothes they wear aren’t worn in Europe after the age of ten.  Australians marvel that we can speak so many languages and know so much.

Although I must say that the music is wonderful here.  This evening the camp loudspeaker broadcast a Melbourne report of our concert from the day of the Immigration minister’s visit, and now we heard all sorts of marvels; wolves had been transformed into white sheep.  We certainly had no idea that we were so good.

In jumbled disorder rang out the Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian songs, for the first time in the warmth of an Australian evening.  Meanwhile a team of Australian beauties arrived for our “variety evening,” but they had to stand outside for a long time and listen to the reportage.

We’d tipped over a small pot; nothing had been prepared for the variety evening.  Finally, the school director took the matter into his own hands, and worked something out – the pot was saved.  There was a dance after the performance, but I went to bed instead because I haven’t the right clothes.

Christmas is over, tomorrow we return to school again.  I’ve had enough of school, for I’m keen to start working to earn some money.

BONEGILLA, 27.12.47, Sun.  When you think about it, I should be grateful for this life, it’s just like a rest home here.  We don’t have to work, we’re fed, educated, and on top of that paid pocket money; what more could we want?

After this I’ll be working hard, and looking forward to my days off with longing.  I’ve had enough of living like this without money, but the holiday has to be enjoyed until I’m thoroughly fed up with it, perhaps I shouldn’t have yearned for it so soon.

BONEGILLA, 28.12.47, Mon.  Another boring day.  Nicis has arrived, so after dinner I enjoyed his concert.  After that I went swimming in the moonlight.  The water was pleasantly warm.**

BONEGILLA, 29.12.47, Tues.  Today it was the turn of my class for duty and we were given the job of finding firewood.  We took two loads to the kitchen, and were then told to go to Albury for the supplies.

We climbed into a truck, and soon were watching the agreeable countryside gliding past.   It looks as if Australia really will become my homeland.  I’ve longed for my own home and peace.  I’ve lost enough and suffered enough; I no longer have a home to call my own and my loved ones are now hidden behind the iron curtain, erected by those barbaric, red hands, so haven’t I earned the right to a normal life?

The best years of my youth have disappeared; in these five years I have experienced and lived through more than some others in their entire lives, but I still haven’t got a trade, all I have is a longing for a particular occupation.

It’s just as well there is a maritime trade I aspire to, I’ve no need to stumble in the dark and have less time to think these bitter, painful thoughts of my lost country and home.

After some time the first of Albury’s houses appeared.  This town isn’t anything much, just a largish village with typical Australian one-storeyed houses.  At the station we loaded several boxes, then a milk can from the dairy, then drove back again.   We returned to camp at twelve thirty, and our job was over.

After dinner the Latvian consul appeared and greeted everyone, then we watched the film “Maytime.”   It was enjoyable except that the ending was ruined by the troublemakers with their carrying-on.  Oh, how I wish to be free of this rabble!

BONEGILLA, 30.12.47, Tues   This time a really sultry day has arrived, there’s no thought of resting in bed at all.  I received a coat, trousers, shirt, short sleeved shirt, socks, handkerchiefs and yellow American boots.

The trousers were too long so I toiled all afternoon shortening the hems, until finally they were right.  They will be good for work, and sooner or later I’ll buy some dress trousers when I start earning my own money.

BONEGILLA, 31.12.47, Wed.  The day has come when the old, hopeless year lived in camps is over and a new one begins, promising a brighter future.   I have hopes that the new year will be much better, for I’m now in a free country, little touched by the stupidities of war. 

After the five years the war has whittled from my life I can return to my life again, as if the lost years are only an unpleasant nightmare, dreamed in a long sleep.

FOOTNOTES

* The "bear" may well have been a possum, since others reported them around the camp and koalas are less likely to "run".  The later description of "his bushy tail, red snout and lively eyes" is more possum-like, too.

** Kārlis Nīcis had migrated to Australia in the 1920s and soon made a career as a singer.  He also had become Secretary to the Honorary Consul for Latvia in Australia.  A son, Indulis Nīcis, was among this group of Heintzelman passengers.