On Sunday, November 23, the Laconian Federation of NSW had a function at the Zarax Cultural Centre in Enfield, Sydney, with a talk on ‘Laconian emigration around the world.’
There were three speakers after the introduction by the President of the Laconian Federation, Linda Legas.
The first speaker was Tom Kokoris from the Zarax Association and a committee member of the Laconian Federation, who spoke about various snippets of emigration from the 17th to the 20th century, from the Maniates of Corsica to the Vatikiotes of Propondida, and the mass migration to the USA from 1869 up to the census of 1982.
He talked about the disproportionate emigrants between males consisting of 90% and females about 10% with an illiterate rate of about 13%. He also covered emigrants to Romania, and some of the African sub-continent, where most Greeks were established in South Africa until the dismantling of Apartheid in 1990.
Mr Kokoris introduced the second speaker, Chris Apostolakos from the Asopos Association who is also a committee member of the Laconian Federation. Mr Apostolakos continued the talk with immigrants who arrived after the second World War in Australia at Bonegilla (The Migrant Reception and Training Centre, located south of the Murray River in Victoria).
Mr Apostolakos covered the original advertisement by the Australian government to entice immigrants into the country: “You can go to Australia as a family under the assisted passages scheme, ADULTS pay 20 POUNDS-Children free.” They were called the ‘10 Pound Poms.’
Mr Apostolakos also spoke about life in the camp, the men working in distant places, the ladies looking after the family and schooling in the camp, the very limited house contents, schooling for the non-English residents, the sporting field, the hospital, doctors taking X-rays without protection, the mess hall and finally a list of immigrants by nationality as recorded on their I.D. card.
Mr Apostolakos then introduced to the podium the third speaker, Maria Glekas, President of Orea Eleni and also a committee member of the Laconian Federation. She ended the session with a poem on immigrant in Greek written by Ioannis Karagannis from Rihia, Zaraka, Laconia, Greece who lives with his family in Canada.
The afternoon was a great success with a comment of encouragement by Cathy Lafkas, who had just returned from Bonegilla, for everyone to visit the camp and see how our first arrivals after the war persevered and struggled for us to have the freedom and success we have.
