As The Greek Herald celebrates its centenary in 2026, much has already been written about its role in chronicling migration, war, politics, religion and the evolution of Greek Australia.
But buried deeper in the archives are lesser-known stories — strange moments, forgotten campaigns and remarkable firsts — that reveal just how extraordinary the newspaper’s journey has really been.
Here are some fascinating stories and little-known facts from the archives that reveal another side of The Greek Herald’s first century.
1. One of the newspaper’s most influential figures was killed in a shocking murder case
Few moments in the history of The Greek Herald were more dramatic than the death of longtime owner and editor Alexandros G. Grivas in January 1963.
Grivas’ death shocked both the Greek and wider Australian communities after he was fatally stabbed at his Abbotsford home in Sydney.
A Bulgarian migrant, John Stoitcheff, was later sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his wife and convicted of the manslaughter of Grivas after the court heard both were killed during a violent confrontation at Grivas’ home.
The sensational case generated headlines across Australia because of its mixture of jealousy, infidelity, migration tensions and the involvement of one of the most recognisable figures in Greek Australian public life. It marked the end of one of the most influential eras in the newspaper’s history.
2. The Greek Herald once partnered with The Sydney Morning Herald
In 1927, The Greek Herald signed a formal agreement with the Australian Press Association and The Sydney Morning Herald, giving the Greek-language newspaper direct access to mainstream Australian news services — a rare achievement for migrant media at the time.
For many early Greek migrants, mainstream Australian newspapers were difficult to access due to language barriers. The partnership helped The Greek Herald become one of the first ethnic newspapers in Australia able to provide readers with both Australian and international news through established media channels, strengthening its credibility and influence within the growing migrant community.
3. The late Prince Philip once personally requested copies of The Greek Herald
In December 1945, Prince Philip visited The Greek Herald and later requested that copies of the newspaper be sent weekly to HMS Whelp, the British naval destroyer on which he was serving.
The newspaper also published New Year greetings written by Prince Philip in Greek to the Greek community in Australia — a remarkable moment that reflected both the newspaper’s growing prominence and the close wartime ties between Greece, Britain and Australia following World War II.
4. The newspaper once campaigned for Greeks to become Australian citizens
In the lead-up to World War II, The Greek Herald strongly encouraged Greeks in Australia to apply for Australian citizenship and naturalisation.
At a time when many migrants still saw themselves as temporary sojourners rather than permanent settlers, the paper argued that citizenship would offer protection, stability and greater political standing within Australian society during an increasingly uncertain global period. The campaign revealed how early the newspaper recognised that Greek settlement in Australia was becoming permanent.
5. It once harshly criticised Greeks in Australia
In one remarkable editorial from 1928, the paper criticised gambling, division and disorganisation within the community, even declaring Australia’s Greek communities “the worst in the diaspora.”
The editorial reflected the frustrations of early community leaders who feared factionalism, gambling and constant infighting were damaging the reputation and future of Hellenism in Australia during a period when Greeks were still trying to establish themselves socially and economically.
6. The paper once acted as a welfare office
For decades, the newspaper’s offices functioned as more than a newsroom. Newly arrived migrants regularly sought help finding work, accommodation and support.
Long before formal migrant services existed, many Greeks arrived in Australia with little English, few contacts and limited understanding of Australian society. The newspaper often became one of the first places migrants turned to for assistance, advice and introductions within the community.
7. It also helped arrange marriages
Long before dating apps or social media, The Greek Herald occasionally acted as a matchmaker, publishing details for Greeks in search of spouses in Australia.
As migration accelerated after the war, many Greek men had arrived in Australia alone, creating a major gender imbalance within the community. Marriage notices and introductions through the newspaper became one way families attempted to preserve language, religion and cultural continuity within the diaspora.
8. The paper once proposed creating a Greek bank in Australia
In 1956, The Greek Herald publicly advocated for the establishment of a Greek bank in Australia to support the rapidly growing migrant population.
The proposal reflected the economic rise of post-war Greek migrants, many of whom had begun establishing businesses, buying homes and creating communal organisations. The newspaper argued that a Greek financial institution could better support migrants who often struggled accessing loans and financial services through mainstream Australian banks.
9. The first Greek lessons by correspondence in the diaspora began through the paper
In 1952, the newspaper launched Modern Greek lessons by correspondence for children living in rural Australia, with lessons printed weekly inside the newspaper itself.
At a time when Greek schools barely existed outside major cities, the initiative became one of the earliest organised attempts anywhere in the diaspora to preserve the Greek language among second-generation children growing up far from established communities.
10. The Greek Herald became a fierce anti-dictatorship voice
Following the 1967 military coup in Greece, the newspaper openly positioned itself against the Junta, publishing emergency editions and supporting anti-dictatorship movements throughout Australia.
The paper quickly became one of the strongest anti-Junta voices in the Greek diaspora, documenting arrests, censorship and political repression in Greece while helping mobilise democratic organisations and protest movements across Australian cities.
11. The paper survived a major fire in 1978
In March 1984, The Greek Herald suffered a severe fire at its premises, forcing the newspaper to suspend circulation for two weeks. When publication resumed on 19 March 1984, the paper apologised to readers and thanked them for their patience and understanding during the disruption.
Several years earlier, in 1978, another major fire had partially destroyed The Greek Herald’s computer centre during a critical period of technological modernisation. The incident temporarily forced the paper to reduce its page numbers as it worked to restore operations.
12. Greek television in Australia was linked to the newspaper
The arrival of ANTENNA TV in Australia in 1997 involved close collaboration with Theo Skalkos and the Foreign Language Press group, helping transform Greek diaspora media from print into multimedia broadcasting.
For many Greek Australians, the arrival of Greek-language television fundamentally changed their relationship with Greece by bringing news, entertainment and live cultural programming directly into Australian homes for the first time on a large scale.
