Melbourne Latvian awarded Order of Australia

A member of Melbourne’s Latvian community has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) “(f)or service to the community, particularly through the provision of honorary legal advice to ethnic community members and organisations,” according to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Aleksandrs Gārša was awarded the medal on June 13, the day Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday is celebrated.

Born in Latvia in 1935, Gārša arrived in Australia in 1949. He obtained arts and law degrees from Melbourne University and has worked as a lawyer for the firm of Kahn and Clahr since 1961. He is a public notary in Victoria and frequently commutes between Germany, Latvia and Australia for work-related matters.

Gārša joins a number of other Latvians who have received similar awards over the years. The Order of Australia was created in 1975.

Daina Gross is editor of Latvians Online. An Australian-Latvian she is also a migration researcher at the University of Latvia, PhD from the University of Sussex, formerly a member of the board of the World Federation of Free Latvians, author and translator/ editor/ proofreader from Latvian into English of an eclectic mix of publications of different genres.

4 thoughts on “Melbourne Latvian awarded Order of Australia

  1. “pro bono” is the legal term for “gratis” — unfortunately rarely heard in legal circles!!! AUD300.– per hour! (not including GST) In the words of a former Liberal Party (in fact she was a conservative fascist) member (or was she just a candidate?): “please explain?” What DO they DO with the money?!?!?!

    p.s. the word “circles” refers to what jurists run around you, when, and if, you dare to criticise them….

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