Margarita Biezaite
1921-2007
Culture and public worker, art teacher, artist, writer, folklorist
Margarita Biezaite (née Vuss) was born on 30 July 1921 in Riga. She studied at Riga Primary School No. 36 (until 1935) and Miller Gymnasium (1935-1936). She received her higher pedagogical education at the Rezekne Teachers' Institute, graduating in 1941.
In 1944 she and her family fled to Germany, and in 1949 she moved to Australia.
Immediately after arriving in Australia, she founded the Adelaide Latvian School (1949) with like-minded people and ran it for several years while continuing her education at the South Australian School of Art and the University of Adelaide.
She worked as an educator for thirty years, initially as founder and head of the Adelaide Latvian Saturday School (1950-1952), then teaching art and pedagogy at Adelaide Gymnasium (1955-1961) and the College of Higher Education (1961-1981) alongside running textile finishing and ceramics workshops. Later elected to the Art Gallery of South Australia Board (1980-1985).
She has participated in various exhibitions with her paintings and graphic works, including exhibitions at the Australian Latvian Culture Days, and has given lectures on art, theatre, and literature. She has organised and spoken at the Australian Latvian Writers' Days on three occasions, talking about the lives and contributions of the great Latvian writers Anna Brigadere, Janis Jaunsudrabins (Jānis Jaunsudrabiņš), Arija Elksne (Ārija Elksne), Mara Zalite (Māra Zālīte) and Krisjanis Barons (Krišjānis Barons). She has also twice taken on the role of the Head of Cultural Department of the Latvian Association in Australia and New Zealand (1961–1962, 1976–1978).
She has written a valuable documentary book “Latvian Culture Days in Australia. 1971–1990” (1995) and compiled an explanatory dictionary of Latvian folk songs “Atsledzina” (1986). Together with her husband Eriks Biezaitis (Ēriks Biezaitis) she has written the voluminous Index of Editions Collected in the Music Collection (1989) and the Catalogue of Compositions in the Music Collection (1992). Author of numerous publications in the newspaper “Austrālijas Latvietis” (the Australian Latvian) and member of the Latvian Writers' Association.
Biezaite managed the Latvian Museum in Australia for twenty years (1970-1990). She helped Eriks Biezaitis to establish the Latvian Music Repository (LAAJ Mūzikas krātuve), collecting and organising a rich archive of sheet music, sound recordings and books (about 45,000 items). In 1995 it was transferred to the Museum of Literature and Music in Riga.
Biezaite moved back to Latvia in 1996.
Biezaite was the chairman of the organising committee of the 28th Australian Latvian Cultural Days in Adelaide (1978) and participated in many other Australian cultural days.
She was awarded the Order of the Three Stars, 4th Rank (1998) and the Certificate of Recognition of the Latvian Association of Australia and New Zealand (1992).
Information sources
Austrālijas trimdas latviešu sabiedriski kulturālās dzīves kopsavilkums faktos un skaitļos. (b.g.). statistika.pdf (historia.lv)
LAAJ vēsture. (b.g.). LAAJ vēsture – Latviešu apvienība Austrālijā un Jaunzēlandē
(LETA) (2007, 15. decembris). Mūžībā aizgājusi kultūras darbiniece Margarita Biezaite. Latvija Amerikā, 49, 13. Latvija Amerikā, Nr.49 (15.12.2007) (periodika.lv)
Margarita Biezaite. (b.g.). Literatūra – Personas – Margarita Biezaite (literatura.lv)
Ozoliņa, I. (2007, 19. decembris). Adelaide piemin Margaritu Biezaiti. Austrālijas Latvietis, 2872, 3. Austrālijas Latvietis, Nr.2872 (19.12.2007) (periodika.lv)
