The Cyprus Community of NSW is set to launch the Australia Cyprus Achievement Awards this Friday, December 12 to recognise individuals who have made significant contributions to Australia.
The Community’s Honorary President, Michael Peters Kyriacou, told The Greek Herald that for more than a century, Australia has welcomed people from Cyprus and given them a place to call “home.” He said it was time for the Community to acknowledge the sacrifices, efforts and achievements that helped Cypriots establish themselves in Australia, as well as those who have made a broader impact on the nation.
“The Award is not just about Cypriots; it’s the Community’s way of honouring all who have enriched the nation,” Mr Kyriacou said.
The Award will be announced at a major event planned for 2026, to be held within a week of the traditional Australia Day holiday. Honorary Assistant Secretary Andrew Paschali described it as the Community’s first “Australia Thanksgiving gathering.”
“We often take for granted that we live in a peaceful, progressive country that has welcomed many thousands of our compatriots over the decades – a country which respects the rule of law and human rights,” Mr Paschali said.
“It’s time we all come together to give thanks, share our stories, and recognise those who have made a difference. It will be a traditional thanksgiving gathering that becomes part of the Club’s annual calendar. All members, all Greeks, friends, family and supporters are invited to share their ‘Australian’ story and give thanks to both the Achievement Award recipients and to Australia.”
Thanksgiving is celebrated in several countries as a time for giving thanks for blessings such as harvest, prosperity, good health and community wellbeing.
Mr Kyriacou noted that the idea of giving thanks is “deeply Cypriot.”
“The people of Cyprus gave thanks for their harvest, the health of their people, their prosperity and their families. For an island accustomed to drought, invasion, occupation, massacres and crop failures, thanksgiving is part of the Cypriot DNA for millennia,” he said.
“It is surprising we seem to have overlooked this core value in our makeup. In 2026, the Community will hold its first ‘open-door’ event for all to come to the Club, share a story about their ‘Australian experience,’ present the Australia Cyprus Achievement Award and give thanks to Australia.
“For Cyprus, it’s a core value – to acknowledge and appreciate good fortune. It’s a tradition that must be brought back into our events calendar, and in 2026 the youth will be leading this task. There is no better way to say thanks than to show appreciation for what we have and our desire to do even better.”
Mr Kyriacou added that the Award is not only for high achievers.
“The Award is about ordinary Australians who have made an effort to give something back to Australia – whether in sport, caring for others, protecting the environment, supporting youth or assisting the less fortunate. It’s about making that extra effort, giving a helping hand, acts of kindness, sacrifice and goodwill,” he said.
The Australia Cyprus Achievement Award is open to any Australian resident who has made a meaningful contribution to Australia’s social, cultural, economic, scientific or intellectual life, and to the promotion of welfare, cohesion and national advancement – an ambassador of Australian achievement who enriches the life of the nation.
The Award will be presented at the inaugural Australia Thanksgiving event.
Applications are available online from Friday, December 12 at: www.thecyprusclub.org.au/awards
