Melbourne’s annual Halloumi Festival at the Cypriot Community Hall on Saturday, March 1 and Sunday, March 2 wasn’t just a celebration of grilled cheese; it was a defiant roar of a community determined to build its future.
Theo Theophanous, President of the Cypriot Community of Melbourne and Victoria (CCMV), wasn’t shy about his community’s impact.
“We think more than 2,000 people attended that gathering,” Mr Theophanous declared, referencing the Federation Square rally in 2024 marking 50 years since the occupation of North Cyprus.
“[It was] the largest gathering and demonstration on the 50th anniversary of the invasion anywhere in the diaspora (including London and New York).”
Yet, this monumental effort, coupled with the festival’s growing popularity and cultural significance, failed to secure funding.
“We used to receive a $20,000 grant for the Halloumi festival,” Mr Theophanous revealed to The Greek Herald, “but despite it being bigger than ever, there were no grants for this year’s.”
Undeterred, he vowed to make the festival “a large annual event on the Victorian events calendar for the entire community, not just Cypriots.”
As Federal Member for Wills, Peter Khalil, representing Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, aptly stated, “It is the people that make the festival.”
A vibrant tapestry was present. Maro Ostrognay’s South Melbourne Dance Group dazzled, as did her unique Cypriot culinary delights. Sotiris Sotiriou’s Pegasus troupe evoked generations of tradition, and Theano Milidis’ violin strings wove magic with singer Sotiris Stylianos’ band, Aetos. They filled the air with sounds of home, a poignant reminder of the island they yearned for.
The shadow of the 1974 invasion loomed large. His Grace Bishop Evmenios of Chora, with palpable emotion, reminded attendees, “Half a century has passed and still the words of division remain.”
Yet, he offered a message of resilience: “Borders may be drawn, and may be taken, but the spirit of people when greeted injustice and righteousness can never be broken.”
Kat Theophanous MP emphasised the festival’s unifying power: “Food truly is a universal language.”
Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Dimitra Georgantzoglou, freshly minted in her post, celebrated “Cypriot civilisation.”
The festival also ignited debate over halloumi’s designation, currently a unifier between the Turkish-occupied north and Greek south of the island.
High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus in Australia, Antonis Sammoutis declared, “Australia will need to rename Halloumi as Cypriot cheese,” if legal protections are secured.
Maria Vamvakinou MP, however, vowed to be a “formidable adversary” in defending the name’s use among local makers of Cypriot heritage.
There were references to the community’s ambitious redevelopment project. Last year, Mr Theophanous, speaking to The Greek Herald, detailed plans for a six-storey “Greek village” within Melbourne, a partnership with Lucent Property Development Group.
The project includes a 600-square-metre function room, a traditional kafenio, retail spaces to address the community’s $3 million debt with a “steady income stream.” There will be community offices, a potential after-hours school, a consular office, underground parking, a rooftop garden, and 50 apartments.
“Our biggest challenge is bringing the next generation, but we hope they will be able to make use of the facilities of the new building,” Mr Theophanous admitted. “The CCMV has now been granted charity status after years of trying and this will significantly reduce our tax burden but also gives us obligations to help the disadvantaged in our community.”
This year, he shared new challenges.
“Problems due to a music venue across the road which would have meant significant additional cost in installing sound barriers. We have had to come to an agreement with the music venue owner, even though it is no longer operating, to purchase the music licence and remove it but we are still waiting for the Council to give the green light,” he said.
Mr Theophanous added, “We are hoping to demolish the existing building this year and commence construction with the aim of having it completed by 2027.”
Interested parties signed up for future housing. They hope that construction will begin before next year’s Halloumi Festival.
*All photos copyright The Greek Herald / Mary Sinanidis.
