International Women’s Day (IWD), celebrated annually on March 8, is a day dedicated to recognising the achievements and contributions of women globally.
Over recent years, The Greek Herald has celebrated IWD through its pages and this year, we launched ‘The Greek Herald Woman of the Year’ Award. This prestigious recognition was aimed at shining a spotlight on the remarkable achievements and inspiring stories of Greek and Cypriot ‘unsung heroines’ (women) in Australia.
The Greek Herald was overwhelmed by the more than 300 nominations it received for the Award. We would like to thank our readers for actively taking part in our IWD campaign and nominating diverse women from Australia’s Greek and Cypriot communities – whether that was a mentor, a teacher, a volunteer or a woman in the field of business, education, science, arts and culture, sports, philanthropy, or any other area.
Your nominations were carefully reviewed by an independent panel consisting of the Federal Member for Calwell, Maria Vamvakinou MP, the SA Minister for Small and Family Business, Consumer and Business Affairs, and the Arts, Andrea Michaels MP, and the CEO of Settlement Services International, Violet Roumeliotis AM.
The independent panel was provided with targeted criteria and tasked with selecting 15 finalists and the winner of ‘The Greek Herald Woman of the Year’ Award. The winner will be announced online on IWD and in print on Wednesday, March 13.
Ms Michaels said “it was tough” to narrow down the nominations as all the women were impressive.
“All of these amazing women are doing incredible work to improve the lives of others and they should be very proud of their achievements,” Ms Michaels said.
Ms Roumeliotis said she was impressed by the diversity of the women nominated in terms of their geographical spread (with entries from the east coast but also rural and regional areas across Australia), as well as their interests and passions (from history, education and language to even photography).
“What struck me most was their ability to inspire and positively influence others, particularly within the Greek Australian and Cypriot Australian community. It became evident that these women led well-rounded lives, valuing their culture and life experiences. They emerged as contributors dedicated to creating a better society, making a difference, and leaving a significant legacy,” Ms Roumeliotis said.
Ms Vamvakinou added that whilst she and her fellow panellists had some difficult choices to make, they enjoyed “learning about so many wonderful and high achieving women who were very deserving.”
“I was impressed with the brevity and diversity of the nominees. The fact that there were so many nominations indicates that our community responded with great enthusiasm to ‘The Greek Herald Woman of the Year’ Award. Clearly, we have so many heroines deserving recognition,” Ms Vamvakinou said.
The 15 finalists for ‘The Greek Herald Woman of the Year’ Award are:
Anastasia Darras, Philanthropist, Victoria
Ana Darras AM has been positively impacting the lives of sick children and families for over 30 years. Her energy, selflessness and dedication to making their lives better is beyond inspiring. She has helped drive and grow TLC for Kids into an international charity providing support to over 3,500 children and their families every day of the year. She is my personal hero, and an unsung hero to thousands. I, along with our whole organisation, were so very proud that she was among the recipients of the Australia Day Honours this year when she became a Member of the Order of Australia. You would be hard come by to find a more dedicated and incredible human being who continues to make this world a better place for not just vulnerable people, but anyone who meets her.
Angela Mastroyannis, Volunteer MS Fitness Instructor, South Australia
Angela Mastroyannis, a young 82 years, is a much-adored fitness instructor who in a voluntary capacity has developed and run weekly classes for people living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) since 2016 at the Reynella Neighbourhood Centre. As a trained fitness instructor, she had not had experience with MS sufferers before, however she researched, collaborated, and communicated with health professionals to develop an effective targeted MS program, focused on core muscle strength, cardio, mobility and balance.
Described by participants as an inspiration and a legend, she is credited for improving overall wellbeing both physically, mentally and socially. Classes are the highlight of the week for attendees, who have become a tightknit support for each other with Angela playing a vital role in keeping them connected and positive on their MS journey.
MS class participants are full of praise and admiration for this outstanding motivator who is also a friend with great empathy.
Amalia Samios, Genealogist, New South Wales
Amalia Samios is a dedicated researcher on a mission to collate all the history of the ancestry of the island of Kythera, Greece. She has traced and translated almost every document available in the history of the island, including all births, deaths and marriage records along with passport documents. She’s also looked at many, many photos and newspapers and translated the information for generations to come to have access too.
She has dedicated hundreds of thousands of hours to this work over the past ten years, and has traveled the world to find information to translate. Including numerous trips to Kythera where she has gone through all the archives (and she has donated money to help preserve these documents). Along with the help of the Mormon church, who have added a lot to the archives of the island too.
Her mission is to give the work she has done to the world to be able to share. She has started sharing what she can through her website Kytherian genealogy. Her work will ensure that the history of Kythera will live on for many more generations to come.
Maria Anthony, Community Services, New South Wales
Maria Anthony continues to make an impact on people’s lives in many communities. Working in community services and implementing intergenerational programs, bringing together the elderly and the youth in our local community, making an impact on local seniors. As president of Pontoxeniteas NSW, she volunteers her time in a not-for-profit organisation providing free dance, music and language lessons for all.
Maria has worked with and assisted many different Greek organisations and with different communities including Armenians, Assyrians and Jewish community in relation to recognising the genocide. Maria has organised and hosted many fundraisers including for the Westmead Childrens Hospital, Giant Steps (autism), Alzheimer’s, Cancer Council, mental health and suicide prevention (Black Dog Institute). Maria has raised money and donations for flood relief victims in Greece and organised donations and food for fire fighters at Balmoral Fire station.
Gina Poulos, Philanthropist, Victoria
Gina, an unsung heroine from Australia’s Greek community, epitomises unwavering dedication to humanitarian service. For 28 years, she has led Theodora House Inc., a beacon of hope providing emergency food relief. Beginning in Sydney and extending her reach to Traralgon and Langwarrin, Gina’s compassion knows no bounds, uplifting those facing homelessness and financial hardship.
In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gina’s leadership transformed Theodora House, expanding its services to distribute essential supplies to thousands each month. Her visionary approach, coupled with her emotional intelligence and innovative problem-solving, sustains the charity’s impact, inspiring a team of over 20 volunteers.
Recognised for her commitment, Gina was honored with the 2020 Senior Citizen award by the Frankston City Council and received the prestigious HACCI Community Service award in 2021. Her tireless efforts embody the spirit of service, making Gina a shining example of hope and inspiration for International Women’s Day 2024.
Nancy (Athanasia) Katsimberis, Energy Consultant and Philanthropist, Queensland
Nancy (Athanasia) Katsimberis is the Management Executive and Co-Founder of Australian Utilities Company, and on the board of the National Customer Code Council for Energy Brokers, Consultants and Retailers. With over nine years of experience in the utilities sector and a passion for sustainability, she has presented at local and international conferences, and is a thought leader in the area of prepaid metering for utilities, completing the inaugural degree at Bond of Masters of Philosophy in Business (Marketing).
Passionate about heart-centred leadership, collaboration and giving back to her community, Nancy is the President of the Gold Coast Passport Rotary Club and the secretary and fundraising grant writer for Serving Our People and the treasurer, project manager and grants writer for Abilities Plus Inc. Nancy has secured over $1, 000 000 for charitable projects / initiatives. Awarded the 2021 Top 100 Women In Construction.
Anastasia Hronis, Clinical Psychologist / Academic, New South Wales
Dr Anastasia Hronis is a clinical psychologist, working across clinical practice and academia. She has a passion for assisting the entire community to access mental health care. Anastasia founded the Australian Institute for Human Wellness in 2019, providing mental health services to individual and communities. She has a team of 12 staff who provide mental health treatment across Australia. She and her team also work with communities facing additional barriers in regional areas (Broken Hill, Mildura, Northern Territory).
Her PhD was the first to see how therapy can be adapted for children with intellectual disabilities. She has specific interest in addictions and have been instrumental in advocating for gambling reform. Anastasia is also a lecturer and researcher at UTS. Last year she was commissioned by Penguin Random House to write a neuroscience book about addictions and healthy habits for the general public, which will be available in September.
Ourania Rekas, Retired, New South Wales
Ourania Rekas stands as an unsung heroine within the Australian Greek community, a testament to resilience and determination. Arriving with little more than dreams in the early 1960s, she forged a path of extraordinary impact. Despite facing educational limitations, she tirelessly supported her husband’s ventures while raising three children, later becoming a cherished grandmother of seven.
At 54, Ourania embarked on a remarkable journey, pursuing education with fervor. Graduating with a Diploma in Early Childhood after completing her secondary education at TAFE, she exemplified lifelong learning and tenacity. Her entrepreneurial spirit flourished as she established a successful family daycare business, enriching the lives of countless children and families. Post-retirement, her dedication to service soared, championing numerous charities and community initiatives. Notably, her leadership roles within AHEPA and efforts in growing church participation underscore her profound impact on community cohesion and empowerment.
Anais Menounos, Lawyer & Founder of St Nicholas Mission Academy (Ghana), New South Wales
In 2018, Anais founded a school in Ghana, Africa called St Nicholas Mission Academy. After finishing her Law/Arts degree, Anais travelled to Ghana where a boy ran up to her and begged her for a book to read. It was the boldness of this boy that instilled in her a boldness to return to Ghana and offer a book to not only one child, but as many children as possible. Driven by her selflessness, she overcame each obstacle with faith and tenacity. The thriving school now feeds, clothes and educates 250 children for free. They also provide free medical insurance covering vaccinations and medicines. But these are only the tangible gifts. Anais provides hope for a better life for children born into a cycle of poverty and employs 15 local Ghanaian staff. St Nic’s also inspires children in Australia to assist those less fortunate through community partnerships, fundraising and volunteering.
Maria Palaktsoglou, Senior Lecturer in Modern Greek at Flinders University, South Australia
For over 30 years, Flinders academic Dr Maria Palaksoglou has taught thousands of students Greek language, history, mythology and culture. This work is particularly important given that Dr Palaksoglou is currently heading the only university Greek language offerings in South Australia. Dr Palaksoglou designs learning experiences that extend well beyond language skills acquisition, into a nuanced and thoughtful understanding of the multi-dimensionality of past and contemporary Greek culture and contributions to the world.
Dr Palaksoglou’s work is deeply valued by her students, who consistently offer 100% positive feedback across all dimensions of Flinders measures of teaching excellence. This is an outstanding achievement and one that places her in the top echelons of teachers in the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences and Flinders University. In short, Dr Palaksoglou’s work buttresses the knowledge and valuing of diversity that is foundational to a vibrant multi-cultural society.
Anastasia Xenophontos, Pensioner, Victoria
Anastasia has been a volunteer at the Cyprus Community of Melbourne for many years in the ladies auxiliary and cultural group where she played in theatre roles. She has her own cultural and theatrical group and offers her expertise and skills by scriptwriting plays in which are presented at nursing homes and other community centres when required
Maria Maikousis, Retired Public Servant, Victoria
Maria Maikousis’ influence spans across Australia’s Greek community and beyond, embodying a lifelong commitment to diversity and inclusion. As a cherished Board Member of the Food for Thought Network, Maria empowers Greek women through events and mentorship. Her resilience in overcoming breast cancer fuels her passion for service, offering a unique perspective on life.
Maria’s involvement in organisations like Daughters of Penelope, AHEPA, and Zonta showcases her philanthropic spirit, evident in initiatives such as fundraising luncheons and educational support, as well as her 37 years of experience in Public Service. Notably, Maria’s pioneering role as the inaugural Officer of the Ethnic Communities Council in Canberra highlights her advocacy for equality. Maria epitomises the essence of an Unsung Hero.
Despa Fitzgerald, Detective Superintendent, NSW Police Force
Despa, originally from the rural town of Wagga Wagga and to immigrant parents Mark and Vicky Criticos, realised her childhood ambition when she joined the NSW Police Force in 1988 at Maroubra Police Station. She then transitioned to the newly established Child Protection Enforcement Agency in 1996, she wholeheartedly committed herself to safeguarding children, victims of domestic violence, and sexual abuse. Despite the male-dominated environment, Despa ascended through the ranks to become a Detective Superintendent.
In 2022, she assumed command of the Inner West Police Area Command, prioritising community relationships and supporting initiatives like the Addison Road Community Centre in Marrickville, a vital source of food aid for vulnerable groups. Actively engaging in youth programs such as the Rise Up Program at Marrickville Police Citizens Youth Club, the Greek community, and various outreach programs underscores her unwavering commitment to public service. In 2024 she was an Australian Police Medal Recipient.
Georgia Alexandrou, Cypriot community leader, Australian Capital Territory
Georgia Alexandrou is the first female leader to have taken the presidency of the Cyprus Community of ACT (CCACT) from 2000-2023. Her strong and enduring leadership provided a long period of stability for the Cypriots in the Canberra district and all of Australia. Georgia has been instrumental in advancing relations with Cyprus and Greece working closely with the Cyprus High Commission and the numerous visiting missions of high-ranking Cypriot dignitaries and officials.
Georgia has worked tirelessly in initiating annual commemorative events to remember those killed in the Turkish invasion. She has led her committee in the support of organised petitions to Federal parliament on national Cypriot issues alongside PASEKA and the AHC. On 22 April 2021, Georgia was elected president of Pan-Australian Justice for Cyprus Coordinating Committee (PASEKA). Sadly, Georgia has recently stepped down from presidency from both CCACT and PASEKA due to illness.
Dr Angela Evangelinou-Yiannakis, ACU-TFA Regional Lead (WA), Unit Coordinator/ Lecturer/Honorary Research Fellow at The University of Western Australia
Dr. Angela Evangelinou-Yiannakis is a pioneering force in the relentless preservation and propagation of the Greek language and culture in Western Australia. With exemplary leadership and transformative influence, she stands as a beacon of inspiration, inspiring others to embrace and cherish the richness of the Greek language and cultural heritage. Her exceptional mentorship capabilities and unwavering commitment to nurture the next generation of educators have been invaluable to countless individuals.
As a lecturer at The University of Western Australia to her foundational contributions at secondary schools, she is continually raising the standards of Greek language education. Her active engagement in professional associations and initiatives aimed at preserving Greek language and culture demonstrates her advocacy and influence.
Serving as Chairperson of the Modern Greek Language Teacher’s Association (WAMGLTA) and Director of the Centre for the Greek Language in WA, she has been instrumental in shaping educational policies. A true unsung Hellenic heroine.
