Irene Krastev OAM

Ms Irene Krastev OAM was born in Bulgaria in 1925 and spent her childhood and youth as a refugee in several European countries. She arrived in Australia on New Year's Eve 1949. Irene lived in Sydney and Melbourne and then settled in South Australia in the 1960s.
Since Irene's arrival in SA she actively and constructively participated in many areas of public life on a voluntary basis. She made her mark in many areas including local government, horticulture, health, business, housing, aged issues, ethnic affairs and womenªs affairs. Irene was a leader in the development of a multicultural South Australia.
Irene was a tireless volunteer who with energy and commitment contributed to the social capital of our community by standing up for an open, fair and just society. When Irene died in February 2000 our community lost one of its matriachical icons.

The MWLG and Irene Krastev

The MWLG was one of the groups Irene helped found and the group remained a focus for her community activities. Irene was an Executive member of the MWLG since its inception in 1984. The MWLG decided to honour, recognise and remember Irene and her contribution to the community and women's issues by having an inaugural Irene Kratsev Award to be presented at the International Women's Day Luncheon in March 2001.

The MWLG would like to present the award to a woman from non-English speaking background who has made a significant contribution to the community and to the participation of women in the social, economic and educational life of South Australia.

An award for Community Spirit and Work

Qualities which the MWLG seeks to recognise, value and commend through this award include:

• Community involvement in South Australia
• Participation in community activities
• Achievements in community work
• Leadership in women's groups
• Volunteer work
• Working with individual women and women's groups
• Mentoring and providing support for individuals and groups

Finalists


• Franca Antonello OAM For her work with Ethnic Link and several Italian community orgainsations
• Teresa Nowak For her work in various community organisations in Whyalla
• Inaam Khizam For her work in the Druze community, with Lebanese women and Arabic speaking communities
• Koula Aslanidis For her work in various women's organisations and the Greek community, was the winner of The Inaugural Irene Krastev Award

Irene was born in 1925 in Bulgaria

Lived in France for many years
Matriculated in1944 in Germany, Went to Czechoslovakia and the University in Prague
Spoke French, German and Russian.

Shelling started in Germany, stopped Uni to go to Poland to find her brother"well I joined the University in 1946 when it was opened again I did want to study medicine and the Russians wouldn't let me. They wouldn't let me study at all because of my background. I had to be interview to a Soviet Colonel and I told him "you know, here you are, after having been killed by all the Germans, you give them preference" he says "you can go back from where you come" and I said "where do I come from? You tell me, because I don't know" He tells me "I despise your father" and then I turned around I said "I don't know much about the Soviet history but I know that bloody Stalin."- .I didn't say bloody Stalin..but I said Comrade Stalin - he said that the children are not responsible for the mistakes of their parents "so why do you want to punish me because my father, he fought on the other side. I haven't fought on any side and that's part of how I started. Anyway, in '46 I entered University till 1949 when we had to escape

We first landed in Sydney on the 31st December 1949 and as soon as we landed the siren went on and they said to us happy new year it's the 1st of January in Australia and I said gee lets hope it's a good omen

The first job, it was compulsory. Everybody was a domestic, that's marked on my card, and so on that I sign a contract to work as a domestic for two years. I did not work for 2 years I worked for 6 months and I went to see the employment officer.

Then I worked first of all 6 months for Arnotts biscuits factory

Then after 6 months I left and I went to work for a big store in Sydney, one of the most luxurious ones. It was called Bade Watson and I worked in the office.

My resume will tell you that first of all, I was very much involved when I first came to South Australia in Council. I ran for election in a fully Liberal seat and I won and I went for 7 years on the District Council of Munno Para.. I was very disillusioned with what's happening in Council and after 7 years I wouldn't run again, someone asked me why don't you run I said I'm not, because I have never seen so much corruption and things going on its when I only think you know in retrospect its degrading you understand that you do things like that but it happens. I was secretary of the Bulgarian Association which I formed. I joined that at the time of the Labour Party I was in the Business and Professional Women's Association in the Elizabeth area when it was formed it was a long time ago, 35 or 30 years ago so we were quite how do you call it hard working in the Elizabeth area and we met regularly it was quite good as well and then , I have done so many things that its not even funny. I worked and I was appointed to several boards I was on the Citrus Board, the Potato Board because I went to go to school at night in Kensington to do a Horticultural course and because we were working as market gardeners with my brother we had a market garden and we had a farm in its called Penfield between Elizabeth and Virginia. I went to study there to make sure we knew what we are doing so I did that , that's how I got involved in the Council and you know the local businesses and so on . I went to help a lot of our migrants who didn't know how to fill in the forms. I went on to several boards so for instance I was in charge of the planning and work Committee of the Council and chairperson and I've done quite a lot of things and you know to run three elections in Council when you've got the whole Liberal Party trying to defeat you in a fully Liberal seat it was not a joke I door knocked every house. I stood for Parliament in the seat of Goyder but of course I didn't have a donkeys chance of winning but nevertheless I stood. I was on the South Australian Social Securities Appeals Tribunal. I was 6 years there as well I worked very hard there as well I was well paid but it was quite a good job and very pleasant one as a welfare representative and I was on the Citrus Board and the Potato Board and I was on the Egg Board it was quite funny it gave me a chance because I had very good knowledge on agriculture

then with my work with all ethnic groups and the united ethnic communities and so on I was given an OAM. I received also from the Flinders University a prize I was nominated I didn't even know I received a letter that I was going to receive my prize from the Chancellor and then I got from the South Australia SA Great I got a prize as well I went to Government House for that.

Irene Krastev's Resume

Qualifications

• Contract interpreter with State and Commonwealth Services.
• Teacher with the Migrant Education Centre 1971-78.
• Secretary Import/Export Agency in Sydney 1952-59.
• Run a Delicatessen in Melbourne 59/64.
• Shared Market Gardener Business with brother 1964-78.
• Member of SA Egg Board 1984-87.
• Interviewer - Commonwealth Bureau of Statistics 1985-86.
• Member of Potato Trust Fund Committee 1987.
• Part Time Member of Social Security Appeals Tribunal 1986-93.
• Member of the Citrus Board of S.A. 1988-92.
• Contract Tour Organiser and Leader 1981-93 to Bulgaria, France,
  Turkey, Greece and China.

Community Activities

• Councillor of the District Council of Munno Para 1971-78.
• Chairman of The Work and Town Planning Committee of Munno Para.
• Member of the Lyell McEwin Hospital Board Elizabeth 1973-75.
• Treasurer of the Business and Professional Women's Association.
• Secretary of Australian/Bulgarian Association since 1980.
• Public Officer for Migrant Women's Lobby Group.
• Chairman of CHOW - Community Housing for Older Women.
• Secretary of the United Ethnic Communities since 1986.
• Member of the Ethnic Affairs Commission's Migrant Women's Advisory Committee since 1987.
• Appointed Justice of the Peace in 1977.
• Vice President Ethnic Ageing Action Group 1988.
• Member Advisory Committee on Ethnic Aged Issues.
• Advance Australia Award 1994.
• Women's Suffrage Centenary Medal 1994.OAM 1996 for service to Multicultural Groups and to the aged.

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