‘The Sacred Tree’: New collaborative olive tasting event to be held in Sydney

The Greek Festival of Sydney, in collaboration with the Chau Chak Wing Museum and the Office of Economic and Commercial Affairs of Greece at the Consulate General of Greece in Sydney, present a special event dedicated to the “Sacred Tree: Olive” followed by tasting and sampling on Thursday, 16 May 2024.

According to mythology, the olive tree is a divine gift. “I will give you a tree,” said the goddess Athena and struck the rock of the Acropolis with her spear from which an olive tree grew. “Its fruit will feed you, its leaves will give you shade, and its trunk will provide fuel.” As a result, the olive tree has been sacrosanct for Greeks since ancient times, it is a symbol of peace, wisdom and triumph.

Taking initiative on the multiple symbolism of the Olive, archaeologist Dr Tamara Lewit from the University of Melbourne will deliver a lecture titled ‘Liquid Gold: Olive oil in the ancient world’ highlighting the historical and archaeological importance of the olive in the Mediterranean region. This will be followed by a speech by the Trade Commissioner of Greece in Australia, Chrysa Prokopaki, on the importance of the olive and its products in the modern Greek economy, culture and identity.

As an interval on the above two speeches, the winner of 1st Greek Youth Creative Arts Competition in the category of Creative Writing aged 19-24, Emily Papagianopoulos, will read her winning written text entitled “Olive Oil and Cloud Watching.”

The event will conclude with tasting and sampling of Greek and Australian products with olive as their main ingredient. Among the Greek companies that offered samples for this purpose are the following; “Archetypon Olive Groves”, “Onar Wellness” and “Lymperis Estate Askra.”

“The olive as a symbol but also as a commercial activity is intertwined with both the history and the cultural identity of Greece and this is exactly what we believe the Greek Festival should convey to the general public of Sydney through such an event,” the Chair of Greek Festival of Sydney, Nia Karteris, said.

Head of Public Engagement at the Chau Chak Wing Museum, Dr Craig Barker added how thrilled the museum was to welcome the Greek Festival of Sydney for this event.

“We are especially thrilled as the olive is currently celebrated in our exhibition ‘Impressions of Greece’ and the museum houses a large collection of ancient Greek objects associated with olive oil. This event will showcase the historic connections and the continuing role the olive plays in Greek self-identity,” Dr Barker said.

Do not miss the opportunity to discover the multidimensional use of the olive, from its simple form as a fruit, to its transformation into olive oil, but also its evolution through more modern techniques where the olive is used as a main component of cosmetic products.

Event Info:

• WHAT: The Sacred Tree: Olive Tasting Event
• WHEN: Thursday 16 May 2024 | 6:00pm – 8:00pm
• VENUE: Chau Chak Wing Museum, University Place, Camperdown NSW 2050
• TICKET: $20+bf via link https://shorturl.at/gqX48

For more information on the programme and to book tickets to selected events, please visit www.greekfestivalofsydney.com.au