From villages to Victoria: What Greek obituaries reveal about post-war migration

·

The 1950s and 1960s were the peak periods of post-war migration of Greek migrants to Australia, with around half settling in Victoria. Greek-language newspapers became part of the staple diet of most Greek households with the obituaries section being very popular with readers.

The obituary contained important information about the deceased. It included their year and place of birth down to the village level.

Dr Nick Dallas has analysed more than 15,000 obituaries in order to determine the demographic origins of post-war Greek migrants. Who were more numerous, the Peloponnesians or the Macedonians? At the prefecture level, were there more Messinians or Floriniotes. The answers are not as straightforward as they may appear.

BIO

Dr Nick Dallas arrived in Melbourne in 1971 on board the legendary migrant ship, the Patris. He is a graduate of the University of Melbourne where he has completed Bachelor of Science, Arts and Commerce undergraduate degrees and a PhD in Organic Chemistry.

He works in educational publishing and since 2012 has been a director on the Board of Management of the Greek Community of Melbourne, the Chair of its Education Committee and the Convenor of its seminars program.

Since December 2024 he has been a PhD candidate at the University of Macedonia’s Department of Balkan, Slavic and Oriental Studies in Thessaloniki where he’s researching Greek political exiles that arrived in Tashkent in 1949 after the Greek Civil War.

Event Details:

  • When: Thursday 28 August 2025, 7pm
  • Speaker: Dr Nick Dallas
  • Seminar: How Can Obituaries Inform Us About Post-War Migration to Australia – The Case of the Greeks of Victoria
  • Where: The Greek Centre, Mezzanine Level, 168 Lonsdale St., Melbourne
  • Language: English
  • Sponsors: Ithacan Philanthropic Society, Hellenic Women’s Network ‘Heliades’

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

First Greek government visit to New Zealand in 18 years marks historic reconnection

Greece’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andreas Loverdos, will make an official visit to New Zealand this month.

Kay Pavlou’s ‘Two Homelands’ to bring Cypriot voices to the Greek Film Festival

The acclaimed documentary Two Homelands, directed by Kay Pavlou, will screen in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane this October.

Australia’s Holy Eparchial Synod announces key appointments

The Holy Eparchial Synod of the GOAA convened on Thursday, October 2, under the presidency of Archbishop Makarios.

Macquarie University to welcome esteemed Greek scholar Dr Ifigeneia Dosi

Macquarie University will host a distinguished scholar from Greece, as part of its commitment to international academic collaboration.

Sydney to host first anniversary of ‘Our People, Their Stories’ Living Museum

GOAA has organised an event in Sydney, marking one year since the establishment of the Living Museum “Our People, Their Stories”. 

You May Also Like

Michael Patsalis charged with impersonating a police officer and fraud

Michael Patsalis was arrested yesterday morning and charged with six counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage and impersonating a police officer.

South Melbourne FC secure vital victory against Dandenong Thunder

In an intense encounter, South Melbourne FC secured a vital away victory against Dandenong Thunder. Read more here.

Greece proposes joint EU vaccination certificate to ease travel

Greece has already created its own standardised certificate to prove an individual has been vaccinated.