PART 2 – ΙΣΤΟΡΙΕΣ ΤΗΣ ΑΥΣΤΡΑΛΙΑΣ

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Καθηγητής Γιώργος Καναράκης Ο.Α.Μ. 

Πτυχίο (Παν/μιο Αθηνών), M.A. (Παν/μιο Indiana, ΗΠΑ), δ.Φ. (Παν/μιο Αθηνών), Hon.D.Litt. (Παν/μιο Charles Sturt, Αυστραλία)  Σχολή Κοινωνικών Επιστημών και Ανθρωπιστικών Σπουδώ.

 

Πανεπιστήμιο Charles Sturt Αυστραλία

 

Ο Γιώργος Καναράκης από τον Πειραιά είναι καθηγητής στο Πανεπιστήμιο Charles Sturt της Αυστραλίας. Σπούδασε ελληνική και αγγλική φιλολογία στο Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών με υποτροφία του Ιδρύματος Κρατικών Υποτροφιών, διδακτική της Αγγλικής ως ξένης γλώσσας με το Βρετανικό Συμβούλιο στο Λονδίνο (1964), καθώς επίσης, με υποτροφία Fulbright, αγγλική γλώσσα και αμερικανική λογοτεχνία στο Institute of International Education του Πανεπιστημίου Michigan State των ΗΠΑ (1967) και εφαρμοσμένη γλωσσολογία στο Πανεπιστήμιο Indiana των ΗΠΑ, απ’ όπου έλαβε και δίπλωμα Master of Arts (1968). Το 1974 ανακηρύχθηκε αριστούχος διδάκτορας στη γλωσσολογία από τη Φιλοσοφική Σχολή του Πανεπιστημίου Αθηνών. Έχει διδάξει στο Τμήμα Αγγλικών Σπουδών του Πανεπιστημίου Αθηνών (1966-76) του οποίου για αρκετά χρόνια διετέλεσε και Προϊστάμενος, στο Πανεπιστήμιο La Verne, ως επισκέπτης καθηγητής στο Bridgewater State College των ΗΠΑ, κ.α. Είναι μέλος ελληνικών, αυστραλιανών και άλλων διεθνών επιστημονικών εταιρειών, με συμμετοχή σε πολλά διεθνή συνέδρια, και έχει διατελέσει ως μέλος πανεπιστημιακών, κυβερνητικών και άλλων επιτροπών της Ελλάδας, των ΗΠΑ και της Αυστραλίας σε θέματα παιδείας και έρευνας. Τα ερευνητικά και επιστημονικά του ενδιαφέροντα εκτείνονται κυρίως στους κλάδους της λογοτεχνίας, της ιστοριογραφίας και του τύπου του απόδημου Ελληνισμού, ιδιαίτερα της Αυστραλίας και της Νέας Ζηλανδίας, καθώς και της ελληνικής και αγγλικής γλώσσας και γλωσσολογίας. Εργασίες του (βιβλία και άρθρα) στους παραπάνω κλάδους έχουν δημοσιευθεί στην Ελληνική και Αγγλική, καθώς και σε ισπανική και πολωνική μετάφραση, στην Ελλάδα, Κύπρο, Αυστραλία, ΗΠΑ, Καναδά, Γερμανία, Πολωνία, Πορτογαλία και Χιλή. Πρωτοποριακά θεωρούνται τα έργα του Η λογοτεχνική παρουσία των Ελλήνων στην Αυστραλία (Αθήνα,1985), Greek Voices in Australia: A Tradition of Prose, Poetry and Drama (Sydney, 1987, ανατ. έκδ. 1991), Ο Ελληνικός Τύπος στους Αντίποδες: Αυστραλία και Νέα Ζηλανδία (Αθήνα, 2000), Όψεις της λογοτεχνίας των Ελλήνων της Αυστραλίας και Νέας Ζηλανδίας (Αθήνα, 2003) και Διαγλωσσικές επιδράσεις στην αγγλική και η συμβολή της ελληνικής γλώσσας (2005, β’ έκδοση 2008). Τα τρία πρώτα έχουν επίσης βραβευθεί.Εκτός από τις υποτροφίες του Ιδρύματος Κρατικών Υποτροφιών της Ελλάδας για σπουδές στο Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών και του Ιδρύματος Fulbright για μεταπτυχιακές σπουδές στις ΗΠΑ, έχει τύχει και άλλων υποτροφιών, καθώς και επιστημονικών και ερευνητικών χορηγιών, όπως από το Πανεπιστήμιο Indiana των ΗΠΑ, το Πανεπιστήμιο Charles Sturt της Αυστραλίας, το Αυστραλιανό Συμβούλιο Έρευνας, την Επιτροπή Λογοτεχνίας του Αυστραλιανού Συμβουλίου Καλών Τεχνών, την Κοινοπολιτειακή Σχολική Επιτροπή και άλλους δημόσιους φορείς. Στην πολιτιστική του συμβολή ανήκει επίσης η προ της Ολυμπιάδας του Σύδνεϋ (2000) έντονη καταγγελία του στα αυστραλιανά και διεθνή μέσα μαζικής επικοινωνίας για το επί εβδομήντα χρόνια απαράδεκτο ατόπημα της απεικόνισης του Κολοσσαίου της Ρώμης στη μία όψη του μεταλλίου των Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων, γεγονός που τελικά αναγνωρίστηκε από την Διεθνή Ολυμπιακή Επιτροπή και διορθώθηκε στην Ολυμπιάδα της Αθήνας (2004). Για την προσφορά του στα ελληνικά γράμματα (ιδιαίτερα της Αυστραλίας) και τον ελληνικό πολιτισμό, το 1994 εξελέγη μέλος της Διεθνούς Ακαδημίας της Ρώμης προς Διάδοση του Πολιτισμού, το 1999 τιμήθηκε με Επίτιμο Διδακτορικό Γραμμάτων (Hon. D.Litt.) από το Πανεπιστήμιο Charles Sturt της Αυστραλίας και το 2002 του απονεμήθηκε από τις Αυστραλιανές Αρχές το Medal of the Order of Australia (Ο.Α.Μ.). Το 2008 το Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών του απένειμε στους Δελφούς το «Βραβείον Σοφίης» για τις υπηρεσίες του, με το έργο και τις πράξεις του, στο αξιακό σύστημα του Ελληνισμού.

 

 

 

PROFESSOR GEORGE KANARAKIS

B.A. ( Athens ), M.A. (Indiana), Ph.D. ( Athens ), Hon.D.Litt. (Charles Sturt)
School of Social Sciences and Liberal Studies
Charles Sturt University  

 

Dr George Kanarakis is an Adjunct Professor at Charles Sturt University , Australia . Previously he taught at the University of Athens (1966-1976) at the Department of English where he also served for several years as its Head, as well as at the University’s Foreign Language School , at La Verne University , Deree-Pierce College , Bridgewater State College, USA, and elsewhere. Since 1976 he has been teaching at Charles Sturt University (formerly Mitchell College of Advanced Education). He also taught at the Australian College for Seniors (1982-1996) and at the School for Talented Children (1985-1989) under Mitchellsearch Ltd. Professor Kanarakis studied philology (Greek and English) at the University of Athens under a scholarship from the State Scholarship Foundation and later TEFL with the British Council in London (1964). In 1967-1968, under a Fulbright Scholarship, he completed post-graduate studies in English language and American literature at the Institute of International Education of Michigan State University (1967) and applied linguistics at Indiana University , USA (M.A. 1968). In 1974 he was awarded his Ph.D. (Hons.) in linguistics from the School of Philology , University of Athens .In addition to the above-mentioned scholarships, he has received grants from Indiana University , Charles Sturt University , the Australian Research Council, the Australia Council (Literature Board), the Commonwealth Schools Commission and other organisations.His research interests focus mainly on the fields of the literature, historiography and the press of the Greeks of the diaspora, especially in Australia and New Zealand , as well as on the Greek and English languages and linguistics.In these areas he has published a number of books, monographs and many articles in Greece, Cyprus, Australia, USA, Canada, Germany, Poland, Portugal and Chile, in Greek and in English, as well as in Spanish and Polish translation. Furthermore, he has mentored and supervised many post-graduate, including doctoral, students conducting research in his areas of expertise. Considered pioneering are his works The Literary Presence of the Greeks in Australia (1985, as well as in English translation, Greek Voices in Australia: A Tradition of Prose, Poetry and Drama, 1987, repr. 1991), The Greek Press in the Antipodes: Australia and New Zealand (2000, in Greek), Aspects of the Literature of the Greeks in Australia and New Zealand (2003, in Greek) and Interlanguage Influences upon English and the Contribution of the Greek Language (2005, 2^nd edition 2008 in Greek). The first three have been awarded prizes.Professor Kanarakis is a member of a number of Greek, Australian and other international scholarly and cultural associations; he has participated in many international conferences and has served as an advisory member of university, government and other committees of Greece , the USA and Australia on matters of education and research. He has also served as a member of the editorial boards of scholarly journals (Views on Language and Language Teaching, Athens, 1977-82; Études Helléniques/Hellenic Studies, Montreal, 1994- of which he was editor of the Autumn 2008 issue), as well as of publishing companies (Owl Publishing, Melbourne, 1998-, Grigoris Publications (Series: Hellenism of the Diaspora), Athens, 2000- ). He has given many lectures in Greek and in English in Australia , New Zealand , Greece , Cyprus , and the USA on subjects of theoretical, applied and contrastive linguistics, Greek language and literature, teaching Greek as a foreign language, the literature of the Greek diaspora, as well as on the press and literature of the Greeks in Australia and New Zealand . He has been interviewed extensively in the press, on radio and television in Australia and Greece as well as in the USA , Canada and Germany , on a variety of scholarly and cultural subjects. His work relating to the change of the Olympic Medals received wide international media attention. Furthermore, he was the producer and presenter of two radio programs (the Greek-language “Greek Community Program” (1976-1980) and the English-language “The Greek Vision” (1979-1980) on Greek literature, history and civilisation) on 2MCE-FM, Mitchell College of Advanced Education. Professor Kanarakis’ community activities have included, among others, numerous lectures and seminars for a wide range of cultural events in Central Western New South Wales, Sydney , Newcastle , Canberra , Melbourne , Adelaide , Darwin , as well as to schools, literary and community organisations, the CWA, University of the Third Age in Bathurst , as well as to student and teacher organisations in Australia . At the international level in 2000, Professor Kanarakis played a significant role in drawing the attention of the Australian and international mass media to the inappropriate depiction of the Roman Colosseum on the Olympic Games medals. This seventy-year-old error was finally accepted by the International Olympic Committee and was corrected for the Athens Olympiad of 2004. For his contribution to the Greek Letters (especially in Australia) and Greek civilisation, Professor Kanarakis has been honoured with a number of awards and distinctions, including election in 1994 to membership of the International Academy for the Promulgation of Civilisation, Rome, while in 1999 he was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by Charles Sturt University. In 2002 he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the community and to education, particularly through the study of Greek arts and culture, and in 2008 the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens honoured him at Delphi for “having upheld the Hellenic values throughout his life and work”.

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Οι Έλληνες στην Άπω Ανατολή

Αναστασίου Μ. Τάμη

Κυκλοφόρησε από τον Εκδοτικό Οίκο Βάνια της Θεσσαλονίκης το βιβλίο του Καθηγητή Αναστασίου Μ. Τάμη με τίτλο Greeks in the Far Orient (2011) με 698 σελίδες και 420 ανέκδοτες και σπάνιες φωτογραφίες από την ελληνική μετανάστεσυη και εποίκιση στις χώρες της Ανατολής.

Ο διάσημος Βυζαντινολόγος και Ισλαμολόγος καθηγητής Σπύρος Βρυώνης στον πρόλογο του βιβλίου αναφέρει:
Πρωταρχικός σκοπός αυτού του βιβλίου είναι να αφηγηθεί και να αναλύσει την ιστορία του εποικισμού των Ελλήνων και Κυπρίων στις χώρες της Άπω Ανατολής την Κίνα, Ιαπωνία, Κορέα και τις Φιλιππίνες από το 1875 μέχρι και σήμερα. Ο συγγραφέας διασαφηνίζει ότι έχει ως στόχο του να τεκμηριώσει και να κατηγοριοποιήσει τη μεταναστευτική κινητικότητα των εποίκων μέσα στο πλαίσιο τριών τύπων μεταναστεύσεων τις οποίες καθορίζει ως εξής: (α) Μεταναστευτικοί εποικισμοί (1878-1945) Ελλήνων και Κυπρίων, που έχουν ως αιτία τους τις οικονομικές δυσκολίες αλλά και τους εθνικούς και θρησκευτικούς διωγμούς που υπέστησαν στα Βαλκάνια και στην Τουρκία και αργότερα τους σταλινικούς διωγμούς κατά των εθνικών μειονοτήτων στη Σοβιετική Ένωση. (β) Μεταβατικοί επικοισμοί (1945-1985), οι οποίοι δεν αποτελούνταν μόνον από μεταναστεύσεις από την Ελλάδα και την Κύπρο αλλά επίσης και από Έλληνες ναυτικούς του επιιβλητικότατου ελληνικού εμπορικού στόλου αλλά και τους Έλληνες εποίκους της Κίνας, οι οποίοι απελάθηκαν από τη νικηφόρα κομμουνιστική κυβέρνηση μετά το 1949 και οι οποίοι μετεγκαταστάθηκαν στην Ιαπωνία, Αυστραλία και τις ΗΠΑ. Η αμερικανική στρατιωτική νίκη και η καταστροφή της ιαπωνικής οικονομίας προσέφεραν δυνατότητες σε Έλληνες εμπόρους στην Ιαπωνία, όπου συνδέθηκαν με Ελληνο-αμερικανούς στρατιωτικούς, αξιωματικούς και στρατιώτες, που αποτελούσαν μέρος των δυνάμεων κατοχής της Ιαπωνίας, και (γ) Μετεπιβιβαζόμενοι (και συχνά εφήμεροι) εποικισμοί (1986-2010) επαγγελματιών, διοικητικών στελεχών και τεχνολόγων μεγάλων πολυεθνικών εταιρειών και αντιπροσώπων οικονομικών και πολιτικών οίκων της παγκοσμιοποίησης, έτοιμων να αναλάβουν δράση του επαγγέλματος και της ειδικότητάς τους. Στην αναλυτική τρισχιδή αφήγησή του, η τριπλή διαίρεση των τριών αυτών διαφορετικών μεταναστεύσεων, επιτρέπει στον Τάμη να παρουσιάσει μία κατάλληλα σκελετώδη δομή, που ικανοποιεί τις απαιτήσεις τόσο της αφήγησης όσο και της ανάλυσης. Συγκεκριμένα το περιεχόμενο στο σύνολό του διαβάζεται άνετα και καταβάλλεται η δέουσα προσοχή  στις απαιτήσεις ενός εμβριθούς ακαδημαϊκού πονήματος. Επιπλέον επιτρέπει στον αναγνώστη να επιστρατεύσει την αφηρημένη διάσταση των δυνάμεων τόσο στις σχέσεις των χωρών υποδοχής όσο και στον πολιτισμό τους με αυτόν των μεταναστών. Και τελικά πέρα και πάνω από αυτές τις διαστάσεις, ο Τάμης εισαγάγει πληθώρα προσώπων και οικογενειών αναδεικνύοντας τη συμβολή και τις αποτυχίες τους, στη ζωή των ελληνικών και κυπριακών «κοινοτήτων» των φαινομενικά αυτών «εξοτικών» χωρών και του πολιτιστικού τους απότοκου….»

Τα περιεχόμενα του βιβλίου έχουν αναλυθεί ως εξής:
ΠΡΟΛΟΓΟΣ       από τον Σπύρο Βρυώνη
ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟ ΠΡΩΤΟ      Η ΕΞΟΔΟΣ ΣΤΗΝ ΑΝΑΤΟΛΗ
ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟ ΔΕΥΤΕΡΟ  ΟΙ ΕΛΛΗΝΕΣ ΣΤΗΝ ΚΙΝΑ
ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟ ΤΡΙΤΟ        ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟΣ ΕΠΟΙΚΙΣΜΟΣ ΣΤΗ ΜΕΤΑ-ΕΠΑΝΑΣΤΑΤΙΚΗ ΚΙΝΑ
ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟ ΤΕΤΑΡΤΟ   ΟΙ ΕΛΛΗΝΕΣ ΑΝΑΚΑΛΥΠΤΟΥΝ ΤΗΝ ΙΑΠΩΝΙΑ
ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟ ΠΕΜΠΤΟ  ΚΟΙΝΩΝΙΚΗ ΟΡΓΑΝΩΣΗ ΚΑΙ ΕΝΣΩΜΑΤΩΣΗ
ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟ ΕΚΤΟ        ΟΙΚΟΝΟΜΙΚΗ ΣΥΓΚΡΟΤΗΣΗ
KΕΦΑΛΑΙΟ ΕΒΔΟΜΟ   ΜΟΡΦΩΤΙΚΕΣ ΚΑΙ ΔΙΕΘΝΕΙΣ ΣΧΕΣΕΙΣ
ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟ ΟΓΔΟΟ      ΟΙ ΕΛΛΗΝΕΣ ΣΤΗΝ ΚΟΡΕΑ
ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟ ΕΝΑΤΟ      ΟΙ ΕΛΛΗΝΕΣ ΣΤΙΣ ΦΙΛΙΠΠΙΝΕΣ
ΕΠΙΛΟΓΟΣ        από τον Σπύρο Βρυώνη
ΒΙΒΛΙΟΓΡΑΦΙΑ
ΠΑΡΑΡΤΗΜΑΤΑ
ΕΥΡΕΤΗΡΙΟ 

Η μελέτη που καταγράφεται στη μονογραφία αυτή αναφέρεται στη μετανάστευση και εποίκιση περίπου 40.000 Ελλήνων και Κυπρίων στις χώρες της Άπω Ανατολής, συμπεριλαμβανομένων των Ινδιών, Βεγγάλης, Κίνας, Κορέας, Ιαπωνίας και Φιλιππίνων και στις μυθώδεις περιπλανήσεις τους από το 1875 μέχρι και τις μέρες μας. Γενική αναφορά γίνεται επίσης σε σποραδικές ελληνικές εποικίσεις στην αχανή περιοχή του Ειρηνικού και της Νοτιο-ανατολικής Ασίας.  Η έρευνα εστιάζεται σε τρεις ετερογενείς ελληνικές εποικίσεις στην περιοχή: (α) τη μεταναστευτική εποίκιση, αναφερόμενη σε εποίκους από την Ελλάδα και την Κύπρο, αλλά και εκτοπισμένους εξορίστους και πολιτικούς πρόσφυγες από την ευρύτερη περιοχή της Βαλκανικής και της πρώην Σοβιετικής επικράτειας (1875-1945), (β) την ενδιάμεση κοινωνικο-πολιτική και ναυτιλιακή εποίκιση, η οποία περιλαμβάνει φιλοπερίεργους εμπόρους, εκπατρισμένους και εξορίστους από την Κίνα και τη Μαντσουρία προς την Ιαπωνία και άλλες χώρες καθώς και Έλληνες και Κυπρίους ναυτικούς (1945-1985) και (γ) τη φερέοικη εποίκιση, που περιλαμβάνει εφήμερους και διαρκώς μετακινούμενους εποίκους από την Ελλάδα και την Κύπρο, κυρίως επιστήμονες και τεχνοκράτες, υψηλόβαθμα στελέχη επιχειρήσεων και αντιπροσώπους πολυεθνικών εταιρειών και επιχειρήσεων (1986-2010).  Η καταγραφή και ανάδειξη της ελληνικής μετανάστευσης και εποίκισης στην Άπω Αντολή παραμένει ασήμαντη. Ο Patrick Lafcadio Hearn περιγράφει γλαφυρότατα τον εξωτικό τρόπο ζωής των Ιαπώνων και προβαίνει σε κάποιες γενικές αναφορές σε θέματα που είναι ελληνικά, ενώ ελάχιστες εκδόσεις που εμφανίστηκαν στη δεκαετία του 1920 (Σταυρινός, 1926), αναφέρεται στη ζωή των Κινέζων χωρίς ιδιαίτερη μνεία στους Έλληνες εποίκους της. Υπάρχουν επίσης ελάχιστες δημοσιογραφικές αναφορές στις κοινωνικο-πολιτιστικές και οικονομικές δραστηριότητες των Ελλήνων στην Άπω Ανατολή (βλέπε βιβλιογραφία).  Αντίθετα, εμφανίζονται συχνά πολλές περιστασιακές, πρόχειρα καταγραμμένες και συχνά συναισθηματικές και  μελοδραματικές αφηγήσεις σε διάφορα περιοδικά και στο διαδύκτιο σε μια προσπάθεια να εξιδανικεύσουν μία εξωτική και μυστικοπαθή Ανατολή. Σκοπός της μελέτης αυτής ήταν να διερευνήσει και να εκδώσει το αρχειακό υλικό [τας αποκειμένας γραφάς] και τα έγγραφα [μνήμαι] αλλά και το χρονικό της ελληνικής εποικιστικής εμπειρίας στην Άπω Αντολή επιχειρώντας να απαντήσει στην ερώτηση «πώς και γιατί τα γεγονότα εξελίχτηκαν ως εξής;». Ο απώτερος σκοπός της μελέτης ήταν να ερευνήσει επίσης τις διάφορες φάσεις τις ελληνικής και κυπριακής εποίκισης και παρουσίας στην Άπω Ανατολή, συμπεριλαμβανομένης και της εγκατάστασης, της κοινωνικο-οικονομικής συγκρότησης και κινητικότητας, των μορφωτικών και δια-εθνικών σχέσεων, σχολιάζοντας τη συμβολή και την ενσωμάτωσή τους στις χώρες εγκατάστασης και εξετάζοντας τις παραμέτρους και τα χαρακτηριστικά που οδήγησαν στην εδραίωση και συμπολίτευσή τους στις τοπικές κοινωνίες υποδοχής. Στόχος της έρευνας υπήρξε επίσης να αναδείξει τα πρόσωπα και τα γεγονότα που διαμόρφωσαν την ελληνική παρουσία στις χώρες αυτές του εξωτικού μυστικισμού και της ανατολικής απομόνωσης και να φέρει στο φως ό,τι επηρέασε τις κοινωνίες τους. Η έρευνα διήρκησε περισσότερο από πέντε χρόνια (2005-2010) και κάλυψε δώδεκα χώρες. Ο συγγραφέας και η ερευνητική του ομάδα, που αποτελούνταν από βοηθούς ερευνητές και πληροφορητές, εντόπισαν, ταξινόμησαν, τεκμηρίωσαν και ανέλυσαν χιλιάδες έγγραφα και συγκέντρωσαν περισσότερες από 2.000 φωτογραφίες (1890-2010). Οργάνωσαν στις χώρες υποδοχής περισσότερες από 400 συνεντεύξεις σημαινουσών προσωπικοτήτων, πρωτοπόρων εποίκων και των επιγόνων τους, συγκεντρώνοντας ένα σώμα σχεδόν 3.000 σελίδων προφορικής ιστορίας. Εντόπισαν και μελέτησαν ένα ευρύ φάσμα ερευνητικού υλικού από προσωπικά και κρατικά αρχεία, εκατοντάδες προξενικά και διπλωματικά έγγραφα, ημερολόγια, βιβλία και περιοδικά, και ειδήσεις και άρθρα πρακτορείων ειδήσεων και εφημερίδων που εκδόθηκαν στην Ιαπωνία, Κίνα, Φιλιππίνες και Ινδίες (1890-2010). Η διαδικασία εντόπισης του πρωτογενούς υλικού υπήρξε βραδεία, επίπονη και δυσκολοπρόσιτη και σε πολλές περιπτώσεις ακόμη και προβληματική. Εκατοντάδες υπήρξαν οι πληροφορητές, οι οποίοι απέδωσαν στις συνεντεύξεις τους τη δική τους εμπειρία στις χώρες της Άπω Ανατολής, προσθέτοντας στη γνώση, αφηγούμενοι το προσωπικό οδοιπορικό τους, περιγράφοντας με τους περιορισμούς της προφορικής ιστορίας τα γεγονότα που έζησαν, εκφωνώντας τα βιώματά τους με τον δέοντα συναισθηματισμό  και την ιδιαιτερότητα της ερμηνείας τους. Οι πληροφορητές, από τους οποίους ζητήθηκε να περιγράψουν ενδελεχώς τα βιώματα της μετανάστευσης και εγκατάστασης, επιλέχτηκαν με βάση τον τύπο κια τη διάρκεια της εποίκισης, τα ενδιαφέροντα και τις ενασχολήσεις τους αλλά και μεταβλητές που σχετίζονταν με το γένος και την κοινωνικο-οικονομική τους συγκρότηση. Πολλοί από αυτούς έφεραν μαζί τους τις εμπειρίες από την εποίκιση σε περισσότερες από δύο διαφορετικές χώρες, άλλους διέκρινε η συνεχής κινητικότητα στις χώρες της Ανατολής, οι περισσότεροι όμως αφού έζησαν για χρόνια στην ανατολική Ασία, τελικά επαναπατρίστηκαν ή μετανάστευσαν μόνιμα στις μεταναστευτικές αγγλόφωνες χώρες των ΗΠΑ, Αυστραλίας και Καναδά και στις ισπανόφωνες της Λατινικής Αμερικής. Πολλοί από αυτούς ήσαν απόγονοι πρωτοπόρων εποίκων, αρκετοί ήσαν τέκνα επιφανών Ελλήνων της Κίνας και της Ιαπωνίας, ορισμένοι ήσαν επίγονοι διαπρεπών προσωπικοτήτων, Ιαπώνων, Κινέζων, Κορεατών και Φιλιππινέζων, απότοκα μεικτών γάμων, των οποίων η τεράστια συμβολή τούς ανέδειξε σε ιδάλματα και εθνικούς ήρωες στις χώρες τους, όπως η Ειρήνη (Έμη) Fukuzawa από την Kamakura, θυγατέρα του  Shintaro Fukuzawa και της Ακριβής Ασημακοπούλου, της οποίας ο παππούς, Yukichi Fukuzawa, ίδρυσε το διασημότερο ιδιωτικό Πανεπιστήμιο της Ιαπωνίας, το Keio University [Keio Gijuku Daigaku] και αναγνωρίστηκε ως εθνική φυσιογνωμία της Ιαπωνίας, καθώς και ο Μίλτων Αδαμόπουλος [Adamson], του οποίου ο πατέρας και οι δύο θείοι του ίδρυσαν το επιφανέστερο ιδιωτικό πανεπιστήμιο των Φιλιππίνων το Adamson University στη Μανίλα. Ως πληροφορητές της έρευνας αυτής χρησιμοποιήθηκαν επίσης, μεταξύ άλλων, και ναυτικοί, οι οποίοι εγκατέλειψαν τα πλοία τους για να νυμφευτούν ντόπιες γυναίκες και να εγκατασταθούν μόνιμα σε λιμάνια της Ιαπωνίας και της Κορέας, ανοίγοντας δικά τους μαγειριά και εστιατόρια και μικρές και μεγάλες επιχειρήσεις. Επίσης, έμποροι μεταξιού, πορσελάνης, καπνού και αλκοόλης με τεράστια πείρα στη βόρεια Κίνα, Μαντσουρία και Ιαπωνία, οι οποίοι ίδρυσαν επιχειρήσεις εισαγωγών και εξαγωγών, διοικητές ναυτιλιακών εταιρειών, εφοπλιστές, στελέχη επιχειρήσεων, επιστήμονες και τεχνίτες που γεννήθηκαν στις χώρες υποδοχής, καθώς και τα παιδιά τους. Η ταξινόμηση και τεκμηρίωση  των εγγράφων, που σχετίζονται με την παρουσία των Ελλήνων στην Άπω Ανατολή και αφορούν κοινωνικο-οικονομικά, εμπορικά και πολιτιστικά θέματα, υλοποιήθηκε χρησιμοποιώντας μεγάλο αριθμό πρωτογενών πηγών, ήτοι ιδιωτικά και κυβερνητικά αρχεία, μουσεία, ιστορικές εταιρείες, κοιμητήρια και βιβλιοθήκες. Η έρευνα κάλυψε επίσης τα προσωπικά αρχεία προσωπικοτήτων, συμπεριλαμβανομένων και διάσημων οικογενειών όπως των οικογνειών Fukuzawa, Adamson, Δουκάκη, Κανελλάκη, Μεταξά, Γιαννουλάτου, Παραδείση και Θεοφάνη. Η ενδελεχής έρευνα των κρατικών αρχείων και άλλων δημόσιων οργανισμών επεκτάθηκε μεταξύ άλλων στα Διπλωματικά Αρχεία και στη Βιβλιοθήκη του ιαπωνικού ΥΠΕΞ, στα Αρχεία της Βουλής [Diet] της Ιαπωνίας, στα Αρχεία του ΥΠΕΞ των ΗΠΑ που σχετίζονται με της Εσωτερικές Υποθέσεις της Ιαπωνίας στην περίοδο 1910-1929, στα αρχεία της Ιστορίας της Πόλεως Yokohama, στα αρχεία του Κοιμητηρίου Ξένων Υπηκόων της Yokohama, στα αρχεία του Κοιμητηρίου Yamate, στα Εθνικά Αρχεία της Ιαπωνίας, στα αρχεία των διαφόρων Εταιρειών και Συλλόγων, όπως αυτές του Πατρικίου Λευκάδιου Hearn, της βιβλιοθήκης της Βιομηχανίας Sumitomo, της εφημερίδας Asahi, στα αρχεία και τις εκδόσεις της Aegean Society of Japan, στα αρχεία και στα προξενικά έγγραφα του Υπουργείου Εξωτερικών των ΗΠΑ. Επίσης συστηματική έρευνα ακολούθησε στα αρχεία της Ορθόδοξης Εκκλησίας της Ιαπωνίας, στα αρχεία του Πανεπιστημίου Adamson στη Μανίλα, στα κρατικά Αρχεία των Φιλιππίνων αλλά και στα αρχεία κορεατικών και φιλιππινέζικων εφημερίδων. Σημαντική πηγή πληροφόρησης υπήρξαν και τα ελληνικά διπλωματικά και προξενικά έγγραφα αλλά και οι μαρτυρίες και τα προσωπικά αρχεία σημαντικών Ορθοδόξων ιεραρχών.   To βιβλίο θα διατίθεται από τα βιβλιοπωλεία της Ελλάδας την πρώτη εβδομάδα του Οκτωβρίου. Στην Αυστραλία θα παρουσιαστεί επίσημα στις 4 Νοεμβρίου, ενώ στην Κίνα, Ιαπωνία, Κορέα, Φιλιππίνες, ΗΠΑ και Καναδά από τα μέσα Νοεμβρίου. Για παραγγελίες οι ενδιαφερόμενοι μπορούν να απευθύνονται ηλεκτρονικά στη διεύθυνση orientgreeks@gmail.com

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Ιστορία γραμμένη σε κατάρτια

ΕΙΜΑΙ ΠΕΡΗΦΑΝΟΣ
«Είμαι περήφανος για όλον αυτόν τον κόσμο που συναντώ στις συναυλίες που δίνω στο εξωτερικό, γιατί έχω παρακολουθήσει τα βήματά τους, όλα αυτά τα χρόνια. Γνωρίζω τους μόχθους, τις σκληρές και αντίξοες συνθήκες που ήταν αναγκασμένοι να αντιμετωπίσουν, χωρίς να περάσει ούτε στιγμή η σκέψη από το μυαλό τους να παραιτηθούν. Γεμίζει η ψυχή μου χαρά όταν μου δίνεται η ευκαιρία να τραγουδήσω για κείνους. Όταν γίνεται αυτή η μοναδική επικοινωνία μεταξύ μας την ώρα του τραγουδιού. Ερμηνεύω ένα τραγούδι και το απευθύνω στον καθένα ξεχωριστά, γιατί όλοι εκείνοι που είναι στον ίδιο χώρο μαζί μου, είναι μοναδικοί. Με συγκινεί και το έχω πει κι άλλες φορές, το ότι όλα αυτά τα χρόνια, οι Έλληνες του εξωτερικού, έχουν παρακολουθήσει την πορεία μου. Έχουν τραγουδήσει τα τραγούδια μου, έχουν βρει χαρά, συγκίνηση ή και παρηγοριά σ’ αυτά. Δεν είναι μικρό πράγμα, αν σκεφθείς ότι κατακλύζονται από το ξένο τραγούδι που γι’ αυτούς…  δεν είναι ξένο, σε τελευταία ανάλυση».

ΟΙ ΝΕΕΣ ΓΕΝΙΕΣ
Τότε λοιπόν, σε συμφωνία κυρίως με υπερατλαντικές χώρες, ξεκίνησαν οι διαδικασίες μετανάστευσης» λέει κ. Εσδράς και εξηγεί πως η κάθε χώρα έθετε τα δικά της κριτήρια για τα προσόντα των μεταναστών που θα δεχόταν, προκειμένου όχι μόνο να μεταναστεύσουν αλλά και να γίνουν μόνιμοι κάτοικοι της χώρας – διαθέτοντας όλα τα δικαιώματα ενός πολίτη. «Αυτή άλλωστε ήταν και η βασική διαφορά των προγραμμάτων μετανάστευσης της τότε ΔΕΜΕ, σε αντίθεση με αυτά της Γερμανίας και του Βελγίου, τα οποία δεν έγιναν από τον οργανισμό μας και στις χώρες αυτές οι Έλληνες είχαν διαφορετική αντιμετώπιση» προσθέτει.  Σε αντίθεση όμως, με τους Έλληνες που έφυγαν προς την Αμερική ή την Αυστραλία μεμονωμένα, ακόμη και ως λαθρεπιβάτες σε πλοία, πριν από τον Β’ Παγκόσμιο Πόλεμο, τα κύματα της μετανάστευσης των επόμενων δεκαετιών ήταν περισσότερο οργανωμένα. «Άσοι έφυγαν πριν από το 1952 αντιμετώπισαν μία εντελώς διαφορετική κατάσταση. Για την Αυστραλία έφυγαν κυρίως ναυτικοί ή άνθρωποι που προσπάθησαν να εργαστούν στη δημιουργία σιδηροδρόμων. Εμπαιναν λοιπόν παράνομα στη χώρα και σιγά-σιγά προσπαθούσαν να πάρουν τα απαραίτητα χαρτιά. Η οργανωμένη υποδοχή μεταναστών στην Αυστραλία ξεκινά το 1952, ενώ στην Αμερική είχε ξεκινήσει κιόλας από το 1905» αναφέρει ο κ. Εσδράς. Ταυτόχρονα όμως με το γραφείο της ΔΕΜΕ στην Αθήνα, άνοιξαν και περιφερειακά στις μεγαλύτερες πόλεις της Ελλάδας προκειμένου να γίνει τότε μία προεπιλογή των «μελλοντικών» μεταναστών βασισμένη στα κριτήρια που έθεταν οι χώρες προορισμού. «Προϋποθέσεις ήταν η ηλικία καθώς και το κατά πόσο θα μπορούσαν να προσαρμοστούν οι Έλληνες στη νέα “πατρίδα”» λέει. Έπειτα, άνδρες και γυναίκες από όλη την Ελλάδα πήγαιναν στα κεντρικά οικοτροφεία, όπου ακολουθούσε η εκπαίδευση στην αγγλική γλώσσα. Παράλληλα δημιουργήθηκαν ταχύρρυθμες σχολές τεχνικής εκπαίδευσης.  «Δεδομένου ότι μιλάμε για μαζική εργατική μετανάστευση, έπρεπε πριν φτάσουν στην Αυστραλία να έχουν μάθει μία τέχνη ώστε να ενταχθούν στην αγορά εργασίας» εξηγεί ο επικεφαλής του ΔΟΜ Ελλάδος. Αφορμή μάλιστα για τη δημιουργία των σχολών μαθητείας και ταχύρρυθμης εκπαίδευσης του ΟΑΕΔ στάθηκαν τα προγράμματα τεχνικής εκπαίδευσης του ΔΟΜ. Σύμφωνα με τον κ. Εσδρά, όταν το 1974 ολοκληρώθηκε το πρόγραμμα όλη η τεχνοτροπία και τα μηχανήματα που χρησιμοποιήθηκαν μεταφέρθηκαν στις σχολές του ΟΑΕΔ. Μάλιστα, σχεδόν όλες οι ειδικότητες που δημιουργήθηκαν τότε συνεχίζονται έως και σήμερα. Προσθέτει, ωστόσο, πως η περίπτωση της μετανάστευσης στην Αυστραλία έχει ιδιαίτερο ενδιαφέρον, καθώς πρόκειται για μία χώρα στην οποία σημείωσαν σημαντικές επιτυχίες ακόμα και μετανάστες της πρώτης γενιάς. «Σε άλλες χώρες βλέπουμε τους μετανάστες της δεύτερης ή τρίτης γενιάς να παίρνουν διακρίσεις. Αντίθετα, στην Αυστραλία υπήρξαν μετανάστες της πρώτης γενιάς που αργότερα έγιναν πανεπιστημιακοί, επιστήμονες. Υπήρξε ακόμα και ένας υπουργός. Πράγμα πολύ σπάνιο από τόσο νωρίς» προσθέτει.
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Immigration and Population History of Selected Countries of Birth

Nick Theodossi started selling cars in 1971 with two Holdens and a Zephyr. Today Nick Theodossi Prestige Cars is Victoria’s largest luxury car dealership. Located in North Melbourne, the business’ vast showroom with its cool interior of glass and metal, is the perfect environment to show off the sleek seductive automobiles that wait silently for a buyer. In the showroom’s elegant cafe, (they do a fine latte here too!) surrounded by some of the most desirable cars that money can buy, Nick shares his story with me. The son of Sharalambos and Yianoulla, Nick Theodossi was born in Melbourne in 1951, the year after his parents migrated from Morphou in Cyprus. With sister Kitsa, he grew up in the suburb of Coburg. As the first Europeans in their street, the family were known as the Hardys. To the locals ‘Theodossi’ was just too strange, too unfamiliar. The neighbours agreed. It was “too hard” – so ‘Hardy’ it would be. “Go back today to Coburg,” says Nick wistfully, “and the old people there would still call us the Hardys.” Nick describes the Coburg community he grew up in as, “fantastic. I had a very happy childhood there, and childhood is where it all stems from”. With his mum and dad working at nearby factories, Nick attended the local school until the age of fifteen, at which point he became an apprentice motor mechanic. The young apprentice spent five years working hard, learning what made cars work, and how to fix them when they didn’t. “I was always adamant that I wanted to improve myself,” says Nick. At 20, empowered by his knowledge of automotive engineering, he decided to leave the workshop behind. “I got sick of getting my hands dirty. I worked for a boss in Preston, then decided to go out on my own and become my own man.” Nick remembers the three cars he bought on the very first day first day he opened his business.” I bought an FC and an FB Holden and a Mark 2 Zephyr, and then I put three adverts in the Herald Sun newspaper. I sold them the same day. I thought, ‘how easy’s this business?’ In those days there weren’t roadworthys. If they were shiny then they sold. You’re talking cars for $199.” Just as the wheels began spinning on his business, Nick married Carol. They were blessed with their first child Dion in 1977. Kayne, Nicholas (junior) and Ebony followed. All four followed in dad’s footsteps and became integral to the success of the company. “Where we are today is a tribute to my kids. Dion’s 34 he’s been here since he was 18. When you look at it the business only got better in the last 15 years. Dion is a buyer, Ebony is in admin, and Nicholas and Cain are salesmen.” Nick says that the business of buying and selling luxury cars has got tougher in recent years due to the impact of the Internet. “The day of the walk-in buyer has gone. 70-80 per cent of our business is repeat and referral. That’s what you get over forty years.” With buyers in every state, there are some 200 vehicles in stock at any one time. The business turns over some 50 to 60 cars a week split equally between the trade and individual buyers. “You do numbers and the profits will look after themselves,” says Nick.  As for his own set of wheels, Nick drives a Mercedes SLS gull-wing, powered by fearsome 6.3 Litre naturally-aspirated engine. He just happens to have an identical model in the showroom – one previous owner with 1800 kilometres on the clock. It’s a beautiful machine. What’s it like to drive, I ask. “Quick, frightening,” says Nick. How fast? “330kms per hour” he says with a grin, before telling me that I just need $450,000 to take it home.”Could you see yourself in that,” Nick asks. “Yes I could” I say, before making my way outside to my ageing Holden Berlina. We can all dream. But then we should all take a leaf out of Nick Theodossi’s manual for life; there’s little in this world that cannot be achieved when you put your mind to it.
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SOUTH AUSTRLIAN GREEKS – MP Tsounis for GOCSA

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50th KARPATHIAN PROGRESSIVE ASSOCIATION HISTORY BOOKLET

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THE HISTORY OF GREEKS OF CANBERRA AND DISTRICTS

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GEORGE KANARAKIS

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GREEK CYPRIOT COMMUNITY IN THE NORTHERN TERRITORY

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Greek Community in Tasmania

Trifon Kelestioglou, a licensed victualler aged 28, was naturalised in Hobart in 1878, and may have been the first Greek to settle in Tasmania. Athanasius Kaparatos was the first Greek in Launceston, arriving in 1884. He worked for thirty years as a wharf labourer, and was awarded a medal for saving a number of people from drowning in the Tamar. He later opened the Continental Café. Like Athanasius, many early Greeks opened cafés. Grigorios Kasimatis (Gregory Casimaty) was probably the first to settle permanently in Hobart, in 1914. He established the Britannia Café, and with his brothers started Casimaty Bros Fish Shop in about 1918. In 1930, when George Haros arrived from Greece, there were fourteen Greeks in Hobart. In 1936 George opened the Green Gate Milk Bar, and began to manufacture his invention, the Haros boiler, which has been exported Australia-wide and overseas. Post-war migration saw the major increase in the Greek community. Many were brought out as assisted migrants to work at Hydro-Electric Commission power stations. In 1953 the Hellenic Association of Tasmania was formed, with Gregory Casimaty as president; a school, hall, club and welfare centre were established; and the Olympia soccer club was also a focus. The Launceston Greek Community was formed in the early 1960s. Most Greek people have been self-employed. Many bought small grocery shops and ran corner stores. Most of the shareholders of Saveway Foods, a grocery warehouse (1970–88), were Greek. Some Greeks moved on to property development and other business ventures. Hundreds of Greeks and their descendants now play an important role in the Tasmanian economy and community life.
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Casimaty Family

The Casimaty Family first visited Australia when Georgios Kasimatis (1866–1959) worked in Sydney, 1891–96. He returned to Greece, but sent his four children to Australia. All ended up in Tasmania. Georgios’ oldest son Gregory (1890–1972) came to Sydney in 1905 and arrived in Hobart in 1914. He bought a fruit shop and turned it into a restaurant, the Britannia Café, but the brothers, Gregory, Anthony (1897–1977) and Basil (1902–1962), were best known for their wholesale and retail fishing enterprises. Casimaty Bros’ fish shop (1918) was a Hobart landmark for decades. They were also among the pioneers of the crayfish and scallop industries, exporting crayfish to Sydney. The brothers were extremely successful, playing a major role in Hobart commercial life, and Gregory and his wife Katina were particularly known for their philanthropy. Many other family members joined them in Hobart. In the 1940s the family began purchasing farming properties: Llanherne and Acton at Cambridge, Strathayr at Richmond, Christianmarsh at Bothwell, and Stockman at Kempton. Strathayr became particularly well-known for Bill Casimaty’s flourishing instant lawn enterprise.

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A HISTORY OF GREEK MIGRATION AND SETTLEMENT TO AUSTRALIA

1. Convicts and Adventurers: 1829-1890
During the Greek War of Independence, the British brig Alceste sailing from Malta to Alexandria laden with cargo was intercepted and boarded by the crew of the Greek vessel Heraklis. The Greeks plundered and removed much of the cargo and then allowed the Alceste to continue its journey onto Alexandria. A few days later, the Heraklis was intercepted by the British ship HMS Gannet off the coast of Crete and boarded by the captain to make an examination of its cargo. With their suspicions aroused, the captain of the HMS Gannet ordered that the Greeks be taken to Malta. Andonis Manolis, Damianos Ninis, Ghikas Boulgaris, Georgios Vasilakis, Konstantinos Stroumboulis, Nikolaos Papandreou, Georgios Laritsos, Lalekhos and Bouff were held in prison and later charged with piracy. During the trial, the defence argued that the Greeks who were fighting a war against the Turks had the right “under international law to remove articles of war from a neutral ship proceeding to an enemy-occupied port (namely, Alexandria).” The verdict rendered by the Court stated that Manolis, Ninis and Vasilakis were to be sentenced to death, whilst Boulgaris, Papandreou, Stroumboulis and Laritsos though sentenced to death “but with a recommendation of these four to mercy, since, they had not taken a leading part nor committed any act of violence.” Lalekhos and Bouff were acquitted and released. There is no information of the fate of these two last named individuals. One can safely assume that they returned to their native Greece. The lawyer of the condemned prisoners convinced the Lieutenant-Governor Sir Frederick Ponsonby to postpone the death sentences so that Manolis, Ninis and Vasilakis “could lay their case before King George IV himself.” Ponsonby referred this matter to London for adjudication.  After much deliberation between the British Government and Colonial Office, King George IV approved clemency whereby the death sentences imposed on the three were commuted to transportation for life and other 4 reduced to transportation for 14 years. Finally these 7 Greeks were transported on a convict ship for New South Wales arriving at Port Jackson on August 27, 1829. After their arrival in Sydney, these Greek convicts were assigned by Colonial officials to work in Sydney and surrounding districts. Spyridon Tricoupis who became the first Greek Minister to be appointed to the Court of St James interceded on behalf of the 7 Greek convicts. The 7 Greek convicts were pardoned and allowed to return to Greece. Finally 5 of them- Ninis, Vasilakis, Papandreou, Stroumboulis and Laritsos returned to Greece whereas Boulgaris and Manolis stayed behind in NSW. The next “wave” of Greeks arrived in Australia during the gold rushes of the 1850s and 1860′s. These early Greeks were adventurers who had no intention of settling in Australia who simply wanted to make their fortune and return to Greece. Many of these Greeks jumped ship in Melbourne and Sydney and proceeded to the gold fields. In the early 1850s Nicholas Emellen, Andreas Lecatsas, Georgios Doikos, Nicholas and Spiro Lambert, Mihalis Manousou and Konstantinos Argyropoulos and many other Greek sailors ran off to the gold fields in search of adventure and to seek their fortune. Majority of these Greeks was not successful in their gold seeking ventures. These early Greek adventurers came from every corner of the Hellenic world besides Kythera and Ithaca, they also came from Limnos, Tenedos, Lesvos, Samos, Rhodes, Corfu, Zakynthos, Smyrna, Constantinople, Kefalonia and Skopelos. A small settlement known as “Greek Town” situated some 50 kilometers, north of Bathurst, NSW was established by Greek miners. At its prime in the 1860′s and 1870′s, many of the Greek miners married local women of Irish origin. When gold fever faded, many of these Greeks settled in Melbourne, Sydney and in the country towns of Victoria and New South Wales. Some of them became tenant farmers, shepherds, storekeepers, waterfront laborers and railway workers. Indeed very few of these Greeks returned to their native homeland. It would from the 1890′s onwards that the small Greek communities in Australia would begin to exhibit a sense of permanent settlement.

2. Laying the foundations: 1890-1950
During the 1890s the Greeks of Melbourne and Sydney established their first communities in 1897 and 1898 respectively. In Melbourne, Alexander Maniakis, Antonios Lecatsas and Grigorios Matorikos founded the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne (GOCM) and purchased land with the erection of the Church of Evangelismos (Annunciation) in 1902. It was the only Greek organization in Melbourne during these early years that met the cultural and religious needs of the community. Later on, the Ithacans established the Association of Odysseus and the Pan Hellenic Association of Orpheus by the Samians. In Sydney, the Greek and Syrian migrants met in 1896 and the first church Holy Trinity was completed in 1898 due to the generous contributions of the Greeks who originated from the island of Kythera. Between 1924-1945, Sydney was the center of Greek activity in Australia. It had two rival newspapers, division existed between the laity and church and this community polarization was reflected with two rival churches. These community divisions made it extremely difficult to solve the problems that bedeviled the Greek Community of Sydney. In Victoria, the GOCM was peripheral due to the Greek Church and Greek Consulate General having its center in Sydney. The GOCM saw a decline in migrant participation during the years 1924-35. However it was involved in charitable works such as raising monies for an earthquake appeal and local hospitals and providing some assistance to the needy Greek unemployed. Other Greek communities were established in Perth (West Australia), Adelaide and Port Pirie (South Australia) Darwin (Northern Territory), Hobart (Tasmania) and Brisbane, Innisfail and Townsville (Queensland). In 1912, the Kastellorizians in Perth established the first Greek brotherhood in Australia. The Kastellorizians donated money for the construction of a Greek center in 1925 and later on an afternoon school could operate and community members could attend church services. Another Greek community organization, the Hellenic Macedonian Association (Megas Alexandros), was established by Zisis Nollides in 1930. It offered employment opportunities, supported the unemployed and destitute migrants. During the 1920′s, many Greeks found employment at the BHP smelter were in Port Pirie (SA). With the onset of the great depression in 1929, many of them left for other Australian states in search of employment and others settled in Adelaide. Some 30 Greeks gathered at the Pan Hellenion Club in Adelaide in October 1930 establishing the Greek Community of South Australia. They elected an executive committee with businessman Constantinos Kavouras as the first President of the Greek Community of South Australia. According to Anastasios Tamis “three years after its establishment the Greek Community of South Australia was an association lacking in direction, leadership and organisation.” The Greek community of Queensland settled in Brisbane and in the tropical north during the early 20th century. Those who settled in Brisbane during the early 1900′s came from the Dodecanese and Kythera with many of them owning and operating, small shops, fish shops, restaurants and import business with Greece. In 1920′s -1930′s Greek communities had been established in the North Queensland towns of Innisfail and Townsville. Some of the Greeks acquired sugar cane plantations whilst others operated restaurants, cafes and milk bars (a small general store). These communities had also established their respective churches and Greek afternoon schools. The Freeleagus family dominated the Greek community of Brisbane in the pre-1950 years. It is interesting is that the Greeks were evenly distributed with half of them living in Brisbane and the other in Northern Queensland. The Greek presence in Tasmania was negligible with only handful of them domiciled on the island state. Georgios Haros along with sisters Katerina and Manti, I Flaskas, Kassimatis brothers and Athanasios Kaparatos are the only officially recorded names. In the Northern Territory the Kastellorizians arrived in Darwin in 1913 and later on the Kalimnians become involved in the pearl diving industry. The Australian Government imposed legal barriers in reducing the inflow of migrants from South Eastern Europe during the mid-1920s. This had been brought about by the reduction of immigrants to the United States where that government imposed a quota system. In 1925, a few hundred Greek Macedonian migrants could not find employment in Melbourne and Perth. These individuals were relocated to work on the large cotton and tobacco plantations and large farms in North Queensland and came under the care of the Greek Consul in Brisbane, Christos Freeleagus. Some Greeks ended up working in the sugar plantations which previously employed Italians and Maltese. Education and the newspapers are important factors in the preservation and maintenance of an ethnic identity. Some Greek communities experienced difficulties in establishing and maintaining evening schools but with determination and perseverance they succeeded. Archimandrite Germanos Illiou from Mitylene established the first school in Perth in 1913. The first Greek school in Adelaide did not commence until after 1936. Sydney and Melbourne Greek communities established schools in their early years. In Melbourne a school operated as early as 1898, however, it did not achieve any sense of permanency as a school until the 1950′s which coincides with the period of mass migration to Australia. Tamis notes ” the generosity of the regional organisations, the good- heartedness of individuals, particularly businessmen, the conscientiousness of teaching staff and the anxiety of the parents saved the school from permanent closure.” Whilst in Sydney, the operation of the two schools reflected the disputes and schism that existed in the Greek Community of Sydney. Parents would face the problem of supporting one of the factions in their community. The Greek Orthodox Church was actively involved in the teaching of the Greek language to young Greek-Australian children. It should be noted that Greeks of Perth were untouched by the schism in the eastern states. Newspapers played an important part in maintaining and promoting an ethnic identity among the early Greeks. Australia was first Greek newspaper to be established in Melbourne in 1912 and was purchased by the Marinakis brothers in 1923 who relocated it to Sydney and later changed its name to Ethnikon Vima (National Tribune). Panellinios Keryx (Pan Hellenic Herald) in Sydney was labelled a community newspaper and was not considered too friendly towards the clergy. It urged the creation of a Federation of Greek communities aiming to curb the authority of the Church. On the other hand, the Ethnikon Vima adopted a conservative policy and supported the Metropolitan and later on the Archdiocese. It should be noted that the two Greek -Australian newspapers of Sydney reflected the divisions that existed in the Greek community of Sydney. The Phos (the Light) was founded in Melbourne in 1936 and was very active in the Greek community. It was noted for its very strong anti-communist stance and supported the Greek dictator, Ioannis Metaxas. There were other Greek-Australian newspapers who due to their small circulation numbers and limited economic resources did not survive for very long. The early Greek communities in Australia were not well accepted by the Anglo-Australians and not treated as equals. During the First World War, the political schism between the Venizelists and Royalists was played out on Australian soil. King Constantine was regarded as a traitor in Australia when Greek royalist forces opened fire on British and French marines in Athens in early December 1916. This gave the green light to Anglo-Australians to loot Greek shops in Kalgoorlie, Boulder, Broken Hill and Sydney. These Anglo-Australian hotheads could not distinguish between a Venizelist or Royalist. The overwhelming majority of Greeks in Australia were loyal to the British Empire. However, the attitude of Anglo-Australians changed towards Greeks during the Second World War. Many Australian soldiers fought to repel the German invasion of mainland Greece and Crete in April/May 1941 and many of these Australian soldiers were helped by the local Greeks to escape. This event was to have a major impact in Australian-Greek relations in the post-1945 years.  The Greek community in Australia assisted in raising money to assist the Australian army and the Greek homeland. In fact, a Pan Hellenic Appeal Committee raised £1 million pounds for the Greek fighting the Axis powers occupying Greece Until the end of the World War 2, “the pioneer [Greek] community leaders aimed to nurture the immigrants’ ethno-religious foundations and to not only maintain an ethnic and cultural identity amongst their dispersed compatriots but to also reinforce their ties with liberated Greece.” The post-war Greeks form one of the most settled and vibrant migrant groups in Australia. They have contributed to the political, economic, social and educational fabric of their adopted homeland. Strong links are still maintained with the patrida.

From Immigrants to citizens: 1950- 1972
In the post-1945 period, the Australian Government embarked on its largest immigration program bringing thousands of immigrants from Greece, Italy, Malta, Holland, Germany, Austria, Yugoslavia, Poland and the Baltic States. Arthur A. Calwell was appointed the first Minister for Immigration in 1947 and made it his top priority to implement the Federal Government’s policy of mass migration to Australia. The slogan behind the new immigration policy was “populate or perish .” Australia’s low birth rate during the 1920′s and 1930′s, coupled with national security considerations were the underlying motives behind this expansive immigration program. The Australian Government signed a number of migration agreements with Italy, Malta and Greece (1952) where migrants were to be given assisted passages under the Inter-Government Committee for European Migration (I.C.E.M). From 1947-52, migrants were sponsored by family members in Australia. Under the I.C.E.M program, approximately 270,000 Greeks arrived in Australia from 1954-74 from Greece, Egypt, Romania, Turkey, Middle East and Cyprus. These new migrants, unlike their pre-1945 compatriots, had come to settle permanently in Australia. Before World War 2, Greek migrants believed that they could achieve success by owning their own businesses; this would give economic and financial security that they could pass onto their children. The post war migrant steered their children towards education for their future success. Old community structures that existed in pre-1950 were ill-equipped to deal with the massive post-war migration of Greeks. At the heart of this problem was the perennial dispute between communities (koinotites) and the Church for dominance of the burgeoning Greek migrant community in Australia. This dispute still remains unresolved in 2009. Many post-1950 Greek migrants settled in the major capital cities of Australia, especially with Melbourne and Sydney absorbing the vast majority of them. They tended to live in the inner suburbs of Melbourne and Sydney where employment, housing, shopping centres, markets, churches, clubs and associations were located.  The Greeks tended to come from rural areas of Greece with very few skills and low educational attainment. This can be partly explained by the German occupation of 1941-44 and Greek Civil War of 1945-49 resulting in severe economic hardship and social deprivation. In Australia, they were employed as unskilled and semi-skilled laborers in factories. Those with professional and trade qualifications from Greece faced the problem of non-recognition of their credentials and weren’t able to work in their chosen occupation. Many of them were forced to find employment as laborers. During the 1950s many Greek migrants lived in shared and overcrowded accommodation. Privacy was at a premium. As these migrants worked hard and improved their economic and financial position, they eventually purchased their own home in the inner suburbs. Over time Greek migrants gradually began to move out from the inner to outer suburbs during the 1960s -1970s. In 1961, Australia was in the grip of one of its worst unemployment crises with many migrants losing their jobs due to the economic recession. This would have been a disappointing period and a sense of helplessness and despondency felt by many Greek migrants who came expecting to find employment in Australia. It is important to note that the Department of Immigration promises to find work for these unemployed migrants never materialized. The Bonegilla migrant camp situated some 400 kilometers north -east of Melbourne migrants rioted by setting fire to some wooden sheds out of sheer desperation and frustration for the lack of employment opportunities. Police arrested some of the rioters.  On July 1, 1961 the Pan Hellenic Committee organized a massive public meeting in Melbourne in support of the unemployed calling upon the Australian authorities to drop the charges against the migrants for the Bonegilla riot. Tamis states that “with the initiative of the [Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne], soccer teams and wrestlers were called on to stage games, acting groups to give performance of plays, and businessmen to contribute money so an unemployment benefit could be given to the suffering new migrants.” A sense of community and solidarity was displayed by the Greek community to engage the services of a cross section of its paroikia to assist its least fortunate compatriots. In April 1962 Demokritos League, a left-wing Greek Australian organization, staged a conference in Melbourne by inviting progressive worker organizations to discuss the issue of unemployment and to find ways of cementing ties between other migrants and Greek workers in Australia. The Atlas Club (Sydney), Platon Club (Adelaide), community organizations and brotherhoods attended this conference as a mark of solidarity. It shows that the left-wing Greek-Australian organizations were trying to forge links with other migrants on the issue of unemployment. It should be noted that Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) kept a close eye on left-wing Greek Australian groups during the height of the cold war. As the issue of church-community schism has been raised earlier, it is important to examine the disputes for leadership within the Greek community. Ideological differences polarised the Greek community into left and right-wing factions. The former believed in working class solidarity that would unite all workers whereas the former being conservative believed in maintaining and preserving the Greek identity and civilisation. An example of this ideological stand-off can be seen in the Greek Pontian organisations. In 1956 during the elections for the Management Council of Pontian Union Soumela there were two separatist tickets from left and right-wing candidates. The leftists won the election resulting in the conservatives leaving to establish their own rival organisation- National Brotherhood of Melbourne Pontians. This was repeated in Sydney in the early 1960s. It is worth mentioning that Greek diplomats intervened at various times in the affairs of the local Greek community during the time of the Greek Junta 1967-1974.  There were Greek-Australian organizations and overseas Greeks who were actively engaged in the restoration of democracy in Greece. These groups and individuals were categorised as “troublemakers” by conservative Greek Australians who lobbied the Australian Government to have them expelled from Australia. The Greek Consuls labelled these individuals persona non grata who wished to return to Greece or those wishing to enter Australia as this “would help the red agents in their anti-Hellenic propaganda against our country by creating misleading impressions about the Greek national government.” While the Greek Junta had its supporters, there were those who actively opposed it in the Australian community. Greek Consular officials met with demonstrations, strong protests, non-communication and non-attendance from the Greek community at Consulate functions- such as Greek Independence Day celebrations, which created tensions in intra-community relations but also within the wider Australian society. Australian ecclesiastical, political and union officials strongly opposed the Greek Junta. However Australian conservative governments under Holt, Gorton and McMahon adopted a rather timid stance to the political situation in Greece. The increase in the number of Greek publications in the post-1945 period fits in with the mass migration program of the Australian government. Many clubs, brotherhoods and communities had their own publications that varied in quality and were mostly ephemeral. These publications were usually of an ideological nature covering issues such as pre-election campaigns, targeting specific people and groups, church-community schism and Greek national issues on Macedonia, Epirus and Cyprus. During the entire post-war period five commercial newspapers were in circulation in Melbourne and Sydney. The ecclesiastical issue dominated the pages of these newspapers till the end of the 1970s. The Archdiocese sought align itself with one of three newspapers-Pyrsos, Phos or Neos Kosmos. All these Greek-Australian publications sought to keep the Greek migrant informed on local community news, sports, Australian politics and Greek political developments in the Greek language. Neos Kosmos’ succeess can be attributed in maintaining its circulation and attracting advertising revenue. It also has adapted to the realities of the marketplace with its declining Greek language readership over past 15 years by enclosing an English language supplement for its Australian-born Greek readers. Unfortunately, Phos and Pyrsos experienced financial difficulties, declining readership, inability to attract advertising revenue and as a consequence, became bankrupt. In early to mid-1950s, broadcasts of Greek language programs could be heard in Wangaratta and on radio station 3AK in Melbourne. There was Nick Anton’s Greek language program that was broadcast in the 1960s from Colac in country Victoria. These were small steps in Greek language broadcasting prior to the advent of SBS in the 1970s. SBS Radio (2EA Sydney and 3EA Melbourne) introduced and later SBS TV by the Whitlam and Fraser Governments in the mid to late 1970′s allowed Greek migrants and other ethnic groups to hear radio programs in their own native languages. This was part of the Australian governments commitment towards a multicultural and pluralistic society. Greeks can listen to Australian and overseas news , sports and other stories in the Greek language. SBS-TV shows foreign movies and soap operas in foreign languages displaying an English sub-text at the bottom of the television screen. As a broadcaster, SBS has exposed Anglo-Australians to overseas programs that otherwise would normally not be screened on commercial television. The only private Greek private radio operating in Melbourne is Radio Hellas 3 XY which also publishes the weekly newspaper Ta Nea. Community TV station Channel 31 which is still in its infancy has a number of Greek programs that are shown over the course of the week. Soccer receives a lot of attention on this channel with Victorian soccer games shown on Wednesday nights. The issue of Greek schools in the pre-1945 was discussed previously . In 1959 the so-called afternoon Greek schools were ailing with only a small number operating. The organisation of these schools was very poor and operated outside normal school hours. Many Greek parents were indifferent to their children’s Greek school education due to long working hours. The oral and literacy levels of students was very divergent which faced the individual teacher. It must be noted that some of these so-called teachers did not possess any formal teaching qualifications either in Greece or Australia. Therefore Greek students were possibly being taught incorrectly which did not assist their Greek language education. It was in the 1970s under the Whitlam and Fraser Governments, that ethnic studies were being encouraged thus fitting with the official policy of multiculturalism. Modern Greek studies including language was spreading at all education levels in Australia. In the Saturday morning schools teachers are required to hold the requisite teaching qualifications in order to teach Greek language and culture. As teaching qualifications and standards rose from the late 1970s onwards, the number of Australian students of Greek origin studying the Greek language at primary, secondary and tertiary level steadily increased over the next 20 years. This is attributed to the baby boomers who migrated to Australia in the 1950s and 1960s whose children have attended Greek school. There is now a slow but marked decline in Greek studies across the education spectrum, with 3rd generation Greek-Australians not taking up Greek language studies like their parents. The Greek-Australian community faces some interesting challenges ahead in the coming years in terms of maintaining and preserving its identity down under.
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A Brief history of the origins of Perth’s Greek Community and the Cathedral of Saints Constantine and Helene

The first Greek settlers who arrived in Western Australia before 1900 found life to be both hostile and different to that of their original homeland. The language and culture were also alien to them, often enhancing problems of loneliness and isolation. Furthermore, no organisation existed to help reduce the shock of transition for these early Greeks settlers. For Greeks the institution that could best serve this purpose and help them to maintain their Greek language, customs, traditions and religion, was the Greek Orthodox Church. Between 1905 and 1911 priests from the Eastern States, namely Fathers Phocas and Kantopoulos, made regular trips to Perth to fulfil the spiritual needs of the local Greek population i.e. liturgies, weddings and christenings; Often conducting these services in the homes of Perth’s Greeks. Father Phocas made frequent visits to Perth as some of his family settled and married here. His son Alex Phocas would go on to become a foundation committee member of the Hellenic Club Association (Union) of Western Australia in 1918 and President and prominent member of the Hellenic Community during the 1920s. In 1905 Father Kantopoulos arranged for land at the Karrakatta Cemetery to be set aside as Greek Orthodox section and subsequently consecrated the area. 1911 saw the arrival of the first resident priest in Perth, his name was Rev. Father Chrysanthos Constantinidis who came from the Greek island of Hydra. For the local Greek population his arrival was seen as a very significant event. Not only did it signify a “coming of age” and that the Perth Greek Community was of some importance on a national scale, having a resident priest before Adelaide or Brisbane, but the mere presence of a permanent local priest was regarded as a blessing. During this time the Commonwealth Census of 1911 identified 323 males and 12 females of Greek Orthodox faith residing in Western Australia. Greeks were scattered from the Kimberley to Albany. After Perth and Fremantle, the Coolgardie region, notably Kalgoorlie, had the next biggest concentration of Greeks with 75. Father Constantinidis left Perth during 1913 and was succeeded by Rev. Father Germanos Illiou (Heliou) who arrived in Perth from the Greek island of Mytilini. A year prior to his arrival the Castellorizian Association of Western Australia was formed. This organisation was to play a major role in the building of the first Greek hall and church in Western Australia. The Rev. Father Illiou gave the Greek families of Perth much needed leadership and guidance in spiritual affairs. He also conducted the first Greek school, teaching the language and religion. By 1915 religious services were being conducted at various venues in Perth such as the Hibernian Hall along Murray Street, and more often, at the Assembly Hall in Pier Street. This was due to the work of the Castellorizian Association who liaised with the Presbyterian and Anglican Churches to let their premises for religious services making Father Illiou’s religious tasks easier. Though some degree of religious and cultural fulfilment could be found in Perth and Fremantle by the Greek population, in the years just prior to and during World War I, economic conditions were not always favourable. Considerable anti-Greek sentiment could be found in the workplace, at social events and in the media. These resentments culminated in the anti-Greek riots of Kalgoorlie during December 1916. As a result, many Greeks left Kalgoorlie to seek their fortune throughout Western Australia. Most busied themselves at general labouring mining, timber cutting, fishing, but more often in fruit shops, the catering and restaurant trades. The bulk of the Greek immigrants chose to remain in Perth and Fremantle, where they became part of the mainstream of the Greek Community. Thus the community did manage to gain in numbers, stability and finance. 1918 saw the formation of the Hellenic Association of Western Australia which catered for the social needs of Greek males. The Hellenic Association co-operated with the Castellorizian Association in their quest for the eventual building of a hall and church. By the early 1920s mobility amongst males in search of work was gradually declining. The days of the lone male adventurer seeking a quick fortune were over. Wives, mothers, sisters and sweethearts were being brought out to Western Australia to stay with their make companions or relatives. During 1922 the Castellorizian Association took the momentous step of purchasing land to be eventually used as the site for the construction of the Greek Orthodox Church. The property purchased, on the 28th March 1922, was Perth Town Lot Y137, Lots 6 and 7 on plan 1067 along Parker Street. (The value of the land in 1925 was £625). 1923 saw the formation of the Hellenic Community of Western Australia, the interim President being Alex Phocas. This organisation took over the pan-Hellenic responsibilities from the Castellorizian Association and its primary concern became that of building an Orthodox church in Perth. To make possible the purchase of vacant land in Parker Street and then help finance the construction of a hall and church, many fundraising activities were organised. Concerts, bazaars, actions and afternoon teas were conducted to collect funds. The women of the Greek community also played a significant role in these activities. English and Australian women married to Greek men liaised with the Greek community to form the Hellenic Women’s Association. People such as Mrs Edith Gravas and Mrs Pearl Michelides with their command of the English language and experience in fund-raising, did a substantial amount of the work in those early years. Since 1902 the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Church in Australia had been assisted by the Church of Greece. However, in 1924 the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople took charge of the Greek Churches in Australia. As a result, during March 1924, the first Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Australia and New Zealand arived in Australia. His name was Christopher Knetes, born on the Greek island of Samos. He was a graduate from Chalkis Theological College and had served in Constantinople. On the 24th July 1924 Metropolitis Knetes conducted the ceremony of blessing the foundation stone of the church. The honour of laying the foundation stone was given to Mrs. J. Michelides and Mrs. T. Kalafatas, two respected elders of the community. Another stone was later placed near the entrance of the church symbolising the donation of the land by the Castellorizian Association of Western Australia to the Hellenic Community. This transfer of land took place during June 1925 by which time the Hellenic Hall had been completed. The Hellenic Community had decided to build a hall before a church as this was a more financially attainable goal at the time. Furthermore, the hall could serve as a religious venue as well as allow for social functions from which funds could be gathered and used to finance a suitable church building. The fundraising activities and voluntary donations of sixpence per family had continued after 1922 and helped to finance the construction of the Hellenic Hall. At last the members of Perth’s Greek community had their own site in which to conduct their church services, Greek School and social activities; until the building of the church became a reality. During the years between 1925 and 1936 the Hellenic Community continued its fundraising activities to collect money to pay off its debt to the E.S. & A. Bank for the Hellenic Hall. Another key figure in the money making ventures of the Hellenic Community was John Aris. Aris organised concerts throughout the 1920s and 1930s to raise funds so that a church could be constructed. He adapted his flair for music and theatre to fund raising and used the Hellenic Hall to hold concerts. The admission price from these performances went to the Hellenic Community. Volunteers recited poetry or music, performed dances or skits, and so on to entertain Perth’s Greek population. The Hellenic Community received a set-back in its plans for the construction of the church during 1929 as the world economic depression hit Western Australia. Unemployment rose rapidly and Greeks suffered along with everyone else. Proprietors and labourers experienced hardships as incomes fell along with the availability of work. Patronage of Hellenic Community functions slipped, as did monies raised through various fundraising ventures. Concerts became the most popular and regular social events during the depression years, as they provided people with the opportunity to escape from the economic difficulties and drudgery that they faced. 1930 saw the formation of another Greek Association which catered for those from Northern Greece, “The Megas Alexandros”, Greek Macedonian Alexander the Great Association. Under the presidency of Zissis Nolidis it too joined in the quest for the building of a church with the other Associations of that time. By the early 1930s the area around Parker Street had a definite Greek atmosphere about it. Greek families were either relocating in the vicinity of the hall or moving nearby for the first time. Aberdeen, Francis, James, Lake, Newcastle and Pier Streets, which in 1923 had only a handful of Greek residents, were by 1936 swamped with Greek residents. The W.A. Postal Directory for 1935-36, a year before the consecration of the Church of Saints Constantine and Helene, illustrates this fact. Along Aberdeen Street for example, there were 9 Greek families in residence, including Reverend Manessis, whereas 12 years earlier no Greeks were recorded as living there. Lake Street was comprised of 30 Greek families in 1936, while in 1923 only 6 families abided along this street. The bulk of the residents were near either the Newcastle, Aberdeen or Francis Street intersections, not too far from Parker Street. By 1934, with the worst of the depression over, economic stability returned to Western Australia and fundraising activities again became the order of the day for the Hellenic Community. The Hellenic Women’s Association was particularly active during the mid-1930s. The Hellenic Community was also successful in pooling together the resources of the various Greek bodies and fraternities to assist in a final drive to raise monies for the church. Notably the Castellorizian Association and its membership endeavoured as much as possible to assist the Hellenic Community. The sixpence levy was re-introduced by the Castellorizian Association once again during the mid 1930s. Members of the Greek community pledged sixpence a week from their earnings to go towards a fund aimed at helping the Hellenic Community finance the construction of a church. An honour group of six to ten collectors were organised to go around to the homes of Greeks to collect their donations. This system of collecting pledges in Perth and Fremantle lasted until the Second World War, by which time the church had not only been built but, by 1942, had been paid for. In late 1935, tentative measures were made about approaching various architectural firms to have designs for a church drawn up. Progress however, was rather slow. During December 1935 Metropolitis Timotheos was in Perth, and he felt that the Hellenic Community needed prodding. He called on the Hellenic Community to take some affirmative action about constructing a church. His disappointment at the rate of progress being made by the Hellenic Community prompted some more decisive action from its executive. On the 22nd of December 1935, an extra-ordinary general meeting was held to discuss the issue of building a church and the costs involved. Peter Michelides as President spoke first. He informed those present that a loan for £2,500 could be obtained from the E.S. & A. Bank. Another £1,000 needed to be collected from donations and with the £1,000 held by the Hellenic Community, a Church valued at some £4,500 could be constructed. On 30th December 1935, the Hellenic Community commissioned the architectural firm of Oldham, Boas and Ednie-Brown to draw up plans for the Church. The church was to be of a Byzantine style, based on the Saints Constantine and Helene Church on the island of Kastellorizo as the Hellenic Community had requested. After a meeting between Harold Boas and the executive of the Hellenic Community, namely P. Michelides (President), N. Papastatis (Vice-President), L. Mandalis (Secretary), and J. Zimbulis (Treasurer), the design was approved, the contract signed and the architects given the go-ahead to build the church. The builder who constructed the church was F. J. Deacon & Co. The work began during January 1936. The Hellenic Community had decided that differentiating status be bestowed upon donors, according to the amounts given. Donors, great donors, benefactors and great benefactors were the titles allocated to those people donating funds for the construction of the church. It was hoped that the levels of distinction, with their eventual public acknowledgment on an honour board, and the Metropolitan’s plea, would result in a flood of money to supplement the funds being gathered through other means, so as to make up at least the extra £1,000 needed by the Hellenic Community. A meeting in February 1936 recorded that donations for the church were forthcoming at a pleasing rate. Metropolotis Timotheos left Perth in mid-January after having ensured that the fundraising efforts and donations of the Hellenic Community and its members did not lose their impetus. He visited various Greek communities through out the State, accompanied by P. Michelides, to rally them behind the efforts of Perth’s Hellenic Community. Bunbury, Manjimup, Donnybrook, Pemberton and Bridgetown were all visited and from each town’s Greek population they managed to collect substantial donations. To continue the drive for funds, Metropolitis Timotheos stopped off at Kalgoorlie while on his return trip to Sydney. Here the local Greeks, whom he had impressed and won over after the Kalgoorlie race riots of 1934, willingly donated money for the Hellenic Community cause. Hence, with the money from these various donating communities and individuals, as well as the sources that the Hellenic Community had relied on since 1923, a substantial amount was raised. By October 1936 the Hellenic Community, with the church nearly completed, was able to arrange for the loan required from the E.S. & A Bank. The Hellenic Hall and property were mortgaged on the 12th October 1936 to ensure that the loan of £2,500 was secured. For the church to become operational, problems with lighting and ecclesiastical adornings had to be solved. Because of the stained glass windows, insufficient sunlight entered the Church building and so additional electrical lighting was required. In early December 1936 this extra lighting was installed at the cost of £100. Items were now being transferred from the Hellenic Hall to the church. A local Greek artist, Vlase Zanalis, was also commissioned to paint the bare altar facade (iconostasis) with religious works and small icons. By December 1936 much of this had been accomplished and the Hellenic Hall finally had its dual role ended. Plans were then set into motion to have the church consecrated. Communications with Metropolitis Timotheos took place and a date, the 18th April 1937, was set for the ceremony. Ceremonial details were then planned and organised, invitations to dignatories posted and all other particulars attended to. By midday on Sunday 18th April 1937 the consecration ceremony for the Greek Orthodox Church of Saints Constantine and Helene was over. Metropolitis Timotheos, Archmandrite Illiou and Rev. Father Manessis had performed the ritual. The choir led by Mr J. Michailidis consisted of Daphne Michelidis Cleo Doscos, Thrasivalo Koutsovelis, John Aris, Stellios Salingaros, Leo Anastas, Michael and George Kakulas and Vlase Zanalis. A reception was held in the Hellenic Hall next door to celebrate the event, and to recognise the achievements of Perth’s Greek Community. The church quickly became an integral feature of the lives of many Greek families, and a district landmark within Perth. A whole new chapter of spiritual, cultural, social and even economic development for Perth’s Greeks had now been made possible. This was, in part, what many of the pioneering Greeks had wanted when they first called on their compatriots to unite together to form an organisation that would allow for the construction of a Greek Orthodox Church. For the many people who worked very hard and who struggled to carve out a future for themselves , their families, and prospective descendants, the building of a church was a major achievement. In a new and often uncompromising society, there emerged a unique structure, which embodied and symbolised (as it still does), not only our religious beliefs and customs, but our heritage and national identity. That building was the church of Saints Constantine and Helene.

* On the 21st May 1972 the Church was proclaimed a Cathedral.

*The Community has had thirteen Presidents and numerous Committees of Management.

1923 Alexander Phocas (interim/caretaker President)
1923-25 Peter Michelides1925-26
Alexander Phocas
1926-41 Peter Michelides

1941-47 Angelo Silverton (Ayeropoulos)

1947-58 George P Kailis

1958-62 John Aris

1962-70 Arthur Litis

1970-77 George E Palassis

1977-78 Spiro N Begos

1978-83 Michael S Lekias

1983-85 Mark Liveris

1985-89 Michael S Lekias

1989-95 Atha Limnios

1995-2005 Paul Afkos

2005- current Evan S Kakulas
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Thaao Penghlis

Thaao Penghlis’ brooding good looks come from his Greek heritage, but he is from Sydney, Australia, where he was born on December 15.  Unlike most actors, he did not originally plan to go into show business; he was primarily interested in history and art, and planned to be an archaeologist. Instead, he became a young career diplomat, working with the immigration service to help Greek immigrants who were seeking Australian citizenship. He trained for three years to become the vice-consul to Greece, but gradually realised that his whole life centered around Greek happenings, so he took a leave of absence and went to work for the United Nations in new York. While he was in New York, he met a teacher and director, Milton Katselas, who inspired him to pursue an acting career. He quit his job at the UN, worked as an apprentice antique dealer during the day (specializing in eighteenth-century and Chinese art), and studied acting at night. Eventually he worked as an assistant to Katselas in New York. When Katselas moved to Los Angeles to set up his studio and school at the Beverly Hills Playhouse, Thaao went too and helped direct a number of plays. He appeared in other productions in Los Angeles and around the country, and finally landed the part in Ken Russell’s Altered States with William Hurt. He was also in episodes of Nero Wolf, Hart to Hart, Moviola and several TV films. After six years of carefully building his career, Thaao took the part of Victor Cassadine on General Hospital, where he gathered such a strong following that ABC received twenty-five hundred letters asking that they bring him back after his story line came to an end. Before ABC was able to do that, NBC offered him the part of Count Anthony DiMera on Days Of Our Lives and that role kept him on the popularity charts. When I left home, I had to lie and tell my family it would be for a month, and even they thought I was a black sheep, a loser. I come from a very conservative Greek family – one which doesn’t believe in breaking tradition. I had two hundred dollars in my pocket, but I knew I would have to make it on my own, because my drive was tremendous. I had to prove that I would make something of myself, and to do that I had to release all those regimented ideas I’d been taught about how life should be and learn a whole different set of values. As a Greek, my sense of family tradition is very strong. When I was young, I resented it because I didn’t understand it. It was very regimented, which went against my nature. But now, as an actor, I’m discovering how much it helps me, how much solidity it has given me. My outlook is different because of the traditions. Acting is tradition. To explore a character, you need to know where that character comes from. Now I realise how enriched I was by all the resources I had growing up.  A lot of people have a tendency to shortchange themselves, because they’re told they aren’t good enough as they’re growing up. In this country especially, people have a very narrow idea of art and the world outside themselves. I was fortunate to have wonderful mentors who always told me there was more, outside of myself and outside of my family. Then, when I moved to New York, I studied Chinese and eighteenth-century art, and was surrounded by the greatest collection of Southeast Asian sculpture and Ming furniture in America. When you are in that kind of surrounding, when you’ve worked at the UN or the consulate, there is a tendency to know there is more to life. My family also allowed me the grace of being a man without restricting my emotions. They allowed me to express myself completely. They never forced me to shut myself off, or to hide what I was feeling. If I felt like crying, I could do that. I was never told that it wasn’t masculine. That was a wonderful experience for me, and has affected my acting a great deal – allowing that humanness to come through. That was one of the best educations that I got. I learned attitude, and that is a very important factor in your life as well as your work. I learned to respect my parents, my uncles. I learned how children are supposed to be treated. That somehow gave me a sense of how every character is different and must be responded to differently in my work. That’s the great value I find in being an actor. The psychological factor – the amount of people I have within myself. In order for me to reach those depths of characters in my work, I had to learn to take the walls down – the ones that we all build as we grow up, to protect ourselves. As painful as it was putting them up, it was more painful taking them down, but it was interesting, and tremendously valuable. One of the walls I constructed was to allow people to believe I came from a wealthy family. My father was a labourer and my mother was a teacher, and I used to hide that fact. People always thought I was wealthy, because of my appearance and attitude, and I encouraged them to believe that. I guess, in a way, I started acting at a very young age, although I didn’t realise it at the time, because I felt I had to hide the fact we were so poor. That wasn’t hard to do because whatever money my mother put aside was used to dress me, since I was the oldest son, and so I looked better off than I really was. Ironically, my uncle traced our family back and it turned out that about three or four hundred years ago we were almost a princely family, so maybe all the arrogance I’ve displayed in the past isn’t only a cover for insecurity. When I went to Athens and the clerk said, “Penghlis. Are you from the Penghlis family?” it was a tremendous pleasure. When I was a child, I used to ask my father, “Why is Grandma’s nose so enormous?” He said it was because we came from such a high breed of Greek, and that my grandmother believed it so much she kept her head very high and her nose grew. She was naturally aristocratic. You’d never run into her arms; you’d greet her with a kiss on the cheek. You would never dare misbehave in front of her. By comparison, my mother is very down to earth with her grandchildren. She’s a doer, and a tremendous giver. When I was home last, she kept looking over at me. I asked her what the matter was, and she said, “I can’t believe you’re my son.” I asked her what she meant, and she said, “Look around.” I did, and saw the different relatives, how they were all a bit lazy and set in their posture and approach to life. My brother tells me that they have conversations around the table. My mother will say, “Where does he come from, this one? He’s different from all of us. He left at such a young age, with very little money, and look how far he’s gone. Where did that come from?” My father will say, “He’s a Penghlis.” My mother will say, no, it’s from her side of the family, and then they have an argument. It’s funny because here I am the son who they were afraid would ruin the family name. I was the one who was always different. I was the most criticised, the most outspoken. I took the most chances. Now, they’re very proud of me. I went home for Christmas a couple of years ago and it was overwhelming. After the initial emotional welcome at the airport, it was like I had never been gone. That’s how strong the bond is. And the nice part is that now I can sit back and really appreciate them all. I am fortunate that I have such a great family. They feel the same way about me. While I was there, we invited the whole family over to see tapes of what I’ve been doing. When it was all over, I could see that my uncles were very proud, and my father turned to me and said, “Isn’t it something. I have spent years trying to find something that would give me the importance of why I’m here, and tonight I found it.” I understood then that they now acknowledge me in a different way, that they have dropped the judgement that they had made of me in the past. I realised that I had contributed to their lives much more than if I had stayed at home. I broke the mold. I showed that there was another life, that I could survive outside the Greek thing. I had gone there because my father had been very ill, and I had this tremendous fear that while I was living in America he would pass away and I would have to live with that for the rest of my life. I was so glad I went. I finally got to understand what my father’s struggle was all about. It took me a long time. I had a whole new appreciation of my relationship with him. I loved him like I had never done before. He accomplished so much. He brought four children into this world, which is a great accomplishment when you think of how well he raised them. And now he is so proud that his son did something that none of the others did. The day before Christmas, I got up at 6am to get the Christmas tree ready. They were used to a three-foot tree, so I found an eight-foot tree and decorated it with two hundred dollars worth of decorations. They had never seen such a thing. Everyone else was still asleep. I gave my parents their present – a cheque. They opened it, and my mother was beaming, but my father stopped smiling. I asked him what the matter was, and he said, “I’ve never held so much money in my hand that was mine”. I had never understood so clearly how much he had gone through, how much he had struggled. He sacrificed his ambitions so that his children could survive in a new country. He gave so much of himself. It was a very moving moment for me, to fully realise that.

Movies include:

Slow Dancing In The Big City (1978)

The Bell Jar (1979)

The Silent Lover’s (1980)

Altered States (1980)

Sadat (1983)

Emma, Queen Of The South Seas (1988)

Under Siege (1990)

Les Patterson Saves The World (1990)

The Lookalike (1991)

Memories Of Midnight (1991)

Tribe (1999)

* Days of Our Lives: Antony DiMera (1981-1985, 1993-1995, 2002-present)/Andre DiMera (1983-1984, 1995)

* General Hospital: Victor Cassadine (1981)

* Moon Over Miami: playing “Mr. Rose” in episode: “Pilot” (episode # 1.1) 15 September 1993

* Who’s the Boss?: playing “Armando Shia” in episode: “Older Than Springtime” (episode # 3.20) 3 March 1987

* Magnum, P.I.: playing “Phillipe Fabre Dumout” in episode: “All Thieves on Deck” (episode # 6.14) 30 November 1986

* Hotel: playing “Eduardo Valli” in episode: “Promises” (episode # 2.10) 9 January 1985

* Nero Wolfe: in episode: “What Happened to April?” (episode # 1.9) 20 March 1981

* Hart to Hart: playing “Assad” in episode: “Murder Wrap” (episode # 2.6) 6 January 1981

* Tenspeed and Brown Shoe: in episode: “Diamonds Aren’t Forever” (episode # 1.14) 1980

* Cannon: playing “Prince Hassan” in episode: “The Games Children Play” (episode # 5.15) 17 December 1975

* Kojak: playing “Yanni Psalidas” in episode: “Night of the Piraeus” (episode # 2.19) 26 January 1975

* Hawkins: playing “Assistant Manager” in episode: “Murder in Movieland” (episode # 1.2) 2 October 1973

* Santa Barbara: Micah De Angelis (1992-1993)

Notable TV Appearances:

Mission Impossible (the remake (1988-1990)

Thaao has also had guest appearances in ‘Who’s The Boss’,'Magnum PI’, ‘Tenspeed And Brown Shoe’ in the early 80′s, and ‘Cannon’ and ‘Hart to Hart’ in the 70′s, but is more recognised for his role in ‘General Hospital’, playing the part of Victor Cassadine (1981), ‘Santa Barbara’, playing Micah De Angelis (1992-1993) and of course most recently, after a 6 year absence in ‘Days Of Our Lives’ as Tony DiMera (1981-1986,1993-1996, 2002 -)/ Andre DiMera (1983-1984). Also in 1999 Thaao did an interview on’The Bert Show’, here are some photo’s from this.

http://thaaopenghlis.com/