Cretan Association president Terry Saviolakis applauds decision to name Marrickville precinct ‘Little Greece’

·

Marrickville has been home of the Cretan Association of Sydney and NSW since its foundation in 1959. After 62 years, the contribution of Marrickville’s Greek community to Australian society is being recognised with the formal renaming of the precinct to ‘Little Greece’.

The decision was announced by Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne on February 10, who said it is about, “respecting our migrant heritage and continuing to build our multicultural future.”

“To all the Greek Australians who have built Marrickville into one of the best places on earth we say simply, Efharisto,” the mayor said in a Facebook post.

Speaking to The Greek Herald, Cretan Association President Terry Saviolakis said he hopes the decision will make Greeks even prouder of Marrickville.

“I’m glad that they’ve named it little Greece because it recognises all the hard work of a lot of the early settlers, the Greeks and particularly our members as well, that came and set up businesses and established the area as what it is today,” Saviolakis said to The Greek Herald.

“A lot of our members would have come in the 50s, 60s, 70s to Australia. So it’s recognising their hard work when they first came here, really just establishing the area.”

Prior to the final announcement, the Cretan Association of Sydney and NSW wrote to the Inner West Council’s councillors, proclaiming that they were “delighted to hear” of the creation of a new Greek precinct.

“They lived in the area, went to school in the area and established businesses in the area which had a lasting impact on the area’s growth and multiculturalism,” the letter wrote.

“The creation of this precinct will formally recognise the long-standing contributions of Greek- Australians in the Inner West.”

The Council will submit an application for ‘Little Greece’ to be added to the Geographical Names Board. The precinct will be established on Marrickville Road between Livingstone Road and Victoria Road.

The precinct will be celebrated on March 25, in conjunction with Greek Independence Day, which this year marks its 200th anniversary. The idea is to have local residents, community groups and businesses come together, along with Sydney’s Greek leaders, at Marrickville Town Hall to celebrate it’s launch.

“I wish to thank everyone in the Marrickville and broader Inner West community for all their hard work in seeing ‘Little Greece’ realised. Special thanks need to go to Councillor Sam Iskandar, who first approached me with the idea for this precinct,” Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne concluded after the decision was passed.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

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

Advertisement

Latest News

The man for all jobs: How a Greek migrant turned setbacks into 7-figure success

When Christof Mantzanas stepped off the plane in Melbourne on 10 March 2015, he had just $1,000 in his pocket.

Jimmy’s Kitchen brings authentic Greek hospitality to The Rocks

Sydney diners can now experience the warmth, flavour, and soul of a traditional Greek taverna without the flight to Greece.

Greek Community of Melbourne enhances safety with defibrillator training seminar

The Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) took a notable step towards enhancing community safety by organising a defibrillator training seminar.

Wills without the Trojan War

After nearly 15 years in the legal industry, I’ve lost track of how many matters I’ve worked on involving family disputes over estates.

From tech to health: Greek Australians driving innovation in 2025

Australia’s Top 100 Innovators celebrate those who turn setbacks into breakthroughs. This year, three Greek Australians are among them.

You May Also Like

Energy security, Turkey main focus of Israeli President’s visit to Cyprus

Any bid by Israel to improve strained ties with Turkey won’t come at the expense of its “strategic relationship” with neighbouring Cyprus.

IMMA backs the Victorian Multicultural Review as a ‘watershed moment’

Independent Multicultural Media Australia (IMMA) has welcomed the findings of the Victorian Multicultural Review and its report.

Melbourne paralegal clerk Athena Razos pleads guilty to misappropriating $1.5 million

Melbourne paralegal clerk Athena Razos has pleaded guilty to 16 counts of misappropriating more than $1.5 million from clients.