What does being Kastellorizian mean to you?
“Home. When I say I’m Greek, I always think of Kastellorizo,” Lilliane Gomatos who was recently named Kastellorizian of the Year 2022, tells The Greek Herald.
“I was born in Australia, I’m third generation but it was always important to my mother that she embeds the Greek origins and ethnicity into us so we do not forget our roots.”
“I just feel so proud to say that my grandfather came from Kastellorizo,” she tells of her maternal ancestor who migrated to Australia from one of the smallest islands of the Dodecanese in the early 1900s.
In 2019, Gomatos received a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her contribution to multiculturalism and the Greek community and has also been awarded from the Hellenic Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HACCI) but she says the latest recognition is one she values deeply.
“I am honoured and humbled. I feel proud that they have chosen me,” she says speaking warmly about her family’s support over the years and her late husband, Theofilos.
“My husband was from Sparta but was converted to a Kastellorizian. He always told people that if they want to relax and enjoy the peace, they should go to the isnland,” she says warmly.
The couple settled in Darwin in 1967 and nearly two decades later Lilliane Gomatos became the first female president of a Greek community in Australia. As president of GOCNA, she assisted with the completion of the Greek Orthodox School’s third stage and the upgrade of the church while she also co-founded the Greek Glenti festival.
“My husband was emergency captain and when we settled in Darwin, he got involved with the community. He was asked to assist with the Greek consulate, because he was the only one that knew how to do speak the language fluently.
“He was the main reason that I got pulled into community work and I have to say I did enjoy it,” she says.
“Lilliane epitomises the importance of grassroots welfare of Kastellorizians and Greeks in Darwin, personifying the spirit of the original Kazzie philotimo – brotherhood,” reads the announcement shared by the Kastellorizian Association of Victoria (KAV).
The mother of three and grandmother to four says she is committed to instil her passion and values to the future generations.
We ask her for a piece of advice.
“Just keep going. Never give up on your origins and be proud of your forefathers,” she says.
“Even though we are Australians of Greek origins, we must blend our two ethnicities and instil in them the pride of Greece.”
Lilliane’s achievements will be celebrated at the Kastellorizian of the Year (KOY) Gala Dinner on Saturday 15 October 2022.
READ MORE: Athanasios Avgoustis: The pioneering ethos of the first Kastellorizian to settle in WA
