The Australian Embassy in Athens hosted the launch of Η Πρώτη Έποικος (The First Settler) on Wednesday, 1 October 2025, celebrating the extraordinary story of Katherine (Ekaterini) Plessou-Crummer — the first Greek woman to migrate to Australia in 1835.
From the court of Ali Pasha in Ioannina to the social circles of Sydney, Katherine’s life was marked by courage, resilience and pioneering spirit. She arrived in Australia with her husband, James Henry Crummer, a British military officer, and remained there until her passing in 1907 at the age of 98, survived by two of her eleven children.
Her journey — stretching from the turbulence of post-revolutionary Greece to the colonial society of New South Wales — embodies the endurance and adaptability of early Greek settlers.
Her remarkable story has now been brought to life by author Fotini Papadimitriou in Η Πρώτη Έποικος, a best-selling historical novel based on factual research. Drawing on archival materials and historical references, Papadimitriou weaves together fact and fiction to illuminate a forgotten chapter of Greek and Australian history, giving voice to a woman whose life was as dramatic as the times in which she lived.
Ambassador of Australia to Greece Alison Duncan welcomed guests to the Embassy and described the book as a powerful tribute to migration, identity and women’s empowerment. The evening unfolded in the Embassy’s reception hall against the backdrop of autumn rain in Athens, where guests gathered in a spirit of shared heritage and discovery.
The event featured a conversation between Papadimitriou and Greek Australian cultural connector Penny Sahinis, who spoke about the author’s commitment to historical accuracy and the emotional depth with which she portrays Ekaterini’s transformation from a young woman in Epirus to a migrant navigating life in colonial Australia. Their exchange shed light on the rarely documented presence of women in early Greek migration stories and the significance of reclaiming their narratives within modern diasporic memory.
Varvara Athanasiou-Ioannou AM, founder of the Food For Thought Network, followed with a heartfelt reflection on the book’s impact. She praised Papadimitriou for reclaiming Ekaterini’s identity as “a woman of flesh and blood: intelligent, resilient, principled, and deeply human,” noting her own personal connection to the story through shared ancestral roots in Thesprotia.
Ms Athanasiou-Ioannou described the novel as “a voice recovered, a story reclaimed, and a woman’s journey that transcends time and place,” and urged that it be translated into English so that “this story may travel beyond Greek.”
The evening also included an engaging audience Q&A before concluding with closing remarks and a warm reception, where guests continued the discussion over refreshments as Papadimitriou signed copies of her book.
Special guests included Secretary General for Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy Maira Myrogianni; former Secretary General for Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy Professor John Chrysoulakis; Athanasios Kavvadas MP, President of the Australia–Greece Parliamentary Friendship Group; Professor Aristides Hatzis of the University of Athens; and Thanasis Danis, Mayor of Souli, alongside many friends of the Embassy who braved the weather and traffic to attend.
Concluding the evening, Ambassador Duncan described Katherine’s story as “a testament to the strength of women who shape history and to the enduring friendship between Australia and Greece.”
Through Η Πρώτη Έποικος, Papadimitriou restores Katherine Plessou-Crummer’s place in the historical narrative — not as a footnote, but as a living symbol of courage, adaptability and cross-cultural legacy. The novel, and the evening that celebrated it, remind us that the journeys of Greek women, once written in the margins of history, now take their rightful place at the heart of it.
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