In her fascinating work, Batistich analysed the profound process of assimilation, noting that the adaptation of immigrants took a lifetime, but was never fully realised.
On 16 September, a special event dedicated to the life and work of the Croatian-born New Zealand writer Amelia Batistich (1915-2004) took place at the premises of the Croatian Heritage Foundation. Under the title “Look What We Do For You!,” the lecture, exhibition and video screening were organised by the Croatian Heritage Foundation in cooperation with the Department for International Cooperation and Emigration of the Matica Hrvatska.
The programme was moderated by Lucija Starčević, Head of the Department of Culture of the CHF, and all present were welcomed on behalf of the host by Ivan Tepeš, PhD, Deputy Director of CHF. Nikola Jelinčić, former Director of the Croatian Heritage Foundation and long-time Honorary Consul of New Zealand in the Republic of Croatia, recalled his personal encounters with Amelia Batistich and recalled how the novel “Sing Vila in the Mountain” was translated and published by the Croatian Heritage Fundation in an issue in 1981. Tuga Tarle, PhD, the initiator of the project, welcomed the participants in front of the Department for International Cooperation and Emigration of Matica Hrvatska.
My life is here, but my soul is there”
Amelia Batistich
The interesting cultural event was attended by Zdravka Bušić, Member of Parliament and Chair of the Committee for Croats Abroad, Marijana Šarolić Robić, Honorary Consul of New Zealand in Croatia, Prof. Luka Budak, former Director of the Centre for Croatian Studies at Macquarie University in Australia, Vinko Grubišić, Emeritus Professor at the University of Waterloo, Canada, and many other individuals from cultural and public life.
At the very beginning of the accompanying lecture on the life and work of Amelia Batistich, the author of the exhibition, Nina Nola, PhD, emphasised that the exhibition was made possible by the unique relationship she had with Amelia Batistich in the last decade of her life until her death, as well as by the generous gift of time, care and dedication of her son Anthony Batistich, who is the co-author of the exhibition. Dr Nola is an Auckland-based scholar of Croatian descent, with a PhD in Multicultural Literature Research from the University of Auckland, and her work on Amelia Batistich contributes significantly to our understanding of cultural and migratory processes.
Amelia Batistich’s literary work focuses on the fate of Croatian immigrants in the multicultural environment of New Zealand.
Amelia Batistich was born in Dargaville, New Zealand, to John Barbarich and Milka Matutinovich, immigrants from the West Indies. The family moved to Auckland when Amelia was 11 years old. Her father worked in a quarry there with Dalmatian stonemasons, so she was again surrounded by Dalmatians. Her literary work focuses on the plight of Croatian immigrants in the multicultural environment of New Zealand. Inspired by personal experiences, Batistich has presented the social and psychological challenges of adapting to a new environment through stories and novels such as “Sing Vila in the Mountain” and the story collection “An Olive Tree in Dalmatia”.
In her fascinating work, Batistich analysed the profound process of assimilation and pointed out that the adaptation of immigrants took a lifetime, but was never fully realised. She said, “My life is here, but my soul is there”. Her stories, enriched with autobiographical elements, are particularly focused on showing women’s fates, for example women who faced the challenges of marriage in an unfamiliar world while waiting for a better life. Particularly impressive are the depictions of Dalmatian women who, unable to adapt to a new world, remained homesick. (“A dalmatian Woman – Dalmatinka”, “The Letter from New Zealand”)
Her stories often depict multicultural encounters, where the question of the possibility of communication and understanding between different cultures is raised. (“The Road Back”)
Amelia Batistich has received numerous awards for her literary work, including the Queen’s Medal for Social Benefit in 1997, and her novel “Sing Vila in the Mountain” won first prize in the 1981 International Migrant Competition.
Her works are not only a literary record of a bygone era, but also imbued with humanism, warmth and a strong desire to connect two cultures – the one she comes from and the one in which she has spent her life.
