The Castellorizian Association of NSW marked its 100 years by holding a centenary gala at Doltone House, Hyde Park, Sydney on Saturday, January 27.
The event was attended by approximately 400 people, including a number of people who had travelled interstate for the event.
While the purpose of the gala was to commemorate the Association’s rich history and acknowledge those who have tirelessly dedicated themselves to the Association and its remarkable achievements and endeavours over the past 100 years, it was also about looking to the future and preserving the legacies of the community’s forebears for many years to come.
The emcees for the evening were siblings Rebecca and Jack Mangos. Jack is currently the president of Cazzie Youth, the Association’s sub-committee for 18-35 year olds, and Rebecca is the recent winner of the inaugural national Castellorizian Young Achiever Award for dedication to the service to the Association over the years.
Various distinguished guests attended the event, including: Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley, Governor of New South Wales; Ioannis Malikourtis, Consul General of Greece in Sydney; Bishop Bartholomew of Charioupolis; Matthew Thistlethwaite MP, Assistant Minister for Defence, Veterans’ Affairs, and for the Republic; Dr Marjorie O’Neill, NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Transport; Councillor Philipa Veitch, Mayor of Randwick City Council; Councillor Alexandra Luxford, Deputy Mayor of Randwick City Council; and Councillor Dylan Parker, Randwick City Council.
Guests who gave speeches included Ms Beazley, Mr Thistlethwaite, Randwick Mayor Veitch, Bishop Bartholomew and Mr Malikourtis.
Children who are third and fourth generation Castellorizians also introduced themselves and their families, followed by performing several dances.
There were also dance performances by the Aristotelian Academy of Greek Traditional Dance. The night ended with dancing and live music with a bouzouki and violin player.
History of the Castellorizian Association of NSW:
The Castellorizian Brotherhood (later renamed to the ‘Castellorizian Association of NSW’ when the Castellorizian Club in Kingsford opened in 1973) was established in January 1924. This was during a time of a wave of emigration from Castellorizo to Australia.
Paving their own way as they arrived in Australia, the Cazzies looked out for each other as they started to embrace life in their new home, Sydney, and started various businesses, employing their own. At this time, sponsorships for new arrivals were expedited and significantly less costly if conducted through an Association.
And so, the Association was established, with the purpose of sponsoring those Castellorizians wanting to migrate to Australia and bind this migrant community through the preservation of a collective identity, traditions and values in a new land far away from Castellorizo.
On the 15th June 1924, the newly-established Association held its first Annual General Meeting at Lee House on Castlereagh Street, Sydney, attended by 133 Castellorizians who elected the first Men’s Committee.
In its maiden year, the Committee met at George’s Café in Pitt Street followed by the Café of Evangelos Stavrianos in Pitt Street from 1925 to 1929 and the Café of Nicholas Confos in Park Street from 1929 to 1950, until relocation to the Leski at 66 Oxford Street from New Years’ Day of 1951.
The Association’s charitable efforts continued to flourish over the years to come. By the early 1940s, over 5-and-a-half thousand Castellorizians called Sydney home, but maintained strong ties to the island they left behind, keeping abreast of its affairs under an Italian occupying presence.
Today the Association continues to thrive and has a new premises in Kingsford, NSW named “The Castellorizian” where it frequently holds exhibitions and various other events for the adults and youth alike.
