Arvids Mellins obtained a Masters degree in Economics and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Political Science. He worked as an economist and taught at Aquinas College, Melbourne. He was President of the Latvian Society in Melbourne, Chairperson of the Association of Latvian Organisations and a member of the Baltic council, the Latvian Press Club and the Association of Journalists and Writers. He presented musical programs on Radio 3BA. In 1972 his cantata, Lugaanas [Prayers], was performed at the Latvian Cultural Festival and in Melbourne in 1973 by Dziesmuvara, the Latvian University Student Choir. In 1983, Mellins won the Laureatus Prize in Literature from the Bishop J. Rancans Foundation in the USA. He received a Diploma of Honour from the Latvian Catholic Association in Australia. He published several books on economic issues and read his poetry in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Geelong at Latvian Writers' Week gatherings. The biographic note in Gaisma Tumsa : domu pavedieni draugiem trimda un dzimtene by H. Uljans contains reference to the 1989 publishing of a volume of Mellins' poetry.
(Source: A Bibliography of Australian Multicultural Writers compiled by Sneja Gunew et.al., 1992: 170.)
