The Unley High School Greek language programme, with the generous support of the Hellenic Studies Foundation, successfully conducted its second annual interstate cultural immersion trip to Melbourne from Friday 27 June to Sunday 29 June, 2025.
Thirteen students from mostly Year 9 participated with a handful lead students from Years 11-12, accompanied by Greek language teacher Lazaros Gialamas and Greek Parents’ Committee (GPC) member and student parent Mary Chrysostomou.
This initiative reflects the school’s ongoing commitment to providing students with authentic learning experiences that deepen their understanding of the Greek language and culture in an Australian context, while building connections with Greek-speaking communities.
The school said it was grateful to the Hellenic Studies Foundation for their financial support of the 2025 excursion. Their support made this opportunity accessible to all students, demonstrating their strong commitment to the advancement of Greek language and cultural education. The school also acknowledged and thanked the Greek Parents Committee for their continued involvement and sponsorship of this excursion.
Once touching down in Melbourne, the excursion began on the Friday with a special visit to the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation of Our Lady in East Melbourne, the second oldest Greek Orthodox Church in Australia built in 1902.
Students were warmly welcomed by Father Antonios Vanikiotis, who shared the church’s rich history and vital role it played in the lives of the earliest Greek migrants and its present community. The students were quick to search out for icons for their eponymous Saints and closely inspected the building’s original iconostasis before being gifted a small souvenir to remember their visit.
Following the visit, students travelled to the vibrant and thriving Greek Australian community in Oakleigh, affectionately known as “Little Athens” for lunch. There, they explored and patronised Greek restaurants, cafes, bakeries, and shops as they experienced the closest possible sites, sounds, tastes and smells of Greece that our country has to offer.
Our first night was capped off by a lively NPL football match at Lakeside Stadium, home of the South Melbourne Hellas Football Club. The club’s rich history was on display in the stadium’s foyer with trophies, pennants and photographs very much catching the attention of the soccer-crazed students, who got behind Hellas in their 2-1 win over Hume City. This provided students with another glimpse of how deep multiculturalism runs within the community and its connection through sport.
Saturday’s program began at the Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) Language School’s CBD campus, where students were welcomed by Principal Maria Bakalidou who provided a guided tour of the building and language classes of different year levels. Afterward, Unley students joined the GCM Year 9/10 Greek language learners from Vicky Lambropoulou’s class for a lesson focused on listening, speaking and getting to know each other before the students performed dances together beginning with a Syrto and learning the Ikariotiko, while students from the UHS Greek Dance group also performed the Roditiko for the class.
These interactions fostered meaningful peer-to-peer connections with a mutual love for language and culture, across states. This is something we aim to instill in another generation of not just the diaspora but students of any background who engage with Greek language learning.
“These encounters help our students realise they are part of a broader community of learners,” Ms Bakalidou said. “They see that others, even in different states, are on the same journey and facing the same challenges and joys in learning Greek. It strengthens their motivation and sense of identity.”
Mr Gialamas from Unley High School added, “By stepping into real-world Greek-speaking spaces, students can start to see studying a language as something meaningful and pertinent.”
Later, students explored Lonsdale Street, having lunch at the well-known Greek establishment Stalactites, and took time to observe and reflect on the area’s historical significance as the heart of Melbourne’s Greek community.
The final organised activity was that afternoon with a visit to the Hellenic Museum. There the students were able to experience the new exhibition ‘Rituals: Gifts for the Gods.’ Presented in collaboration with the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, this major exhibition showcases a number of artefacts from key Greek museums, many of which have never before been displayed outside of Greece. Students gained insight into how ancient Greek ritual practices connected individuals with the divine and took knowledge away with them for the purpose of a source analysis task.
Sunday was dedicated to returning to Adelaide. While no formal excursions were scheduled for this day, students returned home with new connections, deeper Greek Australian cultural insight, historical knowledge and strengthened language skills.
“This was a great trip, it connected me with new people, brought everyone closer together and taught me new things in a fun way,” Marcus Georgiou, a Year 9 student, said.
Another Year 9 student Mason Smolcic added, “I really enjoyed learning more about Greek culture alongside my friends.”
