Ozolins, Irina (1920-)

Field of activity
Teacher
NLA Persistent Identifier
http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-737057

Biographies

Irina Ozolins was born in Russia where her parents lived as refugees. Following the death of her father her mother returned to Viesite, Latvia when she was still an infant. Her mother worked as an accountant and they lived with her parents. Later Ozolins went to live with her aunt, in Riga, to go to a private college and then to University where she studied mathematics. The Russians came to the Baltic States and took 2,000,000 people to Siberia including her mother and six relations. Many died including all her male relatives. The Germans came in 1941. She completed her master of science. The Russians returned and she and her friends left by ship for Germany. They were sent to various workplaces. She went to Dresden to work as a scientist in the university. Dresden was bombed and the city was flattened. She and her friend Emily made their way to Emily's aunt in Austria, travelling by train and escaping to the fields when bombers came. A month later all foreigners were ordered out of Austria so she was sent to a Latvian couple. There she met her husband, a lawyer who was retraining as an electrician. They went to the Latvian displaced persons camp and because of her languages she was employed as an interpreter for UNRRA. Her husband's landlady had a son in Port Pirie and he organised a landing permit for them to come to South Australia. They moved to Adelaide and she taught mathematics at Norwood and Unley High Schools. She also enjoyed painting and joined the Royal Society of Arts, was made a fellow and had seven solo exhibitions. She was invited to give a talk at the Lyceum Club and then joined the Art Appreciation and Literature Circles. She also joined the German Circle.

View the full record at Australian Women's Register

Related people and organisations

Australian Women's Register

Resources for Irina Ozolins

Selected resources (3)

Australian Women's Register

  1. State Library of South Australia, Mortlock Library of South Australiana: Interview with Irina Ozolins [sound recording] Interviewer: Daniela Kautsky
    Lives of Older Women of Non-English Speaking Background and their Adaption to and Contribution to Life in South Australia Irina Ozolins was born in Russia in 1920 where her parents lived as refugees. Her father was killed there and her mother returned to Viesite, Latvia when Irina was still an infant. Irina's mother worked as an accountant and they lived with her parents. Irene describes her childhood and her decision to study mathematics at university. She speaks of how family members perished under the Russian invasion of Latvia and how she decided to travel to Germany in 1944 where she continued her studies at Dresden University. Irene survived the bombing of Dresden in 1945, although she was buried alive. In the aftermath she met her husband, a lawyer who was retraining as an electrician, and they married in a Latvian displaced persons camp. After three years living in camps the family, now including two sons, travelled to Australia. The family went straight to Port Pirie in South Australia to stay with another Latvian family and then built their own home at Marino Rocks. In 1953, after the births of two more children, Mrs Ozolins sought work with the Education Department and began teaching high school mathematics. She recalls her astonishment at the unequal conditions of women. Mrs Ozolins concludes with discussing how she has emphasised culture in the manner in which she has raised her children; her work as an artist; and her continued involvement with the local Latvian community. Recorded on 22 March 1989 and 10 January 1990
    OH 18/20
  2. State Library of South Australia, Mortlock Library of South Australiana: Storytelling by Irina Ozolins [sound recording] Recordist: Eva Noske (19 November 1996)
    Folk Stories 1996 0.00 (story: in Latvian) The duck and the cock. 2.25 (story: in English) The duck and the cock. 3.45 (story: in Latvian) The crow and the swan. 4.35 (story: in English) The crow and the swan.
    OH 333/15
  3. State Library of South Australia, Mortlock Library of South Australiana: Interview with Irina Ozolins [sound recording] Interviewer: Helen Jones (12 October 1998)
    Adelaide Lyceum Club Oral History Irina Ozolins was born in Latvia and had a happy childhood. She lived with her aunt in Riga to go to a private college and then to University where she studied mathematics. The Russians came to the Baltic states and took 2,000,000 people to Siberia including her mother and six relations. Many died including all her male relatives. The Germans came in 1941. She completed her master of science. The Russians returned and she and her friends left by ship for Germany. They were sent to various workplaces. She went to Dresden to work as a scientist in the university. Dresden was bombed and the city was flattened. She and her friend Emily made their way to Emily's aunt in Austria, travelling by train and escaping to the fields when bombers came. A month later all foreigners were ordered out of Austria so she was sent to a Latvian couple. There she met her husband. They went to the Latvian displaced persons camp and because of her languages she was employed as an interpreter for UNRRA. Her husband's landlady had a son in Port Pirie and he organised a landing permit for them to come to South Australia. They moved to Adelaide and she taught mathematics at Norwood and Unley High Schools. She also enjoyed painting and joined the Royal Society of Arts, was made a fellow and had seven solo exhibitions. She was invited to give a talk at the Lyceum Club and then joined the Art Appreciation and Literature Circles. She also joined the German Circle.
    SRG 438/29/59

Resources by Irina Ozolins (2)

  1. Interview with Irina Ozolins / Interviewer: Daniela Kautsky
    Ozolins, Irina, 1920-
    [ Sound : 1989 ]
    At State Library S Aust
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 15.998)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 15.998)

  2. Storytelling by Irina Ozolins / Recordist: Eva Noske
    Ozolins, Irina, 1920-
    [ Sound ]
    Languages: Latvian
    At State Library S Aust
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 5.813)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 5.813)

Resources about Irina Ozolins (1)

  1. Interview with Irina Ozolins / Interviewer: Daniela Kautsky
    Ozolins, Irina, 1920-
    [ Sound : 1989 ]
    At State Library S Aust
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 15.853)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 15.853)

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