On Tuesday, March 11, the State Library of NSW hosted an insightful evening as part of the Greek Festival of Sydney, featuring a lecture by historian Leonard Janiszewski and a historic announcement by renowned photographer Effy Alexakis.
The event, emceed by Richard Neville, Mitchell Librarian and Director of Engagement at the State Library of NSW, was a celebration of Greek Australian milk bar history, culminating in the donation of Alexakis and Janiszewski’s vast archive to the library.
With over 50,000 historical documents, 200,000 photographs, 3,000 oral histories, and 150 hours of video and film recordings, their collection is widely regarded as the most extensive archive on Greek migration, settlement, and identity in Australia.
A historic gift to the State Library
During her speech, Alexakis officially announced that she and Janiszewski would be donating their life’s work to the State Library of NSW. She described their dedication to documenting the experiences of Greek Australians over the past four decades and the importance of ensuring their archive remains accessible for future generations.
“With the encouraging support of Richard and the valuable input of Maria Savvides, Leonard and I have decided that now is the right time to gift our archive – our life’s work – to the State Library of NSW,” Alexakis declared with emotion.
The monumental archive, however, requires significant digitisation and preservation efforts, with an estimated cost of $300,000.
Alexakis emphasised the urgency of fundraising, explaining, “Our family and friends will attest, the responsibility and our worries in maintaining it [the archive] has become all-consuming. The archive is mostly analogue—film, cassette tapes, paper-based documents. These need to be digitised, and most importantly, a database needs to be created.”
Some donations have already been received to kick-start the digitisation project, including generous contributions from the descendants of Mick Adams and the Keldoulis family, both of whom share strong connections to Greek Australian history.
Greek Australian history and the Milk Bar legacy
The evening also featured a captivating lecture by Janiszewski, focusing on the transnational impact of Greek migration, particularly through the Greek milk bar phenomenon.
Janiszewski outlined how Adams, a Greek migrant also known as Joachim Tavarlidis, revolutionised Australian retail with the creation of the world’s first modern milk bar in Sydney in 1932, which later expanded globally.
“The milk bar, as far as Effy and myself are concerned, is an icon of Australian popular culture, but it’s also one of our greatest retailing exports ever,” Janiszewski explained.
He traced its roots back to Greek entrepreneurial spirit, detailing how Greek migrants fused American soda parlour culture with Greek café traditions, shaping Australia’s retail and dining landscape.
Speeches and Distinguished Guests
The event included remarks by Harry Danalis, President of the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW, who highlighted the longstanding relationship between the Greek community and the work of Alexakis and Janiszewski. He emphasised the importance of preserving Greek Australian heritage and commended their efforts in ensuring that future generations can access this valuable historical resource.
In attendance were also several notable guests, including the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Ioannis Mallikourtis; the Trade Commissioner of Greece in Australia, Chrysa Prokopaki; First Secretary for Public Diplomacy at the Consulate General of Greece in Sydney, Anastasia Christofilopoulou; Chair of the Greek Festival of Sydney, Nia Karteris; and other prominent figures from the Greek Australian community.
A community effort to secure the Archive
Consul General Mr Mallikourtis acknowledged the immense value of Alexakis and Janiszewski’s work, calling for increased awareness of Greek Australian history. He expressed hope that the donated archive would serve as an enduring resource for understanding the depth and complexity of Greek migration history.
Mr Neville from the State Library expressed his deep appreciation for the donation, highlighting its significance: “I don’t think I can emphasise how important this donation is. There’s literally no archive like it. I don’t think it’s one of the best—I think it is the best archive of this kind in the country.”
As the evening concluded, attendees were invited to contribute to the digitisation fund, ensuring that this unparalleled collection of Greek Australian heritage remains accessible to researchers, historians, and future generations.
For those interested in supporting the preservation of this vital archive, please contact the State Library of NSW at (02) 9273 1414 and mention ‘IN THEIR OWN IMAGE: GREEK-AUSTRALIANS DIGITISATION FUND’ or email foundation@sl.nsw.gov.au
*All photos copyright The Greek Herald / Andriana Simos.
